breathing getting very bad, is it my asthma or something else?

[beckhab]

I've had asthma since I was 4 years old, i'm now sixteen and my asthma is getting awful. About to years ago my asthma started getting bad, I was using my salbutamol inhaler a couple of times a day so they gave me a brown preventative to take twice in the morning and evening. Although I was given a preventative inhaler my asthma symptoms did not change and my usage still increased. October last year my asthma got to the worst it has ever been because I fell ill with the flu, I was then i'll for the next five months with flu and a chest infection but although I kept visiting the doctor about my inability to breath and he alarming rate I was getting through my inhalers because I nothing was being done or changed because of the simple reason that they couldn't work out why I was getting these symptoms (throat closing up, pressure on chest, feeling like no air is going into my lungs) but all my results where fine and the same as they have been all my life. This has made me wonder whether or not I have another heart or lung issue, we visited the doctors last night and saw a doctor and asthma nurse, I have been given a peak flow diary and a stronger pink inhaler, to see whether or not it settles down then or if they need to refer me to a specialist. If anyone else has experienced this or has any ideas what it could be it would really help, this week I got through two blue inhalers, four hundred doses in seven days, I need to get to the bottom of this because im sick of not being able to breathe 24/7.

[risabel59]

Hi there , welcome to this forum. It sounds as though your asthma is not well controlled at the moment. You talk about Albuterol, so are you in the US? Most of the people on this site are from the U.K. And navigating the US health care system is very different from the U.K.

There are some things you need to do, go back to your pcp and tell him/ her how much Albuterol you are using, ask for a written Asthma treatment plan, get a peak flow meter and keep a record of your symptoms and also peak flow and medication use. If you have the insurance cover ask to be referred to allergy/ Pulmonologist consultant

There are different types of asthma, as you are only sixteen it is very likely that you have an allergic component to your asthma. There are some very good new treatments coming through for allergic asthma that could make a big difference . But these are still only available to qualifying patients from specialists in the US, not all insurances will allow them

Don't let Asthma control you, try and work out what makes it worse and what makes it better.

Things that can help, look after yourself, eat well, make sure you have a normal bmi, do as much exercise as you can.

[beckhab in reply to risabel59]

Hi, thank you for replying, I am In the uk, I'm not using albuterol im Using a blue salbutamol inhaler and a pink inhaler day and night. I have got a peak flow metre and I'm recording it every time I use my inhaler, the issue is im getting the feeling of not being able to breath from my throats closing and heavy chest but I have all the right statistics for someone with good peak flow ( I get it in the green every time)

[Flowergirl78]

Could it be hayfever. Hayfever makes my throat feel like it's closed up & im constantly breathless. Hayfever is bad at the moment as I'm prescribed stuff that isn't working this year & know people that have never suffered before that are now. If it is you need to get stuff for it otherwise you won't be able to get your asthma under control. Ps this is only my personal experience & am not even 'officially' diagnosed as asthmatic yet even though am on the pink inhaler 4x a day, done weeks of trials, doctor said yes probably & am awaiting spirometry test. So would definitely advise hounding your doctor to get to the bottom of it!

[ChrissieMons]

You are over-using the blue inhaler and if you do, it is less effective. Try breathing exercises, or take up yoga or something not very energetic to control your breathing. I don't mean abandon the blue inhaler altogether, but try to cut down a bit. I imagine that you have a good deal of stress at your age (school/hormones/future and so on) and stress is bad for asthma, so trying to manage that may be a help until you see a specialist.