So sick of being sick! (asthma and bronchitis)
I've been sick for basically the last month. I never really got over last month's illness before I caught something else last week and got bad asthma. I've had four courses of antibiotic this year. Can't smell, can't taste, ears are blocked up so I can't hear well, coughing up a storm at least twice a day and feeling worn out from that, nauseous from post-nasal drip, no appetite (presumably from all the meds) and my antibiotics have upset my digestion. Yesterday I tried an egg sandwich and some Greek yoghurt, and felt much better for a few hours, until I got sick. I never want to see another banana, tub of applesauce, or bottle of gingerale or sprite again in my life, but they're all I can eat. :(
The vague upside of it all is that I'm down to 230 pounds... but I feel miserable, so its not like I can enjoy it.
Yes! I hear you. I am so sorry, Kajikit, that you are feeling this way.
For me, small steps help. Watering my little gardens helps. Earlier this week, I could barely do it myself.
Look for tiny improvements and know that you won't always feel this way.
And when you can, phone someone up and encourage them.
This makes you not just feel powerful, but BE powerful, despite your illness.
Mush love.
Thanks sweety. I AM feeling better... it's just frustrating. We went out to run an errand yesterday and somebody had smoked a stinky cigar right outside the library so I had to walk through it, and it closed my lungs up so tight I thought the coughing would never end. I'm rejoicing that my ventolin is lasting me 6 or 7 hours between doses - the first night it was only good for two, which was downright scary. BTW, did you know that excessive coughing is an abdominal exercise?
I know! I really don't know how I lived without my pulmicort and ventolin.
Glad you are feeling better!
You have asthma? I've never had it be more than a minor nuisance before... breathe something in that upsets my lungs and take a puff of my inhaler and I'm fine. I tend to need it more if I get sick, but most of the time it never occurs to me to use it until the Doc tells me to use my inhaler X number of times a day. I'm rather at sea dealing with this as an ongoing problem. The doc gave me symbicort but I can't tell if it's doing anything to help. And I don't know what should be triggering alarm bells and what's par for the course...
I doubt it's a coincidence that Florida's Rainy Season kicked in two weeks early this year, but who knows. The only time I've ever been really sick with asthma before was after a hurricane when there was mould and pollen everywhere and we had no electricity to run the a/c. I didn't do anything about it then except suffer...
Pneumonia and bronchitis here...oh and thrush from the corticosteroids and antibiotics.
Spring is a real trigger.
SAy Kajikit, have you had a chest xray? Mine showed a lot of opacity read: infection/pneumonia; and I have to have a followup on the 31st.
I find it scary to having the shortness of breath which seems to lead to coughing fits.
Right now I am going to the couch to try a new treatment.
It involves mystery tv and hot chocolate!
Sounds nasty! No, I didn't have an x-ray, just antibiotics and asthma meds. I finish my antibiotic on Saturday, so I'll go back to the doc after that if I'm not feeling better. I guess I should make Friday my deadline so I don't have to wait all weekend. But my fingers are crossed that I'm going to make a massive recovery tomorrow.
I was just talking to a friend who wanted to know if I was coming to choir tonight. Not likely! I can't hold a decent conversation without coughing, let alone sing for two hours. And speaking of coughing, time for another hit of ventolin.
Feeling a lot better today but I'm going to the doctor this afternoon anyway... I haven't used my ventolin since yesterday afternoon when I had to use it an extra time because of stupid engine fumes. I actually felt MUCH better after that even though I'd used the inhaler twice only an hour apart which you're not supposed to do.
The Doctor was NOT HAPPY. :( He sent me for a chest x-ray and I have to sit on my rear end and do absolutely nothing until I see the pulmonologist on Monday. I'm just praying I'm much better by then... making myself eat and drink because I have absolutely no appetite of my own. This is soooo frustrating.
Oh oh. This is sounding familiar.
I dropped about 10 pounds in 2 weeks...and have gained about 8 back...but back to you..
