Do I even have asthma

[MrsCMK]

Hi guys.

I'm hoping to find someone with a similar experience to myself.

I suffer with pretty bad allergies and take a lot of medication to manage this, including the use of Montelukast (Singulair) to control the allergic wheeze (asthma). As my allergies stand, all seems to be ok and well managed for the first time in around 5 years.

My query is this: 6 months ago I was exposed to mold in my house after my insurance company failed to deal with a leak that I'd had which resulted in some damp. During this time, I was experiencing episodes of quite severe breathlessness that I was using a Salbutamol inhaler to relieve, along with inhaled Beclomethasone to prevent (pretty text book treatment). All damp has now been dealt with and signed off as dry- symptom free for one month.

Since the pollen count turned very high and we've had this heatwave this past fortnight, my breathlessness has been out of control. My Salbutamol inhaler seems to be less effective with each episode and after each, I am left unbelievably fatigued to the point where I can't lift my arms or legs and fall into a deep sleep. I know that asthma attacks can be very exhausting on the body but this doesn't seem right as I'm experiencing no other allergic or asthma related symptoms.

I'm currently on a short course of prednisolone to treat this and after seeing my immunologist yesterday, have been referred to the respiratory team for further investigation. I have also had a chest x-ray and more bloods run today by request of my GP (who is now unsure as to whether or not I have asthma, whether I do have asthma and my regular medication is actually working and "masking" my asthmatic wheeze or whether I'm having a flare up accompanied by another random medical condition that presents with similar symptoms).

Do any of you guys experience asthma with just a single symptom or without a wheeze? How badly fatigued do you feel after an attack and do your limb muscles ache like you've run a marathon afterwards?

I'm really hoping that someone has had a similar experience to me?

Thanks in advance

[Griffon]

I wonder if it is your medication that is knocking you out and making you exhausted ?

This is a well known side effect of antihistamines , personally they put me to sleep like I've been drugged !

[MrsCMK]

Hey. I’d love to say that it was the antihistamines but I’ve been on them for years now so it’s unlikely that it’s them Certain ones do knock me out though

[ohdearherewegoagain]

I get where you are coming from. I began taking inhalers just over a year ago because of shortness of breath and lack of energy. A year later I have a cough and a wheeze. Whenever I talk to the doctors I get told I have asthma - and they say about the rasp. wheeze, etc, yet that began due to the inhalers. I have no allergies at all. Yes I have a little dog, but it is totally hairless, and has been here twelve years. i wold not have suddenly become allergic to a dog with no hair, just at that convenient moment.

Last year I was using an inhaler and it kept resulting in my ears becoming blocked, ear ache, face pain and much more. When I told the doctor they were going to send me to the hospital to check if my hearing was poor and I needed a hearing aid! My hearing was great, it is better than most peoples. But the SIDE EFFECTS of the inhaler caused these problems, which had nothing to do with hearing. Sometimes people just listen to the doctor and jump off a cliff if he tells them to, without being logical or thinking for themselves.

[MrsCMK]

This is super interesting to hear and reassuring that I’ve come across another person that doesn’t present with a wheeze. Should have my chest x-ray results back by Monday, along with my bloods and should be seen by the respiratory team within the next 3 months so I guess it’s just a waiting game until then.

Being patient is proving really difficult but as far as the NHS goes, they’re acting really quick which I’m grateful for

[Superzob]

I have no wheeze - the diagnosis of asthma is whether the restricted lung function is reversible, not whether other symptoms are present (though wheezing is common). It sounds like you're being looked after and having some more tests, but I think the current weather conditions are very difficult for most people, let alone asthmatics. For instance, I know several people who are not pollen allergic, but who have developed hayfever symptoms simply because the pollen count is so high; asthmatics, who are similarly not allergic to pollen, are having more problems because their lungs are over-reacting to the sheer volume of pollen pollution. And the heat is very wearing!

[MrsCMK]

That’s very true. I guess it’s just a frustrating time for me at the moment and I need to be a bit more patient but I’m pretty shattered now...11 attacks in 10 days. I suppose I’m lucky to not be in hospital yet (silver linings and all that)

[Chip_y2kuk]

I very rarely wheeze but am under a respiratory consultant for asthma... he's fairly sure it is asthma but wants to know which sub category