BC Treatment and Asthma

Omaz

I was wondering if any aspects of BC treatment had affected your asthma.  Chemo, rads, surgery, anti-estrogen, targeted therapy - did any of them change your asthma? Make it worse, make it better maybe?  I am wondering because of course I seem to having more wheeze now and don't know if it has anything to do with my treatment or not.  Thanks.

ktym

Worse.  Bad enough we had to do a chest CT we were worried about how short of breath I was

Omaz

Thanks kmmd - did they give you any advice?

Robyn_S

Hi Omaz, I have Aspirin exacerbated respiratory disease (samters, AERD) which has gone into complete remission at the moment. The high doses of acetoaminophen after surgery tended to act as anti inflammatory. Since starting FEC chemo at the start of the month I have not had to use preventers for the asthma and my sense of smell has returned after nearly a year of being missing. The steroids for chemo and low white cells tend to keep the inflammation down!

In a sense the BC treatment has cured my asthma! Gotta look on the plus side!

ktym

Omaz, we really upped the inhalers I was taking.  I'm on about 4 times the dose of inhaled steroids, and use the Proventyl inhalers several times more often a day this time of year.  In the winter I can go down on the proventyl, but, this time of year it is my best friend.  I've also found that Zyrtec is better for me during pollen season (we have high tree and grass pollen here right now.)  Into summer and then fall and winter claritin helps more, but, this time of year I switch to Zyrtec.  I've copied the link below to the weather channel pollen forecast in case you haven't seen it.  I've learned to turn it on in the spring and as soon as the pollen starts I start cranking up on the inhalers and switch to Zrtec and that has helped.  I'm pretty wheezy this morning, but, nothing like I was that first spring after chemo when I didn't see this coming. 

 http://www.weather.com/activities/health/allergies/

Omaz

kmmd -  I will try zyrtec.  I used claritin for the first time for the neulasta and thought I would try it for allergies but it didn't seem to help.  I still use the old fashioned antihistamine chlortrimeton for allergies.  My proventil inhaler is my friend too - I made an appt to have my primary care doc to listen to my lungs, I may need to do the flovent for a while possibly. 

My lungs did good during chemo, maybe it was all the steroids as Robyn_S pointed out!  Now I just have to get them sorted out again.  Thanks for your posts!

proudtospin

have not had any asthma problems in the past year (I do singular and zyrtex every night and it seems to work)

only time I got in trouble was when someone suggested I use aspirin for some muscle pain that I thought was coming from the aromasin.  Major asthma episode& should have called 911.

then learned mypain problem was from the cholesteral meds,stopped them, muscle pain no more

so I am learning the hard way to figure out what is causing what on my own 

DiDel

Hi KMMD! I have asthma and I wouldnt' say it got worse..but all the medical attention I received my docs thought it best to change my inhaler as my  asthma has gotten worse as I've gotten older. I did do a course of Advair which I loved felt it made a huge difference and changed my inhaler from Serovent to ProAir Alubterol. I also added some allergy meds as allergies usually spark my asthma. I've tried to stay away from steroids unless absolutely necessary because I am also fighting this very stubborn  fungal infection on my skin. I feel like I have my asthma pretty under control only having an attack maybe once a month if that.

Good luck

Diane

ktym

That's interesting that the asthma has gotten worse as you get older.  I'm with you on avoiding the steroids if possible.  I had enough of them during chemo to last me a lifetime for sure