Asthma Flare up - when will it end! It

[SBluesy]

How long will this last?!

I’ve had asthma since I was a child with no treatment for 15 years! Then a couple of years ago I had an attack but since then it’s been very well managed. Usually just with preventer inhaler and no need for my reliver.

This was until last week, where a cold quickly turned to an asthma attack and chest infection. I didn’t identify the signs of my asthma until it was too late as it felt like a sore throat!

After 2 visits to the GP and struggling to breath for 2 days my sister (a nurse) took me to A&E knowing that this wasn’t right. With nebulisers, magnesium and IV steroids I was well enough to come home. Then less than 48 hours later I was back there.

It’s now been a full week, antibiotics are completed, still on steroids but still requiring my reliver inhaler a lot. (At times 10 puffs through a spacer).

It just seems to be never ending, everything is triggering it, I’m exhasted and can’t stop coughing. Has anyone had a similar experience? I’m so frustrated with this! I just want to be better!

[Chip_y2kuk]

Yes... minus the a and e visit... I got offered an ambulance by 111(which i refused)... my left lung had partially collapsed and there was no air in the bottom I ended up on steroids and two lots of anti biotics

It took me months to get over it (about 3-4)

[SBluesy in reply to Chip_y2kuk]

Oh no! Months! That’s horrible! I’m going stir crazy after a week!

Luckily my X-ray and bloods showed that the infection was gone and my lung, intact!

Guess I need to be patient! It’s just so frustrating! It’s like attack after attack!

[Chip_y2kuk in reply to SBluesy]

I'm on a combination inhaler so when I end up in an "unpleasant way" like that I double up on that (from 4 puffs to 8 puffs)... which gives me lots of formoterol (long actimg version of ventolin)and budesonide (inhaled steroid)... sometimes I need copious amounts of ventolin as well,but not too often as I also take tioptropium

[SBluesy in reply to Chip_y2kuk]

Got to go back to the GP on Thursday so will see what they suggest. Atm I have 200mg steroid based inhaler twice a day. Then copious amounts of ventolin to keep me going.

Had at least one nebuliser every other day now, but they only work for 4hours ish before start getting worse again.

This has been a scary wake up call for me, having always managed asthma without much bother previously! thanks for replying, it’s nice to know I’m not the only one struggling!

[Chip_y2kuk in reply to SBluesy]

What steroid inhaler is it your on?... I'm going for a mannitol challenge tomorrow and as part of that you have to stop all medication... I'm suffering a little after 2-3 days of stopping various medications... so your Defo not the only one suffering tonight

[SBluesy in reply to Chip_y2kuk]

Same one as yours by the looks of it, Budesonide. That’s horrible, well hopefully we’ll both feel better soon! The heat and pollen, defiantly isn’t helping!

[Chip_y2kuk in reply to SBluesy]

Is it budesonide on it's own or with a LABA? (Formoterol or salamol normally)

[SBluesy in reply to Chip_y2kuk]

I have both. Using the salmeterol one (pink inhaler) at the moment but usually just have a brown budesonide - that’s all I know. All quite new for me atm, before asthma has just been an inconvenience so didn’t take much notice!

[Chip_y2kuk in reply to SBluesy]

It's unusual for a doctor to give you two separate inhalers however budesonide and salmeterol aren't available as a combination but formoterol is normally the LABA of choice (something about if being newer and slightly better tolerated)

[SBluesy in reply to Chip_y2kuk]

The reason i have two is that the pink one is for flare ups (mainly when pollens high) and then I manage it generally with the brown one 90% of the time! I’ll definitely speak to them about it, right now it’s not working!

[Chip_y2kuk in reply to SBluesy]

So do you have hay fever?... do you also take antihistamines during the summer for the pollen?

[SBluesy in reply to Chip_y2kuk]

Yeh I’m on fexofenadine 180mg for the pollen.

[Chip_y2kuk in reply to SBluesy]

Have you ever had allergy testingI had a blood test and it was quite interesting... I react quite badly to grass pollen and slightly to birch tree pollen also quite badly to dust but not mold

[SBluesy in reply to Chip_y2kuk]

I’ve asked the GP for allergy tests, but they seem hesitant. To be honest, they seem hesitant to do anything and implied I was just being over the top when I told them what the AUK nurse said about seeing a respiratory specialist as per guidelines! Gonna go back and push for it once I’m feeling stronger! Did managed to get an combined inhaler that’s helped massively!

Good news is I am feeling better now, slowly improving and working on building up my breathing! Sorry that your mannitol challenge didn’t go as expected!

[Chip_y2kuk in reply to SBluesy]

The gp will be hesitant because of the cost, allergy testing of any kind costs a fortune

I found combination inhalers worked better but I went from a steroid inhaler only inhaler

Apparently the mannitol challenge isn't the be all end all and can be wrong in quite a high percentage of cases because of its specificity

[Sparkywoo]

I was advised it can take up to 7 weeks for your lungs to settle down. I have been bad for three weeks now, it’s exhausting and I think this hot dry dusty weather is really not helping. It’s just so frustrating 🙁

[SBluesy in reply to Sparkywoo]

It’s so frustrating! I’m actually starting to feel more normal but I’m back to work on Tuesday after 2 weeks off and I’m dreading my commute. To be honest it’s giving me anxiety!

I hope yours starts getting better, hopefully this heat backs off a bit and our lungs can function again! X

[FearNot]

I went through something similar after contracting a cold. Turned out bronchitis was triggering my (normally-mild) asthma. Wildfire smoke now sets off my asthma. It's been a wake-up call for me too.

I trust herbal medicine and am handling the flares that way. I'm in the care of a wonderful doctor who is both a traditional physician and an herbalist.

[SBluesy in reply to FearNot]

I’m feeling pretty awesome atm. Literally turned my diet upside down eating tones of whole foods and minimal processed food with lots of herbs and spices! I am controlling it 95% of the time now with just my steroid inhaler! 😊

What kind of herbal medicine do you use?

[FearNot in reply to SBluesy]

I'm taking lobelia tincture. Other measures include rooibos tea, hops-lemon balm tea, Tulsi cinnamon-rose tea, the Mediterranean diet, an asthma mask, and a crazy-good air cleaner from a box fan and furnace filter.

[purplelady87]

Hi was in hospital in January for 1week with bad asthma. Never had asthma in my life. Got the 2 inhalers. Brown and blue. When I got out the hospital. They put me back steroids for 1month. Finished tabs and flared up again. Went to A and E got got 2 nebs and give me a weeks worth of steroids. Still coughing and wheezing like crazy. Peak flows a bit shit this morning. Sitting at 400. On a good day I can do past 500. Seen my asthma nurse yesterday and not ßhappy. I feel like a need a 2nd option. She said take 3puffs of blown morning and night instead of 2 and blue when I need it, of course. Been using my bloody blue quite a lot this week. Lucky I'm seeing my gp today. This is getting me down. I'm scared of the whole situation coming of the steroids and really bad flare up and back in hospital.