wrin, thank you sooo much for your reply...i know i'm probably too young and don't have the exposure to certain elements like most chronic bronchitis people do...but i am a bit confused....i'm trying to figure out whats going on...

to answer your q- i do have problems breathing for more than three monthes...its been since about the beginning of the school year (sept.), and i've always complained about having problems breathing since sixth grade (ie...i will be a freshman in college next year)...b/c i do not have the characteristic delayed exhale of most asthmatics, my docs are hesitant to label me as such...

however, EVERYONE who listens can hear the congestion in my chest and the lack of airflow in the lower part of my lungs, which makes me feel better, ironically, b/c now i know its not mental problem-which would be very hard to treat....

i am worried, but i try not to get to anxious about it, b/c i know that that does make it worse, so i try very hard to not get uptight, if i find myself thinking about it too much- i just change whatever activity i'm doing so that i am distracted from the problem...

the albuterol does work, but it is VERY temporary...i don't remember if i said....i had a nebulizer treatment twice at the docs office, which cleared it up somewhat, but its benefits were completely gone in an hour!!! and the albuterol makes me really shaky, so i'm not fond of the idea of taking it when it only works for like, 1/2 hour, but makes me shake for about 2...any comments or suggestions????

yes, i'm working hard on clearing up the bronchitis i have right now...i have taken all the pills in my z-pak to date- i have about two left, and i am very faithful about taking my nasonex and allegra, b/c i'm on many meds, that "take pills in morning" becomes a permanent "event" on my agenda...i am making all the efforts to change my lifestyle to compensate the problem...i dance, so i get exercise, but i do not purposefully exhaust myself...

also, every day i go to school i take a 1/2 liter water bottle, and i make sure to sip even when i'm not thirsty, b/c the water helps with the thick mucous as well as my digestive problems...

also, i have had wheezing twice to the extent that anyone within talking distance could here it, and the albuterol clears that up immediately, however, the effects of it on my ability to breath deeply are extremely limited...

here's my concern now....the docs can hear the problems in my chest, but they are not typical of most asthmatics...would i be better off with a long term bronchodialator such as advair...would that keep my airways open longer than albuterol???? could it be that i just don't respond very well to albuterol, and that another short term such as maxair would be better??? if anyone knows of any effective meds....please let me know!!!! thank you!

rach

For starters, Advair is not a long-acting bronchodilator, but it CONTAINS one.

There IS a way to get what you have under control -- the 'asthma triad' is known to be inflammation, constriction, and thick, tenacious whitish mucus. The delayed-exhalation thing is something that not every asthmatic has. The fact that the albuterol helps tells me that there's some bronchoconstrictive component, but the fact it only lasts 1/2 hour to an hour also tells me that the situation is very serious and that you should be ON THE BALL about getting this under control. Something that asthmatics are told is that if the albuterol doesn't last at least for a few hours then there's something serious going on.

I think you might benefit from a long-acting bronchodilator but that doesn't mean you'll get a prescription. There are potentially reasons why you won't be prescribed one -- since they're supposed to last 12 hours and Albuterol doesn't make much of a dent in you for very long, what's the point in medicating you with things that won't work like they're supposed to? I'm far from certain but your doctor will know more.

One thing that I think might help is if you got your allergies under control. The allegra sounds like it'll help with this. Another thing is that a different kind of bronchodilator might help -- atrovent is one kind that doesn't make you shaky and has the added side-effect of drying up secretions. I wouldn't be expecting to be getting this one right away either -- let's not mask the symptoms before we know what you've got, right?

And if your doctor does want to try you on a bronchodilator, you might want to see if berotec or maxair or bricanyl makes you less shaky, though they're supposed to have more side-effects to do with your heart (like increased heart rate) than does albuterol.

Good luck at the doctor -- and stay on them until you feel comfortable and can breathe comfortably. you will get more control over your breathing problems if you are persistent and proactive. the only way i have been able to keep myself sane and breathing normally for the past 15 years is to stay on top of it myself. i think it was difficult for my doctors to understand that someone who is young, healthy, and active can really be bothered by the breathing difficulty and/or the medicines. i cannot use albuterol without experiencing severe palpitations, but i have had good results with the maxair -- after trying inhaler after inhaler and combination after combination. don't get freaked out, just stay on top of it. keep a journal of your symptoms and the reactions to your meds. make a note of your mucous -- i know that seems gross, but it will be helpful to your doctors to help treat you. and keep track of your activity -- when you experience symptoms and when you don't -- i.e, when you're dancing versus when you're walking down the hall at school. i was a ballerina and can remember only a few times when i really had trouble breathing while dancing. however, i could walk to the office from my locker and have to sit down to use my inhaler and catch my breath. most doctors don't realize that dancers breathe a bit differently when they're dancing than how they breathe normally. tracking your symptoms, activities, reactions, and what you eat or expose yourself to (like pollen or cats) will help him figure out your patterns and get you under control. i agree strongly with wrin that you need to get your allergies under control -- and sometimes that means making lifestyle changes -- but it sounds like that will be a big part of getting your breathing under control. good luck -- and keep us posted!