Fed up!! It's time to double!

I am thorougly fed up of not being able to breathe properly!!!!!

A thought occurred to me tonight - how am i supposed to have any hope of control when i'm now on half the dose that didn't control me before!!!I know the theory is that the particles in the new inhaler are ""superfine"" so more gets in and you need less but it's not working with me!!

3 times in the last 4 days my asthma has kicked off randomly without any provocation!

and it comes to something when you can't even breathe enough for a piano lesson I had to take my inhaler part-way through and a few times Helen (my teacher) asked was i ok, she also commented at the end ""you're defintely not yourself""

i've now been on the reduced dose for slightly over 2 weeks and REALLY feling it

i've decided the nurse's ""2-3 weeks"" is over and i'm doubling the Fostair!!!

sorry to rant but i either want to rant or cry - or maybe both!

I nearly broke down in my lesson, not that that would've been unusual but normally it's as a result of frustration at not being able to play something, not at not being able to breathe!

[Janna123]

Hope you're ok

I've been the same recently. I was so annoyed with myself today having to get the lift to lectures. I always take the stairs, even when I'm on the 15th floor! There must be something in the air.

I have realised today that part of the problem is the counter has broken on my preventer so I may have been using an increased amount of an empty inhaler, oops!

I'm kind of game that my gym key is broken since that means I can blame lack of key for not being able to go to the gym rather than asthma!

Stupid lungs!

Sending sympathy your way

[Hidden]

Thanks Rachel, today's been rubbish asthma-wise and i'vr got to go out and play my flute for a couple of hours soon - this'll be fun!!

I've doubled the Fostair as of this morning but obviously i'll need to give it time to work.

My inhalers don't have counters on them so i created my own recording method - with a sharpie pen i put a dot on the front of the case for every 2 puffs used and then join 4 dots to make a small line to show 10 puffs - principles of a tally chart. It works for me. I also write the date i started it on the canister. It's very useful but also a bit scary being able to see exactly how much i'm using in a short space of time

Hope you feel better soon too

[Hidden]

arrgghhh!!!!!! At least it doesn't take energy / breath to scream on here LOL

I guess i shouldn't have gone to running club tonight but one of my friends said she was going to join us for the first time tonight so i went for her sake really - and then she didn't turn up!!!!!!!

Well i joined the 3 miles group which is my normal distance (and actually the shortest tonight cos we had no newbies / beginners)

I didn't even manage 2 miles before my asthma kicked off and i had to be walked home by one of the leaders. The lady walking with me offered to run back to the leisure centre for her car to get me back but i still had a modicum of stubborn-ness and said i was ok to walk (well, at that point i shook my head at her offer cos i couldn't speak). When the front leader of our group realised she'd lost us the group turned back and when we'd been found again she actually did run back for her car but missed us cos she only found us when we were practically back.

I'd taken 4 puffs of blue while we were walking back then 2 puffs of Fostair but it's still not fully settled, feels like it'll take all day tomorrow as well to fully recover

Ah well, just felt like i needed to vent

[Janna123]

Aww jinglfairy, vent away!

We seem to be mirroring each other at the moment! I spent all day today running round carrying heavy things and am now suffering as a result. I've decided to call it a night and try and sleep. My inhaler is curled up next to me st the moment haha, kind of like a safety blanket!

It's really annoying me at the moment. I'm so tired but can't sleep because of stupid lungs. Fortunately most of my uni work this week is self directed so I can have little naps! I've given up on Pilates today, really want to run tomorrow but I'm not sure its a good idea. I might borrow my flatmates gym key and have a little jog on a treadmill.

[Hidden]

i hope your dreadmill session went ok (not a typo) LOL

It's good to talk to people who really understand

I'm not aware of having woken up due to asthma last night but i'm so tired i reckon it might be a distinct possibility, especially as when i did get up my lungs were very grumpy! Early night tonight i think. I've spent the day coughing and puffing on my inhaler. Normally on a thursday i do 80 lengths of the pool including 16 fast lengths but today i just did 64 slow lengths which set me off again, and that included about 10 minutes chatting to my mate LOL

