In my 20's I regularly coughed hard when laughing and suffered from bouts of bronchitis. At 28 (and 34 weeks pregnant with my third child) I had viral pneumonia at which time (as well as other times) I managed to crack ribs from coughing so hard. At 30 I was diagnosed with adult-onset asthma. I continued to be trying to get my breath on a regular basis, coughed when laughing on a regular basis, and unfortunately also on a regular basis, I did not advocate for my lungs and accepted the "this is just how I am" role.
Fast forward to 58 and having tried numerous meds/inhalers, I now find myself often short of breath, especially with walking at a slight incline and regularly coughing. I am in the constant care of my Pulmonologist, getting regular (at least 2x/year) PF tests.
I am currently on Symbicort (8 puffs/day and up to 12 when feeling sick), Inspiolto (2 puffs/day), Salbutamol (as needed), and Dupixent injections every other week, as well as daily Pantaprozole for GERD symptoms. Prior to the Dupixent injection, I was on Fasenra. They put me on that due to my eosinophil count being 1500.
A respiratory therapist friend of mine knew the national rep for Fasenra and she had never heard of such a high count. With the appropriate medication in regard to eosinophils, do I have to stay on it for life? If I stop it, will my eosinophil count go back up?
What is everyone else on and do you wonder at what point you can start weaning off some doses? Sometimes I wonder if all these meds make my symptoms no better in the end...
So tired of being tired. Was sick in September 2022 and now finishing another 2-week bout - Prednisone, Amoxicillin, and now Azithromycin. Feeling a little deflated and without a big light at the end of this long breathing tunnel.