Feeling Symptomatic Most Of The Time....?

Hi everyone!! Hope everyone is feeling okay at the mo!!

Over these last few months I have been feeling asthma symptoms almost every day, such as a slight wheeze, a tight chest and occasionally a cough. I also get really out of breath doing the slightest things and walking up the stairs has become a huge effort. I have been to hospital lots of times but I feel as though all they do is kind of patch me up and send me home, understandably that is all they can do in A&E in the early hours!! I have also been to see my GP countless number of times and although he does sometimes put me on a course of steroids he doesn't really give me any long term management.

My Mum (an ex-nurse) also made the comment the other day that I shouldn't feel asthmatic all the time. This made me wonder whether it is asthma? Have any of you had any similiar experiences, and do you have any advice to offer?

Thank you all very much and sorry for the long post!

R xx

[Hidden]

I see you have had asthma for a long time, but could it be your asthma is changing , along with your body as I see your a young teen, and hormones are very powerful. You perhaps need a review of your current meds, as your mum said, you shouldn't have any sysmptoms. Go get a review.

don't apologise for the long post, hope you manage to keep well, and get things sorted.

chris

[Hidden]

Hi Rachel, it isn't right that you are so symptomatic most of the time, it suggests your asthma is not being controlled under your current treatment regimen and your medication possibly needs altering/increasing, I agree with the poster before me that you should have a review. Also it might be worth asking for a referral to a hospital consultant as you say you have had so many A&E visits in the past. Do you have an action plan for your asthma? , if not- your GP or practice nurse should be able to draw one up for you. Assuming you have a peak flow meter, what are your readings like? Do they decrease at certain times of the day for example are you particularly symptomatic in the morning along with a poor peakflow, waking at night etc perhaps if you wrote down any patterns you can find and take this along to your GP. Hope you get some answers soon.

Simi

[Hidden]

Feeling the same as you

Hi there

I've been experiencing asthma symptoms every day since november 2008.

I have been to the doctors and been prescribed steroids, had a short blast of them, 5 days course, as he said it was a flare up of asthma. I had to go back again as i was still in a bad way...Doctor prescribed another 5 day course of steroids, and antibiotics as i had a upper respiratory infection, and after a few days, i noticed a slight improvement, which was short lived...

I then went back to the doctors again, i was so full of phlegm, short of breath etc, that the doctor gave me a fortnights course of steroids on a higher dose, and was prescribed a different type of antibiotics, upper respiratory infection was diagnosed. I had about 2 weeks relief, no cough or phlegm, then bang, Christmas eve i was so bad, i had to go back to the doctors, i was prescribed more antibiotics, and more steroids...and my symbicort inhaler upped to 400/12.

I am now on Doxycycline 100mg antibiotics, as i have yet another upper respiratory infection and have refused another course of steroids, as i work in a nursery and have chicken pox going around the nursery, it could make me even more poorly, as steroids wipe your immune system...

The doctor said to me it has been a real bad winter and that i am not alone in having problems with my asthma, and he's hoping that when the weather warms up, things will improve...I hope so... In 15 yeas of having asthma, i have never felt this bad, ever...

I am thinking of asking if i can try Singulair, as this is suppose to decrease mucus production, i can not take decongestants as i have high blood pressure, so singulair might be my only other hope.

So no you are not alone... Feeling like this is getting me down, which in turn makes my asthma worse, it's a viscious cycle...

Hope this puts your mind at rest, and lets you know that you are not alone...

Moschops

[Hidden]

Thank you all very much for your speedy replies!!

I am off to see a paed on Thurs so may ask then if my asthma meds can be changed/increased so that it can be more under control. I don't have an asthma action plan, that may be something else I can discuss.

As to the Peak Flows, i didn't really used to take them but at the moment my best is about 250 and in the morning and when i don't feel too good they can be as low as 90! However, they do tend to get a bit better after a few puffs of my blue inhaler - by about 20/30. Is this about right or should it be a bit more?

I'm sorry you feel bad too Moschops! I do know what you mean, you go to the doctors and they give you a course of steroids, you feel better for a bit and you think things are looking up but once you're off them you're back to feeling tight! It's just never-ending!!!

Thank you again!

R xx

[Hidden]

Hi Rachel

go to peakflow.com and enter in your height and age and that should tell you what you should be expecting approximately to be getting. Its good that your salbutamol (blue) inhaler provides relief however it is concerning that your peakflow can become so low. Depending on what is normal for your age and height, an increase of 20-30 might be ok or it might not be adequate, certainly if it is peakflow of 90 pre-inhaler then an increase of 20-30 isn't adequate. There are various things to try which work in different ways so you need not settle at this stage for being symptomatic most of the time.

An action plan basically explains what you should do when your peakflow drops/an increase of symptoms so that could be when to begin increasing your reliever or preventor(if applicable). And don't forget to have a review at your GP's surgery.

simi

[Hidden]

Thank you Simi!!

I went onto the site and got my 'normal' reading, should be around 390. Am I right to assume that after I've taken my blue inhaler my peak flow should be back up to this?

Thank you!

R xx

[Hidden]

Hi Rachel,

When asthma is under adequate control, you should be able to get at least 70% of this figure which in your case works out to be about 270, however the expected peakflow value you were given on the website is an approximate guide as some people do get higher than what they are expected to get for their age and height this doesnt mean that they are symptom free it just means their personal best peak flow is different and therefore 70% or more of that personal best peakflow would be appropiate to base an action plan on. As your best peakflow at the moment is about 250, I'd say you should stick to the 390 target for now until you are assessed by your Paediatrician and reviewed by your GP, hopefully with the right combination of medications you should be able to be nearer this target and maybe find yourself getting higher than this.

After taking your blue inhaler your peakflow should increase but it varies in how much it will increase from person to person depending on how well controlled they were prior to needing to take their blue inhaler to relieve their symptoms, as at the moment your asthma appears to be fairly uncontrolled, I wouldn't worry too much that it hasnt shot up to 390 mark after taking your blue inhaler.

Peak flow shouldnt be relied on solely it is used in addition to help see what is going on, as people may still get reasonably well peakflows but be very symptomatic. Even if your peakflow might not say you are struggling with your symptoms it is still important to seek medical advice from your doctor.

Simi