Question:
Well, I would insist on sitting down with the doctor and discussing exactly what he thinks is going on and why he prescribed the medication; but it does SOUND as if you and your son have exercise-induced asthma. In that case, this would be an appropriate prescription. If he does have EIA, not treating is risking getting a phone call that your son has just fallen down dead one of these days; this is NOT a trivial issue. This paragraph above sounds quite like scare tactics.
No, reality. One of the very common scenarios for asthma deaths is untreated EIA causing abrupt deaths during exercise. There was one in a local town just two weeks ago . . . a 17-year-old football player. The American Lung Association also states that many athletes can "run through" one of these attacks.
Cite? Also some are RECOMMENDING that he warm up, get an attack, THEN COMPETE!
Stupid, stupid, stupid. That’s a great way to die. Chris Owens
Response:
I have been on Cromolyn for about 13 years now for Asthma. It really helps with the exercise induced symptome–even if you choose not to believe it. You can take him to be tested for asthma and in the mean time allow him to take the Intal–it is really harmless. Though it sounds like you have chosen to not believe that your "perfectly healthy" son just might have a very common disease that is treatable. I have been diagnosed with asthma for 19 years and played every imaginable sport and now play and coach and run everyday but I can not without my medication. I am a severe persistent asthmatic and it sounds like your son might be Exercise Induced and that is not much funto be unable to breathe and trying to compete in track meets and cross country meets–why not let him decide what he wants to do??? Lori -**** Posted from RemarQ, http://www.remarq.com/?a ****- Search and Read Usenet Discussions in your Browser – FREE –
Response:
I can not help but respond to the thread. I was diagnosed with asthma last year, at which time it was classified as mild intermittant. I am now on Vanceril DS 2 puffs twice a day, Serevent 2 puffs twice a day, Proventil 2 puffs 4 times a day as needed, and recently added Humibid LA for the mucus build-up. When my daughter told me she was getting pains, and really hard for her to breathe and coughing during PE class you can bet I made an appt real fast for her to see a doctor because this is NOT something to play around with. Based on my history, her symptoms and a physical exam which was normal the doctor diagnosed EIA and put her on Proventil 2puffs 15 mins before exercise and as needed for attacks. On follow-up as she was still having some problems Serevent 2 puffs twice a day was added. Since then she has had marked improvement. This alone is indictive of EIA. I have read just about everything there is on asthma and I DO NOT recall ever seeing anything from the various lung associations, etc that says athletes with EIA exercise through and attack or warm up have an attack then exercise. I believe the protocol on this is take preventive medications, warm up, exercise, cool down and IF YOU HAVE AN ATTACK STOP EXERCISE IMMEDIATELY AND TREAT IT.
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I can not help but respond to the thread. I was diagnosed with asthma last year, at which time it was classified as mild intermittant. I am now on Vanceril DS 2 puffs twice a day, Serevent 2 puffs twice a day, Proventil 2 puffs 4 times a day as needed, and recently added Humibid LA for the mucus build-up. When my daughter told me she was getting pains, and really hard for her to breathe and coughing during PE class you can bet I made an appt real fast for her to see a doctor because this is NOT something to play around with. Based on my history, her symptoms and a physical exam which was normal the doctor diagnosed EIA and put her on Proventil 2puffs 15 mins before exercise and as needed for attacks. On follow-up as she was still having some problems Serevent 2 puffs twice a day was added. Since then she has had marked improvement. This alone is indictive of EIA. I have read just about everything there is on asthma and I DO NOT recall ever seeing anything from the various lung associations, etc that says athletes with EIA exercise through and attack or warm up have an attack then exercise. I believe the protocol on this is take preventive medications, warm up, exercise, cool down and IF YOU HAVE AN ATTACK STOP EXERCISE IMMEDIATELY AND TREAT IT.
