Grasses symptoms and conditions

I have had life-threatening spasmodic breathing episodes for the last year. My GP attributed it to asthma, because that's what it looked like, and they have given me prednisone shots and later on, antibiotic shots, to control it (for about 6 weeks at a time). I have well-controlled type II diabetes, so predisone can cause it to go out of control fairly quickly. Prednisone also caused some occasional pain in my feet, probably because of the elevated blood sugar. All the asthma drugs they gave me actually made me sicker, like Advair, etc. Lo and behold, I was able to talk my doctor into a referral to an allergist, and my allergy numbers are off the charts! All grasses, most trees, and many animals were high enough to cause anaphylaxis, especially when surrounded by more than one. Anaphylaxis can cause the labored breathing I suffered. Meanwhile, I have the lung capacity of an Olympic swimmer. I have an elderly friend who has gone to the hospital several times this year with the same problem. After I found out my results, I talked to his wife, and they discussed the allergy and infection aspect with the doctor. Turns out he had fairly severe allergies and infections that made his life-long asthma go way out of control. With a medicine for infection, he is 10 times better - the asthma is under control because it is not being jump-started by the low-level infections he suffered. I don't even have asthma, it just looks like asthma. I will begin years of allergy shots, just like in my 20's. (I am 55). The upshoot? Some people are suffering severe asthma symptoms. Others have a combo of problems which are exacerbating the asthma-like problems. Doctors who think you only have asthma tend to only treat asthma. Prednisone greatly reduces inflammation, which is a common factor in all the above diseases. So, calming the symptom doesn't mean treating the source. You long-term asthmatics should also look inot taking allergy tests if it is considered safe (they DO inject a small amount of allergens in your skin), and not spend 100% of your time with the pulmonary specialist who is only looking at your lungs. Also, you really need to do some cause and effect testing with antibiotics or similar to see if you have some type of infection. My friend and I are both on our way to better health because we went beyond treating the symptoms.

In November, 2007, we moved to a new house. I immediately developed a terrible cough, which I attributed to new house construction dust, plus I had started spending 4 days a week at our cabin in the woods, which tends to be damp and moldy. I just figured my allergies were really kicking in. The doctor treated me for a "sinus infection" with antibiotics and codeine cough syrup. Over the next three months, with no improvement in the violent coughing spells, the doctor ran me through 2 more rounds of antibiotics, plus 2 rounds of steroids.

I sing in a competitive choral group and were preparing to travel to Italy for an international choral competition. The terrible coughing was really messing up my rehearsals and the concerts that we had to do prior to leaving for Italy. Since November, I've probably been through 6-8 bottles of Tussionex. That is the only relief I can get from the cough, especially at night, and for concerts. I know the druggist has me on a list somewhere as an excessive cough syrup user.

Then my doctor sent me to an allergist, who administered the 80 pin pricks, concluding that I'm allergic to grasses, dust, mold, summer trees, etc. So she started me on nasal spray, fexofenadine, and singulair. AND weekly allergy shots.

Anyway, it has been CONSTANT COUGHING since November. When I went back for my 2 month check up at the allergist, I told her my symptoms had not changed, still couging, coughing, coughing. She looked at my chart and said, "You know, I see that you take Lisinopril. That can sometimes cause cough." She asked when the coughing started, and when I started taking the drug. NOVEMBER, 2007 was the answer to both questions. YOU ARE KIDDING ME!!! AFTER ALL I'VE BEEN THROUGH WITH THIS, WHY DID MY REGULAR DR NOT SUGGEST THIS?????

Needless to say, I've quit the Lisinopril, then my regular doctor put me on Tekturna (which also has cough as a side effect.) I'm going to quit all of them for a while and see if the cough stops after all this junk is out of my system.

It has been a nightmare!!!

I am an individual that started taking Singulair about a year ago. I've had allergies to weeds, grasses, and pollens since I was a little girl and have taken a variety of meds including Claritin, Zyrtec, Allegra, Flonase, and allergy shots. Last summer, my usual Claritin just wasn't enough so my doc prescribed Singulair. It worked wonders for my allergies. Soon after, I began to feel "numb" -- that's the best word to describe what I felt. I was depressed. It just so happened that my mother had had surgery and I had moved to a different city about the same time as beginning the Singulair. When I began feeling depressed and disconnected from the world, my doc and I contributed it to depression from life transitions. It didn't go away though. For a year, I isolated myself. I didn't talk to friends and family. I missed over 10 days of work just because I didn't want to get out of bed. I slept almost 15 hours a day, gained 60 lbs, didn't clean my house. I didn't really do anything and I didn't care. I felt so disconnected from the world. I didn't cry. I didn't feel suicidal, but I knew that something was wrong with me. I thought I was having a breakdown or something. My doc checked several things but all test results were normal. It wasn't until my mother seen a CNN report on Singulair that I began to link my depression to when I started the drug. I immediately quit taking Singulair and felt better within 4-5 days. After 2 1/2 weeks, I was back to being my old self. It was so scary feeling so isolated, numb, and disconnected from the world. I never would've thought about it being a side effect from an allergy medicine.

Firstly, there is hope! I have been off the evil Advair for 8 months now, I have my Ventolin at the ready but typically I use it one or twice a week...and when I do I hold it at arms length away and only inhale a tiny amount.

