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I had an asthma attack last night. I know I should have called 911 but didn't. Any other options?

*Billie Jean*

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I had a very severe asthma attack last night. It lasted over 2 hrs. At first I was coughing and I could tell that it was asthma related. So I took 2 puffs of my rescue inhaler (it means when asthma is already in effect). I waited awhile and it usually works in about 5 mins. It didn't and I couldn't breathe very well. I tried to be calm and everything. After awhile I finally stopped coughing but another problem began. My lungs and chest and throat felt constricted. I tried to drink some water and pop with caffeine. Nothing seemed to work. So I tried sitting down and thinking. I tried to look up info on asthma attack but everything that it suggested I had already done and I didnt wanna go to the hospital. So as time passed the more difficult it was for me to breathe. It was to the point where it felt like I was breathing through a straw. I began to panic a little. I wanted to find a way to get better without going to the hospital. I kept researching and researching but nothing. All it said was a few things I tried and call for help. I didn't wanna call for help so I just tried to deal with it. As time went by I felt faint and dizzy. I couldn't really see and my vision began to spin. I begin to panic now because I didn't know what to do. I knew I was calling for help so I tried going on a chat room cause at that point I was desperate for anything. I talked to this really nice person who told me to calm down and I eventually did a little. He/She told me to drink caffeine which a had already done or sit up straight with my shoulders back. She also told me to drink warm water with lemon. I didn't have lemon so I used water it worked but I don't know if that's gonna work everytime. And he/she also had asthma as well.

Right now my chest feels a little heavy but I'm not wheezing yet. It's a little hard for me to breathe and I've already taken 3 puffs of my rescue inhaler. What do you think I should do?
 
Billie, please :hug: .. Go to the hospital or see a doctor .. You know I say this with LOVE .. I don't want you to become worse :cry: :heart: Please :cry: .... :heart: L.O.V.E
 
Sending you good vibes... ~~~

Feel better and go see a doctor :hug:
 
Yes, I'll go see the doctor. I'm okay now but my chest still hurts and my throat is mildly sore from coughing. I'm only slightly short of breath at the moment but I'm not sure if it could get worse. I can't breathe through the pain, and it cuts in about half way through 1 breath.

For the past 20 years, I have been sick mostly with bronchial asthma. In severe asthma attacks like I just described, the thought of death is my only consolation. I would say to myself, a little more time. Soon you will stop breathing…and you will be ok. It is never ok to be alive during severe asthma attack, I tell you. It is this experience that floods the memory during sore throat.

Thanks so much for the replies from all of you, everyone here is so supportive. :huggy:
 
Billie Jean I agree with the others, go see a doctor.
I hope you will feel better soon!
Take care!
Elmira
 
...........Go see a' doctor ok? I'm really worried now!:no::(
Stress can cause alot of problems ,I have fibromyalgia wich means chronic pain etc,and the stress following Michaels loss etc makes it twice as worse,just sayin' be careful with your'e self:yes::better::yes::D
 
I've got asthma too. I would definitely see a doctor if I were you. Sounds like they need to do something with your medications. Are you on a maintenance medication, like a corticosteroid inhaler at least, besides just using a rescue inhaler? I had such horrible asthma until I went on a Advair (called Atmadisc is Germany). I still have probs sometimes, but not like the old days. Hope you get some help :flowers:
 
Thanks to all of you for your well wishes. :flowers:
Carol said:
...........Go see a' doctor ok? I'm really worried now!:no::(
Stress can cause alot of problems ,I have fibromyalgia wich means chronic pain etc,and the stress following Michaels loss etc makes it twice as worse,just sayin' be careful with your'e self:yes::better::yes::D
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Don't worry, I'll be okay. :huggy:

mjbunny said:
I've got asthma too. I would definitely see a doctor if I were you. Sounds like they need to do something with your medications. Are you on a maintenance medication, like a corticosteroid inhaler at least, besides just using a rescue inhaler? I had such horrible asthma until I went on a Advair (called Atmadisc is Germany). I still have probs sometimes, but not like the old days. Hope you get some help :flowers:
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Thank you. I stopped using Advair because I had some problems, so my doctor switched me to Symbicort. I am so frustrated! I am someone who is extremely sensitive to all medications, including the ones I have to take for my asthma. I have pretty severe asthma. Symbicort makes me feel so horrible--it makes my heart beat really fast and palpitate and it makes it difficult for me to even exercise. It makes me feel so horrible and it raises my blood pressure and all kinds of stuff. If I don't take it, I can't breathe, but if I do take it, I feel terrible. Every time I go to the doctor they dismiss my symptoms and act like I'm crazy, but I know that I'm highly sensitive to medications. Good luck to you with your breathing as well. :huggy:
 
Aww, I'm sorry you experienced such a scary thing. Gosh, please keep your doctor's appointment and if you have another major attack like this one before then that won't go away no matter what you try please go to the emergency room (ugh, I know how horrific those places can be).

