I appreciate your checking the prices at different sources. I kinda thought prices weren't the same everywhere but didn't know for sure. Yes, I think because asthma and allergies are so common in East Tennessee, it's easy to charge more. Glad you found a place with a price you can afford. I hope your asthma clears up. I also hope pollution gets better in East Tennessee but did you notice the "we gotta have coal" article in today's Sentinel?

It does not go away. I do not know whether the viral type does or if it causes you to have a predisposition to develop regular asthma later on.

When I was a kid I got a major case of chronic bronchitis at least twice a year. When I was finally diagnosed with asthma, I began taking albuterol inhalers, what I didn't know at the time is that if you have high blood pressure and other problems the albuterol can cause you to develop a heart arrhythmia.

Hopefully you won't have to take albuterol very long at all if the viral form of asthma does in fact go away. I have paid as high as $120.00 for my inhalers, that was when I was working in New Mexico and had full coverage health insurance. Once I reached the deductible amount then of course there were no charges for medicines, unfortunately...it took most of a year's worth of medicines to reach the deductible.

This is a free market system, the drug companies will charge whatever the market will bear and the government will allow. Since our government has been prevented from negotiating with the drug companies to secure lower prices like the Canadian health care system does, then the prices are what they are.

And yes, the breathing issues you are having are why you feel so tired all the time...nothing like sitting in a sea of breathable air and not being able to get any. I remind myself of a fish out of water sometimes. The heck of it is...the harder you try to get a decent breath in and out...the harder it gets as your airways get more inflamed and irritated. The reason you feel short of breath is you are having trouble expelling the carbon dioxide that is returned to your lungs by your bloodstream. Oxygen in, CO2 out is how it's supposed to work...with asthma...the volume of air you can push out (including the CO2) is greatly reduced by inflamed air passages. Essentially the CO2 crowds out the oxygen. Eventually, without medication...you pass out, if you do not receive help, you suffocate. Make sure you carry a card that tells people you have viral asthma until it goes away, emergency personnel will need to know it if you ever do pass out.

Sorry to be such a downer, but some people seem to think asthma isn't that big of a deal. If wishes came true, every person that told me to get a grip and tough it out would now have an incurable case of asthma. Hate to be witchy about it, but people really should think before they speak when it comes to how to deal with health issues from which they do not suffer.

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"You can't fix stupid..." ~ Ron White"
"I never said I wasn't a brat..." ~ Talidapali

Be aware that Albuterol can raise your blood pressure and cause jitteriness and agitation. Your situation may be, probably is, related to the temporary illness only and will disappear once the infection and inflammation completely clear, or you could have some underlying reactive airway disorder surfacing that is like or is an overreactive immune system. Genetic and environmental bases.

Tennessee has a high rate of allergy and asthma and other respiratory disorders. There are other reactive airway disorders that seem like asthma in some ways, with the same triggers even, but are different, quite different; and Albuterol and other inhalants prescribed for asthma can actually make those conditions worse, as pulmonary specialists, etc., will tell you, if the docs know their stuff. However, ER docs, etc., tend to administer Albuterol as a one-size-fits-all. It does not. Writing from experience. Daily magnesium tablets can be a lifesaver. Writing again from experience.

Hope this helps someone.

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2005 sept 5 was told just deal with it and use you albuteral well i did got up early took somemore then oct 18 dr said do you know where your at ??? looked familier HOSPITAL!!! why haven't you been to see me!!! ???? oh forgot to wake up asthma got so bad well we know the drill more steriods and another 40 pounds does't sound like they understand it yet!!!! seen your blog thought i'd see if you know any more than me good blog though keep up good work
marsh