Indeed. Unfortunately, too many trainers and coaches haven’t a clue about asthma. While attending a college exercise class, I tried to explain to an instructor during a weight training class that exercising through an attack of asthma was a bad idea. He looked at me as if I was speaking in a foreign language. I kept telling him that some kinds of asthma are exercise induced, that pushing too far can cause a serious asthma attack. He just shrugged, told me I HAD to continue in the program he was directing or he would fail me. I was stupid, decided I didn’t want to fail the course and did the fast-rotation of exercises he expected everyone to complete. Bad Idea. I immediately collapsed, then things got really hairy because the asthma inhaler I had with me was empty and my spare was in my car. In the parking lot. One student raced for my car while another tried to get me to lie down (another bad idea since asthmatics during an attack MUST remain sitting to get air to move). Anyway, the inhaler aborted the attack but the instructor decided right then that he had to learn more about asthma. Sue Official Secretary of OSGSL "All empty souls tend to extreme opinions." William Butler Yeats
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I also have to agree with many of the others….you seem bent on choosing to believe that which suits your desires and perhaps at the expense of reality. I am not going to make a passionate appeal that you do one thing or the other, you already know. What I will tell you is that people do die from asthma, sometimes before they have an official diagnosis, and sometimes after many years of being correctly treated. Asthma by it’s very nature is unpredictable. As an asthmatic (bad enough to be declared handicapped if I so chose), a Paramedic and a Respiratory Therapist I can assure you that there is not only hope, but also greater knowlege today about asthma vs 20 years ago. Do your research wisely and then choose to believe who and what you will. And then get on with your life. Hopefully for your child’s sake you will have made the best decision. Don’t insult us for offering help after you requested it……sort of like coming to our house uninvited then complaining about the food. Scooby RCP, EMT-P Perinatal-Pediatric Respiratory Specialist This mail is a natural product. The slight variations in spelling and grammar enhance its individual character and beauty and in no way are to be considered flaws or defects.
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My 14 year old son is in very fine shape. He just recently had his growth spurt, and is about 5′10". He joined the track team and runs several miles each day. Occasionally when he is running he gets a tightness in his chest (happens to me EVERY time I run). Based on one mention of this, with no other tests, the doctor prescribed Cromolyn to be inhaled before every exercise session. None of the papers we received from the doctor have a diagnosis on them, but all of the papers and inserts telling about the drug indicate this is to control asthma. This bugs me a LOT!
Well, I would insist on sitting down with the doctor and discussing exactly what he thinks is going on and why he prescribed the medication; but it does SOUND as if you and your son have exercise-induced asthma. In that case, this would be an appropriate prescription. If he does have EIA, not treating is risking getting a phone call that your son has just fallen down dead one of these days; this is NOT a trivial issue. Chris Owens
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My 14 year old son is in very fine shape. He just recently had his growth spurt, and is about 5′10". He joined the track team and runs several miles each day. Occasionally when he is running he gets a tightness in his chest (happens to me EVERY time I run). Based on one mention of this, with no other tests, the doctor prescribed Cromolyn to be inhaled before every exercise session. None of the papers we received from the doctor have a diagnosis on them, but all of the papers and inserts telling about the drug indicate this is to control asthma. This bugs me a LOT! Well, I would insist on sitting down with the doctor and discussing exactly what he thinks is going on and why he prescribed the medication; but it does SOUND as if you and your son have exercise-induced asthma. In that case, this would be an appropriate prescription. If he does have EIA, not treating is risking getting a phone call that your son has just fallen down dead one of these days; this is NOT a trivial issue.
This paragraph above sounds quite like scare tactics. The American Lung Association also states that many athletes can "run through" one of these attacks. Also some are RECOMMENDING that he warm up, get an attack, THEN COMPETE! Maybe we should have the American Thanksgiving meal — Roast Turkey, Ritalin, Cranberry Sauce, Cromolyn, and Pumpkin Pie. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Chris Owens
Response:
I would like to thank everybody for the replies. Rebuttal points are these: 1) I acknowledge that asthma is a very serious disease, and that it is incurable. However, there is always the possibility that POPULAR diagnoses will become OVERUSED diagnoses. Over-diagnosis is as bad as under-diagnosis. 2) Each of you has stated that the drug is safe, dependable, and better for my son than his own Grandmother. However, each of you also stated that stopping the drug is harmful for him. To my view, this is hypocracy. If the drug is harmless, then there should be no harm in stopping it. 3) Most of you have said that there is no buildup of dependance. However, most of you turn around and admit that you yourselves have gone from Cromolyn only to stronger medications. So WHERE are the DOUBLE-BLIND, CONTROLLED STUDIES?? 4) some of you also mentioned that breathing techniques, breathing through the nose, etc. might help. SO WHY THE HELL DIDN’T THE DOCTOR START THERE? I am NOT AT ALL sold on the fact that the US Medical Community is being careful enough in diagnosing Asthma. It seems they are dispensing inhalers as eagerly as the ice cream vendors driving in neighborhoods sell frozen sugar-pops.