Back in 2006 I had a similar asthma attack where all the things that usually worked for me didn't work (inhalers, warm water, coffee, steam, etc). I tried everything in the book. I even went to see a neighborhood doctor who tried giving me adrenaline and something else but it just got worse. I finally gave up, walked home (it was just a few blocks but felt like 10 miles) and asked my mother to call for an ambulance. I was ready to collapse. It was very scary but they finally got my asthma under control in the hospital. I was admitted and had to stay for a couple of nights. I believe emergency rooms make asthma patients priority and take you right away (at least that's how it is at the hospital I went to).

Be well! :)
 
*Billie Jean* said:
Thank you. I stopped using Advair because I had some problems, so my doctor switched me to Symbicort. I am so frustrated! I am someone who is extremely sensitive to all medications, including the ones I have to take for my asthma. I have pretty severe asthma. Symbicort makes me feel so horrible--it makes my heart beat really fast and palpitate and it makes it difficult for me to even exercise. It makes me feel so horrible and it raises my blood pressure and all kinds of stuff. If I don't take it, I can't breathe, but if I do take it, I feel terrible. Every time I go to the doctor they dismiss my symptoms and act like I'm crazy, but I know that I'm highly sensitive to medications. Good luck to you with your breathing as well. :huggy:
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Yeah, I know Advair can cause problems for people. I can't say it causes none for me, just they're minor. Never tried Symbicort because I'm too terrified to switch medicine for fear I'll wind up in the hospital or something :mello: I totally get what you mean about how if you don't take it you can't breathe. Me too. I forget one dose of my Advair and a few hours later I'm gasping for air. Well, I hope they figure things out for you. I'm not a doc, but I thought I'd mention that I read that just corticosteroid inhalers alone reduce attacks, so maybe your doc would give that a try? Advair and Symbicort both have that (fluticasone propionate), but they also a 2nd long-acting ingredient and that's the part that causes heart freak-outs and stuff. Here in Germany everything has some weird name, lol, but I know in the US there's Flovent that is just the fluticasone alone and doesn't affect heartrate. Anyway, just from my experience. Good luck :hug:
 
Billie, go to see a doctor as soon as you can :yes: =D and i hope you get will very soon :hug:
with all of my love "hugs" to you :D =)
 
I have been an asthmatic for 19 years and firstly like everyone else said i think you should visit a doctor or hospital but the most important thing when you have an attack is to stay calm there is a strong believe that asthma can be controlled by simple taking your mind off it although at times i know this is almost impossible to do, when i was younger i suffered some very bad attacks and ended up spending some time in hospital but the older i got the better i was able to deal with it and when i felt an attack coming on i tried my best to concentrate on something else. I then i went onto a seretide inhaler for a few years which was great as a preventative and it also kept away chest infections the only problem with it was that it is very expensive. I am 29 now and this year i think i can safely say my asthma is gone as i haven't needed any kind of medication for over 6 months, i thought at my age i would have it forever but obviously not so maybe you will be lucky and lose it. What kind of a climate do you live in?
 
Sorry to hear you suffer so badly with asthma Billie Jean. :hug: It sounds like it's time for your doctor to do a re-evaluation of how well your medication is controlling your asthma. How are you feeling now?

I have asthma too but thankfully I don't think I've ever had an attack to the magnitude of what you described. I was hospitalised at age 3 for it (more than anything to see what was wrong with me I expect) but haven't had to be hospitalised since. My asthma isn't that severe, however it's still a hindrance! I could/would never skip my daily dose of my inhaler. I'm on Symbicort too but I don't experience the side effects you mentioned.

Gottobethere, you're so lucky for being able to give up your medication! There's no way I could do that. If I go even a morning without taking my inhaler I get wheezy/feel uncomfortable.
 
