Trying to understand Asthma and how it works

[Sugarwell]

Hello everyone. I have joined healthunlocked to read and learn from others who are living with Asthma just how it works and how to make the most out of living with it. I was diagnosed with Asthma at the age of 49 following a course of Penicillin which i now blame for contracting the Asthma. Most of the time it is managed well with the preventor but following another chest infection this year, it has knocked me for six. I have found it very confusing trying to differentiate my symptoms. Is it the infection or the asthma. Anyway after five weeks and two courses of antibiotics i am now pretty sure the infection has gone and what is left is the asthma. The smallest activity after getting up in the morning can leave me short of breath. Something as simple as putting my boots on can result in breathlessness which then seems to last the rest of the day. I have just started a five day course of steroids so hopefully they will help get me back to

‘ normal’ but in the meantime i am going to try and understand asthma more by reading what works for others and what may trigger attacks off, as i have not managed to get my head around the complexity of the condition. Apart from how terrible and frightning it can be when you find you cant catch a breath!! My reliever doesnt seem to work at the moment either so no relief from that. Hopefully a few days in to the steroids will have me on the mend. I was also considering taking antihistamine tablets. Can anyone tell me if they would help?

[Hidden]

Hi Sugarwell

Welcome to the forum, chest infections can make your asthma worse, we normally say to see your GP if you've got these symptoms:

a really chesty wet cough, a high temperature (sometimes causing a shiver), more of thick yellow/green phlegm and especcilaly if you're more breathless than normal. There's more information here bit.ly/2hL46Ly

We do say to make an appt with your GP if your blue reliever isn't working bit.ly/2uUdlxt and do call the Asthma UK specialist nurse team on 0300 222 5800, they'll be able to talk through your medication and advise whether you should consider antihistamine tablets.

Hope that helps,

Dita

[Sugarwell in reply to Hidden]

Hi Dita,

Thank you so much for your helpfull advice. It is very much appreciated.

I will make a note of the Asthma UK number and look at the other links you so kindly shared.

I know they say and its probably right that everyones asthma is different but still, lots of common ground to be found before i could even put a point on what is individual to me about my asthma flare ups. I guess because its only a short time living with it and probably my second if not first bout of an “ asthma attack” in a year, as aposse to a mellow sort of two squerts of the inhaller once a month if that kind of thing. I probably become lazy around the illness and its triggers because the preventer the doctor gave me seemed to work great from the off. ( After the dosage was altered the once) I guess this time i just learnt the lesson that from a common cold to a chest infection can play havoc with your Asthma 😉😊. I must admit i never really understood Asthma until contracting it but then like many i suppose i’m a little ignorant to things that dont effect me. I certainly feel more compasion and understanding now for those who suffer with this terrible illness.

Thanks again for taking the time to share some advice Dita x

[Helen0304]

Hi welcome to the forum.

Not sure if you are aware of this but late onset asthma is more common in women around the menopausal age, so may not be the penicillin!

I am 49 and was diagnosed around 18 months ago but had been having minor niggles leading up to the diagnosis for a couple of years previous to that, mainly breathing difficulties and coughing when exercising.

I have had chest infections every year for about 6 years but last year was the worst and I ended up in a and e on a nebuliser.

I am currently trying Beconase nasal spray to try and stop the constant runny nose and throat clearing but I'm not sure that it is working. So I think that I will try antihistamines. I tried montelukast and that was brilliant but unfortunately I had to come off it as I suffered side effects that were worse than the asthma but a lot of people get on with it.

I was referred to a respiratory physio by my GP and this has helped a lot. It obviously doesn't help the asthma as such but can help the breathing cycle when you are feeling breathless, which in turn can help the whole process.

Just keep going to the nurse or doctor to try different things and I'm sure that you will eventually find a combination that works for you. When you have asthma it's just a case of trial and error until you are in a position that it's manageable for you.

[Sugarwell in reply to Helen0304]

Thank you too. I am waiting to see the Asthma nurse to discuss othe medication options. I hope i can get something sorted and hopefully stay clear of chest infections because the one i just had has een a terrible experience and one that i hope i never have to go through again. Its certainly not menopausal as i’m a 50 year old male 😉 and im pretty sure it was the penicillin that i contacted it from. It was a side effect that never went. It took me sometime to realise and it wasn't until i started googling for answer that i found out penecillin can cause Asthma. Which is why im pretty sure it was that. Im not 100% mind but almost. What did the respiratory pysio teach you? Is it something you can pass on or would i have to be shown?

Thanks for the advice and sharing your experience x

[Helen0304 in reply to Sugarwell]

Oh no, I'm so sorry, I don't know why I assumed that you were a lady! Very interesting about the penicillin, although I'm allergic to it so I never have it! The physio is about breathing through your nose and not through your mouth and about breathing at the right rate. There is also a method called Buteyko which is similar but more extreme. I bought the Buteyko book but I have to say that actually having a physio with you whilst doing the techniques was much more valuable than reading it, as they assess your technique to ensure it is correct.

[Sugarwell in reply to Helen0304]

Its ok 😊. I will look in to the Buteyko technique too. I’m determined to find as much information as i can until i find what works for me. So again, thank you very much for taking the time to share your advice. I will ask my asthma nurse about the physio although admittedly, i find it hard to breath just through my nostrils. I find i cant take in enough air but still, its something to look into. Thank you x