Hi All,
I have no cough, and no real acute asthma attacks. However, I started having chronic shortness of breath (severe) in October...They are putting me through the wringer with medical tests, but one of them showed that I had asthma.....I do sometimes get wheezy at night - but would not consider myself having severe asthma. Could this be the cause though of my shortness of breath - I've not been able to exercise because of the SOB....They prescribed singular, albuterol and advair....the advair started to give me a yeast infection in my mouth on the second day so I stopped it. The pulomonary doc seems to think I really need an inhaled steroid so now they want me to try asmanex.....If there's a chance this would cure my SOB I will try it, but if not I don't think I want to take it (also have bone density issues).....I am getting tested for gallbladder and heart issues too. (Am 41 years old - family history of artery clogging and gallbladder probs)....
Thanks for any help!!
Best wishes to you all...
Kathy
PS Non-smoker, never smoked...

I'm am okie too - an allergist told us it's one of the worst places in the country for allergies because the wind blows pollens in from every direction!! I really only have mild allergies - I used to take a 1/2 benadryl at night and no allergies....they just changed me to singulair to help with the asthma....I have no sneezing, but my eyes do sting...Good for you for getting on the treadmill!! I recently gained a lot of weight but my breathing problems started before I gained it - I gained 50 lbs in 5 weeks last november! A stupid medicine.....I quit the med - but still have the weight and more....I have bad breathing days and better days too...and they seem to come in clusters....They gave me asmanex....I didn't take it last night....right now I'm just looking at it! : ) Thanks for your help!
Best wishes,
Kathy

Hi Marissamm,
Thanks for all that info - I knew about the mouth infection thing and didn't like the way my mouth felt with advair so they switched it to asmanex....I've tried it two nights now - still rinsing and brushing afterward....they did put me on singulair and I have albuterol inhaler to take as needed....it does help but makes me feel jittery and sick....I can ask about the shots....the rehab sounds useful because for awhile I was hyperventilating and I'm not sure yet, but I think I might need to "retrain" my breathing.....thanks for telling me about all that - it gives me more options....they are still going to check my heart with heart cath because of the sob so I have to get that out of the way - but then we'll see...
Thanks so much -
Best wishes,
Kathy

There was only a slight improvement.....the number that was 2.85 and 90% went up to 3.21 and 100% after meds....since then I've had the methacholine challenge test for asthma and after three doses of metacholine I have over 20% decrease so they declared that I have asthma....I do have wheezing in the evening.....but I have shortness of breath all the time.....I am having trouble with the inhaled steroids they are trying to give me....advair irritated my mouth really bad and now the asmanex is doing the same after taking it for 5 days....I don't know whether to stick with it or just quit it.....maybe I need to give it more time to work......
Thanks for trying to help!
Kathy