Covid causing Asthma flare

[Lilmix03]

I had Covid nearly two weeks ago and I've been left with this lingering cough and occasional breathlessness and I've also been finding that I'm using my Ventolin inhaler more, my chest doesn't feel tight but sometimes i just get very out of breath and it's hard to catch my breath. I've found that box breathing is helpful to ease my symptoms and I've started to take my rescue pack of steroids and I'm hoping that it will ease things a bit. I'm going to try and get an appointment with my asthma nurse at some point hopefully this week but has anyone else found that Covid made their asthma worse?

[Mandevilla]

Yes, I got much worse very quickly after developing Covid symptoms. I rang the helpline and they advised calling my surgery and asking my GP if I could up my maintenance inhaler for a couple of weeks, and for once, the surgery were actually helpful and agreed. I still found it took a couple of months for the asthma to get back to 'normal' levels though, so don't be surprised if it takes a while.

[ReedB]

Yes. Covid always upsets my asthma and around week 4/5 I end up on steroids and antibiotics before it finally starts to calm down. Each time it's taken 10-12 weeks to start feeling properly better again. Found rest the best and not pushing my lungs too much too soon. x

[mylungshateme]

Hi Yes covid flares asthma each time I get it. I was admitted with covid 8 days ago 3rd covid round started on antivirals but took a lot as very expensive and needs to go to multiple panels to be approved of funding now for each patient! Anyway now asthma flare which is so annoying as been the most stable I've been this year since covid 2019. Ooh put me on abx yesterday and day 3 of prednisolone after it took 10 month weaning off devil pills I'm gutted. And already predsomnia 🥴. Covid can really unsettle any respiratory conditions it takes time to recover. I would strongly recommend doing breathing exercises for breathing pattern disorder which is common after covid, respiratory flares, also trauma. It's certainly not going to hurt videos on YouTube. Or Google breatheasy. Hope your feeling better soon.

[hilary39]

I think I may have had covid for a third time about a month ago. I had a lot of the symptoms of this newer strain--hives, loss of taste for a day, bad cough.

I had a negative test but ever since I have been an absolute wreck. I am in the worst flare of my life. I am using my neb more than I ever have, I've had two courses of pred, and I keep waking up at night with my chest feeling so tight and closed. It's going on six weeks like this now.

I've been to the GP already and have another appointment tomorrow. I have been trying to wrack my brain to think if there's anything else that could have caused it but I am really wondering if it was indeed covid and this particular strain wreaks havoc on some of our lungs (?)

I was quite ill the first time I had it (pre-vaccine) but that time it mainly affected my heart.

Anyway! I empathize. It is frightening to be sick and have it spiral out into a bad flare.

Keep us posted.

[Koala365]

Yes, sadly even the so called mild Omicron variant caused an asthma flare up and took 6 months to get properly under control for me. I went from not being on any preventer to needing 4 puffs of Clenil in the morning and 4 puff of Clenil in the evening plus using ventolin several times a week when previously I rarely ever needed it at all. They ended up switching preventers for me a couple of times and eventually things have calmed down but I am still on 3 puffs of preventer in the morning and 3 puffs of preventer in the evening and I had Covid last Christmas. I hope yours settles down soon. I can't believe they think it is okay not to give asthmatics the vaccination this time round unless they have been hospitalised 3 times in the last year or something ridiculous like that. It's so short sighted in my view. I had had my jab 2.5 weeks before I got Covid last December but I am dreading getting it again and suffering the consequences again especially with so much of it around at the moment! If it can affect someone like me who had it so mildly so dramatically how might it affect others who already have it less mildly!?!

[Mandevilla in reply to Koala365]

I agree. It was Covid back at the beginning of the pandemic that landed me with full-blown asthma. ☹️

[Koala365 in reply to Mandevilla]

Sorry to hear that and hope things are improving!

[LittleZebra]

I think it is very strange, given that Covid seems to affect people's asthma so badly that we are not allowed a Covid jab this year unless our asthma has been uncontrolled recently. I haven't had Covid-yet but any respiratory viruses have, in the past ended with me on antibiotics for a chest infection and Prednisolone. Feel a bit gutted that, even though I am keen to protect myself I can't , not with a jab anyway.