Friday, April 02, 2010

Going for the respiratory dysfunction trifecta

1) Tuesday the cold moved from my head into my chest and the cough had me barking like a seal. You know, the kind that scratches all the way down. After-hours clinic doc said it wasn't bronchitis or an infection (a relief), gave me a breathing treatment, put me on prednisone.

2) The tree pollen musta spiked yesterday, because the cough, which had been getting better, started getting worse. Presumably tree pollen-induced asthma on top of the cold; oh goody. Oh, I started Mucinex DM for the cough too (I love the 12-hr pill instead of every-4-hours cough syrup - so much easier!)

3) This morning I was coughing much more often, despite the prednisone, my peak flow readings were down 100 points from healthy, so it was back to the doctor. She told me that I now do have bronchitis, so she added an antibiotic to my Rx load. My ears are still blocked from this cold, so she also put me on afrin so I can fly tomorrow without bursting an eardrum. She also sent me home with my very own nebulizer, an acquisition I'd successfully managed to avoid for lo, these many years.

So there you have it - cold-induced cough, asthma, and bronchitis for the hat trick. With oral inhalers, the nasal meds and all these pills, it's a wonder I don't rattle!

Spring's always been my toughest allergy season, but this year takes the cake. And it's only gonna get worse, as the pollen counts have yet to hit 4 figures.

No comments: