Question:

However the original posters son may not be allergic to ragweed and/or

Obviously. may not have an adverse reaction (athma-wise) from playing in the rain. Of course he may object to getting wet…

Of course. I was simply pointing out that it can be a trigger for some people. If I were her son, I would avoid playing in the rain altogether. It’s not a risk worth taking in *my* opinion. These things are highly individual.  One has to avoid what upset’s one’s own asthma.  If I tried avoiding everything mentioned as a possible trigger by every poster to the NG I would have ended up living in a minimalist house with no pets and never risking exercise.  As it is I

Obviously, again. I simply mentioned that ragweed played a role in *my* asthma attack. Her son probably isn’t even allergic to ragweed. I was just relating my own personal experience. live in an untidy house with 4 cats (one asleep on the bed right now) and enjoyed November in Nepal.  I’m lucky – like many adult-onset asthmatics I don’t have any specific allergies, though getting a cold or URT will have an adverse effect as did something in a blanket in Nepal, possibly along with very cold dry air. I’ve also been lucky in that as soon as I started Pulmicort I improved rapidly (over a weekend) and finally remembered what feeling well was like!

I’m glad Pulmicort has helped you. Regards, Chris

Response:

I was just wondering where you came up with the fact that a "fair athlete" should be able to hold his or her breath for about 2 minutes.  I am a college level athlete with asthma and the longest I have ever held my breath was for less than 45 seconds.  That was at rest.  I would say that I am in good shape. Where did you find those facts?

Response:

I was just wondering where you came up with the fact that a "fair athlete" should be able to hold his or her breath for about 2 minutes.  I am a college level athlete with asthma and the longest I have ever held my breath was for less than 45 seconds.  That was at rest.  I would say that I am in good shape. Where did you find those facts?

Buteyko I expect. Myself the same – even when I was playing the clarinet a great deal. — Surfer!

Response:

I was just wondering where you came up with the fact that a "fair athlete" should be able to hold his or her breath for about 2 minutes.  I am a college level athlete with asthma and the longest I have ever held my breath was for less than 45 seconds.  That was at rest.  I would say that I am in good shape. Where did you find those facts?

I’ll admit the exact numbers are pretty much (if you’ll excuse the expression) "windage".  I know many people who don’t have asthma who can hold their breath for a minute or so, and a number can go two minutes. Divers can train to go five minutes or more, and a few kids in elementary school could actually hold their breath until they passed out.  I was at about 30 seconds until I started concentrating on nasal breathing.  Now I’ve worked up to 45. I suspect that Buteyko may have a half a point here.  Not that hyperventillation CAUSES asthma, but that having asthma changes breathing habits, and correcting those habits just may improve the quality of life for asthmatics.

Response:

<snip Before every game and practice, I would take two inhalations of Albuterol. Most of the time, this worked well. However, after one game in which I played, I had a pretty severe asthmatic reaction which resulted in my spending the night in a local hospital. Things cleared up after that. What caused this? It was a combination of my playing in the rain and also the fact that I have a pretty bad allergy to ragweed (the corners of the field were covered with ragweed). It was not my intent to scare you, but I simply want to point out that your son should avoid playing in the rain at all costs (I realize that unlike many other sports, soccer games often are not cancelled in poor weather).

However the original posters son may not be allergic to ragweed and/or may not have an adverse reaction (athma-wise) from playing in the rain. Of course he may object to getting wet… These things are highly individual.  One has to avoid what upset’s one’s own asthma.  If I tried avoiding everything mentioned as a possible trigger by every poster to the NG I would have ended up living in a minimalist house with no pets and never risking exercise.  As it is I live in an untidy house with 4 cats (one asleep on the bed right now) and enjoyed November in Nepal.  I’m lucky – like many adult-onset asthmatics I don’t have any specific allergies, though getting a cold or URT will have an adverse effect as did something in a blanket in Nepal, possibly along with very cold dry air. I’ve also been lucky in that as soon as I started Pulmicort I improved rapidly (over a weekend) and finally remembered what feeling well was like! <snip — Surfer!

