Hi first time posting and I apologise for the length of my question/information. In May hubby and me both came down with Covid, both had cold like symptoms cough, no smell or taste etc hubby slept a lot I didn’t. After 10 days hubby ok I wasn’t, breathing was difficult and cough horrendous Dr gave me antibiotics a blue inhaler and was off work for 2 weeks. Even though I wasn’t 100% I went back to work to be told by the lady I job share with I sounded terrible but I didn’t feel that bad and believed i was on the mend. Fast forward to 7th July I still had loads of phlegm at the back of my throat and it would not go and my voice didn’t sound like mine along with being breathless, Dr sent me to A&E with a letter for x-ray and bloods which came back clear, was sent home with prednisolone. On 9th July woke up wheezing terribly and very short of breath, I sounded like my son when he suffered from croup. I rang 111 and they sent an ambulance I was put on a nebuliser had x-ray and bloods (still clear) sent home with instructions to finish the prednisolone use the blue inhaler 5 puffs for a few days reduce to 4 right down to 1 but increase puffs if not comfortable and a recommendation my Dr refer me to a respiratory consultant. Dr referred me and also referred me to ENT for my voice. 17th July woke up very short of breath, had a shower with loads of steam to try to ease it but by tea time decided to ring Dr who told me to go see him and sent me to A&E because my blood oxygen was low, came away with 6 weeks worth of prednisolone with instructions to draw down the dose 6 tablets 1st week 5 2nd week etc plus omeprazole. 24th July ENT appointment had camera up my nose and down throat they found something and requested a MRI and a biopsy, by now I’m frightened, being fast tracked and cancer was being mentioned a lot, I had the surgery on 8th August and 2 weeks later was told the biopsy they took was benign and all was ok. I received a letter from the respiratory consultant (who didn’t see me just looked at my notes ) basically saying you have been referred by your GP, you are a smoker and have recently had covid which can take 16 weeks to get over it, if you are still having problems I suggest you contact your GP and give up smoking. Firstly I gave up smoking 11 years ago I did vape but stopped that after being taken to A&E on 9th July, I contacted my GP as I had started again being short of breath she prescribed me with a brown inhaler and to take 2 puffs in morning and 2 in afternoon and made me an appointment on 8th Sept for a spirometry and appointment on 25th was made for the nurse to contact me regarding my asthma. Nurse rang me yesterday asking how I was doing with the asthma medication and I mentioned I didn’t know if I had asthma as I hadn’t had the results so she went through my notes only to tell me the results said I had COPD she mentioned something about it saying I coughed at the end of the test, I don’t have a cough. I now have an appointment on 19th August at the surgery for another spirometry test. I do suffer from anxiety and I have noticed if I occupy myself (because I have noticed since being told I have asthma I am fixating on my breathing) my shortness of breath goes away. To add one more thing to the mix my colleague who I job share with (I work in a funeral home) is off sick with shortness of breath a cough and phlegm at the back of her throat.
Thank you for reading.
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Grandmatoboys
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Hi Grandmatoboys, Asthma is not the same as COPD - Asthma is caused by allergies .
COPD is a collection of lung diseases. Such as Emphysema and other lung conditions.
People with COPD get Asthma symptoms but the cause is different than Asthma.
Reading further "he went through my notes only to tell me the results said I had COPD she mentioned something about it saying I coughed at the end of the test, I don’t have a cough."
She said you had COPD. When she mention you had a cough at the end of the test, she probably meant "spirometry test" had caused you to cough, "not that you had "a cough"
When a person with COPD has a severe breathing episode - then it;s an ;exacerbation; caused by COPD.
Have you had X Rays, CT Scan?
BTW - "I now have an appointment on 19th August" - I think the 19th August" is probably wrong, that's past
I can't be of anymore help, all I could do was tell you the difference between COPD and Asthma.
Hi Ern007, thank you for your reply. I have had 2 X Rays which both came back clear but have not had a CT Scan. Oops I meant I now have an appointment on 19th October 😊. I just cannot get my head round the fact that in May I had covid and 4 months later I am told I have COPD even though prior to covid I had no breathing problems or any symptoms associated with asthma or COPD
I have had bad deals with Covid - Last year I got Covid that lasted a while, I had to cancel and urgent op because of it. I got a new date not long away, I did not believe the phone call - Op cancelled as surgeon had Covid.
Ern007 you have just reminded me, 2 separate Drs I saw in A&E mentioned my symptoms could be down to ‘Long Covid’ and they didn’t really know how to treat it.
Can I ask how long your Covid lasted from last year and did you finally manage to have your op?
