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The asthma wins again
I have mild asthma, which in theory should be dead simple to control. The standard treatment is inhaled steroids, but sadly they end up wrecking my voice, so I ended up taking Salmeterol which is a slow release bronchiodilator. It's overkill. When I started taking it, it was to enable me to sleep during the winter when the asthma used to kick in during the night. I didn't use to need to take anything at all during a good summer.
The trouble is that salmeterol (and all bronchiodilators such as Ventolin - salmeterol) have a sting in the tail. The body becomes dependent on them. Over time, they can actually make your asthma worse.
Whenever I go to an asthma clinic (which they like you to do at least once a year), the nurses throw their hands up in horror - taking salmeterol without an inhaled steroid is totally against the rules. Once in a blue moon, they persuade me to try a new brand of inhaled steroid.
I've just been trying Qvar which is supposed to be very mild, extra fine aerosol, etc. Even used it with a spacer to reduce the impact as it hits the lungs/vocal chords.
Using a combination of that and ventolin (at much lower doeses than the salmeterol is equivalent to), I've keep off the salmeteterol for several days and still been able to sleep.
But it's no use, the voice is going. It was a little croaky yesterday, but this morning it's really rough. I find I'm already starting to avoid talking unless I really need to.
Time to write off yet another asthma treatment.
It'll probably take around a fortnight for the voice to recover. Let's just hope I'm able to filk safely by Novacon.
PS. for those new to this journal, the clanger is a voice warning icon. If the voice gets really bad (as happens from time to time), then I can be reduced to doing clanger imitations down the phone, as whistling becomes safer than talking. If the clanger appears, don't phone me unless you're prepared to do most of the talking with just the occasional whistle to show that I'm actually listening.
The trouble is that salmeterol (and all bronchiodilators such as Ventolin - salmeterol) have a sting in the tail. The body becomes dependent on them. Over time, they can actually make your asthma worse.
Whenever I go to an asthma clinic (which they like you to do at least once a year), the nurses throw their hands up in horror - taking salmeterol without an inhaled steroid is totally against the rules. Once in a blue moon, they persuade me to try a new brand of inhaled steroid.
I've just been trying Qvar which is supposed to be very mild, extra fine aerosol, etc. Even used it with a spacer to reduce the impact as it hits the lungs/vocal chords.
Using a combination of that and ventolin (at much lower doeses than the salmeterol is equivalent to), I've keep off the salmeteterol for several days and still been able to sleep.
But it's no use, the voice is going. It was a little croaky yesterday, but this morning it's really rough. I find I'm already starting to avoid talking unless I really need to.
Time to write off yet another asthma treatment.
It'll probably take around a fortnight for the voice to recover. Let's just hope I'm able to filk safely by Novacon.
PS. for those new to this journal, the clanger is a voice warning icon. If the voice gets really bad (as happens from time to time), then I can be reduced to doing clanger imitations down the phone, as whistling becomes safer than talking. If the clanger appears, don't phone me unless you're prepared to do most of the talking with just the occasional whistle to show that I'm actually listening.
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Strongly recommended. If it controls the disease, it's more important than a singing voice, IMHO.
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I'm completely unilateral when it comes to cutting dosage. I start at the minimum possible and build up until the symptoms disappear. (except with things like antibiotics where it's very important to obey the label)
You didn't know me in my early days in fandom. I was easy to recognise. I was the fan writing everything down in a notebook. When I say inhaled steroids give me voice problems, I don't mean just loss of singing voice, I mean total inability to speak that didn't go away for several months after totally stopping the medication. I remember well - it was two years before my voice returned to what I regard as normal.
That's why I'm extremely cautious. I can spot the symptoms before they get to the point of no return.
My sympathies
I then urgently moved out of the country and back to the city and things got much better - living in the middle of London is great for my chest ;-) Having sorted all that out I managed to wean myself off the whole lot and just stick to anti-histamines and the blue puffer and pulmicort only when I really really need it.
Off this next week to stay with boyfriend in the middle of nowhere and no doubt will need it!
p.s The only reason I have a hamster is its the only furry thing I'm not allergic to!