When will this end?

[Purplejane]

Firstly, let me wish you all a very Happy New Year and I hope everyone has an enjoyable time tonight.

Not sure where to start with my continuing asthma story. I have been having an exacerbation for the last 7 weeks due to a viral cough caught from my DH. He still has a cough after nearly 9 weeks but it is finally becoming less troublesome!

Have had 2 courses of pred one 30mg for 6 days and another a week later which I am in the process of tapering off, currently on 2mg. My symptoms came back when I cut down to 10mg although to be honest the cough and breathlessness never really went nor the feeling of mucus in the throat. Currently on seretide 250 2x2 day and ventolin. The docs have thrown everything at me montelukast,carbonistiene,omoprazole, diazapam for anxiety,phenegan to help sleep,course of fluxanasole for thrush,three different antibiotics clarythromycin,

doxycycline and now a four week(on week 3) of supporttive azythromycin, changed my inhaler twice once to Flutiform and also Symbicort changed back because neither was as effective as seretide. Most of the above I have been told to stop taking because it did not appear to work.

The docs now seem at a complete loss as nothing seems to work although they have not tried me on further steriods. They seem reluctant to up the dose although I do understand why as I react very badly to them. I think they think I am a neurotic middle age women hence the diazapam(which I didn't take) I am only anxious because I can't breathe. Been to A and E once but I don't think I was taken seriously as I don't wheeze and my sats where OK and the paramedics said no nebs as I did not wheeze didn't seem to matter that I couldn't breathe.

I am still breathless everyday,still have a cough, at night especially, I am using my blue all the time and am frankly frustrated and exhausted. I have had very little sleep in the last few weeks what with the pred and now coughing all night. Trying to get the medical profession to understand is seriously depressing to be honest. Any words of wisdom on how to approach this would be much appreciated. How to deal with docs that don't seem to understand and how to deal personally with such a long exacerbation as this has never happened to me before.Thank you.

[Frin9e]

the same thing is happening with my son, he as been asthmatic since 5 months old, diagnosed at 12 months old he's 15 yrs old now, for the last 3 years his asthma cough prodominent, no wheeze, they don't know what else to do, he been coughing since November, wouldn't give steroids tablets, referred to respiratory again, they will give steroid tablets like last year, so why gp reluctant I don't know, he has had very little sleep he cough all day and night they're saying hard to control asthma, nightmare asthma it should be called thanks for reading.

[Purplejane in reply to Frin9e]

Couldn't agree more,nightmare asthma it certainly is. I have had an awful Christmas as am sure your son has and you of course as it has a knock on effect for the whole family. My poor husband has had to put up with my night time coughing and breathlessness not to mention the choking episodes which scare the both of us. Ventolin doesn't seem to be very effective either which is actually very scary as the only other alternative when you can't breathe is A and E. I hope you get some answers with respiratory team and that your son soon gets well.

[Borderbob17 in reply to Purplejane]

Me too, can go all year without taking stuff and then Oct comes - cold/cough/virus = chest infection (clarythromycin), poss bronchitis

Scary and exhausting....may have to go a&e tomorrow

Got seratide, ventolin... had 2 weeks steroids, but again they wont give me more?

Only thing that works.

Missed so much work. Xmas wiped out

[Frin9e in reply to Purplejane]

you sound exactly the same as my son, last year it started in June year before may, it went right through till October, I didn't think it would've happened this year, how wrong I was, he as missed so much school he as exams in January, got to go in for a meeting on the 11, they'll have to put him by his self that's all, the school as put so much pressure on us because of he's attendance, he is genuinely ill with asthma, or he would be there! His health is more important than GCSE right now. Hope you get sorted soon too.

[Borderbob17]

Meant to add - i also think my winter asthma was better controlled on becotide? not seratide

[Borderbob17]

Taking so much stuff - major dry mouth and sore throat - how to combat this?? Any ideas

[Purplejane]

I've been signed off work for 7 weeks now I think they think I'm never coming back! They have been very good but all I really want to do is get better and go back. Sometimes feel that it is never going to happen.I have been so close to going to a and e on so many occasions in the last 6 weeks, its only my husband that talks me through the attacks that have stopped me going. I would, however, go if I really needed to.

I can't comment on the becotide as I have never had it but the docs did try me on Flutiform and Symbicort for a short while (not at the same time) and I found that seretide seemed to work better but we are all different. Dry mouth is a hard one.I find a hard cough sweet and water by bucket load or herbal tea to be quite good - not very original I'm afraid.

What a way to spend New Years eve - horrid asthma

[Memoc]

Hi,happy new year! i totally understand you, i’ve Experienced quite the same things this winter...hours waiting to a&e, doctors telling me that I need to be patient because medicines don’t do miracles, my body telling me it needs help, holidays ringing for appointments, nights without sleep, lots of medicines , thrush,and now i’m also due on 20th for septoplasthy surgery...lots of worries and fears..I think we need to learn how to live with it..we need first to understand what is happening and why is happening and I am frustrated because doctors won’t give you support and treat you like you have mental problems...

[Purplejane]

Memoc, a happy New Year to you.Wow, sounds very much like me without the surgery, thankfully.

I have spent almost everyday at either the hospital, OOH or my own GP(well several GP's actually) for the last 6 weeks.

What I don't understand is their reluctance to prescribe further steriods as I know they work but they are desperate to get me off of them. I am now on 2mg due to drop to 1 on Wednesday.I don't react to them very well but I would rather breathe.

After nearly 8 weeks my chest is still sore,I have a persistent cough, mainly at night and am breathless even at rest. However, I don't wheeze- only when I have an infection and my chest is clear so the docs just send me away and I feel like I am wasting their time very very frustrating and scary because I have no idea what is happening to me. I think they think I have anxiety which perhaps I do but having to concentrate all the time on breathing would cause anybody anxiety.

I am with you 100% on needing to know why this is happening.If I knew what I was dealing with, asthma or not I am sure I would cope alot better.

Rant over and heres to better health in 2018

[BP135]

Now I've caught up with what has been going on with you purplejane! Yes we are in the same boat.

Do you find it difficult to breathe in or out? The doctor told me last night that if it's an asthma attack you have trouble breathing out, but if it's anxiety you have trouble breathing in.

My trouble is breathing in, I feel as if i have a big weight on my chest. I said exactly the same as you, maybe it is anxiety but it has only stemmed from not being able to breathe normally! And the more doctors scratch their heads and say they don't know what it is if it's not my asthma, the more anxious I get!

I definitely need a referral as you said. I might try and get a phone app today with the doctor. She did say she would send me for a spirometry once this infection has cleared up too, only trouble is, if I have to wait for the appointment I'll probably have another infection starting!