Coughing is my life!!

[Danielle2419]

Hey Everyone,

So I have lupus, asthma, antiphospholipid syndrome and lots of other rubbish. I have got such a bad cough with my asthma it's got worse over the years, I have relvar eliptar as my preventer and salbutamol as reliever using that with a spacer for more accurate inhalation.

I have had 6 cases of a chest infection most occurring around season change. I have had pneumonia 3 times, hospitalised once on oxygen in 2020. It seems to be a reoccurant problem. I'm always out of breath doing absolutely nothing sometimes at rest too. I do take my reliever when this happens but can never shift my cough fully. Its always there in a mild or severe form.

I spoke to gp who almost refused me to have an x ray and said it was unnecessary which I objected too. I have to take more antibiotics and prednisone 40mg the antibiotics I just had 2 weeks ago. I'm at a loss as to what is actually going on with my body. I'm worried about cancer and other issues, is this really the norm for asthma.

Please help with any advice any tests I should push for?

Danielle

[Beruska3]

I understand you completely. I suffer from health anxiety and having asthma is not helping. I recently had private xray for £80 as my gp were taking ages. I worried but my xray was fine. Hope you get all sorted soon. Take care.

[Troilus]

Hi Danielle,Sorry you are having such a hard time.

The test to push for, if you haven’t already had it is spirometry. Most GP surgeries now have the ability to perform this test, although some have been reluctant to do so during the pandemic.

You could ask for a referral to the respiratory clinic where they can perform wider ranging pulmonary function test - spirometry with bells and whistles. The additional benefits of a respiratory clinic is that they can prescribe off licence doses of meds and can be more willing to add meds in than a GP surgery - in my experience anyway.

I wouldn’t worry about cancer but if you did have it this would be indicated on spirometry.

[CharlieLondon]

sorry to hear you are going through this. I have an autoimmune disorder as well as severe asthma - you need to get referred to a respiratory specialist if not already. Not sure where you live but i am under guys hospital london who are brilliant. I am now on biologics which have my severe asthma under controlling.

[Danielle2419 in reply to CharlieLondon]

Interesting, yes am in London under guys for my lupus. How can I push to being referred as my gp was so reluctant to even do x ray.

[Itswonderful in reply to Danielle2419]

Maybe your GP will agree to a referral even though he was against an X-ray. An X-ray is very limited in what it can tell you so perhaps that’s why he didn’t want to refer. Everyone is entitled to a second opinion so if he is still reluctant to investigate further you can ask for that. The other way is to make an appointment with an airways consultant at Guys or elsewhere yourself through the private pathway. After the initial consultation the consultant may well offer to put you on the NHS list. Good luck.

[Mariachristina76]

I have a cough for 7 years it is a bad nasty cough

[pink123floyd]

Hi Danielle sorry you are going through so much but some time xrays are a waste of time i have a rattel on my right lung for 8 yrs and it has never shown up on a xray or a scan doctors can hear it but cant find it when i have a xray as it is very deep at the bottom i have learnt to live with it but if you can get to see a respitory doctor their is a special way they can do a scan i think they called in the inhalation exhalation scan i had one last year bit uncomfotable laying on your front hope this helps .stay positve stay safe.xx

[CharlieLondon]

oh really! I ended up going to a private specialist - immunologist who referred me to guys hospital. He was amazing and flagged up that i cooks have EGPA. Part of the condition is severe asthma and i was coughing daily with a very productive cough. Anyway long story short the biologics - benralizumab has got everything under control. It's specifically for severe asthma. I suggest you request a referral to guys hospital (severe asthma team - Dr Namzer-Kelly). Go to another GP in your surgery if one is being funny. Just tell them how this is impacting on your whole life and that it's needs to be addressed. Take someone to advocate for you if you need it.Good luck and let me know how you get on

[Gareth57]

Hi, I've just read your post and the thing that jumped out was the season change and getting infections. I went through a spell where I was getting infections in the spring and autumn and a persistent cough, our nurse practitioner said it could be hay fever (which I've never had with the traditional symptoms) I didn't really believe her but thought give it a go, so I now have a daily supermarket antihistamine and have not had a chest infection for about 18 months, maybe a coincidence, maybe not 🤷🏻‍♂️