Living ~400lbs

… and believe me I am still alive

What I do with asthma

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  • Advair inhaler, twice daily.
  • Spirivia inhaler, once daily.
  • Flonase nose spray, once daily.
  • Singulair & antihistamine, once daily.
  • Rescue inhaler, 2 puffs before exercise or as needed.
  • Vacuum several times a week.
  • Weekly wipe down surfaces in bedroom.
  • Weekly wash sheets, comforter cover and pillowcases in hot water to kill dust mites. (Dust mites is a major allergy for me – bigger reaction on a scratch test than the straight histamine.)
  • Weekly spin comforter and mattress cover in hot dryer to kill dust mites.
  • Mattress cover is washed monthly; pillows & mattress have dust mite proof covers.

….and we also dust more often in other rooms, but the bedroom gets the most attention since I am physically there more than anywhere else.

But of course, “choosing” to be fat shows I hate the idea of improving my quality of life & I want to be sick.

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Living 400lbs

I blog about what it’s like to be live life at about 400lbs. :)

8 responses to “What I do with asthma”

  1. Mike S. Avatar
    Mike S.

    I know this is often financially not feasible, but have you tried spending a few weeks in different parts of the country, to see if that makes a difference?

    A brother of mine with fairly bad asthma, though not quite the same level of maintenance medication as you, found that moving from the Appalachian Mountains in Pennsylvania to Tucson, Arizona stopped his asthma problems entirely. He plans to live the rest of his life there, though he’s out of work again and running low on money. :(

    Reply
    1. Living 400lbs Avatar
      Living 400lbs

      Not sure. I did short trips to the Bay Area and to Spokane (much dryer than Seattle) last spring and didn’t notice a difference. Many trips tend to increase my symptoms, largely due to the immune system having to deal with new things. That may be the shortness of the time there … but I have limited vacation and don’t want to quit my job :)

      Theoretically a state dry enough that dust mites wouldn’t exist (they require a certain level of humidity to live) would remove one trigger, but if the new state didn’t have Washington’s indoor smoking ban I’d have still issues, especially if workplace smoking is common. Also I need a strong tech industry and I’m not good with heat. :)

      I will likely do immunotherapy shots again – did them as a kid, and I don’t react to many of the allergens I did as a child. I’m also considering a dehumidifier, at least for the bedroom.

      Reply
  2. The Real Cie Avatar
    The Real Cie

    Asthma sucks. My brother has moderate asthma and uses the Advair and a rescue inhaler. I’m lucky that mine is generally fairly mild and I usually only have to take Zyrtec, but some things can trigger it pretty badly. Molds are a big one, and oddly enough, Colorado seems to have a fair problem with mold in buildings. This is odd to me, considering that we’re a fairly dry state.

    Reply
  3. Fivehundredpoundpeep Avatar
    Fivehundredpoundpeep

    I have been a severe asthmatic since the age of 20. I am diagnosed with COPD now too. I am on many of those drugs, a non-powder ADVAIR now, the powder gives me asthma ironically, LOL, and Singulair. My asthma undergoes periods of worsening and being better, but my breathing is very affected by smoke, cold and heat, and has a lot to do with me being housebound during the winter and summer. I had allergy shots for around 4 years but they didn’t change much. Mold is a big one too. One thing the inhalers which have steroids in them CAN affect your weight. They tell you oh they don’t, but there are lots of studies that they DO.

    Reply
    1. Living 400lbs Avatar
      Living 400lbs

      Interesting to hear that ADVAIR has a non-powder form. The SPIRIVIA is mostly used for COPD but the new allergist prescribed it. Seems to be helping, though not a magic bullet by any means. (First time I’ve seen an allergist since I was a kid.) I have some similar triggers.

      I read up a bit on COPD when my dad was diagnosed with it, and it looks even more serious than asthma. Ouch :(

      Reply
  4. Fivehundredpoundpeep Avatar
    Fivehundredpoundpeep

    Do you like SPIRIVIA?, I forget why they didn’t put me on it, yeah it is usually a COPD drug. My lungs got damaged I think from earlier stuff, considered chronic bronchitis very early on. I have some periods that seem better then others. Yeah it’s like the next step up. Sorry your Dad had to face it. I hope your asthma remains under control, I know it is not easy to live with.

    Reply
  5. Carolyn Avatar
    Carolyn

    Oh my GOODNESS. I never realized some people with asthma have to take so many medications just to functionally breathe. That is absolutely insane.

    Reply
  6. Allergist update | Living ~400lbs

    […] was nice to confirm that the new meds and cleaning regimen not only feels good for me, I did better on the lung capacity test this time […]

    Reply

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Former software tester, now retired heart patient having fun and working on building endurance and strength. See also About page.

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