Asthma?

[Iluvgardening]

I was diagnosed with asthma less than two years ago. I was dealing with a cough that wouldn't go away and wheezing and really having a hard time breathing, even when I wasn't active. I was prescribed advair, singular, cough medicine with antihistamine, and claritin, and or zrytec. It wasn't much help. When I was treated with antibiotics and steroids it will get better for a short while, but right back after steroids were finished, so I was getting prescribed these about every 4 weeks. My physician changed my inhaler to Trelegy and it seems to have helped alot. Still shortness of breath, but not wheezing. When I researched Trelegy and seen commercials it says it's not prescribed for Asthma but for COPD? Has anyone else used this inhaler for asthma?

[Poobah]

Trelegy combines three meds; two normally prescribed for asthma (steroid and long acting bronchidilator) plus a third, a long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMA) normally prescribed for COPD. It's now recommended that LAMA meds can be added to asthma treatment where additional help is needed. It doesn't mean you have COPD.

By observation you seem to be on a lot of meds, I take it that your doctor has diagnosed allergic asthma through blood tests?

If you're still short of breath the Trelegy isn't fully addressing the airway restrictions. It may be worth discussing with your doctor adding a steroid only inhaler as you can increase and decrease this as needed and you had good results with oral steroids, whereas the Trelegy cannot be altered by virtue of the LAMA.

You should also have blood pressure checks while you are on any LAMA meds as it can trigger high BP in some patients.

If you're still experiencing shortness of breath it may be sensible to discuss having lung function tests with your doctor, if these haven't been done.

[Iluvgardening in reply to Poobah]

Thank you so much for the info. I had lung functioning test two years ago. I recently had xrays and catscan. I do have mild bronchiectasis

I have not been told of what type of asthma and no blood test given at pulumonary doctor. When I first had trouble with wheezing it seemed it started out as allergies, but when I was allergy tested I was not allergic to anything😜 although my eosinophils were very high. I have psoriatic arthritis so therefore auto immune issues which could throw off allergy testing results from what I have been told. I am thinking of changing pulumonary specialist because he doesn't explain things well, he is one of the doctors who rushes you in and out. I just feel like something is being missed. My pulumonary doctor did want me to try an injection that asthma suffers have gotten great results but it isn't on my drug list through my insurance. Dupixent. Hopefully things will get better, I am going to talk with my doctor I have an appointment in May and ask about what type of asthma I have and ask about new lung functioning test and bloodwork. My youngest daughter has controlled asthma she uses symbicort, and just recently was changed to advair inhaler. I don't feel that mine is controlled and well it is scary I worry that it is my heart with the shortness of breath, which I have had checked out I do have high blood pressure and palpitations. I guess I just don't know enough about asthma and I need to research more so I am more informed. Anyways thanks again for the information I am going to speak to my doctor in May about changes in medications. I forgot to add I also have mild hyper inflated lungs.

[Poobah in reply to Iluvgardening]

If you have high blood pressure then changing from Trelegy is an option. Eklira Genuair is a LAMA inhaler and has a better tolerance re high BP. But you would then require an additional combo inhaler, such as Symbicourt or Fostair.

The biology is complex and unfortunately we're still at the stage of treating the symptoms rather than addressing the root causes.

The biological treatment that your doctor has suggested has been very helpful for some asthmatics so I hope that you can access it.

All the best.

[Iluvgardening in reply to Poobah]

Thank you😊

[mitsuji]

I was prescribed Seritide 250/50 but just after a few days of using it, my voice became hoarse and remained so. I then went back to my pulmonologist, who then switched me over to FOSTER 260/6 Nexthaler, which I have found very effective and it has also addressed the hoarseness in my voice.

I have never heard of Trelegy though I was diagnosed as suffering from COPD