Asthma VCD - Long Post

[Guest guest]

Hi y'all,

I am not seeing a lot of traffic on this list. (Part of me says thank you, I

have 6 quiltlist digests, 8 Pfaffpfriends digests and I don't know how many

soapnuts and aboutherbs lists to get through.) But I thought it is about time

that I shared something with everybody.

I wanted to comment on Vocal Cord Dysfunction with y'all. I am an adult

onset wheezie that would sometimes have asymtomatic attacks in which I would

cough so hard and constantly that I couldn't inhale between coughs. However,

I would not even wheeze the little amount that I normally do in regular asthma

episodes. (At least I didn't start wheezing until I had been coughing for at

least 15 minutes) I referred to this as 'mechanical' asthma because it would

have a direct cause and effect. Aerosol spray (especially cleaning spray or

perfume) = trip to E.R. But it seemed to depend on the droplet formation. I

could clean with Lysol from solution, but would go into an attack with the

spray. OK, let me guess, some of you are saying, " That sounds familiar. "

About a year and a half ago, (after a few too many episodes at work) my

primary Dr. and my pulmonologist got together (Yeah!!) and decided to send me

up to National Jewish Hospital in Denver (about 1 hour away) for a FULL

evaluation. Among their findings, they diagnosed VCD. The vocal cords

apparently go into spasm and cause extreme coughing and very little air going

in. And it is often caused by aerosols. (BINGO) There is also a

psychological profile that fit very well. Someone who is frustrated and

depressed and irritable. (Yooo Hooo That's me.) So once we labeled the

problem, then what do we do? New Drugs? NO! (Yippee) Speech Therapy. That is

all. (If it did not respond, there are further treatments that can involve

drugs, but they are rarely needed.) So after 8 sessions of speech therapy, I

can walk down the aisle in the grocery store where the laundry soaps are, and

the aisle where the cleaning products are. Yes, they irritate my asthma, but

I can stand it long enough to shop (as long as I have my coupons pulled out

first :} ).

And if I accidentally walk into the bathroom at work when the cleaning is

going on, I can still breathe long enough to reduce hydraulic pressure. In

the year + since the therapy, I have not had a single episode that I could not

treat myself. No trips to the ER for the coughing.

Of course, I have been carted away a couple of times since then, but it has

been plain old, ordinary, treatable asthma. But that is relatively OK. As

long as I do everything that I am supposed to do, even a severe episode is

fairly responsive.

But, the main thrust of this note (maybe letter?) is looking into VCD. The

Drs. at National Jewish (they identified and named VCD less than 15 years ago)

have revised their estimates. When they first labeled it, they felt that 10%

of all wheezies also had VCD. They have now escalated it to over 70%. It is

a reasonable reaction. You tense up when you can't breathe. And if you run

into something that make you feel like you are tightening up, you are going to

tense up all over. It can mimic Asthma, it can bring on Asthma. If your

pulmonologist does not know enough about VCD to rule it out, try an Ear, Nose

and Throat Dr. They will have to scope down and see if there is spasm. But

if it is diagnosed, it can be treated. And treated without extra drugs. And

that is a big relief.

Love to all and plenty of air to all,

Rhonda E.

puffaroni@...