Hi there, I was diagnosed with asthma about 9 years ago, but over the years have refused to except that I need every day treatment. I felt that the only time I had asthma was after a cold when I sometimes developed a really bad cough and raw chest and had to go to my GP and be put on steroids, and was told yet again I should take my brown inhaler every day, which I did for a few months and then forgot again..
Over the past few months I have been getting a bit wheezy and out of breath after a small amount of exertion, which I have put down to the fact I have been under a lot of stress and been smoking more than my usual 4 -5 cigarettes a day. AT this point I wish their were smiley's cos I know with regards to my asthma I have been foolish....
The other day I caught a cold and it has gone straight chest, I keep coughing and my chest feels raw and painful... my Question is ...............Will using my brown inhaler over the next few days make me better or do I need to see my GP for Steroids...??? my blue inhaler helps a little but my chest still feels tight.
u need to see ur gp.... no one can advice otherwise,,, as unable to say what treatment you need until assessed by a madical practitioner....
Go and see your GP pronto. Plus if he says you need to take an inhaler daily, then do it. They don't hand these things out for nothing. Plus might feel the benefit of continuous use.
Take care and let us know how you get on.
I thanks both of you, I am feeling a bit better now, but still sore so will ring my GP as soon as they reopen for after lunch. I think the message has FINALLY sunk in , I realise my asthma is not just a thing that comes with a cold and is in fact there all the time and needs daily medication. I have never really discussed it with anyone who has asthma.
Hopefully your GP will not only treat your chest infection (if that's what it is) but also tell you to keep on with the brown inhaler (precede the dose with two puffs of blue first) and if after 3 months there's no improvement he may change it to a purple one, as he did for me and I have been much better on it. If I forget it for a few days I do notice the difference but the benefit of it has to build up over time, there's not instant relief as with the Ventolin inhaler, which is why they are called Reliever (blue) and Preventer (brown or purple). Make sure you get a flu jab too! Hope you manage to get it under control. Plus I know its hard, I had to battle with the deadly sticks for ages, but you MUST stop smoking to give your lungs as much chance as possible. Believe me, you don't want to end up with COPD which is incurable. Sorry, lecture over!
Hi all, I went to my GP who recommended a prescribed a spacer as he said, "" that it looks like the medication is not getting to my lungs"". He also said, I was running a slight fever but it looked like my body was dealing with it"". He has upped my brown inhaler to 4 times a day until under control, but did not give me antibiotics.
I am taking, zinc ecinacia and garlic to boost my immune system and shall be taking my medication from now on as I really don't want to feel like this again.
I do plan to give up the deadly sticks in the new year, hopefully when my very stressful issues have been sorted. Meanwhile I will be doing my VERY BEST to smoke as little as possible.
I am glad I have found this site as I might finally learn more about it and get help from all of your experience. xxx
have been coughing on and off all day, keep using my inhaler but although I can breath, that feeling of thick mucus on my chest that I can't clear just keep coming back. I really don't wan't to spoil my Christmas Like this. I am going to give it one more day and if I don't feel any better am going back.
How often is it safe to use your reliever my asthma nurse once told me, use it as often as you like if you don't feel any better, but I have used it with the spacer about 35 or so times today and still feel crap.?
Hiya,
As much as I suspect you don't want to do it, it soubds like it's time to see your GP, or if you can't get to your GP tomorrow, go to your nearest walk-in centre.
It's far better to be able to nip this kind if thing in the bud than let it drag out.
Best wishes
Hi I plan to go at see him again tomorrow, but because I have already been once and was told to up my brown meds and nothing else was done. I am afraid I am making a fuss about nothing.
I just can't seem to get anything up, though there is clearly phlegm there as I can feel it and hear it on my chest plus the odd tiny bit sometimes come up after a coughing fit wear I am almost being sick.
Hello & first of all, welcome to the forum. You can generally find the answer to any asthma related question here somewhere as there is people with mild through to some with very difficult asthma.
Please do go back to be seen, no-one can assess you properly on here, using your inhaler 35 times a day is rather a lot. Have also been told I can have as much as needed but if it is not helping much, go back. Watch out for the 'sally shakes' after having such an amount of ventolin.
Yes as you know really, giving up the cigarettes will help as will taking your brown inhaler regularly. There is useful info across the green menu bar at the top of all the AUK pages & particularly 'All about asthma'.
Also, do you have a peak flow meter - can be prescribed like the spacer, an action plan or see an asthma nurse at your GP practice?
Thank You I think that going back would be best, what have I got to lose, better than a rotten 6time over Christmas for nothing. I am really started to feel battered and bruised now amongst feeling sick.
I have gone 36 hours now without a cigarette, I pray this will be the Ideal opportunity to pack up. I know It won't be easy after 35 years and with Christmas coming, but if I can just get through that with none or at worst one or two I think I will be half way there.
Agree with everyone else that you need to go back, and if being made to feel a timewaster then try a different GP, you aren't wasting their time and shouldn't be made to feel like it!
I know that feeling of having trouble coughing stuff up; when I do have anything down there it pretty much never comes up. If this is often a problem for you it might be worth trying to see a respiratory physio (GP can refer I think?) as they can help you get the gunk up.
Hi, I went back this morning, rang the GP first thing and my lungs were really noisy, turns out as my GP put it, ( different Dr this time) I was really bad, have been given steroids and antibiotics, Can't understand for the life of me why this was not done the other day and I would have been on the way to recovery now. My blue inhaler hardly works at all at the moment, and feel totally worn out from the continual coughing and feeling of gunk filled lungs... I am not even sure It was a cold that started all this, It all started with a cough and I assumed it was that, however I do know there is a virus that is going around at the moment that seems to cause a cough rather than the usual stuffy nose and sneezing. I also know I have been smoking more than normally and was getting a bit wheezy at night so it could be either. I just want it GONE! GONE! GONE!
Please someone tell me how much longer it will be before everything kicks in and I start to feel the slightest bit better??????????
Philomela.. I don't generally feel like this I have what I would call mild Asthma, the last time I felt like this was about 3 years ago, and it was CHRISTMAS !!! However I never, ever want to feel like this again so will in the future be taking my preventer regularly.
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At what point do I really need to go to A&E? 
What I wish I had asked my GP/asthma nurse (when first diagnosed 😉)
