Asthma related symptoms

[Harpoon]

This is kind of related to the SOB post but I'm not SOB, never really was except for the days leading up to my surgery last year and even then it wasn't as bad as I guess it should have been considering the shape I was in....


From the very beginning of my heart's decline which lead to valve replacement I had this nagging, persistant, annoying as all get out cough.

That was the first clue that something was up.

It started with a mild cold type infection I picked up in January or so of 2001 that cleared within a week, but the cough persisted until about May some time when the weather started staying consistently warm. I was cough free that whole summer and then it came back in the mid to late fall of 2001, grrrr....

The cough has always been "productive" and it's like I'm trying to clear something (phlegm maybe?) out of my lungs or airways. Sometimes it's pretty horrendous.

my doctors and I have looked at all kinds of possibilities for this thing. The only thing we haven't ruled out just yet has been some kind of allergy. my lungs are clear, no CHF, no abnormalities that could be cancer or some TB or pneumonia or whatever. The cough didn't respond to asthma meds, it only midly responds to cough meds or cough drops. We just recently ruled out sinus infections.


The only riding theory that still exsists is with my enlarged heart (I gather it's still bigger than it should be) pressing against the bottom of the branch where the trachea seperates into the bronchial tubes that run to the lungs is preventing normal drainage of fluids that can build up in the lungs and that's what I'm coughing up, however this theory's a bit of a stretch...


I wondered if anyone here had any experience or ideas relating to this, even if it might be an asthmatic thing.


I know several people here have spirometers at home that they inherited from their hospital stays. I never got mine to take home, but then I had been using it for something like 5 weeks prior to coming home so maybe I just didn't need it anymore...


Anyn ideas, sensless drivvle???? =)


Thankyou much.

 

[Ross]

It very well could be your heart, perhaps some medication your on (Zestril or the like), or most doubtful but aneurysm?

People with spirometers at home--If you still have these things and are using them after 6 weeks at home, pitch them. They harbor bacteria that could infect you!

 

[Harpoon]

Ok, don't need the spirometer then...


I do have a "tickle cough" from the lisinopril, that's an entirely different animal. Basically an occassional tickle that comes up in the back of my throat, sometimes on the right side, that usually goes away with a sip of a beverage or a piece of chewing gum or something...


Where would an aneurysm be that could cause that and how would it be found?

I agree, it's doubtful going on 3 years of INTENSE scrutiny by all kinds of doctors including a two month stint in a hospital where they poked and prodded me every day, all day long....

Just curious...

 

[Nancy]

The cough has always been "productive" and it's like I'm trying to clear something (phlegm maybe?) out of my lungs or airways. Sometimes it's pretty horrendous.

As per your words above--

The fact that it is productive should be investigated. How about seeing a pulmonologist and/or getting a culture on the phlegm. Maybe it is an allergy, but if it were asthma, Albuterol should have helped it. For me asthma causes shortness of breath first.

Sounds like you need to have some deeper investigation, like some pulmonary function tests.

 

[Harpoon]

Had the PFT... They use albuterol during that, made my heart race like a sonofa****** last time, I ain't doing that again.

It would be against my cardiologist's orders anyways. =)


I saw a pulminologist a few years ago and she ran some x-rays and an MRI, lungs checked out fine.

There seems to be some nasal drainage associated with it, but we've ruled out some kind of sinus infection.

The phlegm is usually clear, sometimes "frothy" (that was a description given to me by Dr, Young at Cleveland Clinic when I was evaluated for transplant) but not always.

It's almost never bloody and when there are traces, I'm pretty sure it's when I'm coughing REALLY hard because that's the only time it happens.


We're just dumb-founded.

 

[Blake777]

Boy can I relate to your problem !

Boy can I relate to your problem !

