I am a recently diagnosed asthmatic after a horrible experience two month ago when I was in hospital for two weeks.
About a week and a half ago I got a cold that left me very snotty and has slowly moved to my chest. Yesterday, I found myself breathing noisily on inhale and exhale. It was quite frightening and felt like I was choking and my windpipes were reverberating. When I coughed I felt like something was blocking my breathing.
In the end I coughed up sticky, thick green stringy mucus and could suddenly breath A LOT easier. And the audible wheeze was gone and peak flow returned to normal.
Does anyone relate to this? It's been very triggering as reminding me of the hospital stay. Also irritating that a cold has gone to my chest so soon.
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Particle32
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In answer to your question, yes, I can relate to this. Before I was diagnosed with asthma whenever I caught a cold it went straight to my chest. I would rattle and wheeze, cough and cough but could not clear my throat. Once I started antibiotics it would clear in about 3 days. My GP said it was due to the mucus from my nose settling on my chest and becoming infected. ( Bronchitis)
Since I was diagnosed (4 years now) I have only had one cold. I found if I took my blue inhaler it allowed me to clear the phlegm and prevent infection developing. (That’s my theory anyway!)
If you haven’t already done so I would speak with your GP to get yourself some antibiotics, use your blue inhaler to keep your airways open, sleep propped up with a pillow under your knees to keep you in position and take plenty of fluids.
Everything can be so frightening when you are first diagnosed, especially when your first outing with this disease is so terrifying (mine was too - 999 etc). Try not to worry but do see your GP - it sounds to me like you have a chest infection.
Like others have said a chat with your Gp seems wise. Handing in a sputum sample to check for infection I think would be beneficial. I think lots of people on this forum will know exactly what you are experiencing. I hope you feel better soon
I am not asthmatic but suffer from lengthy viral/bacterial infections when I catch something . If it goes to my chest with rattled breathing and coughing up coloured flem I get on to my G P and they prescribe antibiotics which usually help quickly . I would get treatment before the weekend kicks in. All the best .
thank you all. I will try to get an appointment tomorrow! It's a bit better but my chest is still rattling slightly and still coughing up stuff. I think it's post nasal drip (I get sinusitis) going into my chest and irritating it and causing more mucus.
Out of interest potatocrisp, what do you have? I also find that most colds etc go to my chest.
It's common for viral infections to trigger asthma and sometimes result in chest infection.. sounds like that mucous blocked a small airway = mucous plug,on its way out
I don't feel unwell anymore and my peak flow was fine this morning. It's just the mucus. But I am very wary of going to hospital again. On the other hand I am at work today. I don't want to take another load of time off. And it's hard to cough up phlegm in an open office! Therefore it stays down there and gets worse as the day goes on. Yesterday I worked at home and was fine. Today, I am at work and can feel mucus in chest.
Anyway, will get a drs appt tomorrow. I have a rescue pack of prednisone but don't want to use it unless necessary. I am not especially short of breath.
Yes, asthma inflammation causes mucus (the body's way of washing away irritants) ... in asthma the airways inflame the body tries to calm this inflammation with a mucus wash... but of course there is nothing to wash away .... so it's inflammation and mucus and more of the same until the inflammation is reversed or whatever we are reacting to is gone (and the inflammation goes away on it's own)
But you can get mucus plugging, as mucus is normally thick and sticky it can become stuck and block up some of the smaller airways
It's unpleasant but there are medications that can be taken (even just short term) like carbocistine that's only purpose in life is to make mucus really thin, spiriva (tioptropium) lasts for 24 hours but also helps to thin mucus and open airways.... ipatropium is it's shorter acting little sister (you can't take both together, apparently they don't play nice)
I think I was on all of them in hospital but have since come off. Until things calm down maybe I can have some carbocistine on reserve if/when I get a cold. I will ask GP.
You normally start high with carbocistine like 6 capsules a day (2 x 3 times a day) and work your way down.... but I know of people who have had a particularly bad cold that have been given it at 6 capsules a day for a month,just to help clear things up.
However I would say its not normally prescribed for "asthma"... which i think is ridiculous when asthma = inflammation and inflammation = mucus ..... and carbocistine breaks up mucus making it thin or absorbable by the body (thats all it does); that doesn't mean you can't have it as an asthmatic it's just an "off label use" ... but it can be prescribed for tons of other respiratory conditions COPD,bronchiectasis, LACS etc and those are recognised condition its used for "on label use" .... but that's just one of the many annoyances of the world that make my blood boil.
But if your struggling with mucus, making it thin and making it less sticky will help it go away (carbocistine will help with this) ... pineapple and staying hydrated will also help (and carbocistine gives you an almost unquenchable thirst that takes a bit of getting used to as well)
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