ASTHMA

I was above thirty when I first felt a difficulty in breathing. It would last a few minutes and then go away. I did not know why it was happening. I thought it may be due to a lack of exercise and I started to do some exercises, but to no avail. The wheezing occurred more during the night and I had to sometimes get up from sleep and stand bent to get some relief.

I had heard of asthma and began suspecting it. I started to read about asthma. Meanwhile a doctor recommended theophylline slow release tablets. It only made it worse, since it was nauseating.

Later, I happened to see a program on TV about asthma. A doctor was explaining that the first step in the treatment of asthma was the use of an inhaler. Only if it did not work should tablets be used. At that time, I was using salbutamol tablets which took about twenty minutes to provide some relief. The doctor on TV explained that an inhaler works faster because it delivers the medicine directly to the lungs whereas in the case of the tablet, the medicine will take much more time to reach the lungs. I started using a salbutamol inhaler and felt much better since I now got a quick relief.

One day, I got continuous asthmatic attacks at night and could not sleep the whole night. I consulted a doctor the next morning and he recommended a Seroflo (salmeterol xinafoate and fluticasone propionate) inhaler. I used it that night and could sleep soundly.Regular use made me feel uneasy and caused palpitations. Since I had the habit of carrying the salbutamol inhaler with me, now I started carrying the Seroflo inhaler. Whenever I had a difficulty in breathing, I would use it. I did not realize that it should not be used as often. One day, I felt my heart pounding and left my workplace in a hurry to take some rest in my room. After sometime my heartbeat became regular but I felt extreme thirst and had to drink a lot of water. I felt very weak for a few days after that. I could not understand the pounding heart and extreme thirst. I asked a doctor about it but he could not tell me the reason. I searched for information on the internet and found that these are the effects of salmeterol overdose.