hi, have others found that Spiriva has helped to stop exacerbations from colds? I've had three colds since September: the first put me in hospital for 12 days. The second two have led to oral steroids at home (with quick improvement). This has been a nasty introduction to lung problems.
I don't get on with montelukast. So I am assuming this is my next option. My GP seems stumped.
I am worried I am going to lose my (excellent) career if this keeps happening. It's not helped that they've all been in quick succession with little respite! Having a three year old doesn't help either.
sorry for all the questions recently. I don't really know what else to do. I was discharged from hospital care with a few letters. From what I can disentangle, the Feno ready was 1 and the eosinophilia ready was low too. I seem to be largely fine between exacerbations and don't really have allergies according to the blood tests in hospital. my FEV1 was 81% in a follow up but I think my FEV1/FVC was low. They haven't told me but I think it was around 0.6.
Thanks,
Mike
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Particle32
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Purely personally, I love Spiriva, but for me, it makes my system more robust, so I can handle attacks better, as opposed to stopping attacks and colds in the first place.
If your GP is a bit stumped, I think you need to go to him with a shopping list of suggestions.
So ring the asthma UK helpline, during working hours on 0300 2225800, go through your position with one of the nurses and compile a list of ideas re treatments etc to suggest to your GP.
Most gps are not experts on asthma, and are quite willing to listen to ideas.
The most obvious thing to me, is that you do not mention a respiratory consultant, have you not been referred, yet.
What other stuff are you on? Spiriva is normally an "add on therapy" when other stuff hasn't "cured" the problem
So it's normally (in order)
Inhaled steroid
Combination inhaler (steroid and long acting bronchodilator)
Combination inhaler and "add on therapy"
Combination and "add on therapies" (at this point your likely to be referred to a "specialist" and giving your GP sleepless nights)
They deem the problem "not cured" when your still having more problems than not (a number of courses of prednisolone in a 12 month period) or "sufficient control isn't achieved"
However a feno of 1 shows low inflammation (I wish my feno was 1) ... but that's likely to have been done when well/recovered?
I would get to see a consultant. GPs have limited knowledge. They are not specialists. Also when you are in hospital, unless it's a big uni hospital, you are likely to get an overworked junior doctor trying to deal with you.
Thanks all. Am trying to get the GP to refer me back to a consultant. My peak flow is still low at the moment, but seems relatively stable since I've started the prednisone again. All this time off work is not good! I tend to feel ok between colds. I wish I had started my pred earlier rather than struggling on, on my doctors advice as my chest now feels much more congested and I'm not coughing anything up. I generally feel tight and blue inhaler makes no difference.
Re. The FENO reading, I had no blood eosinophilia or allergies either. I wonder how if something else is going on aside from asthma. But all the staff in hospital were adamant it was asthma - presumably of a non allergic type.
There are tons of "types of asthma" and not all of them behave the same .... if your big issue is mucus/congestion has your doctor prescribed carbocistine? ... there only purpose in life is to make mucus less sticky and thinner (so it's easier to cough up) ... might be worth ago
Do you have any other inhalers - apart from your (Ventolin/ Salbutamol) blue inhaler ? Do you have a combination inhaler (that is a preventer and a reliever)? There are so many other meds that can help.
My hospital consultant has me using Fostair/200 as MART. (It’s rather unorthodox - but it’s what best for me). They also added in Spiriva, Montelucast, Carbocisteine, Fexofenadine, Omeprazole and Nasonex (steroid) nasal spray. The Fostair is 2 inhalations am and pm plus, up to 4 extra inhalations through the day - if that doesn’t work, I have call an ambulance immediately - probably because of my age) I also have rescue packs of prednisone and a pack of antibiotics - that my Consultant told my GPI should always have to hand. She knows that I am totally trustworthy in using them. Hope my list may give you an idea of what’s available
Hello, I am on Spiriva and have found it very helpful. Having said that it was prescribed for me near the start of the first lockdown to help keep me away from hospitals and off oral steroids. Until Mid-December last year I had been fortunate in being able to avoid respiratory infections for 4 years and then caught Covid for the first time (fun solo Christmas). Since having Spiriva on top of my combined inhaler I rarely have to use Salbutamol and so far (have now tested negative for a week, I was positive for two) it doesn't seem to have particularly affected my asthma whereas as colds/flu like things previously did. The fact that I was vaccinated four times (though not eligible this last Autumn) may also have helped and my Covid infection started as a stomach bug, only becoming more cold like with a cough later on so not as respiratory as it might have been. Sorry this is a rambling. I hope it makes sense am feeling a bit post-Covidy!
I'm afraid Spiriva hasn't helped me with how badly colds and bacterial infections affect my asthma. I've had 6 lots of various abx since