I was a longer than usual recovering from COVID but was about 19 days and I got my op on the new date as planned. This link should tell you what you want to know about Long Covid.
Just to correct something in your post. Asthma is not exclusively caused by allergies. Allergic asthma is very common, but there are other triggers, including exercise, infections, reflux, stress, cold air and so on. There are different phenotypes of asthma with underlying differences in mechanisms and causation.
I'm wondering if in addition you've had another virus causing increase in symptoms with Yr colleague off with same.When Airways have been subjected to viral/bacterial infections, it can take up to 3mths to settle down., even in people who've never smoked.
Anxiety is a major trigger for breathing problems. If distracting yrself eases symptoms it's very likely its also anxiety related.
If u can find help to deal with anxiety, Yr breathing may well improve & allow u to settle the problem Yr having
Thank you for your reply, a friend did actually suggest that possibly with me just getting over Covid whatever affected my colleague affected me worse due to a possible weakened immunity and maybe I am still recovering.
Yes,probably.just let yrself recover.too soon for other diagnoses whn Yr Airways still bit twitchy.id try to look for tips on aluk etc for advice on easting anxiety x
I can understand how your present circumstances have triggered your anxiety. You seem to have been put through a lot without anyone taking the time to talk things through with you. For that reason I would book an appointment with your GP to talk things through with you, it would also give you the opportunity to ask him/her what they think is wrong.
COPD and asthma are both obstructive diseases, and they have the same pattern on spirometry. The way that they are distinguished is by the use of a blue inhaler. Once you have done the test, you are given 4 ( in some case 2) puffs of the blue inhaler and the test is run again to see if the reading has improved sufficiently for it to be asthma.
Some people with long covid (as has been mentioned by a previous poster) suffer from inflammation of the airways for up to 6 months after infection - inflammation of the airways is also a feature of asthma.
Typically, inflammation is treated with steroids - on a daily basis through steroid inhalers ( your brown one) and when it is bad with Prednisone, so it would seem that the people you have sent have identified or suspect inflammation.
I’m not quite sure what your nurse meant when she mentioned that you coughed. Did she mean it invalidated the test result? If so, how could she diagnose copd from it? Or, was the implication that because you coughed that it must be copd? Very strange, not that it matters as you are booked to have it done again. Be sure to mention the blue inhaler part of the test (it is called reversibility testing) if they are testing for asthma as well as copd.
I would also be inclined to ask the GP about the results of your appointments with ENT. It is good that they examined you, took a biopsy and put your mind at rest by telling you it was not malignant, but I would be wanting to know what it was, and if I need to be taking anything to prevent it coming back. (I’m thinking maybe a polyp?)
Hopefully you will get some answers soon.
Just popped back for a quick edit - I forgot to mention the letter from your consultant. Have you informed your GP you stopped smoking? I ask because I had stopped 2 years before my first asthma attack, not because of any breathing issues but because of the cost. I was admitted to hospital and the consultant there kept telling me I must stop smoking and didn’t take on board or didn’t believe me when I said I didn’t smoke. I had a similar experience on my first visit to the respiratory clinic. I then had to visit my GP who also suggested I stop. It was then that I found out it was in medical records that I was a smoker - it had never occurred to me that I should ring the dr to tell him I’d stopped.
Perhaps your GP could refer you back or maybe put in a referral to a long covid clinic?
One last point - has anyone told you you can take 10 puffs of the blue inhaler if you are really struggling to get your breath? And have you been given a spacer?
Thank you for your reply, I will make an appointment to see my GP and this time I will ask for a face to face appointment as every time I have spoken to them it has been over the phone apart from twice when GP saw me and sent me to A&E. I will also mention Long Covid which the A&E Drs did both mention.
The nurse did mention about bringing my blue inhaler and spacer to the spirometry appointment as well as stop using the brown inhaler 2 days prior to the appointment. I do have a spacer but didn’t know you could use the blue inhaler up to 10 times I was just told if I used it too much my body could go quite shaky.
I apologise the letter from the ENT consultant did say it was a benign lipoma.
I did point out to my GP about the respiratory consultants letter mentioning stop smoking and she said my records say I smoked.
Sound like you have been through the mill. I think there are 2 things that need to be tackled. 1) a diagnosis 2) your anxiety Other people have given some very good advice. When you are anxious about your breathing that is all you concentrate on. Using distraction techniques can be very helpful. That can be anything ie jigsaw, knitting, colouring in etc etc anything that focuses your mind.
Diagnosis can take time, but a list of things that you don't understand is useful to go back to your Gp or nurse with, get things clarified . Most people get anxious with the unknown.
