Asthma advice

[Ash123445]

Hi all, hope you are well So I'm taking symbicort, spiriva and Ventolin as needed. Also was told to take montelucast an fexofendine as I do suffer hayfever and allergies etc

I'll be honest I'm not very good at remembering the montelucast, does anyone take this and does it actually help?

I am a smoker and I'm in the process of trying to quit but I'm finding it hard.

Also I have noticed I tend to not breath through my noise at all when I walk etc as it's always stuffy. Would just breathing through my mouth effect my asthma possibly?

I'm not sure if my symbicort is loosing it's effectiveness so I'm going to ask my gp if there is an alternative but I know they will say fostair but I didn't get on with that one at all, what other options would there be?

Thanks in advance, just looking for a bit of advice

[risabel59]

is your asthma allergy based? If so the Montelucast will probably help you. If your asthma is eosinophillic the montelucast may not work. So it’s worth practicing nasal breathing. It’s not a cure but really helps. There’s lots on the internet about it.

Sometimes inhalers stop working, it’s worth getting a referral to a consultant when that happens. Asthma is different for everyone and different things work for different people. Sorting out blocked noses and sinuses can really help. Again not a cure but there are lots of ways of helping this.

Cheers

R

[Nerja2012]

Ash. I take Symbicort and the usual Ventolin when needed. I suffer with an allergic cough so was prescribed Montelukast, Fexofenadine and nasal spray which helped the stuffed nose. the Montelukast made me feel lousy, really bad dreams and depression, I tried it twice but gave up in the end, I've heard that a lot of people find it OK but not me, on the other hand the Fexofenadine and nasal spray have helped a lot. Good with it .

[Gareth57 in reply to Nerja2012]

hi, I found montelukast was effecting my sleep so tried taking in the morning instead of evening and it was much better and still works with allergies.

[TheWelshWriter]

Hi Ash, Sorry to hear you are not having a good time with your asthma. I smoked many years ago and know how hard it is to give up.

I suspect that the real issue here may not be the inhalers but the smoking. Your inhalers are probably fighting a losing battle against the cigarette smoke.

All the best with quitting.. you can do it!! Do it for yourself or for those that love you. I've not smoked for years now - that could be you one day

[Patk1 in reply to TheWelshWriter]

I was thinking the same x

[Leigh2305]

Montelukast works amazingly for my allergies which then helps my asthma.

If your nose is stuffy on walks I would try Antihistamines each day and see if that makes a difference, mouth breathing has a lot of negative benefits. Your nose is a filter which your mouth can't do. You can also buy decongestants

As for taking your meds each day try:

Setting an alarm

Putting them where you do something each day like next to the kettle or toothbrush

Mine are now on the table in the sitting room so I can take them more reliably, I struggle with my functional memory so alarms etc don't work for me

Also apparently if you have a cat and need to remember give them a treat and they can be your prompt. You might forget but your cat won't. I haven't tried this as my cats mainly upstairs and would just demand a treat everytime I go upstairs lol

[Poobah]

Definitely try and sort your nasal health out as mouth breathing isn't good for anyone. As others have suggested, Montelukast is good but has to be taken regularly. Your GP can prescribe a steroid nasal spray to help if your nose is stuffy, but it will only be effective if you take it regularly. Don't use over the counter decongestants as they're for short term use only and if taken for longer than a few days, can make matters worse.When we breath through the mouth it overwhelms the lungs, whereas when we breath through the nose, it slows the air down, warms it up, filters it and crucially, adds nitric oxide to the mix which enables better gas exchange in the lungs (oxygen in, carbon dioxide out).

Breaking bad breathing habits takes effort and my respiratory physiotherapist recommended the Buteyko method. You can find exercises on YouTube. Personally, I've found those made made Patrick McKeown very easy to follow, but it's up to you. Practice makes perfect.

Re Symbicort, talk to your GP or asthma nurse about the other options available. If you do get a different inhaler, give it a good 8 weeks trial and if it doesn't suit by then you'll know it wasn't a good swap and try another.

[Maltesemama]

Hi Ash, I am a lifelong asthmatic. I’ve been on Montelukast for years. My Docs seem to like the drug. I too am a mouth breather most of the time. I don’t think it accerbates my asthma. My favorite treatment is my albuterol breathing machine. Every morning it opens my lungs.

Best of luck. Sometimes it’s a hit and Miss to find out what’s best for you.

[Patk1]

If yr struggling to stop smoking,do access help frm stop smoking clinics- often in chemist and health centres.it may well b causing or adding to yr probs

[nurse_ninja]

Hi Ash, Serena here! As a RN & a asthma / COPD sufferer I can appreciate what you are saying.

Yes, the Singular does keep your asthma under control. It is one of those things that since you don’t see an immediate impact that one could wonder if it is doing anything. It does help manage chronic long term lung disease. This is just a suggestion, maybe place the bottle by your toothbrush so you will see it as a prompt.

I too suffer with allergies & a chronic stuffy nose. My allergist recommended the Nettie Pot. I use that with bottled water to create the saline to rinse out the sinuses. Super helpful. You can even feel the membrane shrink as the cool saline starts to open up the swollen passages.

I use also use QVar- inhaler when I develop into that strider barking cough from bronchitis.

Another GREAT product is Clear Lung - a bunch of Chinese herbs in capsule form. You can find it at GNC, Vitamin World, and Amazon. Ask your provider if this would be a good fit for you. This is my go to when my COPD & Asthma is out of control!

Remember to alway rinse your mouth out after you use your inhalers…. I hope these suggestions find you in Good health. Take care!

Nurse Serena

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador in reply to nurse_ninja]

Hi, I appreciate you said to ask a professional about the herbs and I just wanted to reinforce that in case it gets missed, for anyone reading! To Ash and anyone else: don't take herbs or supplements without checking with your doctor and/or pharmacist that they are ok for you, don't interact with any other medications and don't contain anything you shouldn't be taking. For example if you had another condition they might be bad for, or they contain an asthma trigger (no lavender Kalms for me!). 'Natural' does not mean they can't trigger you - most of my triggers are natural!

And of course never take herbs or home remedies *instead* of your asthma medications, or use them instead of getting medical help when your asthma is getting worse.

[Ash123445]

Thank you all for the input. I have an appointment with the asthma nurse on the 9th do discuss my inhalers. I read that using saline in a nebulizer is helpful, does anyone else try this?