PETRIFIED poss newby awaiting diagnosis HELP

Help I feel totally overwhelmed! have had chest infection for 4-6 weeks (kept coming back) and last sun morning coughed and vomited and sort of went into spasm, couldnt breath - got ambulance to A&E who said chest infection may have brought on asthma (I am 50 in march and never had so much of a wheeze, cough or anything before although i have eczema which I know is linked). I had 3 nebs (been reading the forum and picked up the speak already!!) in A&E and given prednisalone, upped antibiotics and blue inhaler and sent home. have now been off work for 2 weeks - back to gp today and got a brown (preventer) inhaler - i am still coughing, should I be using blue one regularly during day or just in bad coughing fits - am starting brown one tonight and tomorrow am, finish pred tomorrow - the nights are awful, cant sleep for cough and am panicking as I dont want another episode like sunday I was PETRIFIED. Also getting a lot of mucus in my throat at night/morning and it makes me feel sick and cough. I have found this website today and learnt more in 2 hours than the drs told me so thanks everybody for that but does the panicking stop, I feel like I'm lost, and nothing is going to be the same. Help.

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Hi JackieP, I am a newbie too. My diagnosis was made last Friday after them initially thinking I had a blood clot in December! I too have a brown inhaler and a blue inhaler, I am having the brown one twice a day, two puffs each time, and my peak flow rate is now coming up and being more consistent. I only use the blue one when I need it, so if you feel short of breath use it.

You should have a peak flow meter and be using it morning and night to plot a chart of how good your lungs are functioning, if not ask your Doc about one. I had to give it to the Doc and then the Asthma Nurse and they could tell from the readings that it was asthma.

Hope you get on ok, I am determined not to be beaten by this too!

Ali

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Hi Jackie

I can't say that you'll never panic or be petrified again BUT if you get it under control via the docs/nurse and follow their advice it should come under beter control. If like another poster said you keep a peak flow chart you'll also know when to increase meds etc to avoid something similar...

There will always be the chance, however, usually for no identifiable reason, that you could have a repeat BUT doing the abov atleast should limit this!

Many people with asthma never end up in hospital, nor need anyything stronger than a couple of puffs on their blue inhaler....you may turn out to be one of them if this is your first experience! So try not to fret now, this won't help you out! Let the meds work and take it from there...

Good luckl!

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hi Jackie,

Just to add my two penn'orth - although lots of people with very severe asthma post on these boards, in fact about 95% of people with asthma can get it under very good control with standard medication - quite often with a brown inhaler and a blue inhaler, but there are plenty of medications that can be added if that doesn't work.

Try not to panic, your recent scary experience may well be a one-off triggered by a nasty chest infection, and be prevented in the future by peak flow monitoring and appropriate medication.

Do keep us posted, and feel free to ask questions

all the best

EJ

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hi, thanks for your replies. how do you get to sleep at night - i have about 5 pillows and have to lay there sitting up but I cant really sleep. also keep filling up with mucus in throat and that starts the coughing/retching, any tips on that please - is that diet related at all? lastly (for now!) - re the blue inhaler, i am confused as instructions say to use every 4hrs no more than 8 puffs a day - i had 2 puffs at 3pm (breathless) then 2 more at 6.30 (tight chest and breathless), it seems to take about 1 hr to work although sometimes i seem more breathless immediately after, is this normal? i not quite sure what is considered ""take as necessary"". its all very confusing. any help would be appreciated.

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Technically ""as needed"" is ""as needed"" but if you take more than 8 puffs a day - you are likely to be a bit shaky!

If you aren't sleeping or are needing that much ventolin a day - your asthma isn't really under control.

Anyone correct me if I'm wrong!

[Burghy]

I have learned to handle the panic get up and sit for a while then think of nice things talk yourself out of it good luck xx