Okay a little rewind to the start of my recent problems. I went to an allergy doc since my asthma seemed to be getting worse, he did the test where they scratch your back with 70 or so allergens, from the reactions he determined what some of my trigger are. Turned out to be house dust mites, mold, grasses, cats, horses, shrimp etc. Then the idiot put me on Advair rather than dealing with the real issues.

After 2 years on this evil substance, my chest was so tight when I didn't take it, and generally my breathing was the worst it had been my whole life. I felt like there was something in my lungs that I just couldn't cough up...this gradually did subside. Long steamy showers helped me a little here.

So this is what I did.
Bought a copy of Reversing Asthma by Richard Firshein, a must read, he was a chronic asthmatic and reversed his own condition, you must buy this book.

Armed with my known allergies, I cleaned up the house, bought the pillow covers that keep the dust mites out. I sprayed all the carpets and duvets with an anti-allergen spray. And of course avoided my other known triggers.

I bought a Microlife digital peak flow meter to map my progress.

On Richard Firshein's advice I take a whole host of daily supplements, cod liver oil, vitamin C, magnesium, beta carotene and so on.

I exercise 3+ times a week and I bought a PowerLung Lung Trainer to build up my breathing muscles (I haven't been using this a whole lot so far though).

I'm still working on finding my triggers, so I still have days that aren't as good. I think something I occasionally eat or drink is bothering me. Oh and I found being dehydrated seems to cause my breathing to go downhill.

All the best to you all.

For Allie; I'm a middle aged male who has had asthma all my life. During my mid thirties it suddenly got very suddenly worse to the point of being life threatening. I had been treated all my life by many doctors as being allegic to rye grasses & chicken feathers. They also said that cold weather was a trigger. I wasn't getting exposed to these triggers & it was getting worse day by day. More visits to the doctor, who told me that it was because I was living in an area high in pollens. This dr introduced me to prednisolone & had me on it every day for 4 years. There was no improvement in my condition (i was actually getting worse & preparing myself for a short life) & the solone created a whole new range of health issues for me. Finally, I found a specialist who discovered the problem. I'm allergic to silicilates (i think that's how you spell it?) & sulphates. I removed them from my diet & my condition improved rapidly. It took me a further 2 years to wean off the solone without rebound! My point is; keep looking for the trigger/s until you find them all. If a doctor tells you it's one thing & removing that trigger dosen't fix it, keep looking! I'm sure that I am allergic to rye grasses & chook feathers, but not near as allergic as I am to tomato paste & wine. I mow lawns for a living these days & live a perfectly healthy life. My asthma is completely under control. So much for pollens & rye grasses putting me in intensive care!

I received a Kenalog shot for a sinus infection on January 14 of this year (2005). The amount of Kenalog was to give me inflammation relief in my sinuses for 6 months. A week later, I received a Decadron (sp?) shot - fast acting steroid for a sever sinus headache.

Since this time, I had allergy testing and found out the culprit to my sinus problems (molds, dust mites, some grasses & trees, ragweed). I have started allergy shots.

But, since I have had the Kenalog & other injections, I have had five heavy menstrual periods in the past 2 months. If I don't keep something in my stomach at all times, it feels as if the bottom falls out. I get really weak. My sugar levels tested fine. I have never experienced this prior to the kenalog. I am now somewhat depressed and get anxious. I also get tingling on the top & back of my head. MRI & CT Scan showed nothing... again, this never happened before the Kenalog & other steroid injections. My TSH thyroid level also came back as being slightly elevated. Again, was normal before injections.

This has been terrible. I would never recommend steroid injections to anyone. I just pray my body gets back to normal in time. But, since it was a six month injection, I just hope it doesn't take that long!

I started suffering from hay fever the summer between my jr. and senior high school year; I am now 48. When I was about 20 my cousin referred me to his doctor for a Kenalog shot for the hayfever. For several years I took at least one, sometimes two shots in the fall. I never had any problems that I couldn't live with...the only thing I noticed was irregular monthly cycle (especially the years I had 2 shots) for several months following and loss of smell. However, for anyone who suffers from hayfever, irregular periods and not being able to smell are gladly sacrificed for the relief Kenalog provided. I never experienced the dents or other problems I've read about.

As I got older I've "outgrown" hayfever. I'm really glad as my original doctor died and it became difficult to find a doctor who would administer the injection. I'd hate to still be suffering from the sneezing, watery eyes, etc. I do notice my skin is much more sensitive to plants and grasses now.

Two of my children developed hay fever about the same time as I. I'm ready to tell me son to ask the PCP about Kenalog but after reading other people's experiences, am reluctant. As my daughter is pregnant, I won't say anything to her.

OK, I'll stop.

I used to get injections each spring and fall and they helped. But my allergies got so bad that I finally went to an allergist. I was amazed to find our everythng I was allergic to including a lot of foods I ate on a regular basis and most of the trees in this area of the the US along with all grasses. I have now been taking allgery shots for 2 years. To all those suffering from hayfever and the like. Please go this route and desensitize your body to these irritants instead of the kenalog shots. It's wonderful to be able to smell flowers again! My sinuses are almost always clear now and no more sinus infections!

If I take the 30 mg dose Allegra helps my allergies (mostly Alder and grasses, itchy, runny nose, chills and puffy eyes) and energy level. If I take 60 mg I get a severe, itchy, bumpy rash on my face and neck and into my hairline. If the low dose isn't enough to help my alleriges I guess I will just deal with the allergies instead of the rash.