Another success...

[Lisa]

First of all I am so thankful the forum is back up and running. I am another that was helped by the antibiotics. Here is my story, will try to keep it short.

I have had asthma for 6 years now. It first started when I got sick and it developed into a cough, then bronchitis. I also had two cats at the time, and I am highly allergic to cats. That is when it all began. I thought it was all due to the cats, and still could have been at that time. I got sick that year, finally getting rid of the cats. Over the next year my lungs healed.

I still had trouble around animals, and may always. I was on 3 inhalers and steriods during bad times. The years went by and I got off all inhalers, though still keeping them on hand. I decided I wanted another pet, a bird. I started having trouble with that and had to get rid of the bird after about a year. The next year we had a baby. I was working one day a week and he went to daycare that one day. He got very sick that year. And of course, I got it all too. I started having trouble again, needed antibiotics with every cold. It always moved to my lungs. I was back on prednisone every cold as well, all winter. Finally around April, into May, I was having trouble even when not sick. My doctor put me on a month long round of prednisone. It didn't help. I was maxed on my flovent inhaler and was on serevent as well. None of it really helped.

Finally when I was on all this and needed albuterol all day long, I found this site. So many stories sounded just like me. I tried to convince my doctor of this and to give it a try. She would not but wanted to send me to my pulminoligist. He was willing to listen, having heard of the research. He gave me a 3 month supply of antibiotics, Zythromax. I started taking it and started to feel much better after about 3 to 4 weeks. we went on vacation and I forgot to bring it. I didn't take it and got worse again.

Well, that proved to me that something was going on with it. When we got back, I went back to my doctor and asked told him what had happened. He refilled my script for a total of 12 weeks again. This time I took it all. This brought me to last October, 2004. By the time I finished the 12 weeks, I was doing so great. I was down to one puff of Flovent, and planning to wean off soon. About a month after stopping the Zythromax, I started having some trouble again. I went back to the doctor, and convinced him to let me take it for 6 more weeks. This was in February. I, of course, started feeling great again. I finishes that up and was back down to one puff of the flovent a day. I did fine this time.

About a month after that, March, I stopped all flovent. I had a tiny tightness with a cold that required a couple of puffs of albuterol a couple of times. But that was it. I think my lungs were still just healing. I did have a couple more colds since, with no need of albuterol at all. It is going on 5 months since the last dose of Zythromax. And I have felt my lungs still improving.

The only issue I have had was a visit to a house with 3 cats. I always start to sneeze and I did start to wheeze. I did take a puff of albuterol and I was fine. So I may always have some issues with dander and cats. Spring allergies are bad for me, but this year, no asthma issues at all! Just itchy eyes and sneezing. I do even wonder as my lungs keep healing if maybe cats won't bother me down the road. I will never have one again, or any furry pet. Because my health is too important to me now.

My doctor won't say I am cured because he says he can not promise I iwll never have another attack. But says the day I die, if I never did, he will declare me cured. Yeah, he thinks he is funny. But he is very impressed with the results and is going to keep the treatment "in mind." I guess that is hopeful.

I love breathing and not having any issues. So far, so good! I now know I had an infection. There is no doubt! From not being helped at all by steriods, to being free of all meds, to me is a miracle.

Thank you, Jim!

[kb88]

Thats excellent!Now if I can convince some people that I should do the same then I'm all set.