Snap, crackle and pop

[MrsGibbons30]

Hi guys,

My first post - female, 34.

I’m currently being assessed for potential allergy induced asthma - which is most definitely worse at night.

It started with a heavy chest, slight dry cough, which included these very irritating crackles on inhalation whenever I lay down/ in a reclined position. I struggle to ignore it at night, so it affects my sleep, which sends my anxiety through the roof

Had a 1 week course of steroids, which def helped, but the crackles got worse as soon as the course ended. Also been given a blue inhaler - but it doesn’t seem to help the crackles at all.

This has been on going for 10 weeks, and I’m now trying a course of reflux meds to see if that could be something to do with it. I’ll then be trialing a brown inhaler.

Has anyone experienced this crackling with asthma? I’m going out of my mind

Thanks xx

[eleanordigby]

oh yes, last night the crackling kept me awake for hours, same for husband, in fact he moved to the other bedroom! I’ve got bronchiectasis too so I never know, it could be that. But last night my breathing was very poor, so I think it was the asthma. I sleep half sitting up.

I hope you’ll improve with a brown inhaler. There are lots of treatments for asthma so try not to worry. If one thing doesn’t work, another one will. Sometimes I take Night Nurse to help me relax into sleep, but not too often. Phenergan is good too

[MrsGibbons30 in reply to eleanordigby]

thanks so much for your reply ❤️ I am going to try and start doing some exercise that gets me out of breath, so clear out any mucus that’s causing the noise too. Do you use a brown inhaler? Does that not stop the crackling for you? X

[eleanordigby in reply to MrsGibbons30]

I use a combination steroid/LABA inhaler which I’ve arrived at through trial & error (I agree with Bevvy below). It helps reduce inflammation but for me it doesn’t stop the crackling, because I have bronchiectasis, which you don’t. So my lungs are badly damaged & full of mucus. I think it’s significant that the short course of steroids helped you. That suggests you have inflammation there which the steroids suppressed. So the brown steroid inhaler may well help, but it takes up to two weeks to really kick in. If it doesn’t work, there are different strengths you can build up to, and other add-on medications. Eg montelukast is a tablet which can help with allergic asthma. You’ll get it under control before long!

[MrsGibbons30 in reply to eleanordigby]

thanks again for your reply, it really is helping me to read this. I appreciate you taking the time. Fingers crossed the brown inhaler will provide the relief I’m looking for, if not, will continue to try what is available until I can be crackle free!

[teddyd]

I know exactly what you mean. I alway always have some kind of cracking. I think I have just got used to it. Sometimes a very mild crackle to one that I am sure everyone can hear.

[ReedB]

Hello, the brown inhaler should help but may take a few weeks to fully work. Blue inhaler should help for now. If it's allergy related have you tried a antihistamine, especially before sleeping?

[MrsGibbons30 in reply to ReedB]

I am hanging a lot of hope on the brown inhaler. Fingers firmly crossed.

[DaveW27]

I have previously had the same and was prescribed montelukast and antihistamine by my GP which seems to have helped. Still have to clear my throat fairly often but the crackling has gone.

Hope you find the answer soon.

[MrsGibbons30 in reply to DaveW27]

I take fexofenadine everyday, and have done for some time. I have taken antihistamine too, but I haven’t noticed much difference. I wonder whether it’s a combination of acid reflux and asthma. I just don’t know.

[Bevvy]

Welcome. Might be worth trying to lie in a more upright position in bed. I use a foam wedge to be more upright. It does take some time to get used to it, I kept rolling off in the night at first, but now I wouldn’t sleep without it.

I know you are hoping brown inhaler will sort things out and hopefully it will. Bear in mind that all inhalers take a few weeks to become fully effective so you will need to be patient. Also brown inhaler may not work, but that’s ok, there are lots of different inhalers available and often it is a case of trial and error. But remember it takes time for inhalers to work, unfortunately (even) some doctors and asthma nurses will chop and change inhalers too quickly and not give them chance to work.

Hope you get answers soon and feel better.

[MrsGibbons30]

I’m just so glad to hear that I am not alone with this cracking, because it certainly feels that way when you’re lying awake at night. Thanks for your kind words.

