Feeling "Meh"

Have you been on a treatment regimen that you thought was going to work well? Everyone (care team, family, and your peeps) felt optimistic, but you were just not sure how you felt about it?

This is how I am feeling right now. I am on a treatment regimen that is combining two medications that theoretically should both do the awesome things they are meant to do, such as addressing asthma drivers on different pathways. However, I am just not sure if it is working as well as we thought it would. Perhaps, this is a case of tempering my expectations?

Exploring treatment options

I discussed this treatment option with my specialist. We looked at the science and weighed it along with my current symptoms and past experiences with both of these medications. Since I had been in the clinical trials for both of these medications, I felt comfortable with them. They had both been safe, minimal side effects, and had yielded decent independent results. However, they were not enough to address asthma symptoms that I was still experiencing.

While there is currently very limited data on this combination, my specialist is a researcher in this area and we have an established relationship in which I felt that this would be a viable option to pursue. It is important to note that outside of this option, I had limited other available options.

Seeking help

Starting new a new modified treatment can be nerve-wracking. In the beginning, I felt like I was always a bit on alert trying to figure out how I “should” be feeling. The truth is that there is no perfect answer. I was living in a state of unknowns and I just have to hope for the best. This means being on the lookout for experiences that are out of the ordinary. In my experience, many of these experiences are normal, or to be expected. However, if you have any concerns with a treatment plan that you are on, don’t hesitate to contact your care team.

I did exactly this. I started experiencing symptoms that I assumed had been under control. However, I had a somewhat scary recurrence of a sputum issue that I have had in the past. It is my nemesis and it is amazing how this can jar you out of your comfort zone. It was something that I was not expecting. Thankfully, it did not last very long. I discussed my concerns with my specialist who did not feel there was a correlation to the change in treatment.

I was grateful that my specialist and I had the opportunity to connect with another consulting specialist who has weighed in my case before. They reassured us that a connection was unlikely and while more data is still needed on my occurrence, it should be limited. There were no alarm bells for discontinuing my current regimen. Having the opportunity to connect with another specialist that researches those specific mechanisms of my symptoms was very reassuring.

Looking for answers

I am happy to report that I think my symptoms have settled down. I am still left with a few questions, I thought I would feel leaps and bounds better and I feeling a bit meh. No major exacerbations, which is a win, but not as amazing as I had hoped. I hope that after a little longer on this regimen (I am just crossing the three-month mark) that we will have some more definitive answers and hopefully I will be feeling awesome and not meh.

Have you experienced this uncertainty during some of your asthma treatment regimens? I would love to hear about your experiences and any tips that you have used during these times. Share in the comments below!