Please drink lots of fluids...no dairy! to help loosen secretions, and do try to eat even though it's difficult.
I don't know about you, but I'll be breezing along and WHAM, sudden fatigue and coughing fits.
Keep me posted and all the best.
Oh yeah... I did a load of laundry this morning because I had to get DH's work clothes done. I was fine except a bit light-headed when I started moving around. Now I'm trying to have lunch and I don't seem to have the energy to spare to chew and breathe at the same time. I know I'm not good at multi-tasking, but this is ridiculous. But I drank another tall glass of water (and now I'm coughing again.) And now it's time for a nap.
Went back to the Doctor on Thursday, expecting to be reassured I was imagining things. He put me on house arrest over the weekend! No non-essential movement until I could see the pulmonologist. My appointment's this afternoon, and ironically I feel sooooooooooo much better this morning. Really better, not just illusory. It's stopped raining and the sky is blue and I'm sure the mould count has dropped by at least half. And I finished my antibiotic on Saturday.
Wow! A lot ahead of you, Kajikit! Glad that you are feeling better; of course, caution would be the watchword.
I am still surprised, and a little depressed, at my complete lack of second wind.This from the girl that worked at moving tons, yes literally tons, of sheets of plywood with nothing more that a wheelbarrow and an understanding of a basic machine-the lever.My motto has been, "I'll get in done...not how fast you do, but I will stick to the job until it is done".
Not right now, though. It is lovely and raining here, which means I will not be walking around watering the gardens. I think I might write today...something I can start and leave often for a nap!
All the best.
How did your appointment go??
I really feel for you. I have asthma too and ive had one really bad bout this year already. Ended up in hospital with it because the antibiotics for the chest infection i developed didnt help.
Its coming into Winter here and its the worst time of year for me. The cold seems to make me very wheezy and i wake up multiple time a night even if i try to keep warm with an electric blanket.
I hope that you are now on the mend and those x-rays come back clear !!
The pulmonologist was wonderful. Such a nice doctor. He tsked at me for never getting properly tested before, but he understood that I don't want to take prednisone unless it's a severe emergency because I had a very bad reaction to it. I have to go back in two weeks for a pulmonary function test then see him two weeks later to decide if I need to take a daily med on a long-term basis. He says I probably do because I've had four flares this year, so the 'mild intermittant asthma' I've had for 20 years probably isn't either any more. We'll see. I'm not going to get upset about it. And he reminded me that even 'mild' asthma is nothing to mess around with because there's no guarantees it will stay that way. Don't worry Doc, I've learned that lesson now! Sitting at home saying 'OMG I can't breathe' won't do anything to fix it. It will never happen again.
I was feeling much better yesterday, so I think the antibiotics did the trick. That and the improved weather... the miserable wet weather has gone for now. Since I live in south Florida, Winter is the best time for me - it's the super-wet summers and hurricane seasons that can be bad, and this year started really early. If we ever have another actual hurricane I'll be in trouble. I also know I'm doing better because I was in a complete panic when we got to the appointment and we walked halfway around the hospital trying to find where we were meant to go, and I wasn't even wheezing when he listened to my chest. I also had no trouble taking the deep breaths he wanted, when last week it was practically impossible.
Fabulous!
Depressed today. Yesterday I went into church in the morning for our usual Tuesday meetings. I felt fine to begin with and I got quite a lot of work done (all sitting on my rear end, mind you!)... but I was exhausted when I came home at lunchtime. I lay around watching television all afternoon, and I had to use my stupid inhaler three times yesterday afternoon/last night. I'm not going to choir this week and I'm not going to feed the homeless tomorrow, and I feel totally useless...
