Hi hope I’m doing the right thing

[LeiLey]

Hi I joined last week after been given a peak flow meter, ventolin inhaler and a weeks worth of presisolone for persistance shortness of breath on exertion/climbing stairs etc. (Not diagnosed btw)

I started feeling better by Monday/Tuesday as in not as short of breath, and thought things were looking up. Yesterday and today I am feeling a bit worse again when doing things but I suspect it’s because I am starting with a cold. (My kids have just caught cold this week).

I see the gp on Monday to see how things are. Finished the prednisolone now.

Is it possible for these things to have worked a bit for a few days but then for a cold (Sod’s law!) to flare things up again even after just finished the steroids? I am making sure to write symptoms etc down for Monday, thank you LeiLey x

[LeiLey]

And also if I should be seeing if the ventolin helps with my chest even when I’ve got a cold, as the gp didn’t mention that. Thanks in advance

[twinkly29]

It could well set things off again if you've got a cold think of it as things being only just settling and then knocked off course again.

If you feel symptomatic then definitely use your blue inhaler to see if it helps (doing peak flow beforehand and 15 mins after would be useful too as it shows any impact of the ventolin - alongside how you feel obviously). All these bits can feed into what you tell the GP.

Glad things were settling - hopefully they will again soon!

[LeiLey in reply to twinkly29]

Hi twinkly29 thank you for your help. Yes this is the second cold I think where I’ve felt really short of breath again after having ‘recovered’. I think I will keep up with the blue inhaler when I feel the symptoms and hopefully I will feel a bit better in a couple of days. Thank you! Hope you’re ok x