could she have missed a chest infection?

[M-j-m-1]

Hi, I've been struggling for a few weeks now, asthma symptoms being a pain, but also coughing up gross phlegm, achey, exhausted, sweaty and feel like my lungs are stuffed full of ground glass. I went to see the asthma nurse Last week who put me on 40mg of prednisolone but said no crackling so no anti-biotics needed. Initially a relief as I've had 5 chest infections in the last 6 months.

But... I feel like I might be getting worse. My peak flow is stuck in the 60% now, im constantly coughing and exhausted from waking up numerous times last 2 nights.

Could she have missed an infection (I do have a lot of them!) or do I just need to give the steroids a little longer to kick in?

Thanks in advance x

[WheezyAnne]

If the co!our of your phlegm is at all green tinged and is thick and uucky then it sounds like you do now have an infection. The 40mg prednisolone should be helping dampen down the inflammation, but if phlegm green you will need antibiotics. If not, then it could be all the other things around at the moment such as grass pollen, and moulds. In which case, you may need some antihistamines, or to adjust the dose if already on. Hope you feel better soon.

[M-j-m-1 in reply to WheezyAnne]

Thanks wheezyann. Yes, my phlegm is very thick and green but asthma nurse said that could be hayfever related. also I've got a high temp and feel really weak. Hard to know as asthma attacks can make you feel so crap. Peak flow not rising at all after 4 days on the steroids though which it usually would. Guess it's back to docs- sigh. So hard to get an appt and my work will not be happy with more time off.

[WheezyAnne in reply to M-j-m-1]

I think you should see the out of hours GP today, bearing in mind your phlegm is green, and you have now been on prednisolone for 4 days, and you are not improving. It is a good idea to get some sputum pots, so you can show them how ucky your phlegm is and also they can check you are on the best antibiotic

[Pooka]

it sounds like a chest infection to me, aches and sweatiness are strong indicators along with green goo. I sometimes think medical folks are too obsessed with their symptoms check list to see the wood for the trees.

[QuietChest]

Definitely sounds infected. Not sure hay fever changes your sputum that much. Non infective, allergy response is ,ore yellowly. I would call out of hours GP or Ho to A&E as 60% not good.

[M-j-m-1]

Thanks for all the advice everyone. I guess it's off to the out of hours doc then x