Hello to all you well informed people, hope you can help me sort out my confusion. I will try to be brief, about three years ago for the first time in my life I had a severe, persistent and lingering cough, after three failed antibiotic treatments GP diagnosed Viral infection and that was the end of it, it wasn't during the next year I had three emergency hospital visits, eventually, after a considerable wait,got a referral, to Respiratory Consultant, I have had 2 spirometry test, two CT scans ( one found nodules in lower Rt lung other showed they had gone and that lung tissue was healthy) I have also had Stress excerise test all results are at the bottom end of normal, I was diagnosed as Probable Asthmatic and given Forstair and Ventalin, which stopped the coughing and wheezing but didn't relieve the breathlessness and feeling of tightness in my chest, next step was Echocardiogram which was normal and an echo stress test again normal, yet the breathlessness continued and is still with me, despite rebreathing classes. Ultimately I have been told there is little else that can be done by both the Consultant and my GP, told be thankful nothing major wrong. Easier said than done, when washing my hair, bathing, eating sometimes even talking leaves me breathless, I have lost weight and continue to do so, have never smoked, try to excerise with difficulty, in fact the slightest exertion leaves me struggling, the Ventalin helps but I use it at least three times a day!! My peak flow is 300, I am female 70yrs and 5' 8" stats 93/96 have a review mid April, I admit to getting depressed by this lifestyle change prior to this My health was always very good, just hope there might be something that's been missed. Sorry this is a long post but wanted to get as much info down as possible. Anyone any more ideas?
I need to breath easy!: Hello to all... - Asthma Community ...
I need to breath easy!
I am sorry to hear that you are having a rough time. I would ring the Asthma UK helpline if I were you. The nurses there are so knowledgeable and can help understand what is normal and when you shouldn't be suffering like you are. Hope you get more help and get better soon. x
asthma.org.uk/advice/resour...
Thank you Emmanuel, have done that, they were very nice and sympathetic, repeated everything I had said and suggest when I have my review I ask about a drug which unfortunately I have forgotten the name of, it begins with 'M' and many of you I notice have it prescribed as well as the preventer and reliever. So will speak with Doctor in April. Thanks again for your response x
Montelucast, is that what you were thinking? It's a good option. Glad you found the healthline helpful! 😊
Just a thought, could you be upset by the propellant in your inhalers. I'm assuming here that you are on the aerosol type inhalers not dry powder. In the process of being diagnosed I was given ventolin & my peak flow suddenly dropped. My asthma nurse put me on dry powder inhalers & I recovered. Later she wanted me to try Fostair. I improved, but after a while things got worse. She put me back on Symbicort (dry powder) & I improved again.
I am sorry to hear you are having such a tough time! I am just a year or two short of your age, and, like you, it has hit me in old age. That said, it is in the family, so I suppose though I thought I had got away with it, it wasn’t a total surprise.
You seem to have a worse time of it than me. Just now, this minute, I feel pretty well! My main bugbear in recent months is my lungs’ reaction to cold temperatures. I never had an issue with that and I grew up in a very cold climate with no ill effects, and then suddenly, this year, it is an issue. Last week, through that very cold weather, I felt far more affected by asthma in general, not great, and with the warmer weather that has gone away. Yesterday, for the first time for a little while I actually walked outdoors for 10 minutes or more with no ill effect (a bit tight chested on the uphill, but that could be the lack of excercise recently). Hooray! I do find it very, very frustrating, as like you, I like to feel active, and with the cold it has got so much harder. But that isn’t all the time!
I hope you find that Montelucast can help you! And that you can get to do more of what you want! Take care!
Thank you for your response, I am glad to hear things are better for you must now, I hope it continues, you are right it's the frustration as much as anything having to come to terms with what think is an incapacity. But hey ho, perhaps one day the NHS will be able to give out magic wands and then we will all be happy bunnies!! Thank you again
I have been breathless since severe pneumonia 2 years ago. I was diagnosed with asthma afterwards. The nurse told me, as we age you lose a bit of your lung function every year, but because of the pneumonia I lost a big chunk in one go. As your breathless developed after your infection, I wonder if this is what has happened to you too. It hasn’t cured my problem, but has helped me to understand it.
Could be the case I suppose didn't think about it, before, I suppose it could well be the case, I will mention it at my review. Thank You
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