Oh crumbs!

[Wheezycat]

Last night, 23/12, I seemed to start something, coughed a lot. And over night there are definite signs of some kind of infection going into my chest. What timing! As yet I would not say it is bad enough to have to take steps, other than increasing my Symbicort. It is too soon to seek a GP for the usual, it is quite possible I won’t need them. Just hope I won’t need to later today, or worse still, tomorrow. It is not the way I planned to spend Christmas. Oh, well.

I hope the rest of you are keeping well, and enjoying the festive period!

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador]

Oh no! I’m in exactly the same position but about to see the GP (strongly suspect bacterial infection 🙄) - really hoping they don’t go with tradition and forward me to hospital 🤞🏻😬. Yes our lungs seem to have excellent timing! My fingers are crossed for you to get through without your lungs going on strike! Merry Christmas x

[Wheezycat in reply to EmmaF91]

And you! My pf has improved a bit with four Symbicort puffs, thank goodness! Just hope it stays this way. Hope you get what you need from the GP.......and can enjoy celebrations out of hospital today or tomorrow or whenever you celebrate (we do both - a scandi-uk mix).

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to Wheezycat]

Yay! 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 it’ll stay that way!

Got some antibiotics and I think the only reason I’m not in hosp is cause they didn’t ask for a PF (at best it’s hovering at 50% 😅🤫🤫🤫) - hoping the ABs kick in quick as that is the only reason it’s dropping so low!

Thank you 😊 have a great Scandi-Brit-mas!!!

[Wheezycat in reply to EmmaF91]

Oh dear. Below 50% is very low. I have only gone below 80% today, then up, then down, then up etc. But it has held. I am not as brave- or experienced - as you and would react sooner at least to get myself to a GP. But just now I don’t have time. I have Christmas dinner to see to tomorrow.

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to Wheezycat]

It’s not bravery just idiocy and experience 😂. I lived at 50% for over a year a couple of years ago so now struggle to recognise symptoms. I upped my pred to 40 on Friday (after Brompton told me to cause of poor PF/spiro) and started getting ill Saturday (tight cough, headache, shattered, achy - tho some of that could be the mepo Friday 😅). Currently I’m feeling tight and SoB on activity (a little on rest) but other than that my asthmas fine (no cough or wheeze atm) despite the PF, hence why I’m happy to wait out the ABs (and why I went of an emergency GP appt for them today).

Like you I’m putting life ahead of lungs... Christmas here we come! Enjoy your Christmas din-dins! 🤤😉

[Wheezycat in reply to EmmaF91]

That sounds like me, crap I am at ‘feeliing’ my symptom. I have landed myself in trouble before now because of it, so I rely on pf , friends who tell me I sound wrong and so on, including visualising myself going snorkelling ..... and would that feel viable.

Hope it goes well for you, Emma, and hat the ABs do the trick.

[Hidden]

Oh dear, sympathies! I had a sore throat for most of yesterday and the beginnings of an annoying cough and sniffle this evening. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve gone down with an infection this close to Christmas - I did the same thing a couple of years ago. On that occasion I’d been in to see the GP that morning on an unrelated matter. Four hours later, two hours after the GP surgery had closed for Christmas, I felt the first symptoms come on.

Wishing you both a very merry Christmas and keeping everything crossed that the bugs are more charitable than sometimes or that the lungs decide to ignore them.

Xxx

[Wheezycat in reply to Hidden]

Holding my own so far, but not feeling great. Still, could be a lot worse. Hope your sore throat stays away.

[Hidden in reply to Wheezycat]

Sore throat much better today - irritating cough that started earlier this evening is not so good. However, experience over the years has shown that with me infections beginning with a sore throat are usually (dangerous word to use - I wouldn’t put it past a bug to take that as a hint to prove me wrong), usually less likely to cause real problems. Those starting with a tight little cough or aches and a slight fever are a different matter.

As I said, keeping everything crossed - and not just for me:-). Xx

[Wheezycat in reply to Hidden]

Oooops! It is the ‘start with a bit of coughing, aches (my shins ached in the night!) and a fever’ that I have just now. I had a fair temperature in the small hours, and debating whether we need to call 111 for out of hours GP. Though right now it doesn’t feel too bad.

Hope you have a nice day today!

