Hello my fellow allergy and asthma sufferers.
I have allergies as well as a more recent diagnosis of asthma and was hoping to get some feed back about
allergy shots for antibiotics.
I've been allergic to Amoxicillin and erythromycin since I was a child. And have just recently developed an allergy to Bactrim.
In college one of the Drs on campus when faced with needing to prescribe me something for an infection suggested I look into having allergy shots to make me less sensitive so I had more options available.
At the time I thought he was crazy. Mainly because I was a college student making minimum wage without health insurance. But as my allergies seem to be getting more severe and more numerous the thought has come to mind.
Has anyone here had success with allergy shots? Especially ones targeted at antibiotic allergy?
Also curious to talk with someone who has asthma.
I developed breathing problems a couple of years ago and was living in California at the time. The Pulmonologist I saw gave me no diagnosis accept sleep apnea. After several sleep studies I was fitted with a cpap. The dr prescribed the highest setting the machine went to and I was completely unable to use it. He refused to lower the setting and I can't sleep if it blows air into me so forcefully that I can't keep my mouth shut. I also have a very difficult time breathing through my nose.
In June of 2016 I moved to Texas to live with my cousin and his family. My breathing was so bad that I was no longer able to care for myself and my cousins family was willing to take care of me and help me get healthy again. At my first Drs appointment my second week in Texas the dr immediately put me on oxygen. She referred me to a wonderful Pulmonologist who diagnosed me with copd and put me on spiriva and symbicort. With the oxygen I was slowly able to do more and more. The medication was working and the dr. Changed my diagnosis to asthma.
I've had many of my Drs ask me what caused my lung problems and I simply have no answer. The doctors have never told me and I don't exhibit the classic symptoms of asthma. I've never experienced an asthma attack where I all of a sudden have trouble breathing. So I'm still questioning my diagnosis. Could someone tell me there experience with asthma. I can't tell when I need to use my rescue inhaler. Sometimes I feel like I'm trying to breathe through a wet sponge. But when I check my pulse ox it's 95. So I figure it's not necessary.
I'm also no longer on 24 hour oxygen. I only use it at night. My sleep study shows my sleep apnea is very mild now so I don't understand why I still need the oxygen at night. Just laying down my pulse ox automatically drops to around 93. I sleep on an adjustable bed with the head raised.
I also have Drs ask me if I have been using my oxygen during the day when I've had more difficulty breathing. I don't know how to determine when that's necessary. None of them will tell me a specific pulse ox at which to start using it during the day if I'm having problems.
I think I'm just disheartened right now because of the whole antibiotic fiasco. I was prescribed Bactrim DS twice a day for ten days as well as given a steroid shot and prescribed a six day pack of steroids. Everything was fine until the steroids were done and I continued to take the antibiotics. The evening of the seventh day ( my first day without steroids) my legs were really itchy. I put lotion on assuming it was because of dry skin. When I woke up the next morning the itching was much worse. As the day went on I started to feel some chest congestion. I was already taking Benadryl by this time on recommendation by the oncall nurse who said she didn't like the idea of switching antibiotics and starting me on another round of ten days. I heartily agreed. I ended up having to call again because there was no way I was going to continue the antibiotics when the itchy bumps spread over my entire body. She agreed to call in another round of steroids. I hate antibiotics. I think I would rather die than go through this again.
When I was having respiratory symptoms because of the allergy it felt like it was hard to get air into my lungs and i had to really take deep breaths to get it into my lungs. It made me cough just a little as well and when I did it hurt a little and had a funny taste to it. Almost like blood. Is this what an asthma attack is like?
My mom had a brother who died from cystic fibrosis as an infant and I don't know any of my family history on my dad's side. I've even wondered if that could be a possibility. I know if I mentioned it to a doctor they would think I was a hypochondriac because I'm 37 and overweight.
Just wish the new pack of steroids would kick in and alleviate the itching and chest symptoms.
I made some paragraphs to make your post easier to read.
Post Edited By Moderator (straydog) : 11/26/2017 7:52:14 AM (GMT-7)