Response:

Me too.  Intal put me in the hospital for a week.  Just one of those things.  Deathly allergic to chromalyn (sp).   Can the Intal make his symptoms worse? Yes. I cannot take either Intal or Tilade. I had an anaphylactic reaction to Tilade, and Intal made my symptoms worse. Joan

– Lisa M. DeSavage Hinsbar Laboratories, Inc. www.hinsbarlabs.com

Response:

.  Since asthma drugs tend to have relatively pronounced side-effects, they can easily add to the confusion and should be used with considerable care and monitoring. Such as?  So far all the side effects I’ve seen sound like exacerbations of the asthma itself or thrush from the steroids. How do you tell if it’s a side effect or just not effective medication?

Mostly the reactions are "paradoxical" reactions, rebound, thrush, rapid heartbeat, and a "spacey" sensation that may exacerbate or mimic ADHD. Plus the usual dry mouth, etc.  The biggest problem is probably that the paradoxical reactions, rebound, and rapid heartbeat can look like an asthma attack, leading to a counterproductive increase in medication. And there’s really no good way, in general, to tell if a symptom is caused by the medication or not.

Response:

This is a long shot, and somewhat off topic to your last post, but as I understand it he has SOB

I didnt know this was a disease, but maybe an affliction! Sometimes I have SOaB too! with no signs of wheezing, coughing, or other – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -symptoms of airflow constriction.  He does have reduced lung function, probably as a result of the JA, but that may or may not be a problem here.  He sees improvement in his condition when outside, which is not terribly unusual for asthmatics but not the norm either, and which suggests some possible role for a non-allergen environmental factor. It could be that his problem is not with airflow but with oxygen transport.  A disease such as sickle cell anemia or thalasemia (sp?) could cause this.  Also, low level carbon monoxide poisoning could be the cause.  (You do have a carbon monoxide detector in your home, right?) Another possibility is a problem with SOB sensation.  If something has messed up his carbon dioxide sensing mechanisms, he could be believing he is SOB when he isn’t.  (We sense the need to breathe due to carbon dioxide buildup, not oxygen depletion.) A test for these possibilities is how long he can hold his breath when at rest.  A fair athelete should be able to hold his breath for two minutes or so, the average person for a minute or so.  Simple airflow restriction wouldn’t affect this ability significantly.  If he’s down in the neighborhood of 30 seconds then it could definitely be a problem with oxygen transport or carbon dioxide sensation. (Note that this is treading awfully close to the hyperventillation theory that is not highly regarded here.  But the hyperventillation theory assumes that ALL asthma is caused by hyperventillation and it’s effects on carbon dioxide sensation.  More likely, SOME so-called asthma is actually a problem with carbon dioxide sensation, and the controlled breathing proposed by the hyperventillation theorists is a way to treat the symptom without necessarily treating the root cause.) Of course, you also have the problem here that you have with any multi-syndrome situation in that you can’t easily tell what’s a symptom of a disease and what’s a symptom of treatment.  Since asthma drugs tend to have relatively pronounced side-effects, they can easily add to the confusion and should be used with considerable care and monitoring. What your son has sounds similar to this, but that doesn’t do much good if we don’t know what "this" is.  His JA doesn’t really offer a clue, other than the possibility of some auto-immune reaction causing the SOB, or a reaction to some meds he’s taking for JA.  Has he been on meds for JA? Auto-immune is definitely the key here – he has alopecia (an AI disorder), JA (an AI disorder), Raynaud’s (and yet another AI disorder) and now asthma. He also has ADHD. Then, let’s see, the family history runs the gamut from thyroid disorders to rheumatoid arthritis. He’s not on anything for the JA except for an occasional Motrin before and after exercise (and nothing in the past 4 or 5 months) – he’s not that bad. He does take Ritalin for the ADHD. Allergies are definitely as possibility. When he was very young he tested slightly positive to an awful lot of things from cinnamons to citric acid to tarpenes and pine oils – just about every perfurme, cleaning product, food dye, cleaning dye or colorant known to man! Spending the summers outside definitely eases up his allergies, but coming inside to the schools in the fall makes them worse. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to get away from all of his allergens as long as he has to live in the world of people, so I guess we are left with managing them! Now to find just the right meds that will do that. Thanks! kathy

