Asthma remission for 6 months

[Jimboooob12]

I was diagnosed with asthma as a child, 8-9 years of age. My asthma symptoms come and go, but I’ve went 6 months without any major symptoms.

I wake up coughing every morning, shortness of breath and sometimes I throw up due to coughing so much but I put this all down to smoking. I’ve stopped smoking for 3 months now and still get the coughing on the morning.

that’s the only symptom I’ve had but recently, I’m getting shortness of breath luckily I drive machines so I don’t do any manual labour but when I do I.e lifting something or doing any form of exercise I get very shortness of breath. Night times are much worse now. When I get ready to go to sleep, my tight gets extremely tight and I start wheezing, I take my preventer, and it seems to do the trick. If I inhale and exhale hard I wheeze too at any time of the day.

What I’m worried about is that when I go to the asthma clinic on Friday, they’ll question on why I haven’t been back or gotten an inhaler from them in over 6 months. What if I explain all this to them and they refuse to treat me and say I don’t need it?

[Jimboooob12]

just to add on.

I needed my preventer a few weeks ago due to wheezing on the night time and having a very tight chest so I rang my pharmacy and they told me I had to ring 111 as because I haven’t had the inhaler in 6 months, that they couldn’t do an emergency prescription.

111 prescribed me my preventer but said I must go see my GP to see if it’s the correct medication for me or if I need it at all. My asthma symptoms always come and go.

[Homely2 Administrator]

It is perfectly normal for asthma symptoms to come and go.

The medics use terms like flare or exacerbation.

So it should not be a problem, that you were OK, but are now having an asthma flare up. It is normal, asthma comes and goes for many people.

[Birthday60]

I can’t imagine they will refuse to treat you / they may say you should have come earlier as they don’t like to hear of someone suffering.

[Jimboooob12 in reply to Birthday60]

the surgery I go to have a habit of been very difficult. Stressing a lot that they will refuse my treatment which I can’t imagine they would because I was diagnosed as a child.

[TheWelshWriter]

It sounds to me like you are having symptoms. Do you take your preventor twice a day, every day?

[Jimboooob12 in reply to TheWelshWriter]

I take my preventer twice in the morning and twice before sleep. Seems to be doing the trick, but I’m wheezing on a day to day basis, you can only hear it if I inhale and exhale.

[TheWelshWriter in reply to Jimboooob12]

If you are having symptoms even with your preventor, they may increase the dose or look at another option as it sounds like the preventor isn't controlling your symptoms. Good luck eith your appointment. I hope you get some good advice.

[ChrissieMons]

As you've only recently given up smoking, you can expect the reaction to last for some time, especially as you have asthma. If you reassure your GP you're sticking to non-smoking and you have a routine for the preventer, I'm sure you'll be sorted out. Don't stress over it - it only makes things worse.

[Birthday60]

preventers are normally taken every day not just during a period of poor breathing - they help prevent flare ups!!

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador]

Just to check (apologies if this seems really obvious!!), what are you taking when you have symptoms? Is it the blue inhaler, or another colour (brown/purple/pink/red and white/anything else)?

What to take when isn't always well explained, so I'm just checking you haven't been told something confusing which means you're taking your preventer as reliever, or they've made you think the blue is also a preventer. Preventer is for regular use, you're not usually (with some exceptions that would be explained in advance to people, with specific inhalers) meant to take it for symptom relief, that's what the blue inhaler is for. That isn't always explained well, though. What preventer are you on?

I agree with others that asthma can come and go, and they shouldn't say you don't need the medication - but also that if you're still wheezing, something needs to change. If you haven't been taking preventer regularly they should discuss that non-judgementally and ask you why. If there's a reason you don't get on with that preventer which makes you not take it (for example, you find it hard to take), then they should look at ways to solve that.

For example, if you have dry powder and find it hard to take, they could switch you to the spray (MDI) version (this is the type most people use for the blue inhaler). If it gives you thrush, they could give you advice about rinsing your mouth out. They should also look at your inhaler technique, and prescribe a spacer if needed if you use an MDI preventer.

However, I'm not clear on if you've regularly been taking preventer twice a day as prescribed, or just more recently when you've been having a flare? If you haven't been taking it for very long as prescribed, it will take a bit of time (up to 6-8 weeks) to build up to working fully.

If you've already been taking it regularly for at least that long and you're still getting regular symptoms (usual guide is needing reliever (blue) more than 2-3 times a week), then they need to look at changing you on to a different preventer, or adding something in.

You can always call the asthma nurses here if you're not sure, and want some advice on approaching your review: 0300 2225800 or WhatsApp [phone] Monday-Friday 0915-5pm

[Cavmad]

They will otherwise I would look for a different health care provider.