Well, the fatigue hit me earlier, yeah.
I’m not well yet, but I am actually producing neutrophils in measurable if low levels now.
Just a little update. I am on day 3 or 4 of being consistently in the green. Some coughing but nothing crazy. (My son and husband are both sick again, though. Og help me.)
Met with allergist today. I told him the current plan was not working, and also the news that my insurance is no longer covering my maintenance inhaler. He seemed a bit stumped but they said they’d cover Ellipta, so he said, okay, let’s try Ellipta. This is a powder mechanism so it’s a bit different I guess.
He recommended Mucinex DM for the cough.
I told him about going to urgent care twice and he was surprised the first round of steroids didn’t resolve things. I said I didn’t go to urgent care this past time I was sick because he had mentioned to avoid taking steroids too often. He said that’s true, but sometimes you just need them.
I asked him at what point to seek medical attention and he said when your peak flow is in the yellow and doesn’t seem to be improving. I asked if I should contact him first, or go to urgent care and he said he will try to get me in if I call the clinic.
I did notice on the new script the prescription for Albuterol is “every 6 hours as needed” whereas the last time he prescribed it, he told me not to take it more than twice a week. So I think the increased frequency during bouts of illness will help.
Follow-up in 1 month. I’m cautiously optimistic.
Thank you guys for helping me self-advocate. It is one of those things I struggle with, but I had enough knowledge going in, I was able to have an effective meeting.
Not to be critical but it sounds like you still need a clear action plan.
Well, to echo the esteemed DSeid it sounds like a better plan than you had, but to me it’s still half measures.
I have such an urge to sit down with you for about a half hour to take a history, review your meds, listen to your lungs, get some peak flows before and after albuterol nebulization, and write an Asthma Control Plan for you. It’s my first such urge to practice medicine again since retiring 15 months ago.
What we can share even without specific care to this individual is that a typical asthma action plan will identify zones based on 80% of best PF or above, 50 to 80%, and under 50% (green yellow red). That much seems done. Then green continue baseline, yellow do something like every three hours and ramp up if not getting back to green otherwise a few days less often, red more puffs but if not jumping better call or to ED.
Some don’t need it written out many do. But getting that sort of detail at the next visit would be useful for you going forward.
I will keep that in mind, thank you.
At the moment I seem to be doing better every day. I expect the issue is that the respiratory infection kicks off the whole reaction but something in my environment keeps it going.
Just a little update. I unfortunately have had some variation of a cold and sinus infection for about three weeks, and it looks like I just came down with another cold. So, I’m still continuing to get sick thanks to my beloved little germ factory.
That said… My asthma has been well under control! Some coughing at night, but nowhere near as severe. This time last year, any sort of virus sent me into spasms. So it looks like the Ellipta is working. My allergist also recommended a strong cough medicine, Mucinex DM, which helps me sleep.
I also am now allowed to use the Albuterol every six hours as needed instead of only twice a week. I’ve only had to use it once, when I was taking a painting class in a warehouse- feeling kinda place.
I’ve also turned the intensity of my exercise way down, especially while sick. I’ve been taking daily walks and probably will continue that throughout the winter and likely resume running in the spring. But for right now with the sinus infection I’m staying out of the cold as much as possible.
I’m happy to hear you are under much better control! And I’m glad you got some sensible instructions for how to use your rescue inhaler! Yeah, winters are tough for folks with lung issues. Is your asthma triggered by cold air? That is a common trigger for some.
It’s mostly triggered by respiratory illness, but it can be triggered by sudden environmental changes, for example if I go from my house to my car, inside to outside, or outside to inside, it takes a little bit to adjust.
Just an update and thank you to @DSeid and @Qadgop_the_Mercotan for keeping on me about getting my asthma under control.
I got switched to a new doctor. She started me on a daily medication called Trelegy Ellipta. She told me to start taking it right when I started to get sick.
So, I did.
I had some asthma problems, but nothing really bad (don’t think I was even in the yellow.) I required an inhaler once at my Zen temple when I had a coughing fit.
Anyway, it all resolved in a week. In the past I would have to go to urgent care and get steroids. This time around… I just got better.
So thank you for educating and pushing me. Life is so much easier now.
Thank you for the good news update!
Yay!!
This is good to hear.