Re: Newbie with questions

[Guest guest]

Unfortunately, a lot of breathing problems have the same signs and

symptoms. Your best bet is get a pulmonary function test with

methacholine challenge.

Start keeping a diary of signs and symptoms and what you are doing at

the time they act up. This will help your doctor diagnosis your

condition.

Good luck to you.

>

> Last January I moved to Arizona and by March I was suffering from

> tiredness. I need naps at least twice a day and they barely feel

like

> naps, more like comas that I recover from. The week before

> Thanksgiving I added uncontrollable wheezing that sometimes turns

into

> coughing fits that won't end until I throw up a bit. I feel like my

> bronchial tube is in almost constant spasm. This seems to be

irritated

> even more by laughing or stress.

>

> On Thanksgiving it was so bad I went to the ER and they found

> something on the lower right lung that they think might be pneumonia

> and treated me for that. I was told there that if the anti-biotics

> didn't work, then to make sure I get an MRI later. I guess to look

for

> cancerous growths? I don't smoke.

>

> So anyway the antibiotic didn't work and my daughter, who works as a

> nurse at the hospital told me I sound like I'm asthmatic. That is

> hardly a diagnosis but I did finally start taking the zyrtec

> perscription that was offered me last June. I'm also taking four

> IBUprophen before bed and that seems to quiet the urge to wheeze a

bit

> and I can get to sleep.

>

> So I thought I'd go to the experts, the people who live with asthma.

> Does this sound anything like asthma to you? If so, should I talk to

> my regular doctor about it or see an allergist? If I need the MRI I

> want to wait until the next insurance year, so I'm holding off right

> now and just sort of trying to sort this out. Obviously if it is

> allergy related, I could avoid spending a lot of cash on an MRI,

that

> would be better discovered by me before the big bill.

>

> (oh and GO BEARS)

>