Question:

Help!  About four weeks ago, I came down with a bad sinus cold.  Went to my doctor and was prescribed an antibiotic (biaxin).  The antibiotic cured my runny nose, but did nothing to cure the wheezing and coughing I was having in my chest.  I went back to the doctor and tried my hardest to make them understand what was going on with me.  I have been wheezing and coughing (especially worse at night – which makes it difficult to get any sleep).  I have been struggling to take in deep breaths.  This is extremely odd for me.  I have always wheezed during seasonal changes, but nothing like this.  I am coughing so bad, that the left side of my rib cage is now in extreme pain.  I do not just want to continue to take cough medicine.  The doctor told me that a cold can bring on asthma like symptoms, but she was not concerned.  She told me to keep taking more cough medicine – she says that a cough is the last thing to go.  She also gave me some sample packets of Claritin and a Flovent inhaler.  The inhaler works, but I still do not know what is going on with me.  I feel like it sounds like asthma, and I am unsure how long I should let my coughing go before I go into the doctor again.  I am also unsure as to how often I am supposed to use the inhaler.  Do I only use it when I am feeling symptoms come on, or do I use it regularly-with or without symptoms being present?  I am really scared, but everytime I go into the doctor, it just happens to be when I am feeling my best and not wheezing as much.  I told her that I wish that she could be in my bedroom at night when my symptoms are bad, but how do I get her to take me seriously or what is my next step?  Is there any way for me to try and diagnose this on my own?

Response:

It sounds as if you have developed bronchitis and also have symptoms of asthma.  I have  chronic bronchial asthma which developed as a result of chronic bronchitis.  Go back to your doctor…. You need a course of Penicillin or Amoxylin to wipe out the bronchitis and a course of oral steroids.  Untreated bronchitis will lead to a chronic condition and/or pneumonia.  Are there any other bronchitis/chronic asthma sufferers out there? At my last check-up my asthma doc checked chronic bronchial asthma as the diagnosis code.  I was under the assumption that it’s regular run of the mill asthma, right?

Sounds like it.  So far there is no recognized ‘official’ name for asthma that all doctors agree on. "Being responsible sometimes means pissing people off."    General Colin Powell

Response:

It sounds as if you have developed bronchitis and also have symptoms of asthma.  I have  chronic bronchial asthma which developed as a result of chronic bronchitis.  Go back to your doctor…. You need a course of Penicillin or Amoxylin to wipe out the bronchitis and a course of oral steroids.  Untreated bronchitis will lead to a chronic condition and/or pneumonia.  Are there any other bronchitis/chronic asthma sufferers out there? Before you buy.

Response:

It sounds as if you have developed bronchitis and also have symptoms of asthma.  I have  chronic bronchial asthma which developed as a result of chronic bronchitis.  Go back to your doctor…. You need a course of Penicillin or Amoxylin to wipe out the bronchitis and a course of oral steroids.  Untreated bronchitis will lead to a chronic condition and/or pneumonia.  Are there any other bronchitis/chronic asthma sufferers out there?

At my last check-up my asthma doc checked chronic bronchial asthma as the diagnosis code.  I was under the assumption that it’s regular run of the mill asthma, right? Patrice

Response:

