Question:

Hang in there and insist on getting the right one.

I think that the only way you can get the right one is through trial and error.

Response:

Agreed…..and insisting that your physician try everything. Some are reluctant to try anything different. By insist I mean demand the best attention. If you aren’t convinced you are getting it then change physicians. Denise.

Hang in there and insist on getting the right one. I think that the only way you can get the right one is through trial and

error.

Response:

To show you how individual it all is….Zyrtec did not one thing to help me. So, each person has their own chemistry and different solutions. Hang in there and insist on getting the right one. Denise

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Zyrtec works for me too. I had to stop taking Claritin because it was making my symptoms worse! To top it off, until I was finally given Zyrtec instead of Claritin, the doctor gave me nasal spray to take care of the symptoms that Claritin was aggravating, without taking me off the Claritin (I shortly thereafter changed doctors and got the Zyrtec–I didn’t change doctors *just* because of that BTW). Nell Personally, I didn’t find Claritin to be helpful but Zyrtec is (for me)… I tried both Claritin and Allegra with no success but Zyrtec worked for me. — Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).

Response:

Zyrtec works for me too. I had to stop taking Claritin because it was making my symptoms worse! To top it off, until I was finally given Zyrtec instead of Claritin, the doctor gave me nasal spray to take care of the symptoms that Claritin was aggravating, without taking me off the Claritin (I shortly thereafter changed doctors and got the Zyrtec–I didn’t change doctors *just* because of that BTW). Nell

Personally, I didn’t find Claritin to be helpful but Zyrtec is (for me)… I tried both Claritin and Allegra with no success but Zyrtec worked for me.

— Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).

Response:

          Michael I don’t have any allergies, but as an asthmatic can second Karen’s advice on the humidity.   I use air conditioning  in the summer and a de-humidifier in the spring and fall.  When the steam heat comes up in the winter months I put a pail of water under the radiator, because too dry is no good either.              For the days when there is smog allergens or particles in the air you can get a HEPA air cleaner(purifier)  You’ll spend two or three hundred dollars for one large enough  to service a good size room. It’s worth it to me.              This is all  above and beyond competant medical advice which you surely need. Cheers—jack

Response:

Please click here, for obtaining additional info. on controlling asthma and allergies: http://www.qksrv.net/click-749737-4217353 Armando —— Just diagnosed. Looking for advice I was just diagnosed with Asthma and am looking for some advice and pointers. First some background that may help. I’ma 36 y/o male. I started having symptoms … alt.support.asthma – 04 Aug 2001 by Michael Boyer – View Thread (2 articles)

Response:

Personally, I didn’t find Claritin to be helpful but Zyrtec is (for me)…

I tried both Claritin and Allegra with no success but Zyrtec worked for me.

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I was just diagnosed with Asthma and am looking for some advice and pointers.  First some background that may help. I’m a 36 y/o male.  I started having symptoms suddenly around 4 weeks ago after having a mild cold.   I mostly have difficulty breathing a night.  Symptoms are worse during raining and damp weather.   Could it be an allergic reaction to something that I suddenly have come in contact with such as new soap, laundry detergent or softener? I have not slept through a full night in the last 4 weeks.  I received an inhaler from the doctor.  It helps a lot. I’m not on a medication as of yet, but I expect to be put on Clariton (sp?) on Monday.   Any opinions? Any advice as I go forward?  Things I should ask the doctors? <snipped pieces of the original post Michael – Have you been allergy tested? Some folks have asthma triggered if their allergies become severe (which was my experience). If you suspect allergies, then it’s worthwhile to get allergy tested to have a better idea of what you’re dealing with. You mention that you’ll be trying Claritin. If you find that Claritin isn’t helpful for you, bear in mind there are other antihistamines you can try, like Allegra or Zyrtec. Personally, I didn’t find Claritin to be helpful but Zyrtec is (for me)… You might consider asking your doctor about Singulair. I started Singulair when I began experiencing difficulty breathing at night, and found it to be helpful. Singulair apparently isn’t helpful for everyone… YMMV You may also want to ask your doctor about whether environmental controls might be helpful. For myself, running the air conditioner to keep humidity below 50% and washing sheets/bedding in hot water help reduce my night-time symptoms somewhat.

