Mild Asthma Under Control, What Are My Next Steps?

[kaivalagi]

Hi Guys,

The doctors have prescribed me with a steroidal inhaler (beclometasone based) and a blue inhaler, I rarely use the blue and the brown is used 2 puffs morning and night.

This seems to have controlled the chest tightness/cough etc just fine but where to go from here?

I am still left confused as to where my condition has come from and what, if anything, are my trigger(s) for it...I was a smoker, then 2 years back I switched to vaping and as of the April this year I quit cold turkey, when I was going through my early problems with suspected COPD, before a proper asthma diagnosis. At the time when I was trying to resolve my issues I was blaming it all on the smoking but since then having done spirometry tests etc I've been told my lung function is in great shape (over 700 on the peak flow tests etc) so I think this was a red herring for me at the time.

I also am suffering with indigestion/heart burn a lot more these days (say every other day) and wonder if this is linked to my asthma or inhaler at all? Before my asthma I did on very rare occasion suffer from what was looking back acid reflux , enough to stop me sleeping and wake me up with severe heart burn, I wonder too if this may be in some way connected?

I've touched on some of these points before with the doctor but I don't think they were taken on board in the 10 minute sessions a doctor has to see a patient within the NHS (UK). I just don't have the confidence that enough thought was put into the cause of my issues, only the diagnosis of condition and treatment.

I am left wondering if all this is really due to a food allergy (can these come in later life?) or poor diet and that I should be looking at a new diet in general?

So, I would really really appreciate any pointers, suggestions etc from others who have been through a similar series of circumstances on what steps I can take going forwards....if I can control the issue then great, I'm just not sure on how to figure it out!

Thanks for any help guys

Regards,

Mark

[Hidden]

Hi Mark,

Welcome to the community, great that you are taking control of your asthma and starting to learn what triggers you have. You want to think about keeping a symptom diary for a few weeks so you can monitor how you're feeling and notice any changes.

There's some information here about asthma and other conditions: bit.ly/2rr2NW2

It sounds like it would be useful to chat through your questions with a healthcare professional so you can get some clarity, so I'd suggest giving the Asthma UK specialist nurse team a call, they will be able to talk through what you were told at diagnosis, tests you took and make sure you have a clear plan of action. They can be reached on 0300 222 5800 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm).

Hope that helps,

Dita

[risabel59]

Hi there Mark

Just so you know. Reflux is a big problem for Asthma. It is estimated that 75% of those with asthma have reflux problems. Reflux can be controlled pretty well with diet. There are endless web pages about this. But try to leave 3 hours between eating and going to bed.

And controlling reflux can have a really positive effect on asthma control.

You can also buy a course of a proton pump inhibitor such as Omeprazole over the counter in boots. This works really well. Some people have to take this all the time, however it is better not to if possible because it can affect your Microbiome, and also is a factor in Osteoporosis. I take courses from time to time if I get a flare up, and then stop.

Hope this helps

R

[Hidden]

Hi Mark, welcome to the forum,

Yes, you'll find a number of people on here who suffer from reflux issues, myself included.

There are a number of things you can do to help with this:

1) work out which foods cause reflux for you. This can vary from individual to individual, but common ones are spicy food, fatty/fried food, caffeine, pineapple, citrus fruits, onion, and mint. You could try keeping a food diary for a month or so to see which foods cause particular problems.

2) if you are overweight, try to lose some of it. Being overweight doesn't help with reflux (it's not helpful for asthma either).

3). Reduce portion sizes. Too much food in your stomach at any one time is more likely to cause reflux problems. If you don't have weight issues, then eating five small meals a day is better than three large ones.

4) don't bend over or slouch within an hour of eating and drinking. Don't lie down or go to bed within three or four hours of eating a meal. You need to allow your stomach time to empty the contents of a meal if you are prone to reflux before lying down.