Response:
This paragraph above sounds quite like scare tactics. The American Lung Association also states that many athletes can "run through" one of these attacks. Also some are RECOMMENDING that he warm up, get an attack, THEN COMPETE! Maybe we should have the American Thanksgiving meal — Roast Turkey, Ritalin, Cranberry Sauce, Cromolyn, and Pumpkin Pie. Chris Owens
I fail to understand why you posted a request for information on a newsgroup like this, when you intended to believe whatever you wanted to believe anyway! If it were only for yourself, these tactics would only harm you, but you are talking about a child’s life here! Go find someone in a medical community that will do it the way you want to! CAM
Response:
I would like to thank everybody for the replies. Rebuttal points are these: 1) I acknowledge that asthma is a very serious disease, and that it is incurable. However, there is always the possibility that POPULAR diagnoses will become OVERUSED diagnoses. Over-diagnosis is as bad as under-diagnosis. 2) Each of you has stated that the drug is safe, dependable, and better for my son than his own Grandmother. However, each of you also stated that stopping the drug is harmful for him. To my view, this is hypocracy. If the drug is harmless, then there should be no harm in stopping it.
Perhaps you totally miss the point. If you have a broken leg, they put a cast on it. The cast is harmless. As long as the leg NEEDS the cast, it’s left on. If you remove the cast before the leg is healed, then damage is done. Ditto for meds for asthma. Sue 3) Most of you have said that there is no buildup of dependance. However, most of you turn around and admit that you yourselves have gone from Cromolyn only to stronger medications. So WHERE are the DOUBLE-BLIND, CONTROLLED STUDIES?? 4) some of you also mentioned that breathing techniques, breathing through the nose, etc. might help. SO WHY THE HELL DIDN’T THE DOCTOR START THERE? I am NOT AT ALL sold on the fact that the US Medical Community is being careful enough in diagnosing Asthma. It seems they are dispensing inhalers as eagerly as the ice cream vendors driving in neighborhoods sell frozen sugar-pops.
Official Secretary of OSGSL "All empty souls tend to extreme opinions." William Butler Yeats
Response:
This paragraph above sounds quite like scare tactics. The American Lung Association also states that many athletes can "run through" one of these attacks. Also some are RECOMMENDING that he warm up, get an attack, THEN COMPETE! Maybe we should have the American Thanksgiving meal — Roast Turkey, Ritalin, Cranberry Sauce, Cromolyn, and Pumpkin Pie. Chris Owens
the operative words are MANY athletes CAN all anyone is saying is take it seriously just in case, get it checked out, when you know the score then decide on a course of action it’s possible to carry on through an asthma attack, even a succession of them by sheer will power…an actress friend of mine does it regularly…she also spends an average of two weeks in hospital after every show she is in…one day she may not make it don’t put a life at risk for fear of being labelled a wimp…and that’s from an asthmatic that age 42 plays soccer and cycles up to 50 miles without the slightest worry…but also carries inhalers everywhere and uses them as prescribed eric
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This paragraph above sounds quite like scare tactics. The American Lung Association also states that many athletes can "run through" one of these attacks. Also some are RECOMMENDING that he warm up, get an attack, THEN COMPETE! Maybe we should have the American Thanksgiving meal — Roast Turkey, Ritalin, Cranberry Sauce, Cromolyn, and Pumpkin Pie. Chris Owens I fail to understand why you posted a request for information on a newsgroup like this, when you intended to believe whatever you wanted to believe anyway! If it were only for yourself, these tactics would only harm you, but you are talking about a child’s life here! Go find someone in a medical community that will do it the way you want to!
