Asthma or allergy

[Brenviking]

Hello - this is my first post.

Up until 12 months ago I was in good health. One day I noticed my nose dripped for no reason - I was of good fitness, running and kickboxing, however doing press ups etc became an issue as my nose would drip everywhere.

Then I noticed I could'nt run properly anymore - I had issues with my breathing which just got worse. I put up with it until October 2015, by this time I was coughing up clear sputum through the night as well. I was given various meds, including prednisilone, which restored some normality for a while.

A referral to an ENT specialist confirmed my sinuses were inflamed ( I have had sinus problems for years), a blood test showed I had an allergy, but not in relation to pollen/ pets / dust.

As I could not keep taking prednisilone I ended up taking symbicort which has been the most successful of the inhalers, but not as good as the pred.

I have had more blood taken since and I am awaiting the results - the doctors believe I have asthma but I am not sure - around the time this started I cleaned black mould from my dining room ceiling - I am wondering if this is the cause of my problems?

Sadly I cannot run like I used to - I do not have the coughing or tightness of the chest associated with asthma, it feels like my lungs have shrunk and have very little capacity.

Has anybody else suffered like this?

[Minushabens]

It sounds like asthma, especially if the inhaler has worked but there are a range of lung conditions that are close but not quite the same. It would be useful to find out what you're allergic to as that might be an asthma trigger.

Mould is a terrible thing. On top of asthma I suffer with ABPA which is compounded by asthma-related lung scarring. Healthy lungs can generally deal with aspergillus bacteria but if you have an allergy it's unpleasant. It might not be that but I wouldn't rule it out. The blood tests ought to show that up anyway. Have you had sputum samples done as well & if so did they show anything?

Have you been taking peak flow readings? If not it's worth starting (you can get a meter at Boots for about a fiver) & seeing how you compare to the norm for your age/height. If there's a discrepancy then your surgery might be prepared to book a spirometry test that might build up some clues about what's going on.

[Brenviking in reply to Minushabens]

Had spirometry done - I am waiting for the results of further blood tests. I did a peak flow test yesterday - I blew 610. However, when I am running it feels like my lungs are not doing anything - imagine running holding your breath. I find I am having to run with a mask as cold weather causes my nose to run and chest to go tight.

[Minushabens in reply to Brenviking]

Did the spirometry take readings before & after taking an inhaler? If so what were the readings?

PF readings are linked to age & height so you need to use a chart (just Google it) to check where that sits relative to where you should be.

If your PF is OK, inhalers aren't altering it, etc. then you probably need to keep pushing on the blood tests, plus maybe x-ray/CT scan to see if anything else shows up.

[Brenviking in reply to Minushabens]

I am a 43 year old male - 5'11 and 13 stone. My peak flow is there or there about with an inhaler - without it you are looking around the 550 mark. I have never smoked

What I will say is this - as well as the mould I was going through an extremely stressful time at work - I do think that this is in someway responsible.

[Minushabens in reply to Brenviking]

I can only comment on my own experience & stress is a major trigger for me...almost always guaranteed to set me off tight chested.

I read recently that stress causes a contraction of the left ventricle of the heart (or something along those lines...I forget the precise detail) so there's no doubt it hits your wellbeing hard.

You have therefore a stress issue, a mould issue and evidence that inhalers improve your PF, so asthma is clearly right up there as a possibility. Atopic asthma is the most common type and is allergy-driven.

[Sunny-day]

Hi there, I had a similar experience, 18 months ago my nose nose started to drip a waterery fluid; then developed into flu-like symptoms such as heavy mucus, cough, fever, nasal infections, coughing and then breathlessness, tight chest. Treatment by GP, several visits to A&E and a hospital admission, with a diagnosis of respiratory failure. Was referred to ENT and Chest clinic, had CT scan on sinuses and chest. Now have a diagnosis of difficult asthma and blocked sinuses. I am told that Rhinitis is linked to Asthma: airways in chest and nasal airways are part of the same system. To manage the nasal problems I use an irrigation system: Neilmeds and Neilmeds saline. This keeps the infections at bay, washes out any particles such as dust and pollen and soothes the soreness.

[Hidden]

I am extremely sensitive to that black mould it gives me a very bad asthma attack, I have no idea if it is the cause of your problems but its possible.

[xara]

Personally I've had very light asthma for many years but nothing that caused me any concern - I would normally only use Clenil becclomethasone once or twice a day and not even every day. That was until Dec last year when I went to stay in Brazil for a month. The house in which I was staying had not been lived in for quite a few months and thus was full of dust and MOULD. After a couple of days, I was feeling so bad in the breathing department that I was finding difficulty walking - and I'm someone who would do exercise with a personal trainer nearly every week.

I saw a pneumonologist when I was there who told me I had an allergy accesserbated by MOULD. That was about 3 months ago. I am still on much increased medication and the asthma has in turn, brought on stress, which I have also never suffered from before, which in turn doesn't help the asthma.

I have found that Bach Rescue Daytime Remedy has been a lifesaver where the stress is concerned and am gradually getting control of the asthma. Above all it seems, patience is a virtue!

Hope this helps you a bit.

[Brenviking in reply to xara]

I believe my asthma is due to mould I cleaned in my house 12 months ago. What meds were you prescribed?

[xara]

I am now taking Flutiform morning and night and Montelukast. The Montelukast was causing big probs with my sleeping, even when my dose was lowered to half a tab, so for almost a week now I have been taking it in the morning and the difference to my sleep is wonderful! I long to go back to my pre-mould status though, especially as I have another trip to Brazil planned for next month!