I used to take my inhaler nearly every day during the winter months because I have had cold weather and exercise induced asthma since birth. I was taking Singulair up until the summer of 2006. It had reduced my asthma attacks during the past several years but had done little during the past winter. When it stopped making a difference, I gave up using it. Every medicine I take seems to wear off after awhile, and Singulair had been the only preventative medicine that had been effective for years without side effects. Probably every other day in December, and slightly less frequently through January and February, I would need at least 2 puffs of my inhaler (the minimum dose). In an average winter, I would take the maximum of both my inhalers several times (8 puffs of my Albuterol and 8 of my Azmacort). I would wait to see if my symptoms would go away or whether I needed to go to the hospital for a breathing treatment. In 2006, I was hospitalized for my asthma after being exposed to a natural gas leak and I had to have a breathing treatment the year before.
In October of 2007, I completely cut milk and dairy products from my diet. Now, I am almost completely dairy free—I try to limit myself to 1 item with dairy in it every week or two (ie, a friend makes brownies or cupcakes, or I eat mashed potatoes at a restaurant). By the end of December 2007, I had probably taken my inhaler on only 8 days, usually 2 puffs of just my Azmacort. I took more a few days because I became sick after working in a cold, dusty building. I have probably used my inhaler a total of 20 times in the past year. I am on no medication for my asthma, I don’t have to deal with drug interactions or side affects, and I tell everyone that my asthma has improved 99%. This was the first winter in my life that my asthma wasn’t debilitating. I was stunned when my mom first brought up the fact that I had hardly used my inhaler. I had hardly even thought of my asthma because it has become so infrequent. All because I did something as simple as cutting dairy from my diet.
– Cassie
