Newbie...not knowing where to turn next

Hey everyone,

I'm new here but thought it would be great to get some additonal advice!

To put you breifly in the picture; I have suffered asthma mostly all my life. I say suffer but i've not had any bother with my asthma since I was a teenager...until now! Since about may/june I feel my asthma has slowly been worsening causing me be off work more than once a month - the first time ive been off in 8 years!

At least every 2nd-3rd day I have an increased narrow chest sensation sometime increased breathlessness. When it gets really bad I have had to atted a&e for nebulisors and go on steriod tablets for a few days. Its now effecting everything, I have difficulty sleeping as lying down can make it worse, showering can be a problem - I try to shower with the glass door open to let some of the air out even if it is a cooler shower.

What i've done so far;

Attending my asthma clinic/nurse regularly (however to be honest I don't feel i'm getting far),

Increasing my preventer on weeks I feel very bad,

keeping a regular peak flow diary,

seen a physio for breathing exercises (which have helped slightly so i'm please with that however it does not slove the problem completly)

tried my own self care methods i.e propping up my mattress at night, having an ice pole etc,

gentle exercise

My symptoms don't seem to be improving and I was wondering if any one had any advice on the next step I should be taking?

Thanks

[Hidden]

Hello JB,

I am sorry you are experiencing such discomfort and worry. I have also recently experienced a worsening of my asthma (last year) having also not had too much trouble since diagnosis earlier in life. There seemed to be a perfect storm of factors combining to affect mine, such as the cold winter of 2013 in an often unheated house, and a deeply stressful couple of years causing very bad acid reflux, and perhaps even the menopause. I was referred to a consultant as my symptoms were so persistent, mainly I think to rule out anything else, which so far is the case according to tests, and most recently he has suggested that the combination of my post-nasal drip and my acid reflux, the reflux in particular, are keeping my lungs irritated and inflamed, and so now we are going to try tackle the reflux with some vigour and see if we can calm it down, and have been advised that might take a while, several months at least.

I am not sure if you can identify any specific triggers or conditions that might be behind yours, and perhaps it is better to discuss with a doctor rather than the nurse (my asthma nurse always refers more difficult or worsening cases onto the doctor), or indeed whether you need referred to a consultant as you have been so regularly to A&E recently. I am not best placed to advise as this is all so new to me as well, but it does sound as if your nurse is not helping you at all, and that you need to see a doctor at least.

I hope it starts to calm down for you soon.

[Hidden]

Thanks Winnie for your advice. After reading about your experience maybe it would be worth investigating if something else is going on to cause this, like you say a trigger. I think I will make an appointment with the dr now regarding it then as I was not sure if I had to be reffered to the dr by the asthma nurse!

Thanks for all your help hope you keep well xxx