Remission

Hi all can you get remission from asthma or COPD with good treatment management on the NHS site it says there is no cure also I thought it was for life if you do get any improvement I assume you still have it I am so confused I have had it for years

[Poobah]

Remission doesn't equal cure, but a temporary reduction of symptoms. I had one period in my teens when I didn't require any asthma treatments and that lasted a couple of years. It came to a halt with a major asthma attack and a hospital admission. Been on various treatments since then with various periods that were definitely better than others.

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador]

You can't cure either asthma or COPD currently, but for many people it is possible to manage it well. For asthma. many people find that on the right medications and with the right management (eg stopping smoking, minimising triggers as much as possible) they can be free from symptoms and attacks for long periods.

Some people (this is more common in boys/men) find that if they had asthma as children, it *may* go away when they hit puberty/grow up. I thought this though and it was still there, and got much worse when I got swine flu aged 23. But then I'm not male - it seems 'female' hormones like oestrogen can affect asthma, and some women find it can get better or worse around events like pregnancy or menopause.

[runcyclexcski in reply to Lysistrata]

>>> it *may* go away when they hit puberty/grow up.

In my case it "went away", but came back at age 29 after a viral pneumonia. This is when I had to go on Xolair etc.

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador in reply to runcyclexcski]

Yes, same for me. At uni I thought it was gone, but in hindsight - it hadn't. I was just very clueless at the time - very! And very *lucky*. I didn't even have a reliever inhaler or anything when I was at uni but I still got symptoms sometimes. It was a steep learning curve when it came back.

Don't be like clueless student me, people! I think there's a bit of a myth floating around that most children grow out of asthma - not necessarily true at all, and you shouldn't assume it won't come back, like runcyclexcski and I have shown!

[Gareth57 in reply to Lysistrata]

for me it went away in my mid to late teens and came back late 30's

[runcyclexcski]

Even if you are feeling better, I would not stop the meds. I thought I was in "remission" for 5 years, so I stopped steroids and Xolair. Until the pandemic hit. It came right back. Prob because I was self-isolating in my "home office" with a carpet and mouldy floors, plus the stress.

[TheWelshWriter in reply to runcyclexcski]

This is correct. A lot of people make the mistake of thinking their asthma is better because they have no symptoms, when in reality the preventor is doing its job. Coming off because of no symptoms is a big gamble and not something I would do. My asthma, luckily is well controlled but it's because of thr preventor and some lifestyle changes.

[fraid]

I got asthma when I was four, it was bad till about eleven, then I didn't have it again till late twenties, forgot about it. But one place I worked triggered my allergies and so asthma, I left, so did asthma. I was free of it up till my sixties so for me it was allergies, preventer only last few years, now random spates. So I guess depends on what gives you bouts in the first place. Enjoy while you can!🤗

[TheWelshWriter in reply to fraid]

I'd add though that someone should always consult with their asthma nurse or GP before making these decisions because of how serious an asthma attack can be. Plus, without checking your peak flow, your lung function could be declining without you knowing

[fraid]

I must be very old coz never had an asthma nurse, never heard of preventers or peak flow thing( no point in latter as kyphosis squashed me up) until it reared its ugly head again in last few years. Asthma flare and itchy eyes 4 am, took cetirizine, end of both. Maybe coz I avoid as much as poss allergy wise learned over the years, also learnt so much from this site.🤗

[Mandevilla]

It can fluctuate. Mine is very affected by the climate - I never have any symptoms when I am near the coast, and I suspect if we moved to a coastal location, I could easily end up thinking I was 'cured' because of the lack of symptoms, whereas it was really just that I wasn't experiencing any triggers.