Emerald said:
Sorry to hear you suffer so badly with asthma Billie Jean. :hug: It sounds like it's time for your doctor to do a re-evaluation of how well your medication is controlling your asthma. How are you feeling now?

I have asthma too but thankfully I don't think I've ever had an attack to the magnitude of what you described. I was hospitalised at age 3 for it (more than anything to see what was wrong with me I expect) but haven't had to be hospitalised since. My asthma isn't that severe, however it's still a hindrance! I could/would never skip my daily dose of my inhaler. I'm on Symbicort too but I don't experience the side effects you mentioned.

Gottobethere, you're so lucky for being able to give up your medication! There's no way I could do that. If I go even a morning without taking my inhaler I get wheezy/feel uncomfortable.
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I was like that up until 6 months ago, i couldn't go anywhere with out my inhaler and once it ran out i'd start to panic and it would get worse, but then i just noticed i wasn't using it as much and i started to leave it at home more and then i quit getting them all together so i suppose there is always hope there for you too that it might just go away.
 
Hello everyone.. thanks for the support. :huggy: I've been offline for days as I've been trying to get my life under control. Of course that has not worked. I'm still so sick. I had another severe asthma attack last week and no better...I literally started with the worst attack of my life. I just couldn't move air in at all it seemed. I tried to start a Neb treatment but was soo out of breath I couldn't focus and once I got it going I wasn't really getting much of it in. Dad called 911 and I swear those 6 or so minutes seemed like an hr! The EMTs literally put O2 on me right away checked my lungs and out the door we went. I had a second breathing treatment on the way to the ER. My O2 was down to 80 but to me it might have well been 0 is how it felt. Needless to say I spent the night in the ER and had more breathing treatments and shots and the doctor said it was triggered from a viral infection (the cold I had had)

I was sent home with Prednisone and was told to continue my Symbicort. I take and do Neb treatments every 3-4 hrs. I wasn't any better and the hospital actually called me that Friday and told me they were making me a followup appt with a doctor. I went to her and she didn't like my cough but my lungs were clear. She told me to keep up the Prednisone and all and see her back in three days. Went back and they put me on an antibiotic "just to make sure" as my lungs still are clear. She took me off the Neb treatments as I have some heart issues too and it was causing my heart to act up a bit. She said to continue using my inhaler every 4 hrs as needed.

Well, I am now done with all my meds and continuing my Symbicort and Singulair and all but I am STILL having lots of tightness in my lungs it feels like and just can't hardly speak a sentence without getting short of breath. Also, to get up and do anything around the house makes me short of breath as well. I have had to use my inhaler twice today and even do a Neb treatment a little while ago. Having asthma attacks almost constantly, I've fallen down the stairs twice because of it and think I've broke my foot. :(

Besides all that, I have more problems. I got a blood test in August 2009 and my doctor said I had a low white blood cell count and he wanted me to get blood tests every couple of months to monitor it. I have gotten 3 tests since then and every time the white blood cell count has gotten lower. I got the results from my last blood test on Wednesday and not only is my white blood cell count is low, but my iron is also low now. My doctor told me to take a multivitamin for the iron. He wants me to get another blood test in April to see if the white blood cell count has gotten lower and if it has she wants to send me to a hematologist. Could this be serious? Why does he want to keep waiting to check it out? My friend has also told me that this could be a sign of leukemia because I'm also experiencing some other signs like fatigue and weakness, dizziness, joint pain, and unintentional weight loss. I'm quite worried, I've felt lightheaded for two weeks straight. Today I've felt extremely weak, I could barely stand up for more than a few minutes. I'm so sick and tired of being sick and tired. :cry:
 
I was just about to ask how things were Billie, but you already posted an update :)

I'm sorry to hear you are feeling like this :( Hope you feel better soon.
My iron is low too, I always felt so tired. So I have to have blood tests every so often to check on it, as well as taking iron tablets.
I wouldn't worry about the doc doing all these tests, it's just routine.
Sending my love and hugs to you :hug: :heart:
 
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Thank you all for your support. I am still very weak, can hardly move at times but I'm feeling a lot better than I did the past few days. I do understand that allot of my symptoms could be related to my anxiety. I'm going to the doctor again in a few weeks for more tests. I am scared, even though I know I shouldn't be. I have read about leukemia and feel like that I have leukemia. I know leukemia is rare and I'm probably overreacting but it scared me when I saw how many symptoms I have. :( Once again, thanks for all the help. :huggy:
 
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