Couldn't avoid the methacholine challenge forever

[mshistory]

I had my follow up with my pulmonoloigst today and he wants me to have the methacholine challenge next month. Ick. The spirometry was bad enough... I am NOT looking forward to the methacholine! He and I both suspect my AI disease is causing my breathing/coughing issues anyway, so if I pass it, we're back to square one trying to figure out what the heck is going on with my lungs.

In the meantime, I've got a new steroid inhaler to try - so here's hoping it helps!

Oh, and my Nuvigil FINALLY got approved yesterday (for a few months anyway)... going to try it this weekend to see if it helps with my fatigue...

Wait...what we were saying about taking so many medications...? 

[eyeamdry]

What is methacholine?  I have never heard of it.  Lucy

[anita]

You mean the Symbicort didn't help?  If it is in fact asthma, then I would have thought it should have helped some.

Lucy,

The methacholine challenge test confirms or rules out asthma by using spirometry before and after inhalation of methacholine.  Here's a link that explains it better then I can.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronchial_challenge_test

[mshistory]

Anita,

It didn't really help that much. I was still having to use the albuterol several times a week. I tried Dulera as well, and didn't notice much improvement with it either so on to the challenge I go  I know it needs to be done though because if it isn't asthma, my pulmonoligist said it's likely this lovely AI disease attacking my lungs and we'll have to figure out how to proceed.

I do have another med though - Alvesco - which is a steroid inhaler, so we'll see how well that works in keeping this cough, shortness of breath and chest pain away!

[artsyamerican]

I've been having an increase in shortness of breath and now this weird cough that starts on the left side of the back of my throat - not my lungs...do you think the two could be related? Or does your cough stem from your lungs?

[mshistory]

I actually have two kinds of cough - the dry throat cough and the one that feels like its from deep in my chest (like I can't get enough air and my chest tightens up, or I take a deep breath and suddenly find myself coughing. Exercise also brings on coughing fits). I think a chronic dry cough is really common with Sjogren's because of how dry our mouths and throats get - but the shortness of breath I would definitely get checked out because that seems like a lung issue.

[anita]

If it was interstitial lung disease caused by Sjogren's, it would show up on CT.  It's not something that hides.  Maybe there is some other type of damage he's referring to that is not permanent damage like interstititial lung disease.  Let's hope it's not too serious.

I still think it sounds more like asthma...because you describe exactly how I was before the methacholine challenge and treatment with symbicort (which thankfully did help me).

Please let us know how your test goes.  It is a physically demanding/draining test.  You may want to have someone go with you.

[eyeamdry]

Thank you, Anita, for the explanation and link.  I am really getting lazy.  :-)

[mshistory]

Thanks, Anita - I see my rheumatologist tomorrow about this leg and joint pain I've been having, so I'm going to discuss all of this with him too. I'm sure asthma inhalers are like migraine medications - some help some people quite a bit, other medications don't help at all - so maybe I just need to find the right asthma medication and that's all it is. I'm going to remain hopeful anyway, especially since my CT scan was clear 

I'll let you know how it goes!

[Katybarstool]

MS

I had similar symptoms to yours about 7 or 8 years ago. I never had the methacholine challenge, but I was found to have bronchiectasis in the mid and lower lobes of one of my lungs. I also developed asthma (48 at the time). My symptoms are very well controlled now with Spireva, serevent and salbutamol, along with a nasal spray and anti-histamines.

I hope you can get your treatment sorted soon. BTW, I couldn't take a steroid inhaler, hence my slightly unusual medication regime.

Kathyx

[mshistory]

Thank you Kathy! My symptoms sure do seem to suggest asthma, and I know asthma can be very serious, but I think this is the first time I actually wanted to fail a test  I think we can manage asthma a lot better than some unknown lung disease!