[May47]

The asthma nurse at the gp surgery gave me a Flutter device. It is a gadget that is like a little pipe that you blow into. It makes you cough and this helps to remove the mucus.

I have had asthma for three quarters of a century and bronchiectasis for about ten years. The crackles are a real nuisance but this little gadget really helps. I have had a lot of bronchiectasis flare ups which also cause asthma but the Flutter device has really calmed things down.

[MrsGibbons30 in reply to May47]

ok, that’s great information. Thank you so much.

[Poobah]

I crackle if I get acid reflux (GERD). I try and avoid trigger foods or eating near bedtime and sleep slightly raised.

[MrsGibbons30 in reply to Poobah]

are you on any medication for your reflux?

[Poobah in reply to MrsGibbons30]

No, I just avoid my triggers and sleep more upright. Reducing excess weight from around the middle is also beneficial. Taking proton pump inhibitors isn't something I want to do long term because of the side effects.

[skydive7]

I am new to this coughing and crackling and asthma and sleeping on the couch for the past few months...turns out peppermint gum and white ice nicorette gum became a trigger...so I quit the nicotine and regular gum...cough is better but crackling all night...no more wheezing...good to see we are not alone...

[MrsGibbons30]

I totally understand - the crackling drives me insane. Even if I sit reclined on the sofa, and my breathing is relaxed, the crackling starts. I’m hoping a combination of acid reflux meds and the brown inhaler will bring some relief. But I won’t start the inhaler for a few weeks yet. Interesting that you mention the nicotine gum, as I do use nicotine lozenges - although not many. But my crackling started before I used them.

[CallysMum]

Hi, you are not alone. I have crackles too, particularly when lying down, even yesterday in the dentist chair for 1.5 hours, (root canal, lucky me). This results in a virtually constant supply of watery phlegm and constant coughing. I've just started my "rescue" steroids this morning, which, from experience clears it up, for a while at least. The fact that the steroids clear it up, points to inflammation producing phlegm, which causes cough. The inflammation is caused by something, possibly my husbands dog, which sheds for Britain. The smooth muscle relaxers (blue bronchodilators), do nothing much for me either, because our symptoms are not caused by the smooth muscle contracting, but by inflammation and swelling of the airway tissue. I do feel for you.

[MrsGibbons30 in reply to CallysMum]

Yes, you couldn’t be more spot on. I definitely did respond to the steroids, but sadly it didn’t clear up for long, but I only had 1 week of steroids. I know I shouldn’t, but I am pinning so much hope on a brown inhaler. Have you tried a brown inhaler yet?

I had a completely clear chest X-ray a few weeks ago - however, this xRay was done on the last day of my week of steroids… so I don’t know if they could have masked something?

It just drives me crazy, makes me overthink everything and totally takes the joy out of going to bed at night 😢

Thanks so much for replying to me Callysmum x

[CallysMum in reply to MrsGibbons30]

I had to try all the inhaled steroids (brown inhalers) before finding one that worked, - Fluticasone. But it stopped working after about 12 years, (at the same time my husband got a German shepherd dog which sheds all the time over everything). I am now on ciclesonide which is a bit better (and lost 10 llbs in weight!!!!so don't want to change). Sadly the only thing that works is the oral pred. It works for about 2 months, but grateful for small mercies. Having read through your replies, I am going to try sleeping more upright, to see if that helps. Hope you find something that works, but you are not alone, even if it feels that way at times. And losing sleep darkens one's life. X

[CallysMum in reply to MrsGibbons30]

PS, the oral pred would have reduced the inflammation in your airways, so it would have looked calm, but if you had something really horrific, like TB, major airway remodelling or bronchesctasis, they would have shown up on the Xray/scan. However a scan is the gold standard for lung imaging. X rays are good....but scans are better.

[MrsGibbons30 in reply to CallysMum]

ok that’s really good to know. I can’t tell you how much it’s brightened my day speaking to someone who knows how I feel right now. X

[MrsGibbons30 in reply to CallysMum]

have PM’d you

[Birthday60]

yep. Quite normal you just have to accept it. Worrying just makes it worse ,

[eleanordigby in reply to Birthday60]

Wheezing is normal but I wouldn’t say crackling is because that’s more a sign of fluid in the lungs. It’s not unknown in asthma but I don’t think it’s common