[Hidden in reply to Wheezycat]

Didn’t feel great last night (but that might be something to do with the fact that we didn’t go to bed until past midnight.

My cold has now come out - currently more of an annoyance than a problem, let’s s hope it stays that way.

All the best of the season Wheezycat, and I hope that your lungs decide to enjoy things rather than throwing a tantrum. xx

[Wheezycat in reply to Hidden]

Good you are staying OK-ish. So far lungs not tantruming, I hope it stays that way. They wobble, but I can cope with that.

[Birthday60]

Am in Norway cross country skiing - slow but steady. Best ever exercise for my lungs - the clean air and cardio workout is like dynarod!

[Wheezycat in reply to Birthday60]

I skied when young. I lived up north in Sweden, well north of Stockholm. I didn’t do slalom- fear of heights- but cross country, and in February we often skied on the frozen sea. Very flat. And quite boring. We all skied, in school if you didn’t have your own then school provided. I don’t miss any of it. These days I worry how I would cope with the cold.

Hope you have a lovely time!

[HungryHufflepuff in reply to Wheezycat]

My brother lives in Norway but in February this year we all met up in Sweden, in a village a bit north of Luleå. We went out walking across the frozen sea, he also went driving on the sea, on the ice roads. When I was at school I went skiing but haven't since, I didn't seem to have any fear of falling then!

[Wheezycat in reply to HungryHufflepuff]

That is a lot further north than my hometown. I grew up in Örnsköldsvik, about 100 km south of Umeå, in the High Coast area. It is vey beautiful and I go back there at least once per year.

[Hidden]

Please check with your doctor or asthma advisor. Symbicort is not a rescue medication. Increasing itcan be dangerous and won’t help a flare.

Instead you should use your rescue inhaler—mine is Ventolin— or a nebulizer. In the USA the medication for a nebulizer is called Duoneb. It has what’s in your rescinhalwr—albuterol—plus a second medication.

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

Symbicort can be used as a rescue med if you follow the SMART regime (which I’m assuming wheezycat is). It depends on your maintenance dose... plus some people are advised to double preventer when starting to have issues to see if it nips it in the bud, without needing prednisolone etc., especially if yellow zoning above 50%. SMART doesn’t work for everyone, and not everyone does it, but those that do usually don’t have to use ventolin... Hope that explains the SMART regime we use over here anyway 😅. Merry Christmas

[Hidden in reply to EmmaF91]

Wow. We are told just the opposite here.

[Wheezycat in reply to EmmaF91]

You are quite right, Emma, I am on SMART. And that doubling has helped me once avoid prednisolone altogether. Whether it will this time I am not sure, but at least I have got through Christmas Eve and Day.

[Wheezycat in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for your concern! But I am on SMART regime so I can adjust when needed. Unfortunately instructions on it are not great, but I have in the past been told by medics to double it when I was significantly unwell. And recently I did this (my last cold) and managed to avoid prednisolone altogether, thank goodness! Good when you need it but I don’t enjoy the side effects.

[Destiny10]

Hi wheezy cat

The same here started coughing again I'm sure it's something in the air . Already had a change of inhaler this year to a slightly stronger one then lowered back down last month , I was told if I start coughing again and it last 2 weeks to phone the Dr up and he'll give me a prescription for the higher dose again. Here's hopeing I won't need too.

Hope you feel better soon .

[hoping2improve]

Oh no. hope you managed to enjoy Xmas still.

In similar position, started prednisolone Xmas Eve morning. Hey ho, hopefully better by new year. Good Luck

[Wheezycat in reply to hoping2improve]

Yeah, limping on. I got some virus which gave me a fever for a couple of days (I had forgotten how crap that can make you feel) , lots of coughing and sleep affected, but I could still enjoy Christmas and even do a bit of cooking. On Boxing Day I saw the out of hours go who told there were no crackles and no wheeze, so no need for pred or antibiotics. Fever now much better, but coughing is another matter. I currently have doubled my Symbicort and the gp also suggested I take ventolin theee times daily for a couple of days, and with that my pf seems to be holding between 70 and 75%. Also recommended to seek more medical advice if needed in a few days.

I hope you are better!

[hoping2improve]

Hi, hope your meds are helping, always a concern when peak flows dip.

Further medical advice - up prednisolone and take for another week.

Fingers crossed !!