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hoping someone can give me a few pointers. It’s Saturday and I can’t ask the doc for a few days. My 12-year-old, very athletic son was diagnosed with exercise induced asthma this week. He was put on Flovent bid and Intal before exercise. He has taken the Flovent for a week now and today was his first soccer game. He has been experienceing shortness of breath about 7 or 8minutes into his soccer games, but no wheezing or chest tightness. Today, he took his Intal 20 minutes before the game and within 4 or 5 minutes had shortness of breath, He came out, sat for a while and went back in. He then experienced wheezing and excess mucus – brand new symptoms. He’s upset to say the least. He thinks the medicines made him worse. Is this possible? Can the Intal make his symptoms worse? or perhaps he just had an exacerbation today? Shouldn’t the Intal have staved off these increased symptoms? Thanks for any info you can impart! kathy

" He also has juvenile arthritis, so he has PFTs

from 1-1/2 years ago with his numbers all being supranormal. They are now low normal but a bronchodilator improved his functions dramatically – thus asthma. His doctor says that he has what she calls "atypical" asthma – no wheezing or chest tightness.  She is also checking for other lung disorders that might be from his arthritis – she says that most of those would present with a much sicker child than I have."<< "Auto-immune is definitely the key here – he has alopecia (an AI

disorder), JA (an AI disorder), Raynaud’s (and yet another AI disorder) and now asthma. He also has ADHD. Then, let’s see, the family history runs the gamut from thyroid disorders to rheumatoid arthritis. He’s not on anything for the JA except for an occasional Motrin before and after exercise (and nothing in the past 4 or 5 months) – he’s not that bad. He does take Ritalin for the ADHD. Allergies are definitely as possibility. When he was very young he tested slightly positive to an awful lot of things from cinnamons to citric acid to tarpenes and pine oils – just about every perfurme, cleaning product, food dye, cleaning dye or colorant known to man! Spending the summers outside definitely eases up his allergies, but coming inside to the schools in the fall makes them worse. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to get away from all of his allergens as long as he has to live in the world of people, so I guess we are left with managing them! Now to find just the right meds that will do that."<< Your son sounds like he has interesting problems. I have always found that Intal can act as an irritant to the airways so it is quite plausible that it could have triggered his symptoms. I usually stop the Intal in kids when they are in the midst of an acute attack because of this. Presumably this would imply that his airways are sensitive to the irritation and that maybe he needs more anti-inflammatories (more Flovent or addtion of Singulaire).     For managing EIA I prefer albuterol before the excersize. It makes more sense to me to give a dilator and I think it works better. The whole theory of using Intal for asthma is that it takes weeks of regular use for it to stabilize the cell membranes. It is comonly used for EIA but I don’t understand why it should work takenin single intermitent doses. Serevent is also sometimes used but it doesn’t make sense to me to take a medicine that will take 1-2 hours to start working and then last for 12 hours, all just to prevent an attack during excersize that will occur during the next 30 minutes. The spasms of EIA usually start a few minutes after the excersize starts and then releases, becoming refractory to further excersize induced spasm. This property can be used to his advantage by warming up more strenuously before working out. I would suggest doing 5-10 minutes of sprints 30-45 minutes before the event.     He does present with some interesting diagnostic possibilities. Autoimmune diseases, particularly rheumatoid arthritis and schleroderma (suggested by the Raynaud’s), can affect the lungs. They usually cause a restrictive lung disease that initially can improve with bronchodilators. If this turns out to be the case the treatment would differ. He would need to have his treatment for autoimmune disease increased possibly with the addition of disease modifying agents. I would ask the pulmonologist point blank if this is restrictive or obstructive lung disease, or better yet, ask the rheumatologist to speak with the pulmonologist.     People with problems such as your son’s tend to also have sinus problems and gastroesophageal reflux, both of which should be aggressively managed. Listening to his story also makes me wonder about Wegener’s Granulomatosis. This is an autoimmune disease that can do alot of the things that your son has. It is uncommon in children but there is a blood test for it so it may be worth raising the possibility with the rheumatologist. — CBI, M.D. Please note: It is impossible to accurately diagnose medical problems without seeing the patient and reviewing the entire history. These posts are intended to be helpful and informative. Always check with your doctor before following any advice given.

