Confused about asthma

[houndgirl1980]

Hi. First post! Really would like an outside perspective. Diagnosed with asthma last year and after many different meds now on flutiform 250/10 2 puffs 3 times a day in winter (summer I was on 2x2) . Winter has been really bad for me, have had 3 courses antibiotics and one course of steroids so far plus need to use blue inhaler daily. Also I cough all the time, respiratory consultant doesn't know why so is referring me to another consultant. At the moment I have a cold for over a week and my chest feels really tight. Tried exercise yesterday and it was really hard , had to stop a lot and nearly fainted as I felt like I couldn't get enough O2 in. It's just getting me down because everything is such a massive effort. Even talking is hard work to talk and get air in. Peak flow down from normal 400 to 380. Don't know what to do because when I go Dr my O2 sats are normal and I don't wheeze. So why is it so hard to breathe? Sorry for long monologue 😔

[Chip_y2kuk]

I don't wheeze a lot, not everyone wheezes

Coughing is/can be an asthma symptom as is breathlessness

Your peak flow being slightly lower than your usual is also indicative of some large airway restriction

Cold air/changes in temperature are a trigger for a lot of asthmatics.... making winter a real hard time

Having said that there are lots of treatments and add-on therapies that you could try... even if it's only something you use over winter... sounds like summer was much easier on you

Chip

[loulouliss1]

I don’t wheeze, not every asthmatic wheezes, it’s very rare that I hear myself wheeze, it doesn’t mean that it’s always the symptom. Once I had real bad asthma symptoms of coughing and tight chest but no wheeze at all, go to your asthma nurse or gp and explain what is going on and your concernes and also that you aren’t wheezing at the moment and tell him you’re other dominant symptom