Hi Newbie, Adult onset Asthma, can someone Advise?

Over the last 4 months i have been suffering from a chronic cough and other issues including chest infection/throat infection/virus/increased nasal drip. These have been at different time but the dry cough has remained throughout.

Started December 2011, i had a cough that i couldnt budge, eventually i started to cough up green phlem and white bits, after a week or so i visitied the GP and said i thought i had a chest infection, he prescribed me with Amoxicillin.

Feb/ March, the Green Phlegm went but the chonic dry cough remained. This was worst in the evening and became more of a mucus cough in the day. My throat started to swell one day and after a week of pain i went back to the GP who confirmed a Throat Infection...i have had my tonsils and adnoids out as a child so not really prone to them.

March i experienced a Virus but have also had this increased mucus, yellow first thing in the morning then the rest of the day it remains thick and clear...i have had the cough ever since...

I went to the doctor 2 weeks ago and told him i was very sure i had a sinus infection that has been ongoing. i have had the usual for that, tingling face, moving headaches, dizziness and had blocked ears for 4 weeks where mucas had been coughed into the E-Tubes.

1. He looked up my nose and said there were no polyps

2. He said my nostrils look a bit narrow/swollen- I dont understand what this can mean

3. He asked if i ever had a temp, which i dont

He has suggested allergy and had put me on Beconase nasal spray which is making no improvement at all.

I have coughing fits sometimes where i end up vomiting, the cough wakes me up at night..it is def a dry cough...I have had pains in my chest and body which i presume is from this and also headaches.....

Sometimes i feel like i can't get enough air into my lungs. I dont know if this cough has caused some damage, but the allergy medication isnt helping

im 27, female, 2 children, smoker.

Im at my wits end, should i suggest this to my doctor? I am writing this and still feel breathless...I dont have any wheezing as such, but it can be present on occasions after a coughing fit...

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definitely go back to the doctors, you may need to see a specialist at your local hospital - have you had any more recent xrays or scans to check no further infections? Does it go any worse when you're walking etc? xxJaney xxx

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Hi

Many thanks for your reply...

This is the thing, all of this time with these symptoms, the GP has not ordered any tests or X-Rays...Seems like i get thrown medication time after time. The only thing i have been offered is a FBC which shows as normal.

The constant mucus is getting me down...if it is a sinus related proplem due to allergies then maybe could be Rhinitis...I dont want my lungs to endure any damage from the constant coughing.

Can you recommend any checks that i should ask the GP to do whilst in his office that could provide results to push for a hospital check?

Emma x

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Hi,

I'm new to this myself so don't know a great deal but your experience sounds a lot like mine (despite the large age gap).

You might read my plea for help on the Medical forum and the great advice I got from others there. I would have thought your GP should have ordered a chest x ray and spirometry as basic first steps.

Hope this helps

Widare

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Hi

Thank you for your ,message I will check this out....

In a way I hope it turns out to be Asthma, not because it's ideal but at least I will know what's wrong...the clear phlegm is really bad today but I'm remaining in the house...maybe a trigger in here somewhere.

I just want to get better, so I think I will book another appointment with him.

The only thing that's scares me is I read with Asthma there's a nocturnal version where it's worse at night and is it true you can pass away from this?

Asked before if worse when walking, I would say it's the same maybe slighty worse but after a long walk I end up getting tension like headache pain and feel off balance if that makes sense.

Emma

X

[Annista]

Hi WantAnswers.

Sorry to hear that you're having such a bad time. One piece of advice that you really aren't going to want to hear is - give up smoking. Whatever is causing your symptoms the smoking isn't going to help at all. I'm not going to tell you it's easy, because it isn't. I smoked as a teenager and stopped when my lungs started to collect mucus all day so that I could stay awake all night coughing it all up - maybe too much info there, sorry. Anyway, stopping somking made a lot of difference to me and it might help you as well.

Good luck

[angievere]

Hi, sorry to hear about your problems. Re. the cough. Have you tried a cough linctus? Our GP prescribed Pholcodine for my teenage son who had a persistant dry cough for a long time. It really helped him and two years on he still takes it occasionally.You can buy it over the counter so dont need a prescription.

You mentioned the doctor said your nostrils were swollen and thin. This could well be a symptom of rhinitis, but it would probably have to be confirmed/diagnosed by an ENT consultant. My son had what appeared to be a non stop cold - streaming nose, sneezing and headaches. It was really debilitating combined with his bad asthma. I had to push for a referral to ENT but when he was seen, rhinitis was confirmed. This was treated with 2 lots of anithistamines and nasal spray Avamys. Avamys was wonderful - we are lucky that our nice GP agreed to prescribe it, as I have heard of GPs refusing to prescribe it because of the expense.

Certainly giving up smoking would help. Apart from that I think you have to keep going back to GP for help. Good luck and I hope things improve for you.

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Hi, sorry I can't help with the main problem except to agree you need to go back to GP - and if you weren't sure the first one was very helpful you could try another one in the practice?

Just wanted to reassure you re the nocturnal symptoms thing: I think the reason you'll have seen that associated with increased mortality from asthma is that it's a sign that asthma is not controlled and uncontrolled asthma is associated with higher risk of a serious or fatal attack - however pretty much anyone with poor control is likely to have problems with asthma at night; just pay attention to symptoms and get help promptly if you ever feel you really need it. I have night symptoms a lot and my consultant has assured me I am very unlikely to expire from asthma - which is always nice to know though actually it hadn't really crossed my mind at all; he seemed to think that when I get symptoms I'm really just panicking about dying.

Anyway...really hope you get somewhere soon and feel better!