Response:

This is a long shot, and somewhat off topic to your last post, but as I understand it he has SOB with no signs of wheezing, coughing, or other symptoms of airflow constriction.  He does have reduced lung function, probably as a result of the JA, but that may or may not be a problem here.  He sees improvement in his condition when outside, which is not terribly unusual for asthmatics but not the norm either, and which suggests some possible role for a non-allergen environmental factor. It could be that his problem is not with airflow but with oxygen transport.  A disease such as sickle cell anemia or thalasemia (sp?) could cause this.  Also, low level carbon monoxide poisoning could be the cause.  (You do have a carbon monoxide detector in your home, right?) Another possibility is a problem with SOB sensation.  If something has messed up his carbon dioxide sensing mechanisms, he could be believing he is SOB when he isn’t.  (We sense the need to breathe due to carbon dioxide buildup, not oxygen depletion.) A test for these possibilities is how long he can hold his breath when at rest.  A fair athelete should be able to hold his breath for two minutes or so, the average person for a minute or so.  Simple airflow restriction wouldn’t affect this ability significantly.  If he’s down in the neighborhood of 30 seconds then it could definitely be a problem with oxygen transport or carbon dioxide sensation. (Note that this is treading awfully close to the hyperventillation theory that is not highly regarded here.  But the hyperventillation theory assumes that ALL asthma is caused by hyperventillation and it’s effects on carbon dioxide sensation.  More likely, SOME so-called asthma is actually a problem with carbon dioxide sensation, and the controlled breathing proposed by the hyperventillation theorists is a way to treat the symptom without necessarily treating the root cause.) Of course, you also have the problem here that you have with any multi-syndrome situation in that you can’t easily tell what’s a symptom of a disease and what’s a symptom of treatment.  Since asthma drugs tend to have relatively pronounced side-effects, they can easily add to the confusion and should be used with considerable care and monitoring. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – What your son has sounds similar to this, but that doesn’t do much good if we don’t know what "this" is.  His JA doesn’t really offer a clue, other than the possibility of some auto-immune reaction causing the SOB, or a reaction to some meds he’s taking for JA.  Has he been on meds for JA? Auto-immune is definitely the key here – he has alopecia (an AI disorder), JA (an AI disorder), Raynaud’s (and yet another AI disorder) and now asthma. He also has ADHD. Then, let’s see, the family history runs the gamut from thyroid disorders to rheumatoid arthritis. He’s not on anything for the JA except for an occasional Motrin before and after exercise (and nothing in the past 4 or 5 months) – he’s not that bad. He does take Ritalin for the ADHD. Allergies are definitely as possibility. When he was very young he tested slightly positive to an awful lot of things from cinnamons to citric acid to tarpenes and pine oils – just about every perfurme, cleaning product, food dye, cleaning dye or colorant known to man! Spending the summers outside definitely eases up his allergies, but coming inside to the schools in the fall makes them worse. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to get away from all of his allergens as long as he has to live in the world of people, so I guess we are left with managing them! Now to find just the right meds that will do that. Thanks! kathy

Response:

Can the Intal make his symptoms worse?

Yes. I cannot take either Intal or Tilade. I had an anaphylactic reaction to Tilade, and Intal made my symptoms worse. Joan

Response:

It could be that his problem is not with airflow but with oxygen transport.  A disease such as sickle cell anemia or thalasemia (sp?) could cause this.