I thought I was the only one with similar problem. I have had the same thing you have and this will make year five. As a matter of fact this is how the doctors found my severe mitral regurgitation. They did a TEE after I started having shortness of breath only because I coughed so much it caused SOB. Coughing up phlegm over and over again and choking off of it a lot, and I know what you mean about horrendus because I have been to ER over 20 times or more since this all began. I struggle with it day and night and have had PFT testing three times and all they can come up with is cough varient asthma. I take guaifenesin to thin the phlegm and have been for five years. I also take combivent, advair, singulair and have a breathing machine at home. I don't have any wheezing and not very much shortness of breath either, just once in a while but not enough to say I have asthma. I asked my surgeon if maybe this will clear up after valve repair or replacement surgery and he just said he didn't know but hope that it will. I tell you I have prayed so hard for this to go away I too have coughed up blood, sometime a little and then one time I think from coughing to hard, quite a bit came up and I ended up in ER and they said I had a significant bacterial infection and thought it was coming from the bronchial area. The only thing that I have found that slows it down is an Asthma medicine Tilade and another Advair but it just stablelizes it a little. My pain medication oxycodone actually stops it in its tracks until I eat a meal or drink something, then it starts all over again. This may not be what you have but it sure sounds like the same problem I have. I have found that milk chocolate opens up the airways when it feels like it is closed and you can't get up anything. My combivent barely helps, it is the same as albuterol. I have also found that vitamin C Halls cough drops helps get it up also, but they have to be the vitamin C ones. As you can tell I have tried everything and nothing stops it completely. They tell me since I smoked for 25 yrs that I may have a little bit of COPD. But my pulmunary Dr. swears up and down it is asthma. My lungs are clear every time they check and I just finally gave up and tried to find my own remedies, because they can't fix it what ever it is. I hope you find something or someone to help you with this and if you do please tell me what you find, because I have been suffering for so long with this and hope valve surgery will fix mine. God Bless and take care. And if there is anything I can do to help just ask.

Ronda

 

[Granbonny]

Pollen

Pollen

It's that time of the year again.. Went to eye doctor last week for redness of eyes..He said, it was probably makeup, hairspray, ect..and he said he was dreading the pollen season..especially those with asthma. :Bonnie(

 

[Harpoon]

Ouch!

Ouch!

I thought I was the only one with similar problem. I have had the same thing you have and this will make year five. As a matter of fact this is how the doctors found my severe mitral regurgitation. They did a TEE after I started having shortness of breath only because I coughed so much it caused SOB. Coughing up phlegm over and over again and choking off of it a lot, and I know what you mean about horrendus because I have been to ER over 20 times or more since this all began. I struggle with it day and night and have had PFT testing three times and all they can come up with is cough varient asthma. I take guaifenesin to thin the phlegm and have been for five years. I also take combivent, advair, singulair and have a breathing machine at home. I don't have any wheezing and not very much shortness of breath either, just once in a while but not enough to say I have asthma. I asked my surgeon if maybe this will clear up after valve repair or replacement surgery and he just said he didn't know but hope that it will. I tell you I have prayed so hard for this to go away I too have coughed up blood, sometime a little and then one time I think from coughing to hard, quite a bit came up and I ended up in ER and they said I had a significant bacterial infection and thought it was coming from the bronchial area. The only thing that I have found that slows it down is an Asthma medicine Tilade and another Advair but it just stablelizes it a little. My pain medication oxycodone actually stops it in its tracks until I eat a meal or drink something, then it starts all over again. This may not be what you have but it sure sounds like the same problem I have. I have found that milk chocolate opens up the airways when it feels like it is closed and you can't get up anything. My combivent barely helps, it is the same as albuterol. I have also found that vitamin C Halls cough drops helps get it up also, but they have to be the vitamin C ones. As you can tell I have tried everything and nothing stops it completely. They tell me since I smoked for 25 yrs that I may have a little bit of COPD. But my pulmunary Dr. swears up and down it is asthma. My lungs are clear every time they check and I just finally gave up and tried to find my own remedies, because they can't fix it what ever it is. I hope you find something or someone to help you with this and if you do please tell me what you find, because I have been suffering for so long with this and hope valve surgery will fix mine. God Bless and take care. And if there is anything I can do to help just ask.