5) raising the head end of your bed by around five inches (I use a couple of blocks of wood) helps to encourage stomach contents to remain there during the night - gravity is a wonderful thing. Please don't think that using pillows to create the same effect will work instead, it doesn't, you'll slip down off them during the night.

Finally, and most importantly, I really do recommend that you discuss your reflux/heartburn issues with your GP. Persistent heartburn is not good for oesophagus and can cause serious problems if it is not brought under control. Your GP may think it is a good idea for you to be referred to a gastrogenterologist just to check things out; there are a number of things that can cause it.

Hope some of this helps

[kaivalagi]

Thanks for the info thus far, very useful.....it really does look like there is a major correlation between asthma and digestive issues...it does seem mostly it is assumed asthma comes first but I am thinking in my case it could have been the other way around and that the asthma is a result of damage from stomach acid in the past....hard to tell and I may be jumping to conclusions but right now it's the best explanation I have for getting asthma! How many people really know the root cause of their asthma I wonder? Am I destined to never really know I wonder....?

My number one priority now that I've stopped smoking completely is to get my weight under control, my BMI is over 30 and needs to come down for sure. I've seen the weight creep up since quitting in April, it's been hard not to "pick" without the smoking, but I am getting into better habits slowly.

I've already spoken to the nurse and she's provided me with details for free sessions with slimming world which I may take up...but I am going to give it a go on my own first. I am about to start a new job local to me so no more 4 day stints stuck in a hotel which hasn't helped a bit. I plan on walking to work and back every day, it's just under 4 miles away so should require a good 45 minute brisk pace. I also need to use the cross trainer in the conservatory that is gathering dust

If with the additional exercise and reduced portion sizes I fail to lose some weight and stop the indigestion/heart burn I'll go to the doctors about it, I want to be able to show I've tried to do something about it first otherwise I'll be sent on my merry way to put some lifestyle changes into action I suspect.

I can't not eat spicy food though, life wont be worth living without it! Hopefully exercise and portion size will do the trick!! As with everything in life I am assuming it's about compromise and moderation

Thanks again

[Hidden in reply to kaivalagi]

One thing you might like to try when cutting down on portion size is to use smaller plates. That helps to reduce the amount of food you are eating whilst making the plate look full. There is nothing that reminds someone that they aren't eating as much as a half empty plate.

[Lizziep25]

Hi Mark

I think your blue reliever is the culprit for your heartburn as it not only relaxes your airways but also the valve at the top of your stomach allowing acid and food to rise into your osephagous causing the pain and burning sensation also the steroid inhaler can cause thrush (candida) in your throat and gullet and airways causing soreness, similar pain to heartburn and a feeling of having a lump. As I suffer from severe heartburn and thrush since developing asmtha and using both inhalers I can recommend Manuka honey it's very soothing, anti-fungal & antibiotic just buy a good one 15 plus umf as to your diet I have found this book "Good Gut Healing" by Kathryn Marsden to be amazingly helpful she gives lists of food to be avoided and lots of practical advice. Drink lots of water to dilute the acid during an attack of heartburn and I take Gaviscon liquid at bedtime to prevent it happening. Hope this helps. Lizzie

[Hidden]

Hi Mark,

Great that you've already identified changes you can make to your day to day life going forward, it's been suggested that asthma symptoms are likely to improve if you lose weight.

There aren't any common reported side effects about heartburn and using a blue reliever inhalers, but do speak to your GP or call our nurses for clarification and make sure your inhaler technique is checked. Using the wrong technique can also mean you're more likely to get side effects, such as oral thrush or a sore throat as mentioned above.

Hope that helps,

Dita

[kaivalagi in reply to Hidden]

I've already obtained a spacer which I use most of the time (unless away on business) and I breath slow and hold as I've been told to, I also rinse my mouth or brush my teeth after to avoid any oral thrush.

Eating sensibly and keeping active is my main focus at the mo, if heart burn/indigestion persist after a few weeks of being "good" then I'll seek advise at the local practise.

And thanks for the encouragement and support everyone x