a newbie with asthma as it seems!

[yaf_user681_6601]

anyway here the full story, 5 weeks ago i had a cold whic went to my chest and i had broncisis (sorry for spelling), but i been still getting coughing fits n tightness of chest, so decided enough is enough n went to docs on tues, and it seems that i have it (i know what its all about as my mum n my youngest bro have it!) so it seems its in the family. chest is clear which is good news!

anyway, i now have a appointment with asthma nurse on 29th march, am hoping to get proper medication as i have had a few attacks without anything and its frightening that i have had a few panic attacks as well, also been told to drink coke as caffine helps (dunno why wonders if someone could explain how?)

anyway i slightly need a bit of help at the minute, as tree pollen is causing my chest to be tight, and other usual symtoms as in nose,eyes and sore throat, i also been coughing badly in morning, mid afternoon and evening/night time, which causes my ribs on sides and back to really ache, apart from painkillers, is there another way to relieve the pain, or is it related to my chest?

Plus is there anyway to help me in regards to pollen on clothes ect?

i know you lot isnt doctors but some of you must have felt what i am at the min?

thanks xx

Rhian

[Annista]

Hi Rhian.

Are you taking antihistamines to help with the pollen? If you are, maybe change what you're using and if you're not, start taking some! If you remove the hayfever symptoms you'll probably feel less miserable.

It seems to me that you are having to wait for a long time to get some medication for your asthma - did you get a reliever to use in the meantime? If not, I think you should go back and ask for one, even if it is changed after you see the asthma nurse. The 29th isn't until Monday week for heavens sake - what are you supposed to do in the meantime?

As for the sore ribs, what I tend to do is moan lol. Seriously though, warmth sometimes helps so cuddle a hot water bottle, maybe have a soak in a warm bath (I like to take my book and a glass of wine with me - is that too much information?) or try some Deep Heat. I've found that all of those help sometimes, but other times I just need to resort to the co-codomol.

I hope this helps, but I'm sure that other people who have been using this forum for longer than I have will be able to offer a lot more ideas and information.

Keep well

xx

[Hidden]

HI Rhian,

I agree with Annista - if you can control the hayfever that would definitely help, and ask if you can try something before your appointment with the nurse (why so long? Is it your GP's asthma nurse?) They should at least have given you a reliever of some sort - I know the horrible feeling of waiting without medication, but in my case they did try things right away and they didn't work. There's no reason yet to think it wouldn't work for you, so go back and bug them for some antihistamines and an inhaler, say it's making your life difficult which it is.

Re the caffeine - you've really got me interested now so I googled it! Found some links which may be interesting, had never heard of this but perhaps I should be getting more caffeine while I wait for hospital appt

Here are just a few:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/107...

cosic.org/coffee-and-health...

ehow.co.uk/about_5394953_ca...

Good luck getting it sorted, let us know how you get on. xx

[Hidden]

note; caffeine works the same way as aminophylline, it has the same properties!

use aminophylline and caffeine in babies/ neonates to gain the same effect!

i point out - not for asthma obviously as they too young to have it...

x

[yaf_user681_6601]

thanks all, oh so thats intresting to find out why about the caffine! i had enough of the coughing all day so off i went again to see the doc and now have a reliver (salbutamol) and a spacer as i think it is called, and have to take that everywhere incase of a attack, i only just relised i only started taking my usual hayfever tablets last night and my bonconse nose spray this morning as i usually have it badly affected via my head/ears as i am also moderate/severe deaf, so my coughing isnt helpin my ears either! so i will be taking these again on a daily basis as i have hayfever for every single pollen out there and if that isnt hard enough i also get heat rash when it gets too hot, so that will be intresting to find out how that affects my chest in the summer!

i still have to see the asthma nurse on the 29th, which is good news i wanna have my chest better, but the coughing as it seems still rages on, and i did complain it did make my ribs hurt, i dont know whether my ribs at back and sides are a sign of a trigger or a sign that my chest is tight!

[Hidden]

Hi, I had similar symptoms to yours when I was first diagnosed about a month ago. I was coughing so much it hurt my ribs and back - couldn't go outside without having a coughing fit. All I can say is that it does get better once you get used to it and have the right inhalers. I haven't coughed much at all in the last few days, still getting symptoms but nowhere near as bad as before. I think my improvement is due to starting a preventer as well as using ventolin when needed - did the doctor mention anything about a preventer inhaler to you? I had to chart my peak flow for two weeks and when my doctor looked at it she said she thought a preventer would help. Maybe you could ask your asthma nurse about a preventer when you see her. Also you should probably get a prescription for a peak flow meter if you don't already have one.

I also had pretty bad hayfever last year although I have never seen anyone about it, last year just took antihistamine every day but it was wearing off and I was feeling awful all evening. I guess I should speak to someone about what I can do before the other pollens start kicking in - there is a sign in our surgery saying you should speak to the pharmacist about hayfever but not sure whether this is still the case if you have asthma as well.

[yaf_user681_6601]

spookymilo,

yea its best to get started with hayfever tablets and all that, otherwise the chest will get badly inflammed, as i seen from what my mum been suffering during the years.

yes i am hoping i will get a preventer and the peak flow montior, and the dairy so i can hopefully get better and get control of my chest, as i was hoping to go back to the gym and slowly lose weight again over a watchful eye of the intructor who not been yet told about this! i would also like to gain the strength up of my lungs again after this nasty cold that been attacking my poor chest!

[Annista]

I'm very interested in the caffene effect and I feel an experiment coming on. If chocolate covered coffee beans count, how many would I need to eat? lol

Keep well

xx

[yaf_user681_6601]

finally got the news!

hello all!

am back after so long! it's now official I been told that I have asthma, I knew I had it from symptoms I suffered!

I now gotta take the normal blue puffer (which is named below in prevoius comment) when I do have a attack, but I got to take a light brown puffer - clenil modulite morning and night, this is twice as strong as the blue version, with the spacer.

Am wondering any tips of how I know, when I get a full attack and what to do? - as in some people have symptoms that triggers the attack? as still new to know about such triggers.

thanks x