Hi/any advice?

Hi,

My name is Beth and I am 24 I live in Manchester with my guide dog Sandie.

I was diagnosed with asthma when I was eighteen after going to Paris and coming back being unable to speak and quite breathless from being allergic to the pollution. Since then I was given a brown inhaler and a blue inhaler and went from taking them in the summer and when I got chest infections to taking them all the time.

This August I went to Italy with my family and when I came back I had caught another virus from the plane. I was put on antibiotics and as my asthma wasn't clearing up I was put on steroids. I two or three more courses and they changed my inhalrer before I ended up in hospital for four days on four hourly nebulisers. I was waking up in the night not being able to breathe and I couldn't manage to walk more than a few paces it wa horrible. I had all my medication changed in hospital I got symbicourt instead of the inhaler they had put me on, nasonex spray for my nassal drip and they also gave me some breathing exercises to do.

Since I've been out of hospital my asthma has still be really unstable. I've been on steroids about four or five times since November and I've cought three horrible colds which have gone straight to my chest. My doctor added in singulair and it helped for a month before I got another virus.

I'm on my latest course of steroids, I've been on 40mg for five days and I'm starting to recuce them although I'm still coughing and needing to take my blue inhaler through the day and before I go to bed. I've had horrible side effects including huge bruises, having a period every week and feeling really depressed and tearful. As I'm still coughing and not right I'm not even sure if I should be reducing them but I want to get off them as quick as possible.

I keep getting confliucting advice from all the doctors in the surgery about how to come off steroids. The asthma nurse at the surgery told me how she felt guilty as she had put me on the wrong inhaler before I ended up in hospital and when i came out she took a photocopy of my asthma plan and thought it was fantastic so I've got little faith!

I've just managed to get a referal to the respiratory consultant but it obviously won't be for a few months until I got seen.

Does anyone have any advice about how I can help myself or what I should be doing?

Is there anything I should ask when I go to the hospital? I was thinking about asking for allergy testing as I have hayfever and I'm very sensitive to anything at the moment such as spray deoderant or perfume. I think she's worried I'll come back as being allergic to dogs as I don't really want to give up my guide dog as she's a huge part of my independence.

Sorry for rambling.

Beth

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Hi Beth and Sandie,

sorry you are having such a rough time at the moment, but welcome to AUK, there are lots of people here with lots of experience of asthma.

Don't have any advice as such, but it sounds as you are going through similar things to me, with asthma getting out of control, no one seeming to have ideas, and feeling that you are being passed around from pillar to post. Last summer, I was just on becotide and v occasionally using ventolin. Now, like you, on symbicort, singulair, nasonex, pred tablets... I'm lucky as dont seem to get yucky side effects from pred, and they really are the only thing that has been giving me stability over the last few months. And consultant has said he doesnt need to see me any more. Gulp!

Don't know about the allergy testing to be honest. I've had various tests at various times, half the time they conflict, other times they are inconclusive. I guess it cant help to get some done, then at least if there is a strong positive you know what you are dealing with (as long as it is not dog of course, then it may be best not to know!).

know this isnt much help, but rest assured you are not alone!

ali xxx