Ive been having minor asthma issues for a few weeks now (8 to be exact). These all settled eventually after being advised by a family member to try an antihistamine and I've been pretty good for around 3 weeks now. I've never been bothered by hay fever before however, this really seemed to help. The last 3 or so nights i've been waking up in the night with a tight chest and a horrible cough. No temperature or signs of infection, but I phoned the GP today and there's not much they can offer by way of help. My PF has been steady for the last few weeks between 470 and 500, however, overnight with this cough its been dropping to 370 and today sits at 430. I don't feel particularly breathless (unless I do anything that involves moving). Have tried honey, other than a cough syrup (which someone is picking up for me later) does anyone have any advice? thanks
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Carriejen
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Is it a tickly cough? If so, try your blue inhaler on a spacer. Use rhythmic breathing rather than deep breath and hold method. It settles mine very quickly.
I do use a spacer, I use my volumatic but I havent tried the tidal breathing with the cough. It definitely helps with when ny chest is tight! Thank you
If the cough is due to asthma no cough remedy will help basically. Do you have any inhalers? The nightly episodes you are having to me seem to call for salbutamol in the first instance, to see if it helps, but I am not a doctor and they are the ones who should support you in this. It does it sounds like you are having a flare. I am surprised your GP said they couldn’t help. What about calling the Asthma U.K. helpline for advice? I don’t have their number but it is easy to find on their website.
It comes and goes. I am not coughing constantly. But when it starts it's hard to get under control and it's a horrible barking cough. During the day it feels more like it's in my throat? If that makes sense. It's a lot better today than last night. Salbutamol definitely has been helping but it keeps flaring up. My gp advised that because i only have cough/chest tightness I'm on the highest dose of fostair, montelukast and spireva. She says next steps would be antibiotics or steroid tablets and I'm not quite there yet. Shes ringing back tomorrow to see how tonight goes.
Oh good! I am glad your GP is keeping an eye! By the way, my throat also reacts when my chest is worse, and for that alone I find it helpful to suck something, or water, but it wouldn’t help my asthma.
I've tried a tablespoon on honey, had a drink last night. It was only the ventolin that stopped the cough but the honey/water made my throat feel better. Then the cough woke me up again a few hours later and it was the same story. I feel better tonight that I did this morning so I'll see how it goes overnight again.
I was going to say it sounds like asthma and pretty much say what Wheezycat was going to. I feel like your GP is not entirely grasping the idea of cough as an asthma symptom. (But then a respiratory doctor on my last admission asked me if I took syrup for the horrible cough I got when he made me walk a little, which settled down not long after I got back on the bed. Err, no. I take salbutamol and it goes. Because it's asthma. And you are a respiratory specialist, should you not know that asthma can present with a cough?!)
I don't think antibiotics are likely to help though of course I'm not a Dr etc - but what you describe sounds much more like asthma than infection and probably needs to be addressed as such.
I don't think you should be breathless that easily just from moving - that's how I get when I'm flaring and it shows me I'm not doing well.
I agree with calling AUK nurses and seeing what they say - they will probably have some suggestions about how to tackle your GP.
Thank you so much! My asthma has been really well controlled for the last few weeks which is why I phoned the gp. The first 2 times i rang i got told it was likely corona and just to keep an eye on it. It was a relative who suggested hayfever. I only rang the gp as this is new. I definitely dont think it's an infection and i was more looking for advice as i didnt think there was much they could offer anyway. I might ring AUK tomorrow. Thank you!
I feel like they're a bit too keen to jump to corona atm for anything respiratory! Sounds much more like asthma if the Ventolin is helping the cough and tight chest and it's an issue at night.
Seems like it's not lasting long though so definitely talk to AUK and try the GP again - they can do something if they can acknowledge it is asthma and not just fixated on corona or infection.
Obviously those could be triggering it but so can many other things. My lungs are managing to find plenty to get annoyed with just staying inside.