And today is my birthday... Last night I wanted to know what DH was doing today because if he doesn't take me shopping we don't have anything left to eat, and he was like 'why do you need to know?' Then I told him it was my b'day and he admitted that he'd forgotten all about it. :(
Still having problems with my asthma... I go to the specialist on Wednesday for a pulmonary function test and I had been thinking that it was going to come out perfectly normal, but I'm still having asthma at least once a day, so now I expect it to show that. My weight's holding steady at 232/3... but I'm wondering when I'm ever going to be able to exercise again.
As someone who has had chronic bronchitis and pneumonia and asthma triggered by exercise I recommend the following:
1. If you get sick, try taking Claratin, it's an OTC allergy medication that helps control the allergic reactions. Essentially my asthma and allergies aren't a problem until I get sick and have less lung capacity at which point I have extremely undesirable reactions as in not breathing, progressing to pneumonia and bronchitis...I rarely bother with the chest x-ray, who needs radiation when the treatment is the same? If I don't feel like I am improving within a week then I go see a doctor and get an Rx for a Z-pack...if I am improving then I just tough it out with a ton of fluids and as much healthy food as I can eat.
2. I swear by stew...I make a beef stew with tons of vegetables (onion, garlic, carrot, potatoes, celery, 2 bay leafs, 2 lbs of beef, anything else you like, salt, pepper, a bit of cilantro, any italian spices you like, saute the beef after flouring it, saute the onions and garlic in a bit of butter and olive oil and just let it cook for a few hours and keep putting it on the stove to heat it up when you're hungry. A bit of wine for seasoning, a bunch of water and you'll have liquids for quite a while, just add more liquid and veggies as needed and the rest will melt into a fantastic broth.
3. Also a ginger and citrus infusion. In a pot on the stove or if you have a glass tea pot, slice 2 oranges or lemons or limes or even grapefruits, skin and slice about a thumb size piece of ginger and boil with water for at least 1/2 an hour. Drink this hot, drink this cold. drain the hot water and refill it and put it in the fridge overnight. Ginger is an anti-inflammatory, vitamin c is wonderful and you need the fluids...feel free to sweeten it with some honey (antibiotic) if you need it. The fluids are essential.
4. A hot toddy to help you sleep...forget about coedine cough syrup unless it's really your thing...make a large cup of tea, add a liberal shot or so of bourbon and honey to taste.
5. At night to help with your nasal passages...aka breathing - yes, breathing is important - I first apply a chapstick or a thick lotion around my nose and the over that put a dab of Vick's vapor rub....it says on the label not to put it on your nose, probably because if you put it directly on it will burn. I recently found a more natural version that is in the children's section the pharmacy. During the day I tend to just use a bit of Natural Ice chapstic (it used to be called Mentholatum).
6. Saline nasal spray...it sucks, get used to using it as it helps tremendously. Also neti pots are great, but make sure you use distilled water that hasn't been opened for more than a day...the last thing you really want in your sinus cavities is any kind of bacteria...on the neti pot, make sure that you don't add too much salt and don't heat the water more than 10 seconds in the microwave as you'll likely have an adverse reaction (yes, I did this and it does tend to stress the delicate tissues). Also gargle salt water at as hot a temperature as you can stand.
All of these combined have managed to stave off my annual pneumonia/bronchitis attacks for the last five years as well as managing to save the money from purchasing anti-biotics...plus it's really not all that great to take anti-biotics unless you really need them.
Once you're feeling better, stick to mild exercise...even walking a block can leave you in a cold sweat. Do a bunch of light exercise if you have the energy and sleep as much as you can and drink as many fluids (non-alcoholic) as you can.
As far as the exercise triggered asthma, I still have it...I take an inhaler whenever I do intense exercise that might trigger it....the better shape I'm in the less I need it. Somehow the cure for the asthma is more of what triggers it.
GERD can cause night-time asthma. Your lungs don't like getting acid breathed into them. If you treat the GERD, the asthma should go away if that's what was causing it. Asthma tends to get worse at night anyway because your body chemistry changes while you're asleep, and if you have post-nasal drip you can breathe some of that in and get asthma from that too.
