Has anyone experienced this. Was told i dont have asthma but my symptoms would suggest otherwise.

[Johnboyglasgow]

Hypersensitivity of the upper airways caused by a viral infection.

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador]

Hi

Sometimes bad viruses can cause asthma like symptoms in non-asthma patients. In the past they would be called asthmatic prescribed a ventolin and sent on their way, however never have the issue again (this is seen in a lot of children too). Nowadays, unless there are repeated issues (ie you are SoB tight wheezy etc) every time you’re ill you’re unlikely to be diagnosed as asthmatic. There is also a big push at the moment to get people diagnosed official through lung function tests, as a lot of ‘asthmatics’ aren’t truely asthmatics they just have similar symptoms but a different cause (like VCD, dysfunction breathing pattern etc).

Not knowing your history I can’t say which applies to you, but hopefully that explains it!

[Hidden in reply to EmmaF91]

It’s understandable and I think they’re right to check. Coming from a generation where asthma was horrendously underdiagnosed (the 1960s ws not a good time if you were asthmatic) I witnessed the dramatic swing in the late 1980s when it really did seem that the medical profession had gone too far the other way to compensate for the mistakes made in earlier decades.

That said I’ve not been checked, and I would be more than slightly concerned if they did it, said I didn’t have asthma and then took me off my inhalers. I know what it’s like to be an undiagnosed asthmatic. I don’t want to go there again.

I’m quite happy to be corrected on this, but it was my understanding that there isn’t a completely reliable test for asthma.

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

No, but a history of the symptoms, relieved by meds and mixed with a multitude of tests that indicate asthma will show asthma. Whilst symptomatic spirometry can show asthma, as can the other LFTs, but the reversibility test is important as it demonstrates that the ventolin actually works. The trouble comes when you do the tests asymptomatic (been there, done that!)

[Hidden in reply to EmmaF91]

It’s never been suggested to me that I should have it done, but maybe there’s enough history that they don’t think it’s necessary. I last saw a respiratory consultant four years ago, and that was at the request of a consultant gastroenterologist who was convinced my inhalers were responsible for oesophageal thrush. He didn’t think my asthma was that bad (because my asthma is well controlled and he couldn’t hear a wheeze when he listened to my chest) and so thought it would be a good idea for me to come off them and try something like montelukast instead. To add weight to his argument he suggested I see a respiratory consultant to get my asthma reviewed. That consultant went through my asthma history and came back with a flat no to any suggestion that I go on to montelukast instead. He did suggest an alternative inhaler (Fostair) but as I’ve had a bad experience with beclometasone in the past backed off when I said no to that.

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

I had to be officially diagnosed to get referred to specialist hosp and get biological treatment (cause I’m severe). It was a pain at the time cause it delayed referral by 3 months!

It’s the inhaler that’s the main preventer drug, so swapping to just montelukast wouldn’t help 🤨. If you’re controlled your meds don’t need to be played with unless you’re getting side effects, oral thrush is a very common issue and can usually be dealt with with rinsing/gurgling etc after use... swapping inhaler may or may not help 🤷‍♀️

[Hidden in reply to EmmaF91]

I knew this (well the bit about the preventer inhaler, I’d never heard of Montelukast he mentioned it and then my GP filled me on it), my GP knew all this, the problem was that the consultant gastroenterologist didn’t (no reason why he should, of course, it’s not really his area of expertise). The first time he mentioned it to me was was when I was recovering from the gastroscopy when the thrush was found. It was deep down in my oesophagus, nowhere near my mouth; there was no trace of oral or pharyngeal thrush anywhere. I’ve never had oral thrush in my life. The oesophageal version is not very common, but according to him it has been seen in people on steroid inhalers before. But if it was my inhalers, it was odd there was no sign of it anywhere else, in fact there was no evidence at all to suggest the steroid inhaler was to blame - which the respiratory consultant apparently made very clear to him. All he did was to put me in a panic when it became all too clear where his questions concerning my asthma were leading - until I remembered that taking me off my inhalers didn’t fall in his remit. The respiratory consultant, of course, came down on my side.

[Johnboyglasgow in reply to EmmaF91]

Hi Emma. As mentioned below had this bad viral infection all upper airways that led to ct scan revealing bronchiectasis in the lower left lobe of moderately severe. My consultant says I’ve had it a long time but I never had any of the normal symptoms of it at all. The chest infection did clear up but the upper airway issue didn’t. Even now nearly 6 months in I’m still experiencing upper airway issues. Breathing through my nose seems worse but my throat is very hoarse if I talk too long, dry and I do a lot of throat clearing and hhhuumming sounds. It’s the breathing at night and when I’m not distracted I feel it. I’m not wheezing or have any difficulty getting air in. I’m still fit and active - cycling, running and climbing but each time I do it seems to get worse. Is this the start of asthma? No asthma was identified during my recent bronchoscopy.

