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Has Anyone Tried Asthma Medications For Shortness Of Breath?


jangle

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So the more I think about norepinephrine and its involvement with POTS, it kind of sort of explains my shortness of breath issues. Whenever I get a norepinephrine rush, my throat gets really tight forcing me to swallow constantly. In addition, I get so short of breath that I can barely talk. This has really been a hindrance in my life.

I was reading that asthma medications block the beta 2 receptors which prevents vasoconstriction in the lungs.

Has anyone tried asthma medications for their shortness of breath issues?

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Yes. Not only do they not work, they make all of the other pots symptoms way worse-especially the fast heart rate. Inhalers make many normal people's heart race. Moreover, they behave more like a stimulant and made me jittery with uncontrollable adrenaline rushes. I have used Albuterol and q-var. Sometimes I wonder if my past inhaler use is related to my pots. Onset was consistent with this. I don't have asthma, but get horrid bronchitis frequently. I also tried it to see if it would help my pots to no avail.

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I have an inhaler for exercise induced asthma. When I was first sick with POTS and having really horrible breathing issues, they gave me a regular inhaler as well as the steroid type inhaler. The combo seemed to help some, but when I stopped it for a month and then tried it again when my breathing was bad the next time....it didn't help. May have helped some the first time because my onset of debilitating POTS symptoms correlated somewhat with my annual onset of seasonal allergy symptoms .

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I have to be to odd one. I find that it really helps when I have the shortness of breath and feel like I'm smothering. But, it does make me more nervous. I don't use it, unless I'm having a bad attack. But, using it is better then not using it - when this happens.

Issie

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Yes. Not only do they not work, they make all of the other pots symptoms way worse-especially the fast heart rate. Inhalers make many normal people's heart race. Moreover, they behave more like a stimulant and made me jittery with uncontrollable adrenaline rushes. I have used Albuterol and q-var. Sometimes I wonder if my past inhaler use is related to my pots. Onset was consistent with this. I don't have asthma, but get horrid bronchitis frequently. I also tried it to see if it would help my pots to no avail.

I think it's because we're hitting the wrong receptor. In this article, http://www.ncbi.nlm..../pubmed/2883941 they found that norepinephrine causes bronchospasm through alpha receptors. Not beta 2 receptors, histamine receptors, leukotriene receptors etc. etc. Labetalol has both beta and alpha blockade and was able to inhibit bronchospasm from norepinephrine.

In my case I'm pretty sure it's norepinephrine induced bronchospasm since I only get the attacks during public speaking/talking to really hot girls. Which well just kinda is no bueno.

Has anyone experience with labetalol? I'll talk to my doctor about this. But I don't get to see my specialist for a few months. Maybe my GP can pick this one up?

EDIT: Actually it appears not to be alpha 2 receptors that norepinephrine induces bronchospasm, it is through alpha 1 receptors.

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Hi jangle,

That's interesting that you get brocospasms when speaking publicly or to really hot girls. Is it possible

to de sensitize yourself to this by doing it more often ? Starting with short sessions. Followed by

positive re-inforcement of your chosing. Or take a public speaking class.

I took a class in public speaking and it helped me get over my brain freeze / anxiety. I'm sure I'd get a little nervous now but

it's been 22 years since I had to give speeches.

Fwiw, you may find that hot girls are easier to talk to when there's only one of them. Just don't

focus on her looks.

Tc .. D

Ps. My brochospasms are from hypoperfusion and go away after laying down for an hour.

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Hi jangle,

That's interesting that you get brocospasms when speaking publicly or to really hot girls. Is it possible

to de sensitize yourself to this by doing it more often ? Starting with short sessions. Followed by

positive re-inforcement of your chosing. Or take a public speaking class.

I took a class in public speaking and it helped me get over my brain freeze / anxiety. I'm sure I'd get a little nervous now but

it's been 22 years since I had to give speeches.

Fwiw, you may find that hot girls are easier to talk to when there's only one of them. Just don't

focus on her looks.

Tc .. D

Ps. My brochospasms are from hypoperfusion and go away after laying down for an hour.

dizzysally, no it's not psychological anxiety I've done it hundreds of times and still feels the same. Too much norepinephrine.

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I have asthma, and made sure when I was put on a Beta Blocker that it was cardio selective, but even though, the first one I was on, I could hardly breathe. Now I am on bystolic, it took me awhile to get used to it, months, I'm a lot better now. I only use an inhaler when I am wheezing, which is usually during allergy season or when I am sick, because it increases my heart rate too much. I do get the physiological throat issues you are talking about, swallowing problems, and hoarseness, which makes it difficult to talk, and I don't do any public speaking, however I do sing. I believe I have some vagus nerve issues there, actually, from the dysautonomia.

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Hi jangle,

Please don't take this the wrong way, but how do you know it's not anxiety or a phobia ? I've done many things over the years but they still make me anxious.

I can't see a needle without my flight or fight response kicking in. For me, it's a very real phobia. That

goes for cockroaches .. Aaaaagh .. Lol

I'm not saying you have a phobia but there's nothing wrong with having a phobia either.

I've worked on reducing my reaction to my phobias a few times. I even gave myself b12 injections

after a great deal of coaxing. But if I'm tired, I'll still have a strong reaction, esp to a cockroach. I can get totally hysterical with flapping arms, screams, the works if I'm surprised by a roach.

I can't physically react to needles by running off screaming and can only verbalize my fear since I only

see these when having blood drawn

or I'm given a shot. But wouldn't it be funny if I did .. Hahaha

Fwiw, I've never noticed a change in my oi from an adrenaline rush that was from a good or bad

experience. Certainly I feel a bit more

energized but it was short lived and my pots was still there.

