How to sleep?

[TeachKat]

How on earth do you manage to sleep with the combined side effects of asthma medications? I’m on fostair 200/6 2 puffs twice a day, montelukast in the evening, Braltus (tiotropium) in the morning and uniphyllin 200 in the morning and 300 in the evening. The uniphyllin makes me feel as if I’ve drunk 3 double espressos just before bed, the Fostair makes me trembly and the montelukast gives me a headache and also keeps me awake! I don’t want to moan, but I just need some sleep- if anyone has any tips, I’d be so grateful.

[mylungshateme]

I've been asking same question for past year... montelukast I now take in mornings I checked with cons and pharmacist they said it's fine it also was giving me vivid dreams an nightmares having at night. My sleep is ridiculous I'm a constant zombie. 🥴

[TeachKat in reply to mylungshateme]

That’s an idea - I’ll ask if I can take the Montelukast in the morning. I hope you find a solution!

[Chip_y2kuk in reply to mylungshateme]

I take mobtelukast in the morning after it gave me vivid and unpleasant dreams of a night and also gave me a slightly increased temperature giving me a naff sleep

[mylungshateme in reply to Chip_y2kuk]

I'm finding all my asthma meds are giving me dreadful side effects and none of them are a good nights sleeps, weight loss or a cure 😂🤣.

[madonbrew in reply to mylungshateme]

😂😂😂 I know that feeling!!!

[mylungshateme in reply to madonbrew]

How are you doing lovely? Talking of sleep I'm shattered but do you think I can sleep?! 🥴 i realise how I used to take things for granted like breathing, sleeping and nice petite size.... those days are long gone for all!! Hahaha 😂🤣.

[Glty]

Phew, it's pretty rotten isn't it. I managed to cope better if I took my uniphylin and my fostair at 7am and pm, so there were a few hours still before bed. I found that initial surge of jitteriness would dissipate to a level I could deal with, i don't know how long you've been on this lot, but I also had to cut out caffeine. It did however improve gradually over the first month or so as my body got used to it. Hope you find a solution soon.

[TeachKat in reply to Glty]

Yes, I’ve been moving the evening uniphyllin earlier - I’ve been on it for a couple of months but the evening dose has just been increased which hasn’t helped. Thank you.

[mylungshateme in reply to Glty]

I also found had to stop caffeine it also contributed to my SOB and being tachycardic.

[Bashsu01]

Hi yeah Montelukast is an asthma related antihistamine tablet for asthma sufferers like you.I have taken it for years with little side effects. If I were you I would google your other Meds and find out the side effects of these.

I was Diagnosed as having Chronic Eosinophilic Asthma.

I too have Fostair 200/6 and a few other meds different to you..

But overall my night time routine was shocking for a year or two up through night etc. I researched it myself and found that people with asthma do tend to have different unexplained symptons and sleep deprevation is one of them and shingles etc..

Also a really bad steroid as you may well know that makes you sleep deoraved is Prednisolone.

This oral steroid will keep you up at nihht but is excellent for chest infections that make you poorly..!!

Some of my meds do actually react to some over the counter medications as well (NSAIDS)

Asthma erupts with simple ibruprophen for example so if I were you just have a look at your normal meds you take alongside the asthma ones and go from there...

And yes I really shake and get cramp in my hands a lot with my meds as well in a morning.

I also have a monthly Nucala injection which subdues the severity of it..

Anyways hope I have been a small help but do some research and google your meds and their side effects.

👍

[Chip_y2kuk]

I would say speak to your respiratory team and see if things cant be altered/changed....lack of sleep will make your lungs less efficient.... so you need good asthma control and good sleep too

[TeachKat in reply to Chip_y2kuk]

Thank you - the lack of sleep certainly doesn’t help! I don’t really have a respiratory team - my gp has prescribed all the medications, diagnosed severe asthma and added me to the shielding list at the beginning of the first lockdown but hasn’t referred me to the hospital. He’s really lovely but likes to be in charge!

[twinkly29 in reply to TeachKat]

Tell him you want to be referred because if under a consultant work might be more sympathetic/understanding/supportive of how bad things are - and being under a consultant might open up treatments that would change things massively but that GP can't offer - so he's potentially preventing you from accessing that.

[TeachKat in reply to twinkly29]

Yes, I clearly need to get him to refer me - I have to speak to him tomorrow anyway - I’ll keep you posted!

[Chip_y2kuk in reply to TeachKat]

In that case I would be singing and dancing to see your GP to have a medication review and tell them this is controlling the asthma but your sleep is shot to *insert suitable expletive* and thats not good for you either

I was on seretide a while ago and it was fantastic for my asthma ..... Best peak flow I had ever had but i woke up in the night every night and couldn't get back to sleep I put up with it for 4 weeks and went for a medication review and said about it and we reduced he dosage however then my asthma control slipped

After 6 weeks we had to change to something else.... i couldn't sleep for the seretide and reducing it i couldn't sleep for the coughing .... it just wasn't working

[mylungshateme in reply to Chip_y2kuk]

When I was inpatient I was up most of night consultant said "try doing exercise that'll help you sleep" they had me on bed rest as everytime I got up needed a neb lol. Steroids - work of the devil 🤣😂

[Carriejen]

I am on fostair and for me the shakes went after about 6 weeks. Since then they are sporadic and quite rare. From what I can gather this is quite common. I'd be speaking to your gp or someone if its continuing on too much longer though. Hope you get some sleep

[TeachKat in reply to Carriejen]

Thank you - I’ve been on the Fostair since January- it made a huge difference to my peak flow when I started it. I tried to go down to the 100/6 in March but had to go back up to 200/6 very quickly. I seem to have had new medications added about every other month since then! They say variety is the spice of life ......