And, btw, while you are exercising your child THROUGH that asthma attack, keep your cell phone handy. Just in case you have to call the squad if/when he stops breathing. Sue CAM
Official Secretary of OSGSL "All empty souls tend to extreme opinions." William Butler Yeats
Response:
My 14 year old son is in very fine shape. He just recently had his growth spurt, and is about 5′10". He joined the track team and runs several miles each day. Occasionally when he is running he gets a tightness in his chest (happens to me EVERY time I run). Based on one mention of this, with no other tests, the doctor prescribed Cromolyn to be inhaled before every exercise session. None of the papers we received from the doctor have a diagnosis on them, but all of the papers and inserts telling about the drug indicate this is to control asthma. This bugs me a LOT! 1) Does this drug "teach" the body to rely on it? Is there any evidence of dependancy (non-psychological, only physiological)? 2) The doctor did not mention ANY plan to get my son off of this chemical dependancy. 3) Hey, when I was a teenager, everybody EXPECTED the body to complain when pushing it to ever greater performance. He is totally HEALTHY at all times other than these. Examples of his running routine — run 5 miles, then several 200-meter sprints, maybe cool down with another mile. Should he start taking this artificial performance enhancement this young? It took years before we understood the dangers of steroid use. Could Cromolyn have some hidden dangers? 4) I don’t want his body chemistry to become tuned to externally produced regulators. Is there any alternative to this Cromolyn? I have not allowed him to start taking this until we understand the long-term consequences of this drug, and until the time that I am convinced that he REALLY has a disease (textbooks, please – dis-ease) that must be controlled by prescription drugs.
Response:
I would agree with the other replies that you have received regarding the safe nature of Intal (cromolyn sodium). My wife has chronic asthma and for many years cromolyn was one of the preventative treatments that she used with both a nebulizer and an inhaler. It is not a steroid and is neither habit forming nor is it performance enhancing. You will find that most nearly all of the inhaled medications (liquids in mist form from a nebulizer or powders aerosol from inhalers) are not going to get into your system in the way that a pill or shot is going to. The inhaled treatments go directly to the lungs and that is where they have their affect. Some minor absorption into the blood stream does occur, as is evidenced by anybody who has ever used an albuterol inhaler and has felt their heart rate elevated by it, but for the most part the medicine only goes where it is supposed to – the lungs themselves. As for your comment about how your body should complain when you push it, yes, sometimes you will feel some discomfort as you push your limits of physical endurance. However, in the case of exercise induced asthma (which I have), you can cause needless pain and frustration for yourself if it is not treated. I suffered through years of problems with sports activities in jr/sr high school because of this problem. In my case it was not properly diagnosed until my mid 20’s, which was way too late to really compensate for my previous experienced problems. I used to wrestle, which is one of the sports that can really test your stamina because of the need to perform at peak performance for a period of time with no real breaks to "catch your breath". My problem was that no matter how much stamina building exercise I performed I still could not survive the 6 minute match w/o ending up coughing and wheezing so bad that it took 30 to 60 minutes after the match before I was breathing well enough to be able to even sit up or walk. After 5 years of this problem I pretty much gave up on sports of all kinds since the immediate after effects of participating were so bad. Now, had the problem been diagnosed at that time I could most likely have prevented all of these symptoms with one or two puffs of an inhaler (prior to the actual exercise) to open my bronchial tubes and keep them open. That would have been enough to alleviate the immediate breathing problems and all of the other psychological stress that went along with wondering why the hell can’t I do this when all of the other guys can? Believe me, its no fun to exert yourself physically and then find your on the ground like a fish out of water gasping for breath. As for how your doctor is handling this, ask if you have any questions. Be a concerned parent but don’t take the diagnosis as some sort of slight to your son’s athletic abilities. I’ve seen state champion wrestlers using albuterol inhalers before going out on the mat for a match. This is a very real problem suffered by millions of people in this country, and the # is growing. Any questions about the medications can be answered by your pharmicist. If you want, get a copy of one of the books that you can buy that is an encyclopedia of all the prescription medications on the market. This can be an invaluable reference material if you want to understand a lot more about these medications. In the treatment of any sort of asthma, continuity of treatment is very important. Any asthma patient that stops their maintenance regimen just because they are not currently feeling any symptoms is just setting themselves up for problems. Asthma has no cure and has, potentially, a lot of causes and influencing factors. The best treatments for asthma involve the use of medications that prevent the symptoms from ever appearing. The "emergency" treatments for asthma are brute for medications that cause the bronchial tubes to open up. Failing to take an asthma medication as prescribed can actually worsen your condition. In many cases, the preventative treatments require that the asthma patient use the medication for some period of time before the medication is working at full efficiency. Stopping the medication periodically can reduce the long term effectiveness of the medication. This can lead to a feeling of good health when in fact the lungs are borderline on being sick and are just waiting for something to trigger an attack, like hard exercise, dust, pet dander, pollen, fumes from petro-chemicals, etc… Chuck — Chuck Chopp ICQ # 22321532 RTFM Consulting Services Inc. 864 801 2795 voice & voicemail 103 Autumn Hill Road 864 801 2774 fax Greer, SC 29651 800 400 4935 pager
Response:
Based on one mention of this, with no other tests, the doctor prescribed Cromolyn to be inhaled before every exercise session. None of the papers we received from the doctor have a diagnosis on them, but all of the papers and inserts telling about the drug indicate this is to control asthma. This bugs me a LOT!
