Feeling confused!

[KaraMay]

Hi, my asthma symptoms started to worsen about 3 weeks ago and I started using the Ventolin reliever inhaler more frequently. I went to the asthma nurse on Monday as things had got worse again and I was getting short of breath when walking so she prescribed me a 5-day course of steroids. I went back today as I had only had a little improvement. I haven't got an infection and she checked with the Dr and was advised that it is probably a bug and I should see if it clears up on its own (with my normal inhalers) over the next two weeks.

My question is whether anyone else has had this sort of thing? My asthma has changed a lot of over recent years so I am unsure what to expect so I would appreciate anyone else's experiences if they are similar. Thank you.

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador]

Hi - sorry to hear what’s going on with you atm

The trouble with asthma is there are so many triggers that can set it off, and everyone is different (symptoms/triggers/meds needed for control). A lot of asthma treatment is found via the trial and error approach too. It could be that you have a bit of a virus which is triggering you, and if so you don’t need to change your maintenance meds. However if you’ve just generally worsened you won’t improve hence why you’ve been told to return if no change. After 2 weeks they should be able to rule out virus and so may then consider a regime change if some sort, or even further investigations if they think it’s something other than asthma (as there are a few asthma mimics). Usually pred works well for asthmatics... there’s only a few quirky people which it doesn’t help and they tend to be on the severe side of things. I went through this when my asthma control started to decline, however the pred always worked to calm things for me until I was off of it! My old surgery didn’t like offering solutions to the issue (just a different preventer), until I got the ‘right’ doc who started me on montelukast, then got myself referred to the hosp consultant who basically threw the BNF med list at me, til things started to calm 😅. The initial time ‘wasted’ at the GP was the worst part for me (even tho by then end my control was stupidly bad)

General advice: If you find you need 10 puffs of ventolin on the trot to resolve the breathlessness then you need to go back sooner. Same if you’re waking up with symptoms in the middle of the night. If you find you can’t eat/sleep/talk cause of your asthma and/or the blue pump doesn’t help you need to head to a&e/urgent care.

Good luck and I hope thinks work out for you soon xxx

[KaraMay in reply to EmmaF91]

Thank you so much Emma, what a detailed reply! I think you have really clarified for me what is going on and what to expect. Thank you so much.

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to KaraMay]

Your welcome... yeah sorry - I tend to write essays 😳😅

[Glen68]

Im currently going through a bit of a bad patch 2-3 weeks of my asthma getting worse. Im now on Seretide, Ventolin and Pred. I started my Pred tablets yesterday and as yet have no real improvement. As Emma says, if you use Ventolin more than a few times a day or wake up, like me, with asthma its time to seek some serious attention.

Keep us informed and get well soon.

[KaraMay in reply to Glen68]

Thank you, sounds the same as me. I'll keep you updated, hope you feel better soon also.

[Glen68 in reply to KaraMay]

You too.... A question: Are you aware of any changes to your lifestyle, stress levels or enviromental changes that could have triggered this worsening of your symptoms?

[KaraMay in reply to Glen68]

No, the only change I guess is the weather so the nurse thought it must be that.

[Hidden]

I’m going through the same thing. The nurse is moving step by step. If you have a virus, antibiotics won’t help cure the bug, although antibiotics can prevent a secondary infection.

There’s also one antibiotic called Zithromax in USA that also helps fight asthma.

The big question you have to keep asking the nurse each time you talk to him or her is, “What’s next?”

[KaraMay in reply to Hidden]

Yes, that is a great question...I feel as though I have got more out of this thread than I did from the nurse! Thank you...Hope you feel better soon too.

[Hidden in reply to KaraMay]

I went to the ER yesterday and was treated like dirt by a doctor who did that to me once before.

Today I went to Urgent Care, where they treated me with respect, didn’t ask any stupid questions (like “Do you have any friends?”, and found that I have bronchitis. That’s why the asthma is unmanageable. I saw a nurse practitioner who was far better than the MD in the. ER and problem solved with me. She was very helpful.

I’m going to write a letter privately to the MD IN THE ER, as this is the second time she’s completely blown it with me. I won’t make it a formal complaint unless I get her again, and I’m going to tell her that in the future, I will specifically request to not have her as my ER doctor.

I’ve been intensive care five times in the last eleven months and I’m not going to have her nasty attitude blocking me from good medical care or driving me out of that hospital.

[KaraMay]

Just to update, I am starting to feel better - yeay! Thank you so much for all your help, you have been great as I really didn't know what to think after seeing the asthma nurse. I very much appreciate the reassurance this thread has given me.

Hoping those of you who are also suffering at the mo feel better soon.

[KaraMay]

So, I spoke too soon - and apparently, it wasn't an asthma nurse I'd seen but an urgent care nurse. I've been back today and again been directed to urgent care who again told me there's no infection and nothing they can do, however, I am now booked to see an asthma nurse tomorrow.

Having had asthma for over 30 years, I have never known anything like this. Oh and he also told me that ventolin could be causing my symptoms so now I really don't know what I should be doing!

Sorry to rant, I just feel very confused!

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to KaraMay]

Oh they do like spinning you in circles don’t they 🙄. What are your symptoms?

[KaraMay in reply to EmmaF91]

Thanks for replying Emma. I usually get a dry cough at the top of my chest but also shortness of breath. I've been finding in the morning I can walk about the house, although I can't do the school run, and it gets worse through the day so by the evening it's at it's worst. This morning though I have got the shortness of breath already.

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to KaraMay]

Ok... from my experience ventolin doesn’t cause SoB... it either calms it or does nothing depending on the cause of the SoB but it doesn’t create it (unless you’re allergic to the pump 🤔). It can be caused my other meds however (like a recent change in steroid inhaler).

Do you have CVA? Cause that would also explain the cough. Has anyone noticed any wheezing in your lungs at all? Plus what is your PF doing?

If your at the point of finding walking/talking in sentences/eating normally difficult and/or your PF is down 50% then you can legitimately seek further help elsewhere... it could be what you need is a neb to calm things down (tho why the GP won’t give you One don’t know...most have the capacity to).

Hope that helps and that you start to feel better soon

[KaraMay in reply to EmmaF91]

Thanks again Emma. I haven't been diagnosed with CVA but I think that is what I have, at least for the last few years anyway. I used to get more typical asthma symptoms but it all changed after a bad chest infection about 4 years ago. My peak flow doesn't drop. The nurse said there was a slight wheeze but certainly nothing I can hear.

[Ahier in reply to EmmaF91]

What is PF (Down 50%) did not find what PF could stand for???

And alsop CVA what is that also?...all Im finding is a stroke related issue...you said coughing as a result of CVA??? What is CVA?..thanks sorry for the ignorance

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to Ahier]

PF is peak flow. In the UK we use peak flow meters to measure how much we can blow out quickly (like a a hard and fast out breath). There are averages you can measure against if you’ve never done it, but usually you compare to the best you personally have blow. In the UK lower than 50% your best PF is classed as a moderate (acute) attack.

CVA stands for cough variant asthma. This literally means that your main asthma symptom (other than SoB) is coughing, and this type of asthmatic does not always wheeze.

I hope that explains it all for you