Never know what's going on with my asthma...

[Puddleduck12]

Ok. I'm new here so I'll give some background.

I was diagnosed with asthma about 2. Apparently I was quite bad as a child. It runs in my family.

Didn't need any inhalers from 13 until 18. My asthma got bad again when I went to uni, but I also had bad anxiety so I could never tell which I was struggling with. On 3 occasions I had a paramedic sent to me as I was really struggling (after plenty of ventolin) but every time I was checked over my chest was fine. These occurrences have led me to doubt my symptoms.

Now I'm 26 and 99% of the time I feel fine. No need for medication, and on the odd day I do feel short of breath it passes fairly quickly.

However, this summer I've been having repeated periods of flare ups. Today I feel quite bad and my anxiety sky rockets.

My problem is that I struggle to explain my asthma to the nurse.

I never wheeze or struggle to talk/walk.

I seem to constantly need to clear my throat - I develop a lot of phelm/mucus

I get very low energy and have almost a brain fog

My chest feels heavy

I can't get as many satisfying deep breaths

I weirdly seem to burp a lot during these flare ups?

Ventolin (the blue inhaler?) never seems to do anything. If anything it just makes me panic more and shake, I seem to have bad reactions to it and can never tell if it's helping.

I have been prescribed clenil (low dose) but I keep forgetting to take it.

I'm not really sure why I'm posting... think it just helps to write it all down.

[Snowdrop27]

Sometimes it helps to get things on paper. Ventolin will make you shake on how much you take so thats normal. Have you tried setting am alarm on your phone perhaps to remember your inhaler. Regular inhaler will give you maxium protection.

[Nanny1086]

Hi , ask your gp to-refer you to a thoracic consultant,if your making a lot of mucus and having to clear chest a lot it could be bronchiectasis , I was diagnosed first with asthma many years ago ,and later bronchiectasis, you may need a steroid inhaler, also go onto you tube for demo on chest clearance techniques. And the pollen has been really bad this summer ,my husband has perfect health and never had hay fever untill this summer , I hope this helps ,please let me know how you get on ,

[-Butterfly-]

Hi, feel free to get it all on paper here 😊 some tines it helps rationalise things in your head then doesn't it.

I understand how getting your symptoms across is difficult, and i dont really fit textbook so seeing any GP or out of hours doctor is pot luck as to whether i get any sense from them. I rarely wheeze, I get the throat clearing thing too, but it's my throat the mucus is in, not my chest. I get heavy feeling in chest and i too I can't get as many satisfying deep breaths or have to sign lots. My peak flow is never as representative as I feel, even if it does drop it's better than I'm feeling, and my sats are always acceptable.

Over time, I've had periods of being rubbish with remembering my prevented, but taking it regularly really should help. Maybe leaving it with your toothbrush may help?

[Puddleduck12 in reply to -Butterfly-]

Yes my mucus is only in the throat. I never bring anything up, it's just the need to clear my throat and I swallow it... but it comes straight back. I've had it for so long I barely notice it any more.

I will definitely try harder to take the clenil 👍

[-Butterfly- in reply to Puddleduck12]

Yes, this!! Then I start to choke on it as (sorry gross) but it won't go down or up, just collects.

Maybe even an alarm or something to remember. Especially if you don't like using the ventolin, anything that could help towards this is a bonus!

[RD23]

Have they tested you for vocal cord dysfunction? I’ve got that as well as my asthma, when it feels like an elephant is sitting on my chest, it’s my asthma, when my throat feels tight it’s my vocal cords as something only has to irritate them and they close. I got told it can be caused by nasal drip and I too get a lot of phlegm in my throat, odourless garlic is a good one to get rid of that though.

[Puddleduck12 in reply to RD23]

You know, my mum has *just* been diagnosed with that. Weird you should mention it.

[RD23 in reply to Puddleduck12]

Might be worth asking if it’s a possibility you could have it, we’re all different though so I wouldn’t worry about finding it difficult to explain, maybe as suggested earlier, write everything down and list your symptoms.

[Hidden in reply to Puddleduck12]

I have been, on and off, your symptoms for 4 months.

After a visit to my GP he checked me and was pretty sure it wasnt my asthma causing the problems.

I think I have VCD caused by reflux maybe.

The big pointer for me was my peak flow never really dropped much and my reliever didnt really give me the normal relief.

Also it fluctuated over short time periods, feeling fine and feeling terrible over 10 -20 mins.

[Puddleduck12 in reply to Hidden]

Hmm that's interesting. My peak flow never really drops either 😕 and I never think my blue inhaler does anything.

Usually I just have to take it easy and wait it out (usually start feeling better after 6-12 hours) but this time it's hit me hard and I'm on day 3