Ronda

Well mine isn't anywhere near as bad as yours is... I haven't ended up in the ER for it.

I'm wary of asthma meds because I know a few of them can cause valve problems (I have a few friends with personal experience in this) and the stimulant ones can raise heart rate a lot.

Whatever it is, there seem to be only "limited" connections to things. Last night at work I was doing REALLY bad, was in the bathroom several times coughing up crap, this morning I barely had anything...

I think I'm going to contact the folks at Cleveland CLinic and see if they have any ideas, might end up having to go back out there for testing which I'm not keen on....

 

[KimC]

Harpoon,

Your story sounds familiar. I'm experiencing the same mild-moderate symptoms.

I had PFT's last Jan. and was diagnosed w/ asthma. My pulmo prescribed Advair which has significantly reduced my bronchial asthma attacks. (An attack can be anything from life-threatening to an annoying cough like you describe).

I tried Combivent and had several runs of PVC's or PAC's -- I ain't touchin' that **** again either. The Advair hasn't effected my heart rate.

Although the Advair helps, I'm still vulnerable to respiratory infections. I finally made an appointment with an allergist to see if I've developed allergies at age 37.

My brother, Jeffrey, (a neurosurgeon) has asthma and recurring bronchial infections but no valve disease. He researched several treatments and swears by Singulair. He said that trauma to the cilia in your bronchial airways can cause recurring inflammation. Trauma could mean vascular surgery, ven tubes, or exposure to chemicals such as those used in factories and cigarrettes. He recommended drinking plenty of water, avoiding alcohol and exercising. Exercise like walking daily will rehabiliate your airways.

I swear by breathing exercises, too. Take a deep breath from your gut and through your nose, then exhale counting to five. Try this several times daily and you will feel better. Trust me.

Look up more valuable info on asthma/COPD under the National Jewish Hospital's Web site.

Please send me a PM with whatever you learn from the Cleveland Clinic, as I don't check the forums as often any more.

Best,

 

[Bryan B]

I had bronchitis for over two months last summer (and was on all of the above mentioned inhalers plus oral steroids and narcotic cough syrups several times). I had another bout of bronchitis in January. I sure hope having my VSD repaired "closes the door" to infections like my cardio thinks it will.

 

[Birky]

copd

copd

I asked and received a copy of my diagnosis from the hospital after my surgery. It showed COPD. I was a smoker for at least 20 years prior to having the surgery. I would get bronchitis at least once a year. I still wake up with a lot of mucus in my throat and wondered why I should have this since I did stop smoking. The COPD diagnosis explains alot. I seemed like I had difficult swallowing after the surgery too and that has gotten better. I asked the Dr. what this was since it wasn't discussed with me. I am finding that certain smells can give me asthma like symtoms. I am hoping with excercise etc. that it will become better.

 

[Blake777]

Harpoon,
I know what you mean about asthma medicine. I have been on really high doses of prednisone by ER doctors because they could not help me and they started me out on 60mg everytime, thats how bad I get sometimes. Well I told my husband that I refused to take it again, because I believe this medicine with all the asthma meds could have cause my valve problem instead of rheumatic fever as a child says the doctors. I found out that antibiotics will help a little but not for a long time. And its not good to be on those all the time either. So I just pray it will go away. Have you ever smoked? They tell me I may have a little bit of COPD since I smoked for 25yrs. Have not had a smoke in 2 yrs.

Ronda

 

[KimC]

Harpoon,

Here's a non-medical-doctor reply I got on this subject from WebMD:

"Some valve disease such as the mitral valve put back pressure on the lungs, while others lead to various forms of heart failure which of course affects the overall efficiency of the total system which included the lungs. Heart failure of any kind makes the lungs "wet" as fluids are backed up into the lungs. I have also become very much aware that unless blood moves through the lungs efficiently gas exchange does not occur and air does not move efficiently either so the overall functioning of the lungs is also compromised. Infections love wet, warm areas where they can kind of hang out and grow--in other words lungs that are not functioning well. The air is full of all kinds of bacteria, fungi, and viruses just waiting to find a comfy happy home."

