tenlander

I've been told you can do it either way, but it depends on what the AF docs want. I'm avoiding it unless I actually have to, because I'm pretty sure I'd fail it (I don't have asthma but as previously noted in this thread I still do have a touch of RAD, which isn't in the least bit dangerous).

We're in pretty much exactly the same situation--except I've never actually been diagnosed with asthma, and I'm pretty sure they'll never dig deep enough to find the inhaler prescription (I hope, it wasn't prescribed by my primary care doctor). If they do, we'd be in the same boat.

I apologize, I have forgotten how things work around here. Made a mistake while making a point, I was wrong and myself alone. So I'll just pose a quick hypothetical and then be on my way-somehow the flight doc sees prescription for an inhaler post-13th birthday, in a person with early history of asthma (that they most definitely will see). General consensus is that that's not good enough to give me a methacholine test, correct?

Big misunderstanding. To clarify again, I have no intentions of volunteering the information; it was done through my primary care guy who probably wrote it down. That is what I'm worried about. If you don't think they'll see it, there's my answer. I'm not disagreeing with F16-his info was extremely helpful. I (and my parents) would agree that inhalers don't fix coughs, but they do relax the airway. Either way, it wasn't prescribed for asthma or RAD symptoms, and I'm not sure if they take that into account. The point of this all is that my biggest fear is taking a methacholine challenge test in three and a half years and failing. If you guys don't think they'd find any reason to give one (I thought the inhaler thing would), then I'm good to go. Thanks a lot edit: Herk, I actually said, in my post, that I wasn't being combative. I was responding to a well-informed remark by F16, he thought I meant something and I didn't. As I also said, it's not important and not germane to the topic.

Alright, thanks for the info. I know it all seems very minor but if I can avoid a desk job before I have no choice in the matter, I'd like to (naturally, after I sign the dotted line, I'll accept anything they give me). I have been formally diagnosed, (technically with RAD, not "asthma" per se, so I can feign ignorance, but that might get me in trouble) so when asked on that general med form I'll get from my ROTC guys, I figure I'm still checking yes. I'm going to meet with the cadre CO sometime this summer hopefully and ask him about rumors I've been hearing about people being pressed out for any history of asthma and see what he says. And, once again, completely irrelevant, but both my parents have doctorates in pharmacology and toxicology. My dad has worked for two of the biggest pharmaceutical companies on the planet for the last 35 years, and a good part of the last decade has been spent on finding a cure for asthma. If he says an inhaler will help alleviate a cough, (not fix it) I'm inclined to agree with him. Don't mean to be combative, but for some reason I feel the need to defend.

To clarify, I cough some after extremely strenuous activity-such as sprinting for ten minutes. I can run, at a normal pace, 4 miles just fine, with no coughing afterwards. And the key word is after. How closely do they go over your medical records? I figured they would see the prescription for the inhaler, which is why I brought it up. If I didn't think they would get those files, naturally I wouldn't volunteer the information. Hell, I wouldn't volunteer it anyway, but I assumed they would see it. And btw, it totally doesn't matter, but my parents didn't fvck up. Inhalers alleviate coughing by opening the airway, whether you have asthma or not. I had one of those hacking colds, so they figured why not. I never even used it, it's sitting under the sink in my bathroom with the pharmacy label still over it. Thanks for your help.

Hi, long time lurker with the usual story-freshman in college, doing ROTC in fall, want to be an AF pilot, PPL, you know the rest. I have read the multiple threads on asthma multiple times, but I have kind of a specific situation, and I figured you guys might be able to help me out. When I was 6 I was diagnosed with Reactive Airway disease, and I was only on prescription inhalers until the end of elementary school, when I essentially outgrew it. Unfortunately, two months after my thirteenth birthday, I had a wicked cold so my parents (both pharmaceutical scientists) figured, "hey, he's got asthma on his record, why not get him an inhaler." So, I kinda have a history post-13th, though it wasn't asthma related. I think it's important to note that my RAD is NOT the stress-induced wheezing type-it's the coughing kind. Basically, I have as good a chance of having an asthma attack as anyone else. I scheduled a methacholine challenge test in a few weeks-I figure I'd rather know now than in three in a half years when I'm taking my FC1 and they say "oops, sorry, you don't qualify for AD, time to go work PR" or something. Now, the reason that I'm posting, is that after extremely strenuous exercise, I actually do cough a bit afterwards. Only something like the pacer test, which has me sprinting for ten minutes. I've played paintball for 24 hours straight with marines, run 3-4 miles a day, etc., no problems, but I'm afraid it will still show up on the test. Is this ever considered case-by-case, or am I more or less screwed if I have problems on the test? I can take it one way or the other, it's sitting in summer session for six weeks not knowing if I'll be doing ROTC that is killing me. Thanks, Brenden