Sorry, another question.......

[jenavy21]

Sorry everyone I have another question.   Does anyone have experience with this.   I am thinking this might be connected to last Thursday.   I went to Hobby Lobby today to get my daughter craft things for a school project.  Walked in and overwhelming apple cinnamon like smell.   Took my breath away.  Ended up having to leave store because it got so bad started wheezing again felt very tight, dizzy etc.  I am still on steroids from last week and still taking Benadryl around the clock for another day, on pepcid, and zyrtec.  So far seems under control.  But I have shopped there many many times around Christmas.  Don't understand...

[Mfamom]

was it cinnamon brooms?   
I don't have allergies/asthma but my ds does.  they have those things in one of our grocery stores beginning in October through the holidays.  My ds wheezes EVERY time he goes there.  In fact, I stopped bringing him to that store during those months because it really triggers his asthma.

[CMdeux]

Yeah-- when my lungs are already a little twitchy, they bother me A LOT.

If I'm doing good otherwise, they're strong but they don't make me cough/wheeze.   So for me, it seems to be related to how on-edge my lungs are.

[jenavy21]

There was a very strong apple cinnamon smell that I noticed and their dried flowers were up front.  So it could be.   I have never had an issue with cinnamon before though.

[Janelle205]

The cinnamon pine cones and the like are a complete asthma disaster for me, but I do feel it necessary to mention that my asthma is much, much worse than is typical.

If you are having wheezing issues when out and about and have a neb, I highly recommend an inverter for the car so that you can run your neb through the cigarette lighter. (or whatever they call that now, since my car just has the port, and not actually the lighter thingy)  You do need to get the heavier duty inverter though - we blew a ton of fuses in the cheaper model until we upgraded.  I have an extra neb that I keep in the car, and carry a small container of meds to put in it in my purse - don't want them exposed to the temp changes in the car.  I understand that lots of people say that the puffer is just as good, I find that when my lungs are super twitchy, I have a lot better luck with the neb, which my pulmo supports.

[jenavy21]

Thanks for the recommendation.  We actually have a plug in our car for the neb, so no inverter needed.  This felt very similar to what happened on Thursday.  I am close to losing my mind.  Seems like reactions are to everything right now.  At first it was every where I eat and now it is anywhere I go.  I am just so baffled and can't even think straight to try and figure any of it out.  What scares me the most is now they have me on so many steroids, allergy meds, and inhalers and it is seeming like I am never going to get an answer.  I don't think I have ever been more scared. 

[krasota]

Yes, the cinnamon oil on the pinecones and brooms is a very potent lung irritant.  It can trigger asthma even without an allergy, just as cinnamon itself can trigger contact dermatitis (histamine trigger) without a cinnamon allergy present.

[jenavy21]

Thanks for the info!!  Here is hoping that it just happened this once because of my asthma.  I told my parents I think I am allergic to shopping......      On one hand I guess we can save a lot of money that way!!!

[PurpleCat]

OH - those PINECONES! 

My DD has well controlled asthma and those things never fail to give her trouble.  And they show up in the weirdest stores sometimes.  This Christmas, our JoAnns had them in the entry vestibule and my DD could "feel" them just before we got to the door.  She decided to hold her breath, we ran in and then there were more in the middle of the store.  We had to leave. 

Now when I smell them I feel a sense of danger!