Cold and asthma

[elanaoali]

After the second cold in as many weeks my asthma has been trigger again. With the first cold after 3 days I ended up taking a 5 day course of my rescue steroids. My peak flow had drop and I started to experience a tight chest. I used ventolin every 4 hours too

Now I find myself in the same position with a heavy cold. Its only day 2 and I am struggling again. At 1 pm I started to struggle with a tight chest. So I gave myself 4 puffs and this helped. Now 4 hours later I am starting to struggle again. I measure my peak flow and its drop to 400. So I again gave myself 4 puffs of ventolin. This has brought my peak flow back up to normal (500).

My chest is sore and I am coughing due to the cold I think.

I started a trial for a job today and am due back in tomorrow.

Any advice please.

[twinkly29]

At what point would you normally seek advice from GP? 400/500 is 80% so some people's borderline for yellow zone , some people do 75% 8 I think. But it depends on your ususal parameters for peak flow and symptoms - if 4 hourly vent is holding it at that and no worse, you may be ok to see how things go. But it depends how you feel it is really. Does sound like you need to call your GP in the morning really.

Also this might help:

healthunlocked.com/asthmauk...

[elanaoali in reply to twinkly29]

According to my asthma plan when I feel worse i.e. amber that I use my ventolin every 4 hours. I am unable to increase my inhaler as I am maximum dose (fostair nexthaler200/6 2 puffs twice a day. )Other advice is to start my prednisolone tablets (8 ×5mg for 5 days) and ring my doctor to tell them I have started them.

At the moment I dont think I am at that stage yet.

I must admit after 2 years of no real symptoms of asthma and no colds I had forgotten whats it's like to have asthma .

I think I am going to see how I am this evening and in the morning and then decide what to do.

Thankyou for your help.

[hilary39]

Just empathizing. I've had nonstop colds and viruses since late Sept when our son started daycare and they've really activated my asthma. Hope your cold passes and you are breathing better soon. Take good care.