My asthma cough actually turned out to be useful today LOL I'm known at the baths cos usually on a sunday i go for a run before going swimming so when i get into the leisure centre i'm usually coughing and people know it's me - to the point they say hello to me while i'm actually inside my cubicle. Anyway, today as i was going back to my locker after my shower Siobhan (one of the lifeguards) must've heard me coughing and i heard her ""Emma!!! Have you got an inhaler there? Do you mind if i have a puff?"" She said she'd left hers at another pool where she works. She said she felt her chest going bad then realised she didn't have her inhaler and then was getting herself in a tizz and getting worse cos she was panicking a bit. My cough must've been one of the best sounds she heard today LOL

[Janna123]

I never made it to the dreadmill ( I love that name btw!) I had to run into town which took ages, then we christmas-ified the flat. Our theory was that since we leave mid-december it's now time to decorate I'm not really sure what happened to the time after that! I'm safe for the weekend too since my key fob still won't let me in and my flatmate with a working key isn't back until monday! I really want to go running but walking in the cold set me off today, so I might have to hope it warms up a bit. Until then, I'll annoy the person in the room below by working out in my room.

I didn't think it was an issue, but like you I am really tired and then a flatmate asked me if I was ok because I was coughing all night every night (must have been annoying for her!). I think I might have woken up to use my inhaler but not been awake enough for it to register. I'm more aware of it now, not sure if that's good or not! I think the chatting still counts, you we're in the pool after all I haven't been swimming for ages, but now you've said that I really want to go!

Well, asthma can be useful haha! She's lucky you were there!

Let's hope tomorrow is an improvement! I've started thinking about making a visit to the nurse, although all she'll do is tell me to increase my inhalers, which I've done, so I'm not sure how much use she'll be.

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Dreadmill wasn't my idea LOL I'm on a couple of facebook running discussion boards and it was the guys on one of them 'proper' runners don't like the treadmill but sometimes find it a necessary evil hence Dreadmill

I'm not going back to the nurse yet - she told me i could double the Fostair after 2-3 weeks and i have to go back and see her in December regardless of whether things have gone well or not. Well, i doubled it yesterday so obviously i have to give it chance to work. I'll also continue my peak flow and symptoms diary despite how dismissive she was about it last time i was there.

I'm going to my dancing tomorrow, at least it's indoors and i can start / stop as and when necessary. Last Saturday my asthma kicked off at dancing and even though it was suppsed to be a group lesson i was the only one dancing at that point cos the only other person was sitting out for a while cos she's got an injury that was hurting her. It was a brilliant lesson hahaha

[Janna123]

I'm so annoyed, just failed to complete 15 mins of cardio. I usually manage at least an hour a night. It's so frustrating because I really want to carry on, but my lungs are just there like 'no, that's not happening'

I haven't seen anyone since april I think. I don't even know if I've increased right- last time the nurse told me to increase it before going to them but never told me how, so I'm just doing what she told me ages ago! I should really have asked, but I wasn't thinking at the time! I've given up with pf for her, she's very much of the opinion that if it's over 400 it's fine, despite having a note on there from one of the doctors saying that, as I do a lot of sport, 400 is too low for me!

Good luck with the dancing lesson, I'm going venue viewing for a graduation ball venue not much exercise involved there at least!

[Hidden]

Ohh that sounds like a nice day for you tomorrow

I saw the nurse in October, usually i only go once a year around October so that they can tick their box to say they've seen me and she can give me the flu jab. Sadly this year my asthma has gone downhill so she's changed me from preventer & reliever to combination & reliever - not that it's done any good!

I've been talking to my physio about what the nurse has done cos she's asthmatic herself and is also trained in asthma management and she reckons the nurse has made a mess of my meds Oh well, let's see what happens over the next few weeks

If things are still bad when i'm due to goback to the nurse i'll consult Laura (physio) and see what she recommends so i can mention it to the nurse LOL

[Janna123]

How was the dancing jinglfairy?

I've worked out that I'm worse after 4pm. Not sure why that makes a difference but anyway it's a start! I also have a combination inhaler, I use Symbicort. It worked amazingly at first but the increase hasn't helped at all yet which is annoying. Don't know how I ever managed without it!

I don't really know anyone with asthma, which is why I tend to ask a lot on here! I need people to talk to!

