29th August 2006
Iyami -
I also have asthma. Your lightheadedness is probably from hyperventilating. So please be careful with that. You may want to try breathing into a paper bag when that happens. It will allow you to breathe in more of the carbon dioxide that you are breathing out too quickly (it's a vasodilator and without it the vessels in your brain are constricting causing the lightheadedness).
Anyway, the test your doctor is talking about, which SHOULD be done, is a methacholine challenge test. It's an annoying test, but it's diagnostic. You don't have to be in an attack to be diagnosed, that's foolish. And you should see a pulmonologist. The pulmonologist can order the methacholine challenge test. They basically have you inhale the methacholine and it will induce an asthma attack IF you have asthma. They may stop the test early if you are strongly positive early on (like I was). Then they will give you albuterol and atrovent at the end to get you out of the asthma attack. I can't tell you how much better I felt after I took that! It was like night and day! Your doctor can also perform PFT's (pulmonary function tests) but the methacholine challenge test is very diagnostic. You should demand that this test is done because the shallow breathing is not normal and it does sound like you have some asthma, especially the allergic type. Please see a pulmonologist so you can get started on treatment! And be VERY careful about those over-the-counter asthma medications (primatene mist, etc) because they can cause your heart rate to race. I really think you should avoid these medications until you see a pulmonologist. Hope this helps! :p
I also have asthma. Your lightheadedness is probably from hyperventilating. So please be careful with that. You may want to try breathing into a paper bag when that happens. It will allow you to breathe in more of the carbon dioxide that you are breathing out too quickly (it's a vasodilator and without it the vessels in your brain are constricting causing the lightheadedness).
Anyway, the test your doctor is talking about, which SHOULD be done, is a methacholine challenge test. It's an annoying test, but it's diagnostic. You don't have to be in an attack to be diagnosed, that's foolish. And you should see a pulmonologist. The pulmonologist can order the methacholine challenge test. They basically have you inhale the methacholine and it will induce an asthma attack IF you have asthma. They may stop the test early if you are strongly positive early on (like I was). Then they will give you albuterol and atrovent at the end to get you out of the asthma attack. I can't tell you how much better I felt after I took that! It was like night and day! Your doctor can also perform PFT's (pulmonary function tests) but the methacholine challenge test is very diagnostic. You should demand that this test is done because the shallow breathing is not normal and it does sound like you have some asthma, especially the allergic type. Please see a pulmonologist so you can get started on treatment! And be VERY careful about those over-the-counter asthma medications (primatene mist, etc) because they can cause your heart rate to race. I really think you should avoid these medications until you see a pulmonologist. Hope this helps! :p