Recently suffering again after many years

Hi, I'm new here. Hoping for a little help from fellow sufferers.

I was diagnosed with asthma as a child, following bronchiolitus and many chest infections. It was quite severe then, and I had my own ventilator at home following several admissions. However, I literally grew out of it. I always had an inhaler, but they generally went out of date, that's how little I used it. I have only needed them throughout my life when I become ill from something else. I'm 32 now, and since July I have been suffering constantly. Suspected swine flu set it off. In the last 10 weeks I've also had 3 chest infections and I'm currently on my second round of steroids. I am very confused and frustrated because by thursday this week, day 3 of steroids, I felt very ill again. I picked up on Saturday, but today I feel terrible again. I have pain between my shoulder blades, I can't stop coughing which leaves a metallicy taste in my mouth, and I feel like someone is constantly pulling a massive elastic band around me and pulling it as hard as they can. I'm not constantly breathless, but I'm taking my inhaler regularly which is very unusual for me. I have to go back to the docs tomorrow, but I feel like they don't seem to have a clue what's going on. They put me on a nebulizer last time which helped a bit. But what about when I get home. I'm too unwell to go to work. I feel like there is something whirring inside my chest when I breathe. Last set of chest xrays were clear and latest infection seems to have cleared up.

So what's wrong and when will it stop? I really need to feel better and get a grip on this myself as I don't feel like anyone else is.

Thanks for listening.

Kate

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Hi Kate

As a newbie, I can only show sympathy to how you are feeling but feel sure one of the older stagers will come on at some point. Have you tried phoning or emailing the nurses here at AUK? I did, when first diagnosed this year. They were fab and answered all my questions.

Best wishes

GM xx

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hi katy

I cant see what medications you are currently taking as all your privacy settings are on. However, if you have only recently started getting symptoms again i may be right in presuming that you are currently either only taking a reliever inhaler or taking both reliever and preventer.

If this is the case it can take a while of fiddling with different preventer inhalers to get the correct one for you etc. If you are not currently taking a preventer it sounds like you may benefit from adding one into your therapy.

If i were you i would go and see your gp asap if you are suffering daily symptoms like you say. It can be controlled much better than yours currently is by adding in different inhalers. First stage being just a reliever then a preventer such as flixotide being added on to the reliever. Stage three is a combined long acting reliever, preventer and short acting reliever (salbutamol or bricynil) then they add on tablets such as singulair and theophyline......

Do go and see your gp asap and get things checked out asap. It does sound like things are not very well controlled at the moment and if you are on basic treatments then a lot lot more can be offered to you to give you much better control of you asthma and manage your symptoms better.

Please keep us all posted on how you get on. Good luck and get well soon.

Lotsa lv kat Xx

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Thanks very much for your replies.

In answer to the medication issues, I'm currently on becotide and then my reliever. I have been back to the GP again today, and they have increased my steroid dosage to 8, for another 5 days. I don't even know if that is a lot? I have just finished the last set which was 6 per day. I have to go back on wednesday morning for a review. I don't know what will happen if I'm no better? I didn't ask to be honest as I don't think I really want to know. I had so much time in and out of hospital with this as a child, and I really thought this was all over, that I'm a little scared to know the truth. I have spent a long time telling people that I 'used to have asthma but I grew out of it', and now I'm quite scared that it's back with a vengeance. I'm a serving police officer, and obviously this can be very debilitating for me at work. I'm also a mummy to a 3 year old, and trying so hard everyday to feel better and trying to show my little girl that I'm okay.

Thanks for listening. I feel a bit better knowing that I'm not alone, and that other people who clearly suffer more than me have managed to get a grip on it and live with it. Once I accept what is going on, I think I will feel better. The more knowledge I have about it, the better equipped I feel to deal with it.

Kate x

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hi kate

8 prednisolone tablets are a fairly standard dosage to settle things down. 6 seems a little low and maybe why you still feel symptomatic. Hope that with the increase in dosage you feel better soon. Take care lotsa lv kat Xx

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Katy, just to clarify I assume ""ventilator at home"" should be nebuliser at home

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some gp's now only give 30mg as standard dose ie six tablets. my gp has this as their standard but mine has aletter from cons saying i am to ahve more hwen chest gets bad.

Olive

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Hi Kate,

Prednisolone is normal for clearing up infections and 40mg is about in the middle. Most GP's mine included will only give 30mg (6x5mg) but don't worry, it's only short term and better to get rid of the infection. the prescribing is a little odd, some will give 5 days others 7 days, and the dose will vary from 30-50mg. It's better to have a larger dose and clear the infection up, and not leave a little bit behind. Anti-biotics used in combination work wonders, but you will feel ill for a while. I know just how tough being a police officer is, especially if you get the evening/night shifts, but you do get some good care from them. If you happen to be a beat officer, then don't worry, you should be able to have a desk job for a while until fully recovered, or time off.

Unfortunately you can't have time of from a 3 year old, so the usual rest and recovery is a bit harder. Keep your fluids up, obviously stay warm, even a slight chill across the back or chest can cause problems.

Nothing much else, hope it clears up this time, and take care

chris

[KateMoss]

PS Prednisolone is an Steroidal anti inflamatory agent, It doesn't clear infections but dapens down the inflamation caused by the imune system.

Antibiotics clear bacterial infections