The nurse I see can't do anything with meds other than say increse/ decrease. She can't do auscultation either. It's really annoying because I know if I see her there's nothing she can do except refer me to the doctors, but I feel like if I don't see her for the referral they won't be happy to see me. I'm never sure who to see so usually put it off, oops

[Hidden]

happily, i'd actually felt quite well most of the day yesterday so i was feeling quite confident about my dancing lesson but i didn't risk not taking my inhaler beforehand. I did have a period when i was really well and i only needed my inhaler for running, now i seem to need it for everything except walking. Even though i had taken the inhaler before the lesson i still ended up coughing pretty badly I did joke with my teacher if i do have to put paid to good breathing then there's no better way to do it than a tap dancing lesson hahaha She knows me well by now (been going about 8/9 years) and can tell when i'm struggling even if i'm not particularly coughing.

I then went to a friend's house for the evening and at one point she told me a really funny story which set me off laughing and sent me into a coughing fit / asthma attack - oops LOL

It's hard to think now i used to be highly embarrassed and try to hide the asthma / inhaler from everyone!

I actually know quite a lot of people with asthma but most people don't seem to really want to talk about it and i think mine seems to be worse than most people i know. One of my friends is lucky enough to only have a blue inhaler she uses occasionally - to the point she realised the other day it was nearly 2 years out of date!!!

It's good you've worked out at least a partial pattern to your asthma. Laura (my asthmatic physio LOL) told me to keep a peak flow / symptoms diary to see if i could work out any patterns / triggers - maybe you could do the same, this is the one i use & it's really easy harvardpilgrim.org/pls/port...

My nurse is useful in that she can prescribe but she has to get a doctor to sign it, when i changed to the Fostair nearly 3 weeks ago i saw her on the thursday morning but couldn't collect the prescription till after 4pm

I've never tried symbicort - that's dry powder isn't it? I had dry powder years ago but didn't realy like it. I've also heard of the symbicort SMART regime where you use it for both preventer and reliever purposes but that would be no good to me cos my reliever is often in a sweaty pocket or on the poolside so it gets wet!

[Janna123]

I never dare to do exercise without my inhaler any more, I'm never sure whether I genuinely need it or just panic if I know I've not used it! I've started using it before pilates now too to help me do more advanced workouts. I tried a ladder workout last night, nearly killed me but judging by how sore I am it must be an amazing workout!

Oh dear, no watching comedy shows then! Must have been a great story.

I still haven't got past the stage of embarrassment except for with my closest friends. Everyone just seems to panic too much when they see me use it so I just sneak into a corner lol.

2 years?! I don't think my relievers make it over the 2 month mark that often!

I used to keep a pf diary years ago but pf is useless as a measure for me so I stopped. I might try it again, I think I still have the book they gave me. If I can remember to keep doing it that is! That's a really useful link, thanks! I'll try and use it (or stick it into the middle of my mirror so I can't avoid it!)

It is a dry power combination of budesonide and formoterol (or something along those lines!) I don't use the SMART regime, the nurse mentioned that I could read up on it and try it if I wanted but I thought it might be better to stick to what the doctor had told me, not just do it by what a website says!

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I know what you mean about thinking ""do i need the inhaler cos i've not used it before i start"" i ALWAYS use it before running but i never used to particularly bother before swimming or dancing - both of which i can stop / start if necessary and makes no difference, obviously if i'm out running i could be 1 / 2 miles away from my start / finish point and have to get back somehow. At the moment my asthma feels so unstable i'll use it before any exercise but sadly i often need it during / after as well

What is a ladder workout? I presume it's something specific to pilates but i've never heard of it.

PF is also a rather pointless measure for me cos i do lots of sport and have been a flute player for 20+ years. I reckon i've got pretty good breath control and i can get a high PF reading even when i feel rotten - i just end up coughing loads after i've done it! I still keep a record of it but i make notes as to whether the PF blow was accompanied by a wheeze / coughing.

I'm well past the embarrassment stage now, i'll use the inaler wherever / whenever i need it and usually unless i'm struggling to the point it's blatantly obvious to anyone no-one says anything. I have just one exception when i won't use my inhaler - i'm a music teacher and if AT ALL possible i won't use it while there are pupils around, i'm not sure why i feel that way but there it is LOL A few of my pupils know i'm asthmatic, my inhaler fell out of my bag the other day but i only had one yr13 pupil with me who i've taught since she was yr7 so i wasn't too bothered. In the same school the classroom music teacher commented on my cough, she said something about having a cold and i said it wasn't, it's asthma and there were 2 pupils in the room. Even though they know about it i still think i'd try to avoid actually taking the inhaler in front of them.

