BellaOnline Forums Health and Fitness Asthma What's Your Trigger?

Yow! That is serious. I am going to assume that you are on some pro-active medications (daily probably). I think I read in another post that you've been dealing with this for 15 years? (Is that right?) So you might could tell ME a few things. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I'm glad things are under better control now. It's amazing the medications that these scientists have come out with. Trying to right these artilces has about blown my brain, but it has been VERY interesting.

Hi Michelle,
I have had asthma since I was about 12 years old. It actually went away when I was about 14, but then it came back very seriously during my second pregnancy; I was 22. I am almost 61 now, so you can see how long it has been. Back in the "early days" the only meds they had were adrenaline type and once you took them, you shook for hours. That wasn't fun. Luckily, as time has passed, drugs have become much better.

I realized that my attacks seemed to be related to my periods but this was pre-PMS time and no one would believe me; even though I could never breathe a day before my period and as soon as it started, my breathing cleared up and, whenever I would be hospitalized (which was very often) I would get it whether it was due or not. It wasn't until PMS became a known illness that they finally told me I had been correct all those years. To make matters worse, I suffer from depression and the prednisone and other asthma meds made the depression worse, so I got into a vicious cycle.

My worst years were between the ages of 29-40. I was hospitalized innumerable times and, as I said previously, had respiratory arrest twice. I went through menopause when I was in my late 30's and I think that plus the fact that medicine has improved tremendously is the reason that my problems began clearing up when I turned 40. I have only been to the emergency room once, since that time, when I was 50, and it was on a day where the weather was rainy and humid and I had two horribly upsetting things happen - in addition, I was a new widow. I think everything just piled up on me and I couldn't deal. My doctor started me on Singulair that day and I haven't had one problem since. I use Singulair, Flo-vent and Zyrtec daily. I haven't used a rescue inhaler in at least three years. I also have allergy injections every two weeks to keep my allergies under control.

I have been left with lung damage - only have 50% function and because of the prednisone I had to take for 10 years almost continually, I have high blood pressure, a very low metabolism (terribly overweight) and I had cataracts in both eyes (both taken care of now). Today, except that I have difficulty climbing stairs, etc., you would never know I have asthma. Although I do have days when the humidity bothers me and I do get wheezy when I catch a cold and have to go on antibiotics immediately. In addition, I never travel without prednisone and antibiotics in my suitcase because I tend to catch infections on airplanes and if I come down with one, I need to start antibiotics immediately. If I didn't, I would end up in the hospital. So I have to be very aware of my body at all times.

One of the big things I have found with my asthma is just like with my depression: I have to not get stressed. I try to not let things bother me. I wasn't diagnosed with depression until I visited a psychiatrist for my asthma. After I had the first respiratory arrest and spent a month in the hospital having what seemed like thousands of tests, the doctors couldn't find anything wrong with me to have caused it, so they said I had to see a psychiatrist. That was when the depression was discovered and both problems were dealt with at the same time. I think anyone with asthma should at least visit a psychiatrist (note I didn't say psychologist) and find out if they are depressed, too. They can be so intertwined and the asthma drugs can exacerbate the depression and the depression drugs can cause other problems with the asthma, so that is why a good psychiatrist versed in drug therapy is a necessity.

I think I have probably seen it all in the past 40 years, so if you have any questions, I would be happy to try to answer them.

My hubby's main trigger is humidity. When we used to travel to the coast to visit his folks, the moment he got out the car he would give a huge big wheeze and drag on the ventolin a couple of times. Travel back up to the hills and he'd be fine again.

But then again I've heard of someone whose parents moved with her TO the coast because the salty air helped with her symptoms. Everyone's different, I guess.

Barb - your experiences with asthma sound horrific! I'm so glad you've got it under control now.

I have taken prednisone for my eczema and never given it for my asthma. But I need to do some research on that med that I nicknamed the nasty pills, they mess up your personality big time and I gained weight while taking them, but cleared up my skin.

I will not take it anymore and wonder what the long term effects are from prednisone.

