Frustration with my doctor

[rainbow_goddess]

My asthma has been very bad over the last several months. Walking up even a very slight incline (such as the street I walk up to get to my bus stop every morning) has me coughing my guts out. Any slight exertion is a trigger. Taking my rescue inhaler beforehand doesn't help

Comments

[thefreshchuff]

I had a terrible time on Advair; I'd been using it for several years when it felt like it stopped working for me. All my lung function tests were great, but I was experiencing chest pain and constantly felt out of breath. My asthma doctor tried upping the dosage, but what truly helped was switching to a different medicine altogether. (I take Flovent now.) Maybe see if he'll try you on a different medicine? If you're taking your rescue inhaler more than twice a week, your regular inhaler isn't doing its job and you need a change in treatment!

This doctor sounds really, really frustrating. I'd continue to try and find a different doctor taking on new patients, because this guy's treatment just isn't working. You should never have to take your rescue inhaler three times in one day. D: Maybe try going to a walk-in clinic or a hospital emergency room next time you have an attack, see if they'll prescribe you something different, or help you get an appointment with a different doctor?

Anyway, as far as other ways to get your asthma under

[rainbow_goddess]

I took Flovent before I was on Advair and was taking my rescue inhaler even more then than I am now. When I first went on Advair, and for a few years afterward, I never needed my rescue inhaler. The reason I want to see a specialist is to find out if a new medication would help; my GP knows nothing about asthma meds at all.

I'm seriously thinking of going back to drinking coffee. I've been told that coffee is a bronchodilator, but I do have acid reflux and coffee makes that worse. I take medication for the acid reflux but I could probably use an increased dosage of that as well.

Yoga might help. I have a friend who is really into yoga. I'll ask her for suggestions about it.

[chuckvideo]

I feel your frustration, it took me a long time before I found a really good asthma doctor here in the Los Angeles area. Keep trying, you might want to talk to your local hospital to see if they have a database of good pulmonary doctors they might refer you to. If they don't take new patients, I would hope they could steer you towards someone who might.

[foundunicorn]

If I read the big sheet of paper right, two puff of Advair is what the doctor can only proscribe.

Have you tried antihistamines, I take 1/2 of a loratadine 10mg in the morning and 1/2 of a diphenhydramine 25 mg before bed.
It helps me a bit.

[rainbow_goddess]

I take antihistamines up the wazoo. I've built up an immunity to every non-drowsy, over-the-counter antihistamine in existence.

[wrin]

1) Advair 500 one puff BID isn't the same thing as Advair 250 two puffs BID. Advair 500 doesn't double the dose of inhaled bronchodilator. Advair 250 two puffs does. The 250 in the Advair is only the Flovent dose in the Advair. There's still a whole dose of Serevent mixed in

[rainbow_goddess]

No one does exercise-induced asthma tests here. All they do is the one lung function test that has you sitting down and resting for 15 minutes before doing the test. I'd love to try an exercise test, but the only people I know of who do them are the heart doctors who do stress tests

[wrin]

Serevent is the long acting bronchodilator (think 12 hour Ventolin) that comes mixed in with the Flovent in the combination inhaler Advair. Advair 250/50 (the diskus version) contains 250 of Flovent and 50 of Serevent. Two puffs would therefore be 500/100. Going to the Advair 500/50 would double the steroid without doubling the long acting bronchodilator dose