[twinkly29]

I sort of feel I shouldn't use my inhaler at school (teach Reception. Incidentally, didn't realise til I read this that you are a teacher!), well not 'not use it' but in front of children, but I do. Usually do it discretely but when it comes to grabbing it out my bag before going outside, for example, someone always wants to know what it is (usually the same child lol!) Last year I had a very asthmatic boy in my class so I said it was like his puffer. Know what you mean about being self conscious though.

I use Symbicort SMART. It's much better for me as a reliever than ventolin ever was/is.

[Janna123]

Ladder workouts are pure evil but very fun! Basically there re 4/5/6 different exercises and you go through them all spending a minute on each one, then go through them all again but only 40 seconds each, and then for a third time of only 20 seconds. Kind of like HIIT workouts.

I'm not sure I will make it past that stage, I got a weird look today from a lecturer because I had to use it before a lecture started (I took the stairs, big mistake!) I was in a medical genetics lecture too, she must have known about asthma!

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Hi twinkly, what is it with us LOL I can't decide whether i feel it's like showing weakness or if it's just a bit of my life i don't want them to know about. When i first started teaching i was VERY protective of my privacy, wouldn't tell them where i live / what car i drive / who i live with. Now I'm a bit more relaxed, quite happy to tell them about my car and little bits about other things in my life.

Rachel, are you sure it was a weird look from your lecturer - maybe concern?

Can't decide whether i fancy the idea of ladder workouts LOL

[Hidden]

Thanks for the timely advice about the PF PDF, as I am just coming to the end of my old book. I am not sure that I want to continue recording it though, as it is just depressingly low at the moment, and it seems to be the primary coughing trigger (!) at the moment, that and the combination inhaler taken alongside. But it is useful for instance to compare symptoms now to this time last year and so I do see the point of keeping a record.

[Hidden]

Ohhh i never even thought about that - i've only been recording mine for a few months so can't do any comparison like that but soon i might be able to compare results before and after starting the Fostair

[Janna123]

It was definitely a weird look, she isn't one for concern! Someone once tried to run out of a lecture because they felt very ill (as in about to throw up!) and she told them to sit down and pay attention!

Ladders are great try one, you'll love it haha. It's amazing how dead it can make you feel in just 10 mins. The blogilates fat burning ladder on youtube is an easy one to start with.

[Hidden]

She sounds like a horrible lecturer!! Did the person actually go out or did they just throw up in the lecture - would've served her right if they did!!

How are you today?

I've been to my running group tonight, when i got there loads of people asked how i was after last week but i've actually felt pretty good today, not needed my inhaler at all up to that point - yaay!

I managed to stay with the group tonight (well, more or less anyway) but it was hard work. We were supposed to be doing 3 miles but ended up doing 3.7! Every so often we stop to re-group and the stop at the 2 mile point was inhaler stop - not just for me but another lady as well hahaha - AND we'd both taken our inhalers before we started!!!

I'm now in major coughing mode and my mum commented ""well the new inhaler doesn't seem to be working!""

Another one of the ladies in our group is also asthmatic (not the one who had her inhaler at mile 2) and she was saying she saw her asthma nurse yesterday who said if you're on the right medication you shouldn't have any symptoms on a regular basis so she thinks maybe i should be changing medication again when i see the nurse in December.

[Janna123]

They ran out and ignored her. She threatened to report them for disruptive behaviour, however she must have realised that it wouldn't have reflected well on her since she 'let them off' in the end. Such a charming women!

I think I'm improving. I haven't been taking double for the past few days since I can't order a new inhaler for another few weeks and don't want to run out. However, today my chest has been aching like I've been breathing in weird ways for a while, so I'm either breathing normally or just completely broken! I've also not been feeling well in general so maybe I'm just full of viruses and that's why my lungs are refusing to work. I'm so tired at the moment, I can sleep for 10 hours, wake up and want to just sleep for another 10, but I think that's just because I'm in my final year rather than asthma! Will be glad when it all calms down though!