I have taken prednisone for many many years for both asthma and poison ivy (horribly allergic to it). I believe I mentioned in an earlier post that I was on it almost 10 years straight. The side effects are numerous but, without it, I would have died many years ago. So, I can live with the side effects. It does cause personality changes while you are on it and it increases your appetite, and you also retain fluids. On a long-term basis, it will decrease your metabolism, cause high blood pressure, loss of calcium to your bones, easy bruising, cataracts in your eyes, and weight gain. There are probably others that are slipping my mind at the present. I have had cataract surgery in both of my eyes, am quite overweight and have an extreme struggle just to lose a pound, have had high blood pressure for the past 30 years. But, today, I can do just about anything I want (in moderation, of course) and live a relatively normal life. If I had to do it over again, I would definitely take the prednisone. I don't like the side effects, but I wouldn't want to lose my life.

If you haven't had to take it for asthma, then I don't think your asthma is extremely severe, since it is the main drug they give for severe attacks. That is not saying you don't have bad asthma, it is just that you haven't had it so bad that you are losing blood oxygen or are heading into respiratory arrest. Both of my children have had to take it over the years and I have a number of friends with asthma and they have had to take it. Count your blessings if you haven't needed it for your asthma.

Prednisone falls into the corticosteroid category, and these (unfortunately) are common side effects for almost all of the steroids. Off the top of my head I can't think of any steroids that don't have this effect. Headaches are also quite common. But, as Barb said, the choice is whether to live with side effects, or die because of not breathing.

These days Dr.s try to be as sparing with the steroids as possible, especially with children. They will put a person on it for as short a time as they possibly can to get the desired effect. But for those with sever/persistant asthma; sometimes there is no choice other than to leave them on medications that are not perfect.

We all complain about the price of RX drugs, but on the other hand, look at what these researchers have to do. It doesn't make it any easier on us, I realize; but I do have to applaud the men & women who spend their lives trying to make the world "better"!

My triggers are all allergy-related... one of the worst attacks I ever had was on an airplane, a woman a few rows back was doused in perfume and it triggered a severe allergy attack. Why don't they make a rule about no strong perfume on airplanes? For some of us, it's a deadly weapon! And on a plane, you can't escape perfume like you can in a restaurant or public place. You also can't open the windows and all the little airblowers do is swirl the smell of the perfume all around the cabin. Yuck!

You know, that is somewhat curious - I guess it falls under personal hygiene, and they figure there is no way to enforce that. The only thing I can suggest is that if you are suffering from an allergy attack brought on by someone's perfume; speak to an airline attendant. They can politely point it out to the other passengers en masse, and hopefully the offending woman (or man - sometimes they are worse than women) will get up and wash some of the excess off. If a person is not singled out, they sometimes take it better. (You know- I may forward this part over to Kennie, our etiquette expert and see what she thinks!)

Bonnie & I had discussed those little "samples" of perfume they put in magazines. At one time they were completely outlawed by the FDA, because of allergies, but then the cosmetic companies coalesced and came up with the idea of the "foldover" sample. The FDA approved it because one has the choice of whether or not to open the flap.

But those things are getting stronger and stronger, you can smell them as soon as you pick up the magazine! And as Bonnie pointed out; if you are in a waiting room, someone has already flipped them all open. The only good thing about that is that most of the time the fragrance has had time to dissipate.

I confess to being somewhat of a hound for fashion magazines, but the first thing I do when I buy them is flip through and tear out all of the perfume ads. It only takes a few minutes and sometimes elicits a sneeze or two, but it's really the prolonged exposure that gets me so I'm mostly okay.

I bought a few bras recently at a Victoria's Secret clearance sale, and watched in awe as the cashier sprayed perfume in the bag! She did it before I could stop her. Um, how about NO!?!? Thanks! I'm gonna wash them anyway before I wear them, but now I have to throw them through the washer, when I'd rather hand-wash them so they'll hold their shape longer.

People complain about smokers, but I've almost always found smokers to be courteous, keeping their distance from non-smokers (although I'm actually not allergic to cigarette smoke anyway... not sure why not), I find heavy perfume-wearers to be far more cruel.

I think there should be an age limit to be able to buy perfume, just like cigarettes, because 14-year old girls are some of the WORST perfume offenders. Have they never heard the phrase "a little dab'll do ya?"

Of course not, 14 yr olds still believe in blue eye shadow! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

You should complain to the Victoria's Secret store however. It may not have ever crossed anyone's mind about allergies, or to ask about spraying perfumes. They think of it as a "feminine touch" added to make the purchase more special. I'm sure that if you brought it to the manager's attention, they would appreciate it; because it could actually spare them from a lawsuit in the future!