It started in January of this year. I had a cough with lots of mucus every single day. There was no cold that preceeded it or any other illness. I was coughing so much it affected my bladder and was making me vomit. Even food was triggering my episodes. Something too hot, too dry, too crunchy (ie: popcorn is a nightmare)....I found by drinking water and blowing my nose it helped to ease it a little..I always have a bad runny nose with the coughing episodes too. There was no wheezy or a chest crushing feeling.
Anyway, I went to my GP after 6 weeks who prescribed me with cough meds..nothing helped. Then 4 weeks later he gives me antibiotics suspecting an infection.
Nothing helped so in April after I get a cold and a slight wheeze (when lying down) develops he says he suspects it may be a touch of asthma and hayfever. He takes my peak flow which was 350, asks if allergies are in my family..I tell him my dad has always suffered with really bad hayfever and my brother developed hayfever in his late 20's. From there he prescribes me with ventolin, becotide and antihistomines with nasal spray...
I notice no help from these at first. Then as time went on I noticed the ventolin helped with my coughing attacks. But I was still coughing on and off throughout the day. The meds had improved my condition by about half. I went back to my GP in May who says books me an appt at a hospital respiritory unit for June.
In June at the hospital they ended my current meds and prescribe me symbicort (two puffs a day. Up to 7 a day if i needed), two x antihistimines a day, nasonex, and singulair. Plus I can use my ventolin if needed. These meds were prescibed just going by what I told them had been happening to me over the past few months..
I noticed my symptoms improved a further 25% over the next few months...The coughing fits had eased by about half and I was no longer waking at 5am EVERY single night coughing constantly.
So here I am its October (10 months on). I wont say the meds havent helped in some way because they have eased the coughing so it is not EVERY single day that I have the coughing attacks. Also I am no longer throwing up and only have the odd bladder incident. But I have days where I will cough at the littlest trigger.. Especially Dry foods, or even laughing. Also after exercise I have noticed I have a cough...I have little one off coughs throughout every day that produce mucus...Infact mucus is ALWAYS coughed up! I ALWAYS have a runny nose and itchy throat with the cough too.
I know the meds are helping in some way but I am never completely symptom free and I always have to carry a bottle of water with me when I leave my house to ease my itchy throat if it starts!
I have never had a wheeze, except for when I had a cold. There has never been a crushing feeling in my chest. Although, if I cough enough I do feel it difficult to inhale for a few minutes (have to really suck in hard) and cant talk until it subsides.
So I am interested to hear what people think. Do my symptoms sound like asthma??...I want to have faith in the Doctors but with me still having some symptoms, if not as bad it makes me wonder....