Yep, we’re in the process of checking all this out as well as a cardiological examination and more blood work – results just not back yet. He also just had a chest CT to check for other lung abnormalities. His blood work 3 months ago was normal, thus leading to the theory that it’s probably not blood related.   As his doctor says, 1 in 10 have asthma, he reacts well to BDs, thus it’s probably asthma.   Also, low level carbon monoxide poisoning could be the cause.  (You do have a carbon monoxide detector in your home, right?)

Of course! Another possibility is a problem with SOB sensation.  If something has messed up his carbon dioxide sensing mechanisms, he could be believing he is SOB when he isn’t.  (We sense the need to breathe due to carbon dioxide buildup, not oxygen depletion.)

Interesting thought, I’ll have to check it out when he comes home. .  Since asthma drugs tend to have relatively pronounced side-effects, they can easily add to the confusion and should be used with considerable care and monitoring.

Such as?  So far all the side effects I’ve seen sound like exacerbations of the asthma itself or thrush from the steroids. How do you tell if it’s a side effect or just not effective medication? thanks! kathy

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Kathy Longo writes: Hoping someone can give me a few pointers. It’s Saturday and I can’t ask the doc for a few days. My 12-year-old, very athletic son was diagnosed with exercise induced asthma this week. He was put on Flovent bid and Intal before exercise. He has taken the Flovent for a week now and today was his first soccer game. He has been experienceing shortness of breath about 7 or 8minutes into his soccer games, but no wheezing or chest tightness. Today, he took his Intal 20 minutes before the game and within 4 or 5 minutes had shortness of breath, He came out, sat for a while and went back in. He then experienced wheezing and excess mucus – brand new symptoms. He’s upset to say the least. He thinks the medicines made him worse. Is this possible? Can the Intal make his symptoms worse? or perhaps he just had an exacerbation today? Shouldn’t the Intal have staved off these increased symptoms?

Kathy, I’m not all that familiar with Intal (maybe I know of it under another name), but I wanted to tell you that your post is reminding me of my own experience with soccer and asthma when I was around your son’s age. Before every game and practice, I would take two inhalations of Albuterol. Most of the time, this worked well. However, after one game in which I played, I had a pretty severe asthmatic reaction which resulted in my spending the night in a local hospital. Things cleared up after that. What caused this? It was a combination of my playing in the rain and also the fact that I have a pretty bad allergy to ragweed (the corners of the field were covered with ragweed). It was not my intent to scare you, but I simply want to point out that your son should avoid playing in the rain at all costs (I realize that unlike many other sports, soccer games often are not cancelled in poor weather). BTW- Since that incident, in additon to the Albuterol, I have been taking Azmacort (sp?). I’m told that this acts as a preventative. I’ve had great success with it. I hope you find an effective medicine for his condition, and I wish you and your son the best of luck. Kind Regards, Chris

Response:

Greetings! Not only do I suffer from asthma in general, but also have EIA.  My asthma is bad enough to be declared a handicap, but my medication regimin and my stubborness have allowed me to function normally.  The point of this comment is that I umpire HS and College baseball and rarely have problems severe enough to warrant treatment during a game.   Best I could suggest here is to speak with your physician regarding pre-treating with Albuterol before the contest (a possible better choice may be Xopenex due to a possibility of less cardiac excitement).  I would also suggest looking into Singulair and Serevent.  Both act in different ways but essentially will provide long-term bronchodilation.  The Singulair is approved for ages 6 and up, but I have seen it given as young as 4 years of age.  It acts at the cellular level to prevent the actual chain of events from starting……not in everyone, but in my case a terrific addition! Take care…….keep us posted Scooby RCP, EMT-P Perinatal-Pediatric Respiratory Specialist This mail is a natural product.  The slight variations in spelling and grammar enhance its individual character and beauty and in no way are to be considered flaws or defects.

Response:

sorry- cut myself off   What is the longest time he can run on a track (or could, before he started having problems)?  It may be that he is simply reaching his cardio-pulmonary limit. He just recently started only being able to play for 6 or 7 minutes. He has played on this team for three years during the indoor season and could, up til this year, play for the full 17 minute period with no problem. Me thinks it could be a side effect from the Intal?