Sorry if I got off topic .. I'm just trying to understand why your bronchospasms are triggered by specific events.

Just thinking out loud here. Tc .. D

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Okay, going to throw another thought out here on this - what if it's mast cell degranulation? Stress can cause this to happen, andddddd arousal can also. It also causes increase in NE levels. Sooooooo - maybe???????

This one look under Cardiac Arrthymia

http://physiology.me...r_research.html

Issie

I had another article but, it didn't go to the page. I'll try it another way.

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I'm not an md, to be clear, but I am a Communication Studies professor and public speaking coach and people in my field recommend beta blockers for occassional use to those with physical manifestations of anxiety in public speaking situations specifically because they control the shaking, sweating, etc. They do nothing for the mental status of the speaker, though. Not sure that's helpful, but wanted to mention it.

I took asthma meds prn for the sob that accompanied my bb; they threw me into one of the worst hyperadrenergic surges I've ever had, and I was in bed for days. No good for me, and the sob subsided after I acclimated to the bb.

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I was misdiagnosed with "reactive airway syndrome". i have taken singulair, adovair, abuteral ( not sure of spellings). Nothing worked. The beta blocker and treating my pots helped most. I have mentioned before that I am on nadolol. It took a long time for me to get over side effects but my shortness of breath ( which was one of my worst symptoms) is much better.

I am very hyper pots - if there is such a thing. I will test postive for adrenal tumors ( don't have one though). I was treated with 2 different alpha/beta blockers but have less trouble with just a beta. Took some doing to find the right one.

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Jangle, I found this interesting as I have had to stop teaching because of this issue..when I would stand up to give directions etc..I would get so short pf breath I could barely speak. I have taught for 29 years so it had nothing to do with public speaking anxiety etc... The breathing issues used to come and go but now is more constant as are other symptoms. Inhaler didn't seem to help a bit. Talking on the telephone does this to me as well...I do have an elevated tryptase so am lookingi nto mast cell issues. Also found out huge thyroid changes..many nodules..one side quitting....some mant puzzle pieces and too ill most of the time to pursue anything. I am always anxious to read your posts as I know you are trying so hard to think things through.

Angelloz

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Jangle- Yes I've tried every asthma medicine, well all except one literally. Since you're breathing issues sound exactly like mine but with a different trigger, I don't think broncospasm per se is the problem so a broncodialator didn't help. In fact as others have mentioned they act as a stimulant and increase the HR and I feel increase NE or adrenaline. It's like pour gasoline on a fire. They exhaust me so much that they just prolong my flare for days... I'm talking about Ventolin aka Albuterol and Xopanex (which is a little better but still the same deal).

Atrovent, which is a anticholergic is used as a broncodialator, I didnt get the adrenaline rush from it, but it also didnt work that great and causes a dry cough... SO the key must not to to block acetylcholine..

I've tried inhaled steroid- 2 brands and at first in 2006 they felt like they helped (could have been a coincidence though), but in 2011 they didn't help at all.. But I had no bad side effect they stay in the lung for the most part..

They even use epi as a broncodialator btw- so you would think if we are having all this adrenaline it would open up the airways for us... i think my best bet is finding better ways to control the NE, HR and level the BP...

And the only asthma med I didnt try is a long acting form of albuterol. I've heard of some ppl on here with pots related breathing issues benefitting from it, but to be honest I'm a little chicken to test it since I get the high adrenaline rushes from the short acting stuff. But some people say it doesn't hit you the same way as the short acting form. Also chicken because both short and long forms carry increased mortality warnings with prolonged use because they mask the breathing issues rather than heal them... Kind of like caffeine mask fatigue and then when you stop you crash..

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Thanks for the info, Rich...I'm now used to my beta blocker, long acting bystolic with 12 hour half life, and my shortness of breath issues are so much better than when I was getting adjusted to the med.

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Keep in mind that there is a theory out there that the shortness of breath is a function of thoracic hypoperfusion. All of our blood in our legs and lower abdomen isn't helping our heart, lungs, and brains and we start to experience air hunger. I get that tight feeling in my neck all the time when standing even when I'm alone (and I actually like public speaking ;) ). But, my tightness isn't really in my airway...it feels like someone is pinching off the veins and arteries in my neck so there's no blood flow/oxygen flow. My POTS neuro says he heres this a lot and is trying to find a good Pulmonologist that will do some research with him to nail down what is causing this (but he hasn't found the right partner yet.)

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Katybug, I would be keen to participate if your neuro ever nails down a Pulmonologist to do some research regarding this issue. It is my worst symptom, but I'm doing a lot better now I'm taking Singulair and H1/H2 blockers. Only problem with participation is that I'm not U.S based.

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Katybug- I've been pushing that theory for some time now, there is nothing in the medical books about only for infants. It's also a possibility there is a postural pulmonary hypotension going on as well.

I know of just such a pulmonologist from Harvard, who has actually seen this and is doing studies on this, but not for pots purposes.. Only problem is, yeah he sees this hyperprofusion but he doesn't have great ways to treat just increasing blood volume and vasoconstrictors like midodrine . If you want PM me and I'll give you his info...

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I take Atrovent inhaler when i have breathing problems and it seems to be helping.I try to use it only when i feel really bad because i am afraid it may cause other symptoms(like tachycardia).I also take Seretide Diskus because i had a bronchitis recently but for me Atrovent is the best inhaler i have used because it has immediate results and so far no symptoms.You need to consult your doctor about it though before taking anything.

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