PDA

View Full Version : Not sure if you go by Rikki


Gerri
02-01-2008, 03:31 AM
In my intro someone I believe called Rikki answered me. My internet went down and most likely will again. I didn’t get to see all repliess before the internet here went down. When I get home I will be better answer everyone’s questions.

I want to thank everyone for their replys. Here goes I hope I get this posted.

Not sure if you go by Rikki. "I'm highly allergic to sulfas/sulfites as well. In fact I've had this breathing problem for a year that I've been tested for over and over and have no diagnosis. Then a doctor looked at my list of meds and saw that I was taking atenolol. Apparently atenolol has a slight bit of sulfite in it, but not enough to be reported anywhere, since most people with sulfa allergies just get a rash... I guess they figure that you can take a little of the allergen and be fine. Well, if the atenolol is the cause of my breathing problems, then it destroyed the ability of my lungs to exchange CO, O2, and CO2. Yay for me. Not."

I am taking an asthma inhaler, with sulfites, only as a last resort. I also take chloritripolon twice a day to help with the sulfites I can't avoid. My doctor doesn't want to add anymore because it's causing further damage. I have lung damage. I have mild COPD. I have severe sleep apnea, which is another breathing disorder. I have severe GERDs, that also affect my breathing. I have bronchial asthma, and get bronchitis often if I don't watch what I eat, or take in that has sulfa, sulfites, sulfates, and/or any sulfer derivatives. I don't eat egg yokes, cannot have flu shots, don't have garlic, onions, cabbage (all have natural sulfa). I am lactose intolerant, I don't have milk products with lactose in it, because then I have to take my asthma inhaler, which I try to avoid as much as possible.

I avoid anyone with a colds because I don't want to have to take my asthma inhaler. I also don't eat bread from the stores as most of them have sulfites in the. I use natural products, watch all labels, and don't trust doctors to check medications, as a doctor already caused me to have severe asthma attach because she use a computer to see if medication had sulfites and sulfates in and advised me there wasn't any in it. I went to pharmaceutical company, because my asthma was getting worse to find out the medicine had sulfites in it, but didn't have sulfates. The sulfites was not in the medication it's self but in the outside coating.

"Anyhow, the modern insulins do not contain sulfas/sulfites. You should be fine on them." This makes me happy to hear, you made my day.

Hugs

Gerri

Keezheekoni
02-01-2008, 08:28 AM
Yep, Rikki is my name, well my nickname anyhow. :)

I've never known anyone who is allergic to sulfa as bad as I am. When I go to the ER they always look at me weirdly when I tell them if they even get a little sulfa near me they'll also need an epi pen. They just don't get it. Oh well.

I have more breathing tests in May, so we'll see if taking me off the atenolol did any good. The other thing they don't like is how much CO there is anytime I do a blood gas test. They want me to make sure my car is not leaking CO into the passenger area. I'll be doing that this week... No possibility of CO in my house because there's no gas lines anywhere, nor do we use the fireplace (though I wish we did, I'm FREEZING!), but we didn't have it inspected this year, so nope. Our heating is electric baseboard...

I have passed all the asthma tests, went through the methacholine challenge like gangbusters. They kept trying to tell me I had asthma, but that's not it (and secretly I'm glad, since my good friend's husband just died at the age of 33 in front of their four children, from a severe asthma attack). I don't know if I could handle asthma, when I can't breathe I don't have the where-with-all to think about finding inhalers and such. Scary.

Gerri
02-01-2008, 12:26 PM
Hi Rikki,

I don't ask for medication anymore. My family doctor won't give me any. If I have a cold he asks what I can take. He has a list of 4 drugs I know I have no problems with. One for UTI, cold, ativan to help me sleep (which I am not suppose to take because of my severe sleep apnea) and coversyl, for high blood pressure.

My 2 biological boys also have the same severe allergies to sulfa, sulfites, sulfates and sulfur derivatives.

I am finding there is more people out there that are as allergic as we are.

Have you ever been tested for Sleep Apnea (breathing disorder.) If CO was a problem - it would affect the whole family not just you.

Hugs

Gerri

Keezheekoni
02-01-2008, 12:41 PM
Yes, I've been tested for sleep apnea. Don't have it. My hubby does though. So far none of my kids have any of my allergies, which is nice. I have some pretty severe food allergies too, ugh.