Peek flow concerns

[Honeysuckle21]

Hi I'm new here so asking for advice really, I normally have a peek flow of between 360 and 410 , the last couple of days it has been 340/350 , coughed up some greenish phlegm this morning but feel ok . Should I be worried ?

[Beth_19]

You could be brewing an infection and your lowered peakflow plus phlegm are warning signs.

Do you take a preventer? Are you allowed to increase your dose yourself? If you can then it may be worth trying that to stave off a potential infection. If not then it might be worth book ing an appointment to see your GP or asthma nurse to be on the safe side.

I know with my meds I am allowed to increase the dose I take morning and evening if I feel something brewing, as my inhalers has the steroids in them so it helps catch it before it really starts.

[Honeysuckle21 in reply to Beth_19]

Thanks for replying, I am normally on symbicort 200 , I have taken another puff of this and I feel ok , was issued with symbicort 400 from my consultant at the chest clinic but I was having so much muscle problems and cramps my doctor lowered it back down to 200 and said I could take more if need be . I will go to doctors tomorrow if it is still the same . I hate being on steroids and antibiotics, have been on them quite a bit since having pneumonia last year that resulted me being rushed to hospital.

[Beth_19 in reply to Honeysuckle21]

I'm on Symbicort as well on the SMART regime, and like I said found it really useful.

I hope it doesn't develop into anything.

[Honeysuckle21 in reply to Beth_19]

How does the smart routine work? Have you had any problems with muscle aches and cramp ?

[Beth_19 in reply to Honeysuckle21]

The SMART regime is using the same inhaler as preventer and rescue. The idea behind it is, doctors performed a study by putting microchips in inhalers to record their usage and noticed in the days leading up to problems people were using their inhalers more but didn't realise it. By combining the inhaler and having the steroid in it, means the body already has a foundation of steroid to build upon and the increase of inhaler and therefore steroid when problems do start arise helps nip things in the bud before they get too far.

Over the winter it has kept me off high dose steroids twice simply by increasing the amount I take morning and night, and then obviously taking it when I need it. Not everyone is suitable for it and its something to be discussed with your consultant.

Its harder to say for me because I've always had muscle aches and pains due to other health conditions, but overall I would say that there has been an increase in aches and cramps, especially at night.

[Honeysuckle21 in reply to Beth_19]

Thanks for telling me that , I have inflammation that has remained from the pneumonia and my consultant prescribed symbicort . I am due to go back to see him shortly so I will have a chat with him about the smart regime. I always have a lot of mucus which gets me down . I just want to feel better for longer instead of always going to the doctor.

[Beth_19 in reply to Honeysuckle21]

I know how you feel. I had a severe exacerbation last year after 10 years of being symptom free resulting in 3 bad asthma attacks in short succession. I have had a couple of different inhalers but it seem the Symbicort is the one for me and I'm feeling much more like myself.

It takes time and I think being patient is one of the harder things with asthma because so much is out of our control

[Honeysuckle21 in reply to Beth_19]

Yes that's true , I had Asthma just after my daughterwas born 27 years ago , was on pulmicort inhaler , volmax tablet once a day and blue inhaler when required,then after a fair few years I graduallydidn't need any medication at all , and then I started feeling wheezy and got a chest infection and it went down hill from there , resulting in me being rushed Into hospital, I have never been so scared in all my life , and now everything worries me . I find myself panicking about my breathing a lot .

[Beth_19 in reply to Honeysuckle21]

Has your consultant talked about CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) at all? My consultant recommended it for me to help me to deal with the anxiety surrounding my asthma flaring up especially the anxiety of being around triggers and feeling out of control. I found it helped alot to get my mind frame back and to recognise when I'm panicking verses actual asthma flare up. I still get dubious and worried about certain situations such as being in crowds or going new places where I have no control over triggers but I am much better than I was and have been able to take better control of my anxiety

[Honeysuckle21 in reply to Beth_19]

No he hasn't but I'm going to have to talk to him about it , this is ruining my life , my daughteris getting married next year and all I can think about is I'm going to be like this for the wedding and what if I can't breathe, it's silly I know but it's on my mind all the time . I want to feel better so I have confidence in going places and not coughingor clearing my throat all the time.

[Beth_19 in reply to Honeysuckle21]

Ohh how I can relate to you, you basically sound like me six months ago. Now I'm back working no problems, able to identify when I need to remove myself from a situation and have been to events with thousands of people and lots of triggers and yes I did require my inhaler but I didn't panic.

I would definitely suggest CBT or some kind of therapy to help deal with your anxiety. People have a negative view of mental health therapies but as one who has been through them I found them very helpful.

[Honeysuckle21 in reply to Beth_19]

Thank you so much , I will definitelyask about this , I have used calms before and they do help but I'm now wanting to get the medication right so I don't have to go to the doctors so much and go out and about with my family and friends and then finally go out to work again as I had to leave my last job due to ill health . And talking does help, knowing there is someone out there just like me is a big help and ease the fears . I will go to doctors tomorrow, get a check up and take it from there . Thanks again Beth . 😊

[Beth_19 in reply to Honeysuckle21]

No problem I hope you get sorted

[Honeysuckle21 in reply to Beth_19]

Thank you I'll let you know , I'm sure it will turn out fine .

[Wheezycat in reply to Honeysuckle21]

Hi! I am butting into the conversation here. Sorry! I am on symbicort 200/6. I have always had cramps, well before medication, but the symbicort is making it worse.

I do my best to manage it by eating a banana most days (for potassium), a few almonds (for magnesium), both minerals implicated in cramp.

I also try to make sure I drink enough water, and I am not sure I manage that well enough. Not good on drinking cold water.

I also try to walk, move around more to excercise my muscles, though I am by no means a natural athlete.

And recently I have added drinking a little tonic water for the quinin.

I could ask for quinin tablets, but when I read up on it there were so many side effects, I decided to settle for cramp.

I get cramp now anywhere. It used to be mainly my toes and feet, but now I get it in my hands, my chest, my back, etc, etc, you name it I probablynhave had cramp there sometime.

[Honeysuckle21 in reply to Wheezycat]

Hi wheezycat , I don't mind you butting in , I welcome any advice . Just to update my problems, saw the doctor this morning, slight rattle on my lung and very congested, my peek flow was still lowered than normal so he gave me some antibiotics, no steroid tablets as yet as I had some not that long ago and my oxygen level was 99% . . So see how I go on these and I need to go back I will do . Fingers crossed these work