It’s hard to say.  As a teen I suffered from some sort of debilitating allergy, the cause of which was never determined.  Symptom was increasing SOB, until I could hardly walk from house to car without stopping to catch my breath.  At its extreme I had chest tightness, never had cough-inducing congestion (except when there was a cold or whatnot on top of it).  Luckily, the source of the allergen was clearly my parents house or somewhere nearby, and moving away during college solved the problem.  I’ve not been bothered since.  I would really like to figure out what the allergen was, though I don’t want to do that by getting sick with it again. What your son has sounds similar to this, but that doesn’t do much good if we don’t know what "this" is.  His JA doesn’t really offer a clue, other than the possibility of some auto-immune reaction causing the SOB, or a reaction to some meds he’s taking for JA.  Has he been on meds for JA?

Response:

Kathy here is a good web page on the topic of EIA http://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/jan_96/rupp.htm It was published in 1996. There have been more studies on the efficacy of long-acting bronchodilators and leukotriene receptor antagonists for EIA out since that article was written so some of the stats on these two drug classes may be inaccurate. anton

Response:

What your son has sounds similar to this, but that doesn’t do much good if we don’t know what "this" is.  His JA doesn’t really offer a clue, other than the possibility of some auto-immune reaction causing the SOB, or a reaction to some meds he’s taking for JA.  Has he been on meds for JA?

Auto-immune is definitely the key here – he has alopecia (an AI disorder), JA (an AI disorder), Raynaud’s (and yet another AI disorder) and now asthma. He also has ADHD. Then, let’s see, the family history runs the gamut from thyroid disorders to rheumatoid arthritis. He’s not on anything for the JA except for an occasional Motrin before and after exercise (and nothing in the past 4 or 5 months) – he’s not that bad. He does take Ritalin for the ADHD. Allergies are definitely as possibility. When he was very young he tested slightly positive to an awful lot of things from cinnamons to citric acid to tarpenes and pine oils – just about every perfurme, cleaning product, food dye, cleaning dye or colorant known to man! Spending the summers outside definitely eases up his allergies, but coming inside to the schools in the fall makes them worse. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to get away from all of his allergens as long as he has to live in the world of people, so I guess we are left with managing them! Now to find just the right meds that will do that. Thanks! kathy

Response:

Thanks! Great article – I learned a lot. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – http://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/jan_96/rupp.htm It was published in 1996. There have been more studies on the efficacy of long-acting bronchodilators and leukotriene receptor antagonists for EIA out since that article was written so some of the stats on these two drug classes may be inaccurate. anton

Response:

sorry- cut myself off   What is the longest time he can run on a track (or could, before he started having problems)?  It may be that he is simply reaching his cardio-pulmonary limit.

He just recently started only being able to play for 6 or 7 minutes. He has played on this team for three years during the indoor season and could, up til this year, play for the full 17 minute period with no problem. Me thinks it could be a side effect from the Intal? Kathy Longo

Response:

Intal actually has a rare incidence of side effects however it is possible that it is the culprit. Intal has been used for exercise induced asthma since 1968 and it is well studied and usually effective in patients with well controlled asthma. It may take weeks until the inhaled steroid takes effect and reduces inflammation in his airways. It sounds as though you need some asthma education and expert help for managing your son. Decisions to manage his asthma can not be made by even experts over the Internet without a clinical exam, history and benefit of any diagnostic tests performed. Consult your pulmonologist next week and proceed in a safe manner. Getting medical advice over the internet can be risky and caution is required. my best cordials anton – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – "Adverse reactions based on treatment with cromolyn have been reported including irritation, dizziness, wheezing, nausea, vomiting, nasal congestion, bronchospasm and gastrointestinal problems." Often the side-effects of asthma medications are worse than the disease. How was he diagnosed? By a pulmonologist with PFTs. He also has juvenile arthritis, so he has PFTs from 1-1/2 years ago with his numbers all being supranormal. They are now low normal but a bronchodilator improved his functions dramatically – thus asthma. His doctor says that he has what she calls "atypical" asthma – no wheezing or chest tightness.  She is also checking for other lung disorders that might be from his arthritis – she says that most of those would present with a much sicker child than I have. What is the longest time he can run on a track (or could, before he started having problems)? He could run in a soccer game for 1-1/2 hours (he plays midfield which is a very active position – very little down time). This time has slowly decreased over the last year so that this fall he could play about 3/4 of the game without any problems, but he It may be that he is simply reaching his cardio-pulmonary limit. Hoping someone can give me a few pointers. It’s Saturday and I can’t ask the doc for a few days. My 12-year-old, very athletic son was diagnosed with exercise induced asthma this week. He was put on Flovent bid and Intal before exercise. He has taken the Flovent for a week now and today was his first soccer game. He has been experienceing shortness of breath about 7 or 8minutes into his soccer games, but no wheezing or chest tightness. Today, he took his Intal 20 minutes before the game and within 4 or 5 minutes had shortness of breath, He came out, sat for a while and went back in. He then experienced wheezing and excess mucus – brand new symptoms. He’s upset to say the least. He thinks the medicines made him worse. Is this possible? Can the Intal make his symptoms worse? or perhaps he just had an exacerbation today? Shouldn’t the Intal have staved off these increased symptoms? Thanks for any info you can impart! kathy

Response:

It may take weeks until the inhaled steroid takes effect and reduces inflammation in his airways. It sounds as though you need some asthma education and expert help for managing your son.

Thanks, that’s what I’m doing tonight, Learning everything I can. Decisions to manage his asthma can not be made by even experts over the Internet without a clinical exam, history and benefit of any diagnostic tests performed.

Absolutely! But just the same I find that other’s experiences can be very enlightening in helping me to know what questions to ask. Consult your pulmonologist next week and proceed in a safe manner. Getting medical advice over the internet can be risky and caution is required.

I wasn’t looking for medical advice over the internet – just simply some information on which to base my next move. My son has several other chronic problems that require close medical followup so I’m a pro at asking the doctor. I just wanted some quick feedback about possibilities – I find that the internet can be very helpful in this manner.I like to be a very informed consumer. I’ve found that asking a large group of people about their experiences can sometimes turn up information the doctors are unaware of as of yet. Thanks for your input. I’m definitely going to ask about the Intal on Monday. kathy – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – my best cordials anton "Adverse reactions based on treatment with cromolyn have been reported including irritation, dizziness, wheezing, nausea, vomiting, nasal congestion, bronchospasm and gastrointestinal problems." Often the side-effects of asthma medications are worse than the disease. How was he diagnosed? By a pulmonologist with PFTs. He also has juvenile arthritis, so he has PFTs from 1-1/2 years ago with his numbers all being supranormal. They are now low normal but a bronchodilator improved his functions dramatically – thus asthma. His doctor says that he has what she calls "atypical" asthma – no wheezing or chest tightness.  She is also checking for other lung disorders that might be from his arthritis – she says that most of those would present with a much sicker child than I have. What is the longest time he can run on a track (or could, before he started having problems)? He could run in a soccer game for 1-1/2 hours (he plays midfield which is a very active position – very little down time). This time has slowly decreased over the last year so that this fall he could play about 3/4 of the game without any problems, but he It may be that he is simply reaching his cardio-pulmonary limit. Hoping someone can give me a few pointers. It’s Saturday and I can’t ask the doc for a few days. My 12-year-old, very athletic son was diagnosed with exercise induced asthma this week. He was put on Flovent bid and Intal before exercise. He has taken the Flovent for a week now and today was his first soccer game. He has been experienceing shortness of breath about 7 or 8minutes into his soccer games, but no wheezing or chest tightness. Today, he took his Intal 20 minutes before the game and within 4 or 5 minutes had shortness of breath, He came out, sat for a while and went back in. He then experienced wheezing and excess mucus – brand new symptoms. He’s upset to say the least. He thinks the medicines made him worse. Is this possible? Can the Intal make his symptoms worse? or perhaps he just had an exacerbation today? Shouldn’t the Intal have staved off these increased symptoms? Thanks for any info you can impart! kathy