At least you had a friend to keep you company with the inhaler stops! I've been telling my nurse that for over a year, she doesn't want to listen at all. It's rather annoying. You should all form a little asthmatic running group

[Hidden]

I will be ordering new inhalers before they expect it and i hope it doesn't pop up on their computer and say i can't have them! If that does happen I may have to try and get a doctor appointment cos you have to ring on the day for them - none in advance.

How come you can't order for a few weeks? I'm only thinking they might refuse mine cos it's new and i was told to go in and see them for a review, i do know in the past i've ordered early and not had a problem.

I went into my physio's office today (didn't have an appointment, i'd collected her santa suit for santa dash for her and took it in). Jenny, the girl on the desk is also asthmatic and she said Laura would be finished with her patient soon so i was waiting and chatting - and coughing!! I knew last night's run was hard work but i hadn't realised just quite HOW hard!

It practically is an asthmatic running group LOL There were at least 4 of us there last night and i think there's at least another 2 ladies who come some weeks but not all

Jenny was having a go at me about my cough cos almost every single time i've gone in i've been coughing cos i see them on a thursday when i've been running on wednesday night then done 80 lengths of the pool immediately before i go. I was trying to justify this to Jenny saying it's not always a permanent cough but as she said ""it's been every single week for the past 2 months!"" She said go to the doctor rather than the nurse cos ""nurses are rubbish!"" LOL Apparently her nurse had told her off for having too many antibiotics and when she said something to the doctor about this he went mad!

I do have to go back in December but that's supposed to be the nurse, and it's actually easier to get a nurse appointment than doctor. hmmm decisions decisions

[Janna123]

I've just managed to order new ones,as soon as it popped up I did it! I order mine online, so it doesn't allow them to be renewed until a few weeks before. I don't think they even accept them in person so the only alternative would be to see a doctor and ask for another one, which seem like a huge waste of time! Fortunately I should have enough of this old one to last me until wednesday.Even the reliever works in that way, which I really don't think is a good idea! It is easy to get appointments with the doctors though, it's all online and they allow you to book appointments for that day. I've never had to wait to see one. The nurse is harder to get since she only works 3 days a week!

I really struggled on my way back from town today, it's only a 5-10 min walk. Not sure why I found it so hard! Good news is that I found a new yoga mat in the sales so that's my evening planned Only £4 for a USA Pro mat!

You sound like quite an amusing bunch there, all having a chat about asthma!

What did you decide on in the end?

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I think i could do stuff online if i knew my access details, need to get them from the surgery. I can order repeats by email which is what i'll do. I'll ring the surgery tomorrow and book to see the nurse at the end of december as i planned on originally.

I thought i was just starting to get some control and i've started with a cold today!!! It's not TOO bad at the moment although someone i talk to sometimes picked up on it straight away. I sniffled & coughed through my piano lesson, ho hum

Did you have a good yoga session?

[Janna123]

It took me ages to access things online. They kept issuing me with a one use password, but when I went in to change it the system wouldn't register the change so I'd be locked out! No one had a clue what was going on but the receptionist got angry with the computer and now it works. Proof that machines understand us!

Aww no! Hope the cold goes quickly. I find shopping is an effective cure for colds.

I ran out of time last night to use the mat, unfortunately I had to prioritise revising for an exam I made up for it today though with an hour and a half of pilates, a ladder and a HIIT. I'm pretty much dead but it felt so good to be back into proper exercise and not just 10 mins when I had time. So far I haven't need my inhaler (other than using it before I started) so hopefully things are looking up!

[Hidden]

Ohh that's good news that you didn't need your inhaler - especially as your workout sounds really tough

I'm pleased the receptionist got angry with the computer rather than you LOL

Funny enough, i have been shopping today - bought a couple of christmas presents and i've got a load more in my amazon basket - just need to summon the courage to press 'pay' LOL

So far this cold is just being annoying and weird. It was quite bad this morning then went away for most of the day (which is good for while i was at work) and now it's night-time the snuffles have come back. And while i'm in moany mood (LOL) i've also got a sore neck, woke up with it so i think i must've slept awkward ggrrr

On a positive note though my cold hasn't found it's way to my chest yet, and i've just realised i've not needed my inhaler today either, though i've also not done any exercise today.