Bubbling chest feeling

[L1974]

Hello everyone had an awful thing happen last night when I was sleeping which woke me. When I took a deep breath and exhaled it felt like my lungs were bubbling?? Anyone experienced this, it was very frightening. Seems to have stopped now? I have just started taking fostair a couple of days ago, could it be that after being on clenil for many years? Might be worth mentioning I have had covid in the last month also but I do feel recovered. Any advice greatly appreciated.

[twinkly29]

New steroid inhalers take about 8 weeks to kick in so invariably there is a period of asthma being less settled when they're switched and of course 2 days is really very soon in that time. However, Clenil and Fostair contain the same steroid so the transition in that respect shouldn't be as much of a change to the body, so I wouldn't have thought it was the body being alarmed and thinking it's got no steroid inhaler while it builds up the new one.

It could be a side effect of the LABA (long-acting bronchodilator) in the Fostair as the LABA increases the heart rate a little, but again that's something that should lessen as the inhaler kicks in.

It could be related to covid as that feeling has apparently been mentioned by a lot of people who've had it - I would have thought it would have happened before now given you feel ok covid wise (but bodies are funny things so who knows!)

Acid reflux/silent reflux can cause that symptom too - which may be plausible with it happening while you were lying down.

Maybe just keep and eye and talk to your nurse or GP if it keeps happening but don't worry about it (because anxiety can also cause fluttery type feelings/palpitations and what can start out as one symptom then gets joined by being worried or frightened by other feelings which actually then drive the feeling when the original one has stopped, if that makes sense? But our minds focus on it still being the original feeling)

[L1974 in reply to twinkly29]

Hi thanks for responding, still feeling really shaky today it was awful, will call the asthma nurse tomorrow for advice as I don’t really want to experience that again. I do suffer from anxiety too which has kicked in now with the fear!

[twinkly29 in reply to L1974]

If it's the LABA doing it then that reaction will subside as the inhaler kicks in - and unfortunately it will probably happen with all combi inhalers initially. Presumably you had been needing your blue inhaler a lot hence the swap? If you stayed on Clenil and needed a lot of blue inhaler then the side effects would be similar, it's just that (initially) those from the LABA in Fostair last longer as it's a long-acting bronchodilator whereas salbutamol is short-acting.

But definitely worth you talking to the nurse, even if it's only for reassurance or peace of mind. Until you can do that though, try and think of it as just a feeling, it's not actually doing anything awful, just feels weird. Or relaxed breathing/distraction techniques (whatever normally works for you).

[L1974 in reply to twinkly29]

Hi we were trying the fostair as I’ve had a couple of courses of steroids over the past 4 months so didn’t feel like the clenil was controlling it?? Thanks for your advice it’s really helpful 😊

[twinkly29 in reply to L1974]

Ah yes that would be an appropriate step in terms of prevention meds. Definitely better that way, long-term, than having to have the oral steroids - it's just getting to the "it's working and settled" bit that's a pain!