I completely agree with Lysistrata. It sounds absolutely like asthma to me and your GP should be dealing with that. My GP (thankfully fantastic) has been consistently saying that they (GPs) at the hospitals MUST treat other conditions in the way they normally would. My asthma was being a pain over the last month, he'd authorised my own medication increases at home in order to keep me out of hospital (as am very high risk), but all the time reassuring me that, if it came to it, they (hosp) would be there for me. Unfortunately last Friday it did come to that. He actually said he understood it was scary for me but that if hospitals/doctors don't treat conditions as they normally would then they're actually opening themselves up for negligence issues.
Ok, so the GP rang me back. She has recommended a nasal steroid spray, a saline spray and stronger antihistamines to be picked up from pharmacy today so fingers crossed! Thank you both so much for your advice
I find with nurses and docs when you explain your current problems they glaze over and give you the "lets stay with what your on for now " . I've been through a ton of inhalers. I've found the wim hof breathing method. I've been asthmatic for most of my life. Now in my 30s and this has by far the best leap forward for managing symptoms of my asthma my peak flow has always been at best 550. I'm comfortably about 650 750 now. Its takes about a week to get into the flow but its basically breathing and holding
Can I find this on youtube or on google? Thanks for the recommendation. I found breathing exercises on a facebook group, and it recommended I sleep on my frontz which i do anyway. My asthma has been up and down for a while but well controlled for a few weeks and the last few nights just worried me. Thanks for your advice
Dear Carriejen, Honey & Lemon, A Pinch Of Turmeric, Pinch Of Ginger,
(Also Garlic In a Garlic Press) I Don’t Do The Garlic, as it Irritates My Stomach Unless it’s Cooked, The Honey Is Very Soothing, But Also, I Find Halls Soothers,
Strawberry is the Best, As When You Suck Them, If You Can Wait, I Mostly Don’t, I Suck For a Short While, Then Bite and it’s The Liquid Centre That Gives So Much Relief and is So Healing & Soothing, If You Can’t Get That Flavour, The Next Best is Blackcurrant, or Peach & Raspberry, But The Cherry & Honey & Lemon Soothers Are Not Good as They’re Too Bitter,
And The Antihistamine Also Helps Tremendously, Hope This Helps!
Sounds the cough is asthma. If no coloured phlegm antibiotics wont work. I took advice from the chats to try ventolin when cough came on and it helped.
Speak with your GP because there are a few things they can do. They can give you a rescue pack - steroids and antibiotics or give you Co-codomol to help it. However, they are the only ones really qualified to decide.
Hi everyone, have woken up feeling really heavy chested, all blocked up and struggling with breathlessness a bit more today 🙁 will explain all this to the gp when she rings me back and if I'm still not quite satisfied I'll likely ring the asthma nurses. My salbutamol is giving me relief but its not lasting long term. Thank you for everyones advice
Hello Carriejen I have a constant cough horrible bark at times to and have had antihistamine which did not help me much, I don’t now if honey really helps, I have manuka honey which is very expensive but it has got lots of healing properties ,your peak flow is quite good really, mine is 300/320 at moment i am still battling with the phlegm in my lungs which makes me really breathless at times on Montelukast for 4 weeks done 2 weeks think I may see a tiny improvement
Hope the next 2 weeks will be better,Try breathing exercises too inhale through nose then exhale through mouth it may be beneficial for you I do this several times a day, good luck and stay safe
Hi! I have tried just normal honey but might try the manuka honey instead. It has been easing the cough. My peak flow is more 'me' normal today and i have recommendations from the gp for new medications to try. Hope you feel better soon
Peak flow is personal. So one person's peak flow might seem outstanding to someone else, but actually be dangerous. Eg a peak flow of 300 might seem amazing to one person with a best of 240 yet be life threatening for someone whose best is 640. For that reason, we can't and shouldn't use our own peak flows to say whether someone else's is good or not. What's better is to work out what percentage of someone's best their current reading is as it's this that is important.
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thanks
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