Response:

"Adverse reactions based on treatment with cromolyn have been reported including irritation, dizziness, wheezing, nausea, vomiting, nasal congestion, bronchospasm and gastrointestinal problems." Often the side-effects of asthma medications are worse than the disease. How was he diagnosed?  If he has had no wheezing or chest tightness then the asthma diagnosis is somewhat questionable.  You say your son is "very athletic".  What is the longest time he can run on a track (or could, before he started having problems)?  It may be that he is simply reaching his cardio-pulmonary limit. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hoping someone can give me a few pointers. It’s Saturday and I can’t ask the doc for a few days. My 12-year-old, very athletic son was diagnosed with exercise induced asthma this week. He was put on Flovent bid and Intal before exercise. He has taken the Flovent for a week now and today was his first soccer game. He has been experienceing shortness of breath about 7 or 8minutes into his soccer games, but no wheezing or chest tightness. Today, he took his Intal 20 minutes before the game and within 4 or 5 minutes had shortness of breath, He came out, sat for a while and went back in. He then experienced wheezing and excess mucus – brand new symptoms. He’s upset to say the least. He thinks the medicines made him worse. Is this possible? Can the Intal make his symptoms worse? or perhaps he just had an exacerbation today? Shouldn’t the Intal have staved off these increased symptoms? Thanks for any info you can impart! kathy

Response:

"Adverse reactions based on treatment with cromolyn have been reported including irritation, dizziness, wheezing, nausea, vomiting, nasal congestion, bronchospasm and gastrointestinal problems." Often the side-effects of asthma medications are worse than the disease. How was he diagnosed?

By a pulmonologist with PFTs. He also has juvenile arthritis, so he has PFTs from 1-1/2 years ago with his numbers all being supranormal. They are now low normal but a bronchodilator improved his functions dramatically – thus asthma. His doctor says that he has what she calls "atypical" asthma – no wheezing or chest tightness.  She is also checking for other lung disorders that might be from his arthritis – she says that most of those would present with a much sicker child than I have.  What is the longest time he can run on a track (or could, before he started having problems)?

He could run in a soccer game for 1-1/2 hours (he plays midfield which is a very active position – very little down time). This time has slowly decreased over the last year so that this fall he could play about 3/4 of the game without any problems, but he It may be that he is simply – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – reaching his cardio-pulmonary limit. Hoping someone can give me a few pointers. It’s Saturday and I can’t ask the doc for a few days. My 12-year-old, very athletic son was diagnosed with exercise induced asthma this week. He was put on Flovent bid and Intal before exercise. He has taken the Flovent for a week now and today was his first soccer game. He has been experienceing shortness of breath about 7 or 8minutes into his soccer games, but no wheezing or chest tightness. Today, he took his Intal 20 minutes before the game and within 4 or 5 minutes had shortness of breath, He came out, sat for a while and went back in. He then experienced wheezing and excess mucus – brand new symptoms. He’s upset to say the least. He thinks the medicines made him worse. Is this possible? Can the Intal make his symptoms worse? or perhaps he just had an exacerbation today? Shouldn’t the Intal have staved off these increased symptoms? Thanks for any info you can impart! kathy

Response:

Hoping someone can give me a few pointers. It’s Saturday and I can’t ask the doc for a few days. My 12-year-old, very athletic son was diagnosed with exercise induced asthma this week. He was put on Flovent bid and Intal before exercise. He has taken the Flovent for a week now and today was his first soccer game. He has been experienceing shortness of breath about 7 or 8minutes into his soccer games, but no wheezing or chest tightness. Today, he took his Intal 20 minutes before the game and within 4 or 5 minutes had shortness of breath, He came out, sat for a while and went back in. He then experienced wheezing and excess mucus – brand new symptoms. He’s upset to say the least. He thinks the medicines made him worse. Is this possible? Can the Intal make his symptoms worse? or perhaps he just had an exacerbation today? Shouldn’t the Intal have staved off these increased symptoms? Thanks for any info you can impart! kathy

Response:

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