From the 80s to the Mid 90s I languished in Medical Wards due to serious asthmatic complications, this attacks mostly occurred at dawn when the temperatures were low and this was always an emergency an d I still can’t forget the painful doses which could be shot even on my thighs, its Dr Richard Muga who managed to put this to a manageable situation, what I still believe brought the breakthrough was hot Milk and Honey which I took thrice a day but I also continued my meds of Franol and the salbutamol inhaler.
Fast forward to present, the last time I used an Inhaler was back in 2005 and the last time I got a vein injection adrenaline(as they told me then) and some thick stuff that moves in ur veins like burning uji was 1998. My Attacks are back, why? Is it Due to this Nairobi winter and dusty roads (construction) or inhaling of Inks from printing machines? (print room adjacent to the studio) Now I have been using Franol and Amoxil if I feel any cough is coming and it works for me but this time I did not see many changes, so I visited a doc in the neighborhood Health facility. She actually thought it’s a reaction, which is normal with Asthmatic patients, she gave me a dose of Antibiotic injection and asked me to continue franol and a full amoxil doss, to now the attacks are still here though not intense, I got a ventolin inhaler and mostly I sleep with the bedroom lights on to reduce my attacks and it works due to heat, the other problem is when I have an attack or I cover myself heavily, I sweat heavily, what can I do to kick off this stupid night attacks since the inhaler works only for a short time before another attack comes, meanwhile right now am extremely sensitive to any smell (allergens) and if I speak a lot I begin coughing, most doctors may not have enough experience with Asthmatic patients so before I see another one I would need ur take on this. cc @Luther12
Pole sana, asthma is no joke. I believe you would highly benefit from an inhaled steroid +long acting beta agonist such as Advair or Symbicort (brand names). Are you still taking salbutamol because you really need that. Its a long acting inhaler…you keep having night attacks because Ventolin is short acting, meant to be used mainly as a rescue measure. I’m not a believer of Theophylline which is found in Franol. Since your asthma is so severe perhaps an anticholinergic such as Tiotropium wouldn’t be a bad idea.
@gashwin and @Acoustic asande, I have managed to keep my asthma at bay by getting physically active for a very long time and this actually reduced my dependency on inhalers, on the inhaled steroid, if am competing in a sport which requires testing, is it allowed? salbutamol is the best inhaler I ever used but I stopped in 2005, went to Ventolin inhaler last weekend, been using franol tabs, I may say my situation is not that severe since I do my things normally, the only worst part is the discomfort at night and times at work due to printing(solvent inks) and colons people put on, but I would prefer to switch from franol to that drug ur suggesting, whats the cost and what are the side effects
To my earliest memory, I had frequent chest infections that warranted frequent hospital visits as a kid. In fact, I recall I could read some of the names of meds in my hospital cards by the time I was beginning my formal schooling. By the time I was around 6 or 7, the infections subsided and remained so till I was through with high school. Only then did they resume but this time round I was finally able to figure out my allergies (dust, pollen, animal fur, body sprays, etc) and avoid them. To the best of my memory, I’ve had an asthmatic attack once in my life (happened as an adult) and Twas severe enough to warrant being rushed to hospital at night.
For you, you’ll have to firstly identify your triggers and figure out a way of avoiding them physically. I hope you’re not a smoker, if you are you MUST quit.
It also is absolutely critical for you to visit a hospital and see a chest specialist for proper management. What you’re currently doing is haphazard and may not be very effective in the long term. There’s a stepwise approach to management of asthma but this is only possible under close monitoring of a properly qualified professional/ specialist.
I know most of my triggers, avoiding them is the major issue, but I think I will just make hard choices, really hard ones
imagine job, work is design but large format printing goes on production side those inks are solvent inks and some materials smell so sharp, meanwhile mdosi is Indian na lzma awashe udi kila asubuhi, Niache hii works nini?
My rental house has very few windows so the ventilation is not chonjo, Kuhama nini,
also mtaani constructions of the roads is on going vumbi everywhere, nianze ku operate na disposable masks?
Eish!!! itabidi jo.
If disposable masks is what it takes, then so be it. Hata kama ni kuhama mtaa to get a less dustier place and better ventilated house, do it. The payback will be worth it. Your health is your most important asset. Without it you have nothing.
that’s now the hard job I have, to get one person who is able to do the job professionally with experience and at the same time within my budget, earlier on I visited a doc but she is like yaani I just fealt she was giving me the basics which I know, but I sulu I will consult
then something funny my elder Bro is also Asthmatic but his come when he was an adult, after completing 4th form, of late he does not get attacks though he is in Kisumu which is hotter, but he smokes a lot of weed, ati weed ni dawa nikichoma dose poa yangu itapotea, has anyone heard of this, though I can not try it but am just asking
wachana na fangi tafadhali. what is the point of regaining your breathing and you lose your head in the process?. i am sure if it was the active ingredient would long have been extracted and put in a very convenient, efficacious pill or capsule…tafadhali…
The beautiful lady has been asthmatic since before i can remember. I have sank a kings ransom mitigating the attacks and watched helplessly as steroids took their toll on the dimpled chicks. I have been to miti ni dawa, Chinese healers, knh,…name them, if they claim to cure Asthma, i have been to their waiting room. Once in highschool, i skived school, went home and crept soundlessly into my crib. Only the beautiful lady was home since Old man had travelled to Nbi with a consignment of hides and skins. Kindu three in the night, i was jolted awake by mums wheezing sounds…she had the worst attack ever…in a locked house. Luckily, i new what window pane to break and open a trap door in tye window. Carried her on my arms almost a hundred meters b4 i got help and rushed her To General. After the vein shots, she calmed down and straight away got on my case for abscording schoool. Hehehe. The beautifull lady is a handful, and then some
Eish man, am lucky since I became an adult I have not had seriuse issues (no wheezing) just irritating cough, but I can predict my old age from what I see