[Shadowcat04]

I am going through some of this now. I was diagnosed with moderate persistent asthma. My asthma doctor, though, decided the last time I came in that it was vcd. She gave me cough medicine and told me to rest. I called back twice to say this wasn’t working and nobody would listen to me. I finally went to an urgent care and got a great doctor, an X-ray and prednisone. The prednisone worked by the next day. Guess my doctor was wrong- since oral steroids are not effective on vcd, I’ve heard.

It’s all very confusing and requires a lot of self- advocacy.

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to Shadowcat04]

Ask for a LFT! That will demonstrate asthma, then there’s no quiry about it and doctors will stop messing you about 🙄😒. Hope you’re feeling better now x

[Hidden in reply to EmmaF91]

I admit I’m somewhat surprised that someone with moderate persistent asthma (which implies that preventer inhalers are needed on a daily basis to control the condition) is then told it’s not asthma.

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

My cynicism is quite extensive when it comes to doctors ans asthma, including several doctors who should know better. I think a lot don't understand how it works and think it's like COPD ie it will be there all the time - nope, and if someone is well controlled the idea is there will be nothing to see while on medication! And don't even get me started on the wheeze thing and how many doctors still think you need one.

I keep seeing these drives to improve diagnosis ans all they ever seem to talk about is how great it is to undiagnose people and the cost savings of that. I agree if you don't have asthma it's best to know that and get the right treatment, but they're a bit too confident at times at how reliable the tests are and the human error factor (however good spirometry is, it's no use if the test is done badly and the patient isn't told to stop.meds before). And no one ever seems to talk about the misery and danger of being wrongly diagnosed when you do have asthma, or the costs incurred from not recognising it.

[Shadowcat04 in reply to Lysistrata]

My asthma doctor has done several LFTs, spirometry and they always improve with the albuterol- which she said proves I have asthma. I also did a test where I ran on a treadmill until I was gasping for air and my O2 went down a little. I have never had a doctor hear me wheeze. They found I have allergies to mold, dust mites and ragweed. Also, in the summer our air quality got bad several times due to forest fires- that really effected me. I think the doctor first got the idea of Vocal chord dysfunction because of answers to some of her questions: I’m a teacher, a woman, in my 40s, I sing a lot with my students (as I have been the last 15 years), I have some depression and anxiety. Since I had those risk factors, all of a sudden, my cough and lack of ability to breathe was VCD. My actual assessment is next Monday.

[Hidden in reply to Shadowcat04]

The really weird thing about wheezing is that I certainly did wheeze as a child but I don’t any more. I just go very tight and start to cough. I’ve often wondered if this is a common thing with long term asthmatics, particularly those who had it in childhood.

[Johnboyglasgow in reply to Shadowcat04]

Sorry what vcd?

[Hidden]

what are symptoms and why do they think it isn't asthma

[Hidden]

It has to be said that I do know of someone - not in the U.K. but in mainland Europe - who was a prescribed a budesonide inhaler (so a steroid inhaler prescribed for asthma) when she went to a doctor for a persistent cough that had been plaguing her every morning for two plus months following on from a cold. She had never had asthma in her life! Very fortunately a second opinion was sought. The cause of the cough was mucus continuing to build in her nasal passages during the day and then settling onto her lungs at night, resulting in the cough. A decongestant sorted her out. The budesonide was never used.

I was astonished when I heard this story, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard of this happening in the U.K., but it’s certainly true, as Emma has said above, that ventolin inhalers have been handed out far too often to individuals with a persistent cough which is not asthma related.

[Johnboyglasgow]

The reason for asking the question is that i contracted a nasty upper respiratory virus which included really bad conjunctivitis, horrendous mouth ulcers and a rash on my arms and chest. It led to a bad chest infection with terrible coughing bouts lasting 5 hours or more. My nasal passages were red raw. Effentually the nose, ulcers and eyes cleared up but i kept getting reinfected with terrible nasal drip into my throat. I was given antibiotics and things started settling but i always felt it was still there and then the infection came back into the chest. I was producing tons of thick phlegm and eventually was coughing up blood in the morning. Over 9 weeks i counted 5 different episodes including 3 more bouts of conjunctivitis. Each bout less severe than the previuos one. Sputum samples and blood tests revealed nothing. Eventually sent to get a ct scan which led to diagnosis of bronchiectasis of my lower left lobe. Further tests carried out to determine cause including a bronch wash to identify the potential colonizing bacteria. The wash came back negative so it definitely confirmed it was a viral and not bacterial. During this time one of my symptoms was difficulty breathing at night ie very sensitive. I saw my specialist recently and she says my main symptoms are upper chest and so the bronchiectasis is not the issue. She has now diagnosed a form of reactive airway symptom which is similar to asthma. Im been prescribed a steriod inhaler, montelukast and i also take an anti histamine. I still have difficulty with breathing - not getting air in but sense of dust and dryness. Is this asthma or just a temporary problem? Its been 5 months.