Allergies are clearly a possibility though apparently they are less commonly implicated in adult-onset asthma which is what you have.  Don’t get hung up on looking for the tinniest allergy needle in the haystack. Getting worse symptoms in certain kinds of weather may indicate your asthma is not yet well-controlled.  Hopefully you are now the proud owner of a peak flow meter and are using it to chart your progress – it’s very useful though not definitive. The statements ‘I have an inhaler’ and ‘I"m not on medication’ are direct contradictions unless you meant "I’m not yet on ORAL medication". You don’t say what kind of inhaler you have, but most asthmatics use a steroid inhaler (Flovent and Pulmicort are two brand names) to control and *prevent* their symptoms.  ’preventer’ inhalers are (in the UK) usually in brown packaging, ‘reliever’ inhalers are (UK again) in blue. Blue ones helped but didn’t sort me out – brown ones did and I rarely need the blue one unless I have a cold which has gone to my chest. Since being diagnosed I’ve been trekking in Nepal and had very little problems once out of Kathmandu and it’s pollution.  I still have my cats and two of them sleep with me most nights – again they are clearly not causing me problems. Best regards, Karen

– Five Cats

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I was just diagnosed with Asthma and am looking for some advice and pointers.  First some background that may help. I’m a 36 y/o male.  I started having symptoms suddenly around 4 weeks ago after having a mild cold.   I mostly have difficulty breathing a night.  Symptoms are worse during raining and damp weather.   Could it be an allergic reaction to something that I suddenly have come in contact with such as new soap, laundry detergent or softener? I have not slept through a full night in the last 4 weeks.  I received an inhaler from the doctor.  It helps a lot. I’m not on a medication as of yet, but I expect to be put on Clariton (sp?) on Monday.   Any opinions? Any advice as I go forward?  Things I should ask the doctors?

<snipped pieces of the original post Michael – Have you been allergy tested? Some folks have asthma triggered if their allergies become severe (which was my experience). If you suspect allergies, then it’s worthwhile to get allergy tested to have a better idea of what you’re dealing with. You mention that you’ll be trying Claritin. If you find that Claritin isn’t helpful for you, bear in mind there are other antihistamines you can try, like Allegra or Zyrtec. Personally, I didn’t find Claritin to be helpful but Zyrtec is (for me)… You might consider asking your doctor about Singulair. I started Singulair when I began experiencing difficulty breathing at night, and found it to be helpful. Singulair apparently isn’t helpful for everyone… YMMV You may also want to ask your doctor about whether environmental controls might be helpful. For myself, running the air conditioner to keep humidity below 50% and washing sheets/bedding in hot water help reduce my night-time symptoms somewhat. Best regards, Karen

Response:

I was just diagnosed with Asthma and am looking for some advice and pointers.  First some background that may help. I’m a 36 y/o male.  I started having symptoms suddenly around 4 weeks ago after having a mild cold.   I mostly have difficulty breathing a night.  Symptoms are worse during raining and damp weather.  Best when hot and dry.  Over the past year and a half, I’ve been exercising a lot. 10K run twice a week, 21K run on Sat.  Bike 4hrs/week, weights 3 times/week.  Symptoms don’t seem to be related to exercise. Could the Asthma have been brought on by exercise.  I’ve research Exercise induced asthma, and symptoms don’t appear to match? Could it be an allergic reaction to something that I suddenly have come in contact with such as new soap, laundry detergent or softener? I have not slept through a full night in the last 4 weeks.  I received an inhaler from the doctor.  It helps a lot. I’m not on a medication as of yet, but I expect to be put on Clariton (sp?) on Monday.   Any opinions? What about exercise and drugs?  I read that some medication can speed up your heart rate.  That’s not exactly what I want as I track performance using a Heart Rate Monitor. Any advice as I go forward?  Things I should ask the doctors? Thanks.

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