Stress, Asthma and Irregular cycles

Since Jan, I have been suffering from asthma everyday. Having asthma prevents me from trying for a baby because the inhalers I have taken disrupted the beautiful menstrual cycles that Dr Tan Siew Buoy have built up. 

 As a result, I read quite a lot of articles on asthma. I must recover from asthma if I want to have any hope of conceiving. I discovered that people with irregular cycles tend to have asthma as well. I used to have childhood and teens asthma. This is what I have read so far, which I think explains the link between the two.

 Stress releases histamines
http://www.livestrong.com/article/549502-severe-stress-induced-allergic-reactions/

 http://voices.yahoo.com/what-histamines-why-we-them-491407.html?cat=68

 Stress releases histamines and histamines are the chemical substances in the body that will cause allergic reactions like asthma. Histamines are needed to start inflammation so that the body can fight off the invaders, parasites and infection. Emotional highs would also produce histamines.

 Cortisol production
http://biologyofkundalini.com/article.php?story=Histamine

 http://www.adrenalfatigue.org/allergies

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortisol

 When histamines are released, our glands produces cortisol to manage or lower the histamines level. Cortisol is a hormone that is anti-inflammatory. I was very curious why so many articles claim that cortisol is bad and suppress immune system, making us sick often whereas asthma sufferers need to take inhaled medication like Flixotide which is actually a corticosteroid, mimicking the actions of cortisol. If cortisol is bad, why do doctors prescribe corticosteroid?

 Cortisol and Corticosteroids affects menstrual cycles
http://my.clevelandclinic.org/drugs/corticosteroids/hic_corticosteroids.aspx

 http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/111609p38.shtml

 Corticosteroids are prescribed to stop the inflammation of the airways but it has many other side effects. As it is a hormone, it affects the menstrual cycles.

 How about Ventolin Inhaler?

 http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Structural_Biochemistry/Asthma/Asthma_symptoms
During an Asthma attack constriction of the Bronchi are caused by abnormal sensitivity of the cholinergic receptors, which cause the muscles of the airways to contract when they should not. There are cells in the Bronchi called mast cells which are held responsible for this cellular response. These mast cells release substances such as histamine and leukotrienes, which activate the cholinergic receptors cellular response for smooth muscle contraction, mucous buildup, and white blood cell migration to certain areas. Eosinophils, a type of white blood cell is found in the airways of asthmatic people, also release substances that contribute to airway constriction.
There’s no cure for asthma, however there are Albuterol inhalers for keeping asthma symptoms in a controlled state. There are several inhalers such as Albuterol, Ventolin and Proventil. Albuterol inhalers also known as a bronchodilater is a quick-relief or rescue medication used to decrease asthma symptoms.
Albuterol is a beta2-adrenergic receptor agonist. How albuterol works is that when Albuterol is inhaled to the lungs, it acts on the Beta2-adrenergic receptors which activates the Gs protein. The Gs protein then activates adenylyl cyclase. Adenylyl cyclase then converts ATP to cyclic AMP. Cyclic AMP then activates a protein kinase A which continues the rest of the cyclic AMP pathway. The pathway is continued until the cell responds by relaxing the smooth muscles in the Bronchi, thus reducing inflammation and allowing oxygen to be inhaled.

 I can't seem to find articles that indicate that salbutamol causes irregular menstruation. This put me at ease so I changed my inhalers to Ventolin. During the cycle whereby I took Ventolin, my cycle was 54 days. Very scary.

 The reason why I read much on this issue is because it was difficult to find one article that would explain the link. I need to find many articles and come up with my own linkages. I need to do more to manage my stress.

 I would be posting more on stress management and also on IVIG in my next posts.

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