It sounds like you need to change doctors. If you or your son has asthma then you need to be on a real asthma treatment program. You need to have ‘rescue’ medications available at all times. 1) Does this drug "teach" the body to rely on it? Is there any evidence of dependancy (non-psychological, only physiological)?
No. 2) The doctor did not mention ANY plan to get my son off of this chemical dependancy.
First of all, this is not a ‘chemical dependency’. There Is No Cure For Asthma. Asthma is a potentially fatal chronic medical condition. We are not ‘dependent’ on the medications but we recognize that we do have a medical condition that requires treatment. 3) Hey, when I was a teenager, everybody EXPECTED the body to complain when pushing it to ever greater performance. He is totally HEALTHY at all times other than these. Examples of his running routine — run 5 miles, then several 200-meter sprints, maybe cool down with another mile. Should he start taking this artificial performance enhancement this young? It took years before we understood the dangers of steroid use. Could Cromolyn have some hidden dangers?
Cromyln, is an older medication with a well understood safety profile. It is considered to be a safe medication with side effects occurring very rarely (typically because a patient became allergic to the medication). And I do wish that asthma medications were performance enhancing – but they are not. IMO, cromyln is such a weak medication that it is almost worthless. 4) I don’t want his body chemistry to become tuned to externally produced regulators. Is there any alternative to this Cromolyn?
The problem is that asthma is a serious disease that if not properly treated can kill. Every year asthma kills 5,500 people in the US. I have not allowed him to start taking this until we understand the long-term consequences of this drug, and until the time that I am convinced that he REALLY has a disease (textbooks, please – dis-ease) that must be controlled by prescription drugs.
My advice is to find a new doctor and request a full screening for asthma al long with allergy testing. "Usenet is like a herd of performing elephants with diarrhea — massive, diffucult to redirect, awe-inspiring, entertaining, and a source of mind boggling amounts of excrement when you least expect it." Gene Spafford 1992
Response:
My 14 year old son is in very fine shape. He just recently had his growth spurt, and is about 5′10". He joined the track team and runs several miles each day. Occasionally when he is running he gets a tightness in his chest (happens to me EVERY time I run). Based on one mention of this, with no other tests, the doctor prescribed Cromolyn to be inhaled before every exercise session. None of the papers we received from the doctor have a diagnosis on them, but all of the papers and inserts telling about the drug indicate this is to control asthma. This bugs me a LOT!