 

[ticktock]

curiouser and curiouser

curiouser and curiouser

Interesting.... to say the least. I have now been diagnosed with Asthma as well. Before, I was told it was "cardiac cough". Have been in and out of CHF since I was 5 years old. (Am 48 yrs young now). The "new" pulmo guy says he wonders if I didn't have asthma all along. The results with the nebulizer have been amazing.

Two thoughts about the nagging productive cough... after my '99 surgery, I had damage to my left vocal cord, causing paralysis. It is only partial, but enough that I have "silent aspiration". This causes an almost constant tickle and resulting cough. Usually a foamy sputum. Mostly in the morning. The only way to diagnose is through flouroscopy which is painless, and easy.

The other I think you already pointed out, and that is the enlarged ventricle constantly rubbing or touching the lung, the lung reacts by producing fluid, you then cough it up. I am skeptical of this idea, because it would seem it would end up in the lower lobes, rather than the bronchial tree. Particularly during the night.

Looks like all us heart patients are ending up as coughin' patients too! Just add it to the bag.... The best of luck to you in finding a way to either cure it or live with it! I have found the BEST treatment for ME is warm liquids. COLD anything makes it worse. You might try it and see.
mindy

 

[Harpoon]

Minus the asthma, that's about me in a nutshell...


I had some vocal cord paralysis after they extubated me (the tube was in for about 5 weeks) and it took a few more weeks to recover from that enough to eat. My swallow reflex was screwed up and I really didn't get my voice fully back until about mid-summer. Surgery was in March.


Very very interesting....


I cut&pasted the post and I think I'll be sending it up to my cardiologist with a little note asking for his opinion.


Any ideas on treatment?

 

[Harpoon]

UPDATE, iffin' yer interested...

UPDATE, iffin' yer interested...

So over the weekend I decided to pick out myself a nice happy sinus/head cold eh?

Whoops, sorry, the Canadian acent thing kinda slipped in there didn't it? Hazards of living close to the border and being able to watch Hockey Night in Canada on the CBC from the comfort of one's living room, in Western New York State....


Anyways, I saw my primary care physician Monday and he said, "yup, you probably have a sinus cold" and gave me scrips for Robitussin with Codiene (WHOOHOO! I'M FLYIN' AGAIN BABE!) and this tesslon pearls stuff I've had before...

Being on all kinds of fancy meds and having a heart that walks to the beat of it's own drummer means I can't take most over-the-counter meds for common ailments.

I'm sure you all have that experience from time to time.


Getting off track again....

So I got a head cold. I also asked him about the vocal chord paralysis and silent asperations and he thought it might be worth investigating. He said he was disappointed a few years ago when I went to see a pulminologist and they never looked beyond a CT scan that cleared my lungs of problems like cancer or TB.

So now I gotta drive way the blankity-blank out of my way at some ungodly hour of the morning for an 8am appointment with an ENT.

By the way, the cough that I had been dealing with has taken a leave of absense since this new, head cold cough, stepped in.

I also asked the good doc (I like him a lot, but he's moving soon and I'll either have to choose another doc from the practice or drive 90 minutes to see the guy I see now, that sucks rocks) about home INR/PT monitoring.

He's heard of it, yeah I could do it, but the machine is a few thousand clams and insurance doesn't consider it a "standard of care" just yet so I'd be paying through my own nose to do it. Ok, guess that wasn't a good idea. he did add that they did coumadin maintenance at the office using a similar machine (I dunno if it's the same thing or something else or what) and that I could do my monitoring through them instead of monthly blood draws with Cathy the Vampire (yup, that's her name, she's fun too!)

Still means an hour trip once a month for INR check, however it would be a finger prick instead of a stab wound to the arm...


Dunno what the ENT will find, will let ya know...