If covid has left you with asthma or sensitivity in your airways I wonder if there is something that is irritating you. Could it be chemicals at your work.
I know you said you have stopped smoking but even when you have stopped Doctors can still call you a smoker if they believe previous smoking caused your condition.
Maybe you have mentioned it but have you tried antihistime?
I wish you well and I am sure you will get a lot of support from other members.
I really believe if you try and relax with breathing techniques and distraction you will be able to think more clearly and have an open honest chat with your GP you will start to feel better. X
Thank you for the advice, while I was waiting for the op and afterwards waiting for the results I did take up doing jigsaws which did stop my mind from straying and thinking the worse, I also recall not being breathless at all although i was taking prednisolone at the time.
My colleague who is 10 years younger than me does not smoke, and is an avid walker and has not recently had covid, definitely believes it is either the chemicals or the air cooling system that is the cause.
My brother who has had something similar to me and recommended Becomaize nasal spray worked for him but I have not tried it as yet.
I have a vocal cord problem at the moment, awaiting an ENT appointment, just some of the things you mentioned are similar to me. I wake up in the morning and have annoying phlegm at the back of my throat and sound like darth vader! I wonder if your covid had affected your vocal cords in any way? Might be worth considering.
Hi Pippin3110 when all this started my GP firstly sent me to A&E with a letter for an x ray and bloods and she also said she was fast tracking me to ENT because she wanted to know what was going on with my voice and not to worry because she didn’t think it was cancer. As mentioned in my post ENT found a benign lipoma and I just presumed they didn’t find anything wrong with my vocal cords because that was the reason why I attended the appointment in the first place. I do believe Covid has had a lot to do with my problems in the past 4 months.
I hope your ENT appointment arrives quickly and they can help you xx
Just to add, if the consultant didn't offer you a CT scan of your lungs it's worth paying for one privately if you can manage it. If I had my time over & know a bit of what I now know I'd have got one on a credit card. It would have saved several years of endless infections from 2009, pneumonia, antibiotics and the resulting damage to my lungs. It's so essential for asthma to be controlled & inhalers used correctly. I recall when mine was diagnosed about 2008 the GP prescribed a brown preventer inhaler and said "try that, if your wheezing stops then it's asthma " ! There are other lung diseases, loads of different bacteria which need the correct antibiotic for a length of time appropriate to it. Asthma is asthma, copd is copd (in UK copd is an umbrella term for chronic bronchitis or emphysema). Some people have asthma, copd and bronchiectasis or other lung problems at the same time.
I know little about copd although I do know ex smokers can be diagnosed with it, also it can be diagnosed in people whove never smoked due to a genetic deficiency (Alpha-1 Deficiency for ie).........it's a flipping minefield trying to get a definitive diagnosis and I truly sympathise. I also applaud you for accessing the GP etc, we really have to advocate for ourselves although it seems that your gp is helpful.
You could give the helpline a call for guidance, look in 'Help' above for the number & call UK office hours. Very best wishes. P
PS deep diaphragm breathing could help calm the anxiety, see youtube for breathing exercises. I use that and pursed lip breathing when breathless on a walk.
My husband has been unwell for sometime with similar although not so much shortness of breath . Anxiety and asthma can be closely linked and I experienced this with my daughter and son. There is a really good asthma website with support and ideas . Have you thought about trying pilates ( great for Breathing if you get a good teacher ) or yoga or mediation . One exercise that is also on website for covid and shortness of breath shows you to sit down and to lean forwards with arms resting on upper legs if having asthma symptoms . It opens up the chest . It used to help my daughter a lot .
Could you write a list of questions when you have an appt so you know exactly what you have and what you can do to help yourself as often we are anxious as we don’t know what we are dealing with. Hopefully you will have a good Dr who explains everything and puts your mind to rest . Hope it all goes well .Here is the link for asthma charity ( Although allergies as well explains asthma and strategies well)
Personally I would concentrate on all the self help you can do.
So I would find some decent breathing exercises and do them, I would slowly build up your regular exercise levels. I would keep the house well aired and very clean. I would do something new, painting worked well for me.
When you are doing everything you can, then let the medics do their bit, but take somebody with you to all appointments, find somebody who is a little assertive but positive. Doing medic appointments by yourself is really draining.
I have both asthma and anxiety. Either one can affect the other and working out if the problem is anxiety or asthma can be a challenge for me.
Please do speak with the dr about the anxiety while talking about the asthma/cops. Counselling and a bunch of other things might help you, as well as all they’re doing for your asthma.
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