does anybody else here suffer from asthma? and if so...

[muchinspired]

what do you do to try and calm down? it's hard without R here, but during attacks i get so scared that i'll need to go to the hospital and i can't focus on breathing, even if i'm on the phone with my partner and she's trying to tell me to calm down and take deep breaths. my last attack was sunday, the one before was friday, and they were both very bad. friday's was excruciating and i was spanked for not having my inhaler on me, and sunday's was drawn out and i couldn't breathe no matter what. almost passed out, and i can feel another coming on.

i guess this is just sort of a rant. the next time i'm going to the asthma/allergy specialist is on june 4th, but i just feel so terrible right now. anyone have any good vibes to send to me? or, you know, 'been there done that' stories? hugs?

[blackbird]

Have a great big hug from me.... you poor thing. I know ashthma is really scary though haven't suffered myself, so can't offer medical advice but you have oodles of sympathy coming your way from England.... And it gives me the oppotunity to ask JA and W how they are doing. I have a feeling the unwellness ruling your household at the moment is the reason you are not posting. I do hope things get better soon.

B xxx

[muchinspired]

Blackbird, you're extremely sweet. Thank you very much, and yes, asthma's really scary. R and I are doing a little better these days, but these past couple of months have been hectic. /hugsbacksadly

[FootballJunkie]

I do have asthma, and it sucks. Fortunately I'm usually with T when I have my attacks. As odd as this sounds, he usually massages my chest to make it loosen up and this helps me from actually having a full blown attack. I dunno if it would work for you, but it may be worth a try. It's something that I do by myself if he isn't with me. It helps me to do some breathing exercises with the massage (often my attacks are panic induced so if I can stop panicking, I can breathe). The other thing that I've found helps me is to put heat on my chest. I've also found that drinking a lot of water helps me.
To actually calm down, I often put in my favorite TV show or read in order to distract myself so that I won't panic and have a full blown attack.
I don't know if any of this will help you, but sending you good vibes and hoping you feel better soon!

[JigsawAnalogy]

We were actually quiet in part because of W's *improving* health, which means she's back at work.

W hasn't had an attack bad enough to need to go to the hospital in a while, so that's a good thing. Taking her meds regularly helps, as does using the nebulizer (which she hates, but which does seem to help). She drinks a lot of hot water, or takes a bath, or breathes in steam (in a pinch, putting a hot, wet washcloth over your face can work, or else putting your face over a pot of hot water).

When I start to hyperventilate from panic attacks, W encourages me to "blow out the birthday candles" (She holds up several fingers and waits for me to slowly "blow them out". Can you tell she likes working with small children?)

If I can remember when she gets home, I'll ask her for some other suggestions.

I do know that if you can improve your lung capacity in between attacks, things are better when your asthma flares up, and it flares up less often.

[muchinspired]

Thank you all for your suggestions. I haven't yet found anything that can really help me other than curling up and forcing myself through the attack. Warm baths help, but that's about it. I'm home sick right now-- don't feel like I'm breathing at all, so tired and dizzy. Again, thank you all for taking the time to comment and give advice.

[splorange]

Oh muchinspired hope you're doing a bit better. My boyfriend used to suffer from pretty bad asthma - in the last few years it's dwindled away practically to nothing. I'll ask him how he used to cope with it, and if he knows what made it go away, if anything all the best xx

[altbob]

Hope you are doing better much! I had asthma, and recently realized I think I still have it. When I exercise strenously, I have to stop and bend over after a while and try to breath. I don't get tired, I just feel like something is holding my chest and I can't get enought air in. After I lay down for 5 minutes, meditate, and feel it loosen, I am ok. I thought I was just being a wussy. Talking with other people who don't exercise as much as they should either, this is not normal. So yeah! I have something I can do about it.

Have you tried meditation? I can use that for migraines and most anything that really bothers me, but it requires all of my concentration. Good luck!


@Jigsaw - nebulizer huh? Had to use one with one of our daughters. When our youngest has a cold, we call her Darth Baby. Have you tried the calling W Darth W when she uses the nebulizer? That couldn't go wrong.

[JigsawAnalogy]

I'm not sure W would get it, since she has managed to live her life without seeing any of the Star Wars movies.

Honestly, she's miserable enough using it that I try to be as supportive as I can. I like her much better when she can breathe.

[Desperate4Discipline]

I take regular allergy and asthma meds daily so I'm able to keep my asthma under control. But the few attacks I've had, I've tried a meditation technique that has helped. I close my eyes and think of myself as butter melting. If I can focus on that (and there are times I can't) it really helps. The other thing that works well for me is using my inhaler at the first sign of wheezing. Before it gets to the scary point because the fear makes the attack so much worse.

I hope you find something that works for you.

[muchinspired]

my problem is that i haven't found medication that works yet. i've never used a nebulizer, though. maybe it would help? i have no idea. i don't really want to use one.

[splorange]

Nebulizer is supposed to be fantastic, when you use it. Maybe talk to your doctor and see if you can get one? You say it's stress related, and probably the fear of an attack doesn't help. Maybe even just having one would be a help. You'd probably find you barely use it. I know people who have them and very very rarely do.

Glad to hear you're a little better

[FootballJunkie]

Nebulizers are fantastic! I don't actually have one, but I've had to go into the AM-PM for asthma a couple of times and have used them.

[W-Jigsaw'sBoss]

LARGE doses of caffeine are good in a pinch when you don't have real meds. like, two colas as fast as you can. The burping can make you laugh, and that can't be a bad thing.

Heat's good, and other things that get your adrenaline going and do whatever the opposite is of constrict your airways. Legal speedy things.

Breathe out longer than you breathe in. LOOOONG exhales.

[splorange]