Your doctor is *way* too casual about this.  Find a doctor that takes you seriously, preferably a pulmonologist or allergist, more preferably at a university-affiliated clinic/teaching hospital.  Various tests including a ‘methacholine challenge’ may be administered to determine the presence and severity of asthma.  You are wasting your time and possibly putting yourself at mortal risk with this doctor.  Good luck. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Help!  About four weeks ago, I came down with a bad sinus cold.  Went to my doctor and was prescribed an antibiotic (biaxin).  The antibiotic cured my runny nose, but did nothing to cure the wheezing and coughing I was having in my chest.  I went back to the doctor and tried my hardest to make them understand what was going on with me.  I have been wheezing and coughing (especially worse at night – which makes it difficult to get any sleep).  I have been struggling to take in deep breaths.  This is extremely odd for me.  I have always wheezed during seasonal changes, but nothing like this.  I am coughing so bad, that the left side of my rib cage is now in extreme pain.  I do not just want to continue to take cough medicine.  The doctor told me that a cold can bring on asthma like symptoms, but she was not concerned.  She told me to keep taking more cough medicine – she says that a cough is the last thing to go.  She also gave me some sample packets of Claritin and a Flovent inhaler.  The inhaler works, but I still do not know what is going on with me.  I feel like it sounds like asthma, and I am unsure how long I should let my coughing go before I go into the doctor again.  I am also unsure as to how often I am supposed to use the inhaler.  Do I only use it when I am feeling symptoms come on, or do I use it regularly-with or without symptoms being present?  I am really scared, but everytime I go into the doctor, it just happens to be when I am feeling my best and not wheezing as much.  I told her that I wish that she could be in my bedroom at night when my symptoms are bad, but how do I get her to take me seriously or what is my next step?  Is there any way for me to try and diagnose this on my own?

Response:

symptoms being present?  I am really scared, but everytime I go into the doctor, it just happens to be when I am feeling my best and not wheezing as much.  I told her that I wish that she could be in my bedroom at night when my symptoms are bad, but how do I get her to take me seriously or what is my next step?  Is there any way for me to try and diagnose this on my own?

Find another doctor.  The one you have is incompetent. "Being responsible sometimes means pissing people off."    General Colin Powell

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Help!  About four weeks ago, I came down with a bad sinus cold.  Went to my doctor and was prescribed an antibiotic (biaxin).  The antibiotic cured my runny nose, but did nothing to cure the wheezing and coughing I was having in my chest.  I went back to the doctor and tried my hardest to make them understand what was going on with me.  I have been wheezing and coughing (especially worse at night – which makes it difficult to get any sleep).  I have been struggling to take in deep breaths.  This is extremely odd for me.  I have always wheezed during seasonal changes, but nothing like this.  I am coughing so bad, that the left side of my rib cage is now in extreme pain.  I do not just want to continue to take cough medicine.  The doctor told me that a cold can bring on asthma like symptoms, but she was not concerned.  She told me to keep taking more cough medicine – she says that a cough is the last thing to go.  She also gave me some sample packets of Claritin and a Flovent inhaler.  The inhaler works, but I still do not know what is going on with me.  I feel like it sounds like asthma, and I am unsure how long I should let my coughing go before I go into the doctor again.  I am also unsure as to how often I am supposed to use the inhaler.  Do I only use it when I am feeling symptoms come on, or do I use it regularly-with or without symptoms being present?  I am really scared, but everytime I go into the doctor, it just happens to be when I am feeling my best and not wheezing as much.  I told her that I wish that she could be in my bedroom at night when my symptoms are bad, but how do I get her to take me seriously or what is my next step?  Is there any way for me to try and diagnose this on my own?

It sounds like acute bronchitis. The Flovent inhaler can help by treating the inflamed bronchial tubes. Flovent comes in three strengths. It’s usally prescribed 2 puffs twice a day, but if symptoms are severe the dose can be increased. An albuterol inhaler may also be needed. Claritin is a nonsedating antihistamine. I doubt it will help as it thickens the mucus. You want to thin the mucus, drink lots of water, so you can cough it up. Guanefisin [sp?] may help thin mucus. However narcotic cough suppressant should not be used; it’s important to cough up the mucus. Bronchitis can also trigger asthma symptoms; and they are worse at night. I’m going through something like this myself. I’ve increased my steroid inhaler [Pulmicort] to help control coughing. It can take several weeks to get over it. In some cases, acute bronchitis can trigger the onset of adult-onset asthma. Links: http://www.njc.org/medfacts/uri.html   URI (Colds) &  Acute Bronchitis http://home.aafp.org/afp/980315ap/hueston.html Acute Bronchitis AAFP Ellis

Response:

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