Hopefully through an episode

[Yellow75]

Woken up early hours not because can't breathe, but because I can and my body's not use to it.

I have had asthma symptons for over three weeks, its been a prolonged episode. First noticed with a barking cough. So I started upping my preventer. Also started feeling out of breath, noticed the slowly down of movement and couldn't talk in long sentences. Taking reliever didn't ease symptoms. Then I had the tight burning chest symptons which I hate, and the feeling that my lungs were full of something. I was so tired too, brain foggy and just exhausted. By end of week one, I was at maximum dosage of preventer and reliever, but not getting any relief from symptoms, so I went to see my doctor. I was prescribed a short course steriods. This lifted the inflammation a bit but not fully. Still coughing my bark, short of breathe and tight chested, so I went back to doctors in week 2. Another course of steriods and antibiotics. Could feel working a bit, but still having asthma symptoms but to a lesser extent, but enough for it to still affect life and still short of breath. So yesterday I went back again. Doctor upped strength of antihistamines and preventer inhaler. She also gave me antacid tablets, I think she misunderstood the burning sensation I feel when my lungs are inflamed. I took the antihistamine at lunchtime yesterday, felt some easing and took new preventer before going to bed. Fingers crossed asthma seems to be lifting. Litmus test will be how I get on moving around.

What I find irritating though is when I am in an asthma episode, and l start surfing the net about asthma I never find a site that really describes the prolonged symptoms that I experience. Reading the sites its as if you get a sudden tightness, shortness of breath and then you take your reliever inhaler and it's all better, if it's not then the advice is to ring 999. My first experience of asthma when I was 9 seemed to be like that, but it's trigger was exercise in foggy conditions. If my trigger is a virus, infection, spore or pollen then my asthma episode tends to be prolonged and not easily shifted. I find it difficult in these circumstances to call it an attack as an episode suits its length.

I also get annoyed when sites start talking about wheezing and peak flows. I rarely wheeze, only when I'm in excess mucus producing mode and I always have a lower than average peak flow, even if no asthma symptoms.

As a result of websites like this, for years I never really thought I had asthma. As a result I wonder if my mistreated episodes have over the past 35 years caused damage to my lungs that I'm now paying for.

I really do hate the usual way asthma is described on websites and the language used.

I'd be interested to hear other people's experience of their asthma and how they describe it.

[CDPO16]

Hi,

I can relate very much to your post and the symptoms you describe. I have had similar problems for the past 3 weeks staring with increased breathlessness and what seemed to be unstable asthma followed by a hacking cough. I, however, also have emphysema and don't follow peak flow readings. On a 'good' day I only blow 130 and I never wheeze.

My prescription for a preventer is 4 times a day along with a reliever PRN but neither have helped much which is the guide I tend to use as an indicator that I need help. After two urgent GP appointments in the past 3 weeks for worsening symptoms triggering asthma attacks I am now on my second course of high strength antibiotics and second course of prednisolone and just beginning to feel better though a long way off fully recovered. As you say, for me too, the litmus test will be how I fare moving around.

The focus for my GP's and practice nurse has always been on my emphysema rather than the asthma (late onset) and I often feel left very much to my own devices. I understand emphysema but don't really understand asthma so I have tried to educate myself about it and have learnt a lot from this forum.

I can't comment on how your treatment over the past 35 years has affected you but I hope that you soon feel better and stay well.

[Yellow75 in reply to CDPO16]

Thanks for post back. Hope you feel better soon as well. Its reassuring in a strange way that symptoms are similar. Sometimes I feel like it's guess work in terms of managing symptoms.

[CDPO16 in reply to Yellow75]

Thank you. Yes, it is reassuring to compare sypmtoms and I agree about the guess work. Be nice if it wasn't so though.

Best wishes

[Hidden]

Thought I'd chip in, I was diagnosed with late onset Asthma quite a few years ago now, but after 3 years I was sent to Respiritory clinic at the hospital and for a CT scan. The results were a diagnosis of Bronchietasis. Just thought I'd mention it in case you might think you need to be checked out. Still don't really know if I have Asthma too as my symptoms changed to Asthma type symptoms in the summer. But now it's winter, symptoms are back to being more like Bronch. Sometimes I wheeze and sometimes I don't.

[Yellow75 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for post back. I can relate to it changing, I am wondering if its down to trigger.

[Helliwell]

I very similar to you. I am currently going through an episode (3 weeks and multiple attacks in). I am maxed out on everything but still struggling, particularly with the fatigue. I got my kids dressed earlier, felt breathless/dizzy and had to lie down. I don't have a wheeze and my chest is clear, yet I'm coughing stuff up. My peak flow is about normal for me. My GP is baffled as to what's wrong but they keep saying 'virus' giving me more tablets and sending me home. Pushing for tests next week. It's good to hear you're better though, there's hope there! Can't wait to feel 'normal' again.