I think you’re overreacting. Intal (cromolyn) is derived from an Egyptian herb; it’s probably the safest asthma drug available; no long term side effects. It’s been on the market for over 20 years. A trial dose of Intal can help diagnose if your son has exercise induced asthma. If it helps, it tends to support that diagnosis. An alternative would be to have an instrumented exercise test, typically a treadmill test, where lung function is monitored during the exercise. This is an expensive test; hence it’s logical to just try the Intal. If your son does have exercise-induced asthma, pretreating either with Intal or a bronchodilator would be standard practice before exercise. Continuing to exercise during an asthma attack can be hard on the cardiovascular system. Link: http://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/1998/06jun/dis_pa.htm Your Guide to Exercising With Asthma http://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/jan_96/rupp.htm Diagnosis and Management of Exercise-Induced Asthma, Jan 96 Excerpt: "Exercise challenge testing involves determining baseline lung function before exercise and measuring forced expiration at 5- to 10-minute intervals following exercise for 15 to 30 minutes. Exercise challenge should consist of 6 to 10 minutes of strenuous exercise at 85% to 90% of the predicted maximal heart rate. Postexercise decreases of 10% to 20% in FEV1 indicate mild EIA, 20% to 40% moderate, and more than 40% severe (23). When the patient’s history is compatible with EIA yet spirometry at 15 minutes is nondiagnostic, a prolonged postexercise evaluation is necessary (15)." Copyright (C) 1996. The McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved 1) Does this drug "teach" the body to rely on it? Is there any evidence of dependancy (non-psychological, only physiological)?
NO 2) The doctor did not mention ANY plan to get my son off of this chemical dependancy.
Those with a chronic condition, whether it be asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure, need to have appropriate treatment. There are steps that can be taken that don’t involve drugs, like warming up, breathing thru the nose, avoiding allergens. 3) Hey, when I was a teenager, everybody EXPECTED the body to complain when pushing it to ever greater performance. He is totally HEALTHY at all times other than these. Examples of his running routine — run 5 miles, then several 200-meter sprints, maybe cool down with another mile. Should he start taking this artificial performance enhancement this young? It took years before we understood the dangers of steroid use. Could Cromolyn have some hidden dangers?
Cromolyn is perfectly safe. However if you want to know for sure if he has EIA, take him to a pulmonologist for lung function tests with exercise. 4) I don’t want his body chemistry to become tuned to externally produced regulators. Is there any alternative to this Cromolyn?
The alternatives may have side effects; Intal is the safest one to try. I have not allowed him to start taking this until we understand the long-term consequences of this drug, and until the time that I am convinced that he REALLY has a disease (textbooks, please – dis-ease) that must be controlled by prescription drugs.
Ellis
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Cromolyn is a generally safe drug. My 12 month old takes it to help his asthma. As far as understanding the drug ask your pharmacist. Also make your doctor sit down and explain everything to you. If your son does have exercise induced asthma, then it must be treated. Going without treatment can cause serious problems for him. Both emotionally and physically. The important thing is for him to continue to grow and be able to do the normal things that a teenager does. As far as you, you might check into the same problem that you have. Even if it is exercise induced later in life it can get out of control. Cromolyn is generally safe and produces no dependence and is steroid free. It is basically a mast cell stabilizer. Once treatment starts however going off of it cold turkey should not be done as it can complicate the current problem. The important thing to remember is that this is not a performance enhancing drug. — I’m an original species, more enlightened than Nietzsche –Audio Adrenaline, "Original Species", 1999 – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My 14 year old son is in very fine shape. He just recently had his growth spurt, and is about 5′10". He joined the track team and runs several miles each day. Occasionally when he is running he gets a tightness in his chest (happens to me EVERY time I run). Based on one mention of this, with no other tests, the doctor prescribed Cromolyn to be inhaled before every exercise session. None of the papers we received from the doctor have a diagnosis on them, but all of the papers and inserts telling about the drug indicate this is to control asthma. This bugs me a LOT! 1) Does this drug "teach" the body to rely on it? Is there any evidence of dependancy (non-psychological, only physiological)? 2) The doctor did not mention ANY plan to get my son off of this chemical dependancy. 3) Hey, when I was a teenager, everybody EXPECTED the body to complain when pushing it to ever greater performance. He is totally HEALTHY at all times other than these. Examples of his running routine — run 5 miles, then several 200-meter sprints, maybe cool down with another mile. Should he start taking this artificial performance enhancement this young? It took years before we understood the dangers of steroid use. Could Cromolyn have some hidden dangers? 4) I don’t want his body chemistry to become tuned to externally produced regulators. Is there any alternative to this Cromolyn? I have not allowed him to start taking this until we understand the long-term consequences of this drug, and until the time that I am convinced that he REALLY has a disease (textbooks, please – dis-ease) that must be controlled by prescription drugs.
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bruce cimpson2 