Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis?

[paulvill]

Hi there. Recently and quite suddenly I started experiencing asthma like symptoms (breathlessness) but without wheezing, for 4 months now, but I've never had asthma before until recently and I'm 37. I've noticed that I've become super sentitive to places where there is aircon such as in the car, in the office and several other places such as shopping centres etc. I become dizzy, my chest feels tight and I start coughing wanting to clear out my throat. I frequently feel chills, achy and tired although I sleep enough and I just don't feel myself anymore. I've been prescribed seretide to help with the asthma or ashma like symptoms, but I think it's causing me side effects such as joint inflammation and upsted stomach. I attribute the breathlessness to an exposure I had to mould at home because my symptoms started around that time. I've been to the GP and to a chest Dr and my lung x-ray was clear. However, reading on the symptoms of Acute Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis, many of my symptoms seem to match. Just wondered if anybody else out there who suffers from HP and would kindly share what your symptoms are like. Because of the way Seretide makes me feel I struggle to tell if some of my symptoms are due to the medicine or due to illness. Any help would be much appreciated!

[Maryeileen1]

Hi , I myself am asthmatic. Recently I have been very SOB but with out wheezing with my peak flows remaining normal . I was puzzled by my odd variable symptoms but was subsequently found to be very anaemic . May be worth getting your blood checked... if not already done.

Best wishes Maryeileen .

[paulvill in reply to Maryeileen1]

Thank you Maryeileen. I did get my blood checked eventually after several visits to the Dr and nothing unusual came up other than high cholesterol. The thing is I get the symptoms everytime I put the aircon in my car or spend time in a building with air conditioning such as in the office or in shops. It's really frustrating and limiting - I even drive with a face mask on! Lol

[Griffon]

I suffer two chronic and incurable conditions not related to asthma , and it sounds like your symptoms may be unrelated to the asthma / treatment .

The problem is that the symptoms you describe are very generalised , and could fit a whole host of different conditions .

My problems stem from a very active sex life when I was young . Getting tested for STI's is a good idea for anyone who isn't a virgin - and would at least rule this out if nothing else .

[paulvill in reply to Griffon]

Hi Griffon and thank you for your reply. In my case I've been with my partner for many years now and got checked for STI's before trying for children so I can pretty much rule that one out. I've read about the symptoms of acute hypersensitivity pneumonitis and my symptoms match in 4 out of 6 and the chest x-ray doesn't necessarily show up anything suspicious in many cases of acute HP. In my mind what I have is either asthma or acute HP but if it were the first then why the chills and the achyness? Asthma doesn't cause those, right?

[vnarayan]

I would say your symptom is still related to Asthma, breathlessness with cough is one of the symptoms of Asthma. In my case I have breathlessness but Asthma is under control. So my chest physician says my lung function is normal, and am on Asthma inhalers. Breathlessness is really annoying. I am suspecting my breathlessness might be due to some heart condition which doctors are not willing to accept my opinion. Struggling at this moment.

Evion tablets are helping me for the moment, not sure how long I can use them.