Question:

I am an asthma sufferer from Cape Town,South Africa,and i would like to know if asthma sufferers experience heart related problems when they get older.I am 42 years old and i have used Ventolin for the past 25 years. I know that the heart takes terrible strain as it tries to pump oxigen to the body and brain during an attack.I have felt aches in my chest allready on occation,and i am now wondering whether i should expect a heart attack in the future.

Response:

I am 42 years old and i have used Ventolin for the past 25 years.

Wow – I am absolutely amazed that you have had Ventolin in Africa for 25 years.  I wasn’t able to get it until 1982 – and I’m in NYC!!! Life is uncertain – eat dessert first. Nancy 8=: )

Response:

I am an asthma sufferer from Cape Town,South Africa,and i would like to know if asthma sufferers experience heart related problems when they get older.I am 42 years old and i have used Ventolin for the past 25 years. I know that the heart takes terrible strain as it tries to pump oxigen to the body and brain during an attack.I have felt aches in my chest allready on occation,and i am now wondering whether i should expect a heart attack in the future.

Chest pains in asthma are apparently common, but how to recognize the difference in chest pain that is from asthma, sore chest muscles from breathing difficulties, inflammation of the cartilage between the ribs, and heart attack pain.  I understand that some irregular heart beats can be found in asthmatics with no heart problems, but they can be frightening since it is hard to know what is happening to you.  I’ve asked doctors about this, and they really can’t say for sure how a patient who has asthma will know the difference between what is asthma pain and heart problems. — Paradocs

Response:

Chest pains could also be caused by Gastroesophagul Reflux (GERD), which is often either a cause or result (or both) of asthma. Worth checking out with your physician, at any rate.

Response:

I am an asthma sufferer from Cape Town,South Africa,and i would like to know if asthma sufferers experience heart related problems when they get older.I am 42 years old and i have used Ventolin for the past 25 years. I know that the heart takes terrible strain as it tries to pump oxigen to the body and brain during an attack.I have felt aches in my chest allready on occation,and i am now wondering whether i should expect a heart attack in the future.

I’ve had asthma since age 3 — I’m now 64 — and no heart problems so far. But my GP did refer me to a good cardiologist, who I see every 6 months for a checkup. I suggest that you do the same just to be safe. It will also ease your concerns. I’ve experienced various chest pains from time to time. ECGs and stress tests have revealed no problems. It’s usually been something else such as job-related stress. I had used Ventolin for some time along with Intal. My allergist switched me from Ventolin to Flovent some time ago and it does seem to be more effective.

Response:

I am an asthma sufferer from Cape Town,South Africa,and i would like to know if asthma sufferers experience heart related problems when they get older.I am 42 years old and i have used Ventolin for the past 25 years. I know that the heart takes terrible strain as it tries to pump oxigen to the body and brain during an attack.I have felt aches in my chest allready on occation,and i am now wondering whether i should expect a heart attack in the future.

Since asthma and CHD are two very common illnesses, one would expect a certain percentage of asthmatics to have heart disease.  The two aren’t related, AFAIK, just coincident.  You are in a high risk group [middle-aged male], so an evaluation would not be out of order. Chris Owens

Response:

Hi All. I am a 29 year old Asthmatic and have been since 6 months old. I have taken a cocktail of medicines in my years but at present I am taking Flixotide inhaler, Serevent inhaler , Uniphyllin tablets , Singulair / Montelukast as well as a Ventolin inhaler. I also take various medications for Hay fever. Firstly I would like anyones comments on the side effects of this present cocktail and secondly I have found that I have been craving sweets , particularly biscuits and I mean crave. Sometimes I would kill for a kit kat ! I am unsure as to put this down to drugs or if this is a problem all together. I look forward to your comments. PJ….Lincoln….UK

Response:

:I am 42 years old and i have used Ventolin for the past 25 years. : Wow – I am absolutely amazed that you have had Ventolin in Africa for 25 years. :  I wasn’t able to get it until 1982 – and I’m in NYC!!! Interesting.  I’ve always had access to Ventolin.  Of course, back in 1975, I was getting the stuff in _pill_ form, which took about 0.5 h to work . Cheers, Kin Hoong

Response:

Question:

I thought -they- were good, right.  I thought -I- was bad, wrong, at fault for just about everything. Or some of us did.  Some of me did at some level. I don’t know.  Now that it is so clear that my life and the people in it were nothing like I’d thought, I am dazed. But to be honest with myself, it is mostly the most recent memory.  The r*pe memory.   I was asked (thanks babs!) what would it mean if the memory was true, if I accepted it as true, in response to another post of mine. What would it mean indeed? Only that my world view is once again shaken to its foundations.  That he was not only doing sa, but that he did it with v*olence.   I mean I knew the disregard for my person, for my feelings, my rights, my needs, etc was close to total in the foo. And yet this takes it one step further. What a progression in the last year + or so. DX – depression, anxiety Then I finally ask T when I’m having flashbacks "Is this ptsd?"  She already told me once it was, but I managed to not really hear it.  Emphatic yes. Then sis in law suggests I’m ADD.  Nah, couldn’t be.  But then again suddenly I realize how scattered I am.  Get tested.  By george I’m adhd.  Get on ritalin and suddenly so much static is removed from my perception of the world. Beginning to become aware that "I" say things that don’t feel I control and sometimes don’t even remember a moment later – just notice someone’s reaction. Finally one day ask T who is noticing with me if this is what they call "dissociation".  Yes. At first only know there is the "inner child".  I know right away she is an alter, T isn’t sure. I go home and do a roll call and find a bunch of others, which I suspected were there. T is still saying she hasn’t seen enough to conclude I’m mpd.  Dissociative yes, doesn’t know mpd. Not long after that, Kasey comes out at the session.  Guess she wanted to show T. T acknowledges the mpd. I/we are aware of emotional ab*se.  Hoping so much that is "all" there is. Little hints keep popping up – little pieces of memory that suggest that it might not be.  Not memories of sa, but memories etc that suggest it may have happened. And soon some of us are saying stuff that definitely would indicate it to be so.  And then some of us are saying they have memories and tell us who did it. First memories are from early childhood.  Find a way to think about that, assume it went on for a couple years due to stress in his life then. Find memories from adolescence too.  Very hard to comprehend. Now memories form early teens of violent sa. Sometimes you have to wonder if it will ever end, or is there always another door with more h*rrors beyond the one we just opened? How the f could he do that?  How the f could he look me in the eyes?  How could he pretend to be so nice and all?  How could he have wreaked such havoc on my life and then done nothing to make up for it? It is so shocking.  Just so shocking. And to realize what I/we lived with so alone for so long. What does it mean if it is true and I accept it as such? It means one more adjustment of my life’s paradigm.  One that seems to take -him- out of the realm of any decency whatsoever.  Altho each step along the way seemed to do that. It is -so- hard.  Like I said some time ago, like walking through a minefield for month after month.  Never knowing what is going to be another trigger, what horrid memory is going to come up. The body racked with tension – headaches, asthma, pain and pressure in chest, lump  in throat, nausea, etc etc etc. And they call this healing!  Blech! I know it is, I know cause I also get the other side – where parts of my life and ability to enjoy life are coming back.  But oh how dearly we pay. So stunned, so sad.  But beginning to accept the unthinkable. Todoe — "To touch the soul of another human being is to walk on h*ly ground." The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by    Stephen R. Covey       from Habit 5:  "Seek first to understand, then to be understood."   O.W.L. Productions — For more information about this service, send e-mail to:

Response:

hi todoe alot of your post was cryptic but i think i understand what you are trying to say comprehending this all seeing it  knowing it  feeling it  getting it and remebering it in your concious brain means you are all better but i dont know if that ever really happens and boy oh boy today i am soooooooo glad its not all there for me cause i am not strong enough nor do i know if i ever willl be strong enouugh quality of life counts balance dont let it all consume you if possible i know when i am in pain it does consume me thats why i am glad today to be dissociative and forget detach not feel and my antidepressents are wonderful too hope this helps some love caroline – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I thought -they- were good, right.  I thought -I- was bad, wrong, at fault for just about everything. Or some of us did.  Some of me did at some level. I don’t know.  Now that it is so clear that my life and the people in it were nothing like I’d thought, I am dazed. But to be honest with myself, it is mostly the most recent memory.  The r*pe memory.   I was asked (thanks babs!) what would it mean if the memory was true, if I accepted it as true, in response to another post of mine. What would it mean indeed? Only that my world view is once again shaken to its foundations.  That he was not only doing sa, but that he did it with v*olence.   I mean I knew the disregard for my person, for my feelings, my rights, my needs, etc was close to total in the foo. And yet this takes it one step further. What a progression in the last year + or so. DX – depression, anxiety Then I finally ask T when I’m having flashbacks "Is this ptsd?"  She already told me once it was, but I managed to not really hear it.  Emphatic yes. Then sis in law suggests I’m ADD.  Nah, couldn’t be.  But then again suddenly I realize how scattered I am.  Get tested.  By george I’m adhd.  Get on ritalin and suddenly so much static is removed from my perception of the world. Beginning to become aware that "I" say things that don’t feel I control and sometimes don’t even remember a moment later – just notice someone’s reaction. Finally one day ask T who is noticing with me if this is what they call "dissociation".  Yes. At first only know there is the "inner child".  I know right away she is an alter, T isn’t sure. I go home and do a roll call and find a bunch of others, which I suspected were there. T is still saying she hasn’t seen enough to conclude I’m mpd.  Dissociative yes, doesn’t know mpd. Not long after that, Kasey comes out at the session.  Guess she wanted to show T. T acknowledges the mpd. I/we are aware of emotional ab*se.  Hoping so much that is "all" there is. Little hints keep popping up – little pieces of memory that suggest that it might not be.  Not memories of sa, but memories etc that suggest it may have happened. And soon some of us are saying stuff that definitely would indicate it to be so.  And then some of us are saying they have memories and tell us who did it. First memories are from early childhood.  Find a way to think about that, assume it went on for a couple years due to stress in his life then. Find memories from adolescence too.  Very hard to comprehend. Now memories form early teens of violent sa. Sometimes you have to wonder if it will ever end, or is there always another door with more h*rrors beyond the one we just opened? How the f could he do that?  How the f could he look me in the eyes?  How could he pretend to be so nice and all?  How could he have wreaked such havoc on my life and then done nothing to make up for it? It is so shocking.  Just so shocking. And to realize what I/we lived with so alone for so long. What does it mean if it is true and I accept it as such? It means one more adjustment of my life’s paradigm.  One that seems to take -him- out of the realm of any decency whatsoever.  Altho each step along the way seemed to do that. It is -so- hard.  Like I said some time ago, like walking through a minefield for month after month.  Never knowing what is going to be another trigger, what horrid memory is going to come up. The body racked with tension – headaches, asthma, pain and pressure in chest, lump  in throat, nausea, etc etc etc. And they call this healing!  Blech! I know it is, I know cause I also get the other side – where parts of my life and ability to enjoy life are coming back.  But oh how dearly we pay. So stunned, so sad.  But beginning to accept the unthinkable. Todoe — "To touch the soul of another human being is to walk on h*ly ground." The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by    Stephen R. Covey       from Habit 5:  "Seek first to understand, then to be understood."   O.W.L. Productions — For more information about this service, send e-mail to:

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