What does it mean if my nitrous oxide was 18 and max is 16?

At age 80, they just decided I have escinophilic asthma, tx with Trilogy and Dupixant. Have a nebulizer for Albuterol and 3 % saline. Tons on mucus output, cough, fatigue, shortness of breath. Went out to Jewish National Hospital in Denver, as if had several pseudomonas infections and a positive for a mycrobacterium. I'm one month into tx with no change. They did 2 weeks of testing, Dr Dailey felt I had an inflammation in my lungs, pulmonologist leaned toward the asthma route. Still feel like crap. Good luck.

Hi @jdbarr1, did you have fractional exhaled nitric oxide test (called a FeNO test)? It measures the amount of nitric oxide in your breath. Here's more information https://www.aaaai.org/tools-for-the-public/conditions-library/asthma/what-is-a-feno-test

The other test for asthma is the methacholine challenge test https://www.aaaai.org/tools-for-the-public/conditions-library/asthma/methacholine-challenge-test

My mom is going through this testing at the moment too.

@squire123, fellow members @jenniferhunter and @363 also have eosinophilic asthma and can share more. How is treatment working for you?

@squire123 I think I did have the nitric oxide test when I saw a pulmonologist at Mayo. I don't remember much about it as it was just a reading and it didn't cause issues. I did have a methylcholine challenge test (not at Mayo) years ago and that was awful. They keep increasing the amount you inhale of it until they take away lung function and are supposed to stop at a 20% loss. I was very close to that, and they had me inhale another dose and it put me in the emergency room taking away 30% of my lung function and oxygen absorption. All the emergency room did was monitor me and have me use my inhaler with extra doses for a few hours until things started improving. I was so weak from lack of oxygen I could hardly stand and I couldn't exert myself to walk. Even holding my purse was too much. I don't really think a methylcholine test is necessary because asthma can be diagnosed with symptoms and this test has the risk of a bad reaction.

I do tend to get sinus infections that move into my lungs and I treat that if it happens. I learned a good way to do that at Mayo when I was asked to proactively treat with antibiotic ointment in my nose for a few days before spine surgery. That works great, clears the infection and then I can get the phlegm out, and I can breathe again. My clue that it's not just asthma is when my resting heart rate goes up around 100 beats per minute. I have used allergy shots and antihistamines to control the allergies that drive the asthma and that seems to be enough most of the time.

Jennifer

It's not. Dealing with dupixant rep as they want $1,109.01 a month for the drug. Trilogy was $450 a month, had to move over to Breo, with a zero dollar copay. Trying to get rid of the mucus flow with antihistamines. Pon top of all, my tooth implant is infected and despite antibiotics, will probably fail and be removed tomorrow. 2nd opinion from different Dr in the practice at noon today. Don't need the infection to go into my sinus or brain. Shit keeps happening.

@squire123 I hope they can save your dental implant. Our Mentor @loribmt has a lot of knowledge about dental issues and may be a good resource for you.
Jennifer

I have had neither tests..I had a simple blood test which than gave the diagnois of e-asthma.
I take Enerzair breezhaler, and once every 2 months I take by self injection Fasenra by AstraZeneca.My breathing has improved tremendously. Now I just have this small 9mm noducle to worry about..which has nothing to do with the medicine.

2nd opinion says take it out. Allergic to penicillin.

Hi @squire123 As your second opinion confirmed that implanted tooth most likely won’t be able to be saved. From what I’m reading, that’s the last thing you need to be happening in your life right now. I’m so sorry you’re having all of these health issues. I wish you well, with the extraction tomorrow and I hope your asthma gets under control soon so that you get back to some normalcy in your life!

@squire123 I've been through oral surgery too to save an infected tooth with an old root canal. I thought I may have issues with penicillin and they used the antibiotic Clindamycin instead. It's an older antibiotic that hasn't been used a lot since newer ones were developed and it cleared the infection.

The other teeth that had old root canals also started to fail, so I had all the bad teeth removed and got Zirconia dental implants. That has been a good choice for me. I suspected that I would have issues with implanted metals, so I chose the biocompatible Zirconium. We waited a long time for healing of the bone grafts (5months) before the implants were put in, and then more healing time before I got the bridge to complete the work.

I'm sorry you have to go through this as oral surgery isn't easy.

Take care.

Jennifer

Had clindamycin right when she did the implant. It still got infected. Then azithromycin. It was removed today, have cipro again.