Fed up

[Tinkerooni]

I am currently at home on pred after an attack on Sunday. I have been ignoring signs my asthma wasn’t controlled for a while and am annoyed at myself. It feels like every time I make progress with running or just not having symptoms I go back to square one. It’s so frustrating! Anyone else struggling?

[Chevy2019]

I went on years doing that and just this year have finally taken the bull by the horns. Unfortunately flare ups still happen even when asthma well controlled, i have had flare ups maybe 2 times a year requiring pred even when consistently using preventer inhalers. Dont blame yourself. Asthma sucks! But do look at getting some control over your asthma. Its a real pain in the backside but worth the time and effort. Be prepared to try every inhaler known to man before finding the right one for you. See a specially trained asthma nurse at your gp surgery. Chances are they outsmart the doctor with their knowledge of the lat treatments. Best of luck and hope you feel better soon!

[Darceydoo in reply to Chevy2019]

Hi any more than two flare ups I’d ask to see a respiratory specialist . I’ve had nearly 4 years of Antibiotics / Prednisone to no avail , until I said enoughs enough. Wrongly diagnosed with COPD also as my symptoms mimicked it .

[hilary39]

I totally get it! I hate that feeling of coming back to square one!! I've had that so often this past year as I've been in constant flares and have lost track of how many prednisone bursts I've been on. It's so hard when you start to think, ok I'm doing pretty well right now and then (in my case at least) encounter an allergy/asthma trigger out of the blue and are suddenly as sick as you've ever been.

I also relate to what you are saying about not realizing quickly enough how bad you're getting. I hate taking steroids so much that I think I sometimes avoid starting them and then wind up much worse off than I would have if I'd just started taking them 2-3 days earlier.

[Squash60]

Feel for you. I had to have a course after catching a nasty cold virus that wouldn’t clear. I had to take them on hols in Cyprus. Not good as the make me a bit crazy(er😂).

Hope you’re feeling better soon x

[Junglechicken]

Yep, so with you on that one. I had a few nasty attacks over the summer, big increase in meds led to my PF increasing to 92% from 61% at my worst. I was able to control my attacks at home but very scary all the same. I did get a telling off from one GP for not going to A and E because they were happening so frequently ( I had two severe attacks in one day) She is the only GP in my practice who seems to take asthma seriously. In the last month my PF has slowly been dropping, I’m at 76% the morning. More gunky too. My mum did some percussion on my back yesterday and I started coughing which isn’t a good sign. I think she’s now worried. My asthma has been mild since I was a teenager (I’m in my late 30’s) until 6 months ago, now I feel like I’m symptomatic 90% of the time. So frustrating and I’m terrified of another series of attacks. I had severe asthma as a child so there was always the possibility that it would become problematic again. My earliest childhood memories are being clamped to a nebuliser. You do start to feel helpless as you are doing everything that you are supposed to and it’s not helping. Hope you get back on track soon x

[Tinkerooni]

Thanks everyone! Steroids have helped although my chest is still a bit tight. I have two children with severe asthma so am great and making sure their meds are taken that o tend to ignore my own symptoms! Eldest is off school with a croupy sounding cough so one more day of enforced rest! I’m going to go back to the doctor next week to talk inhalers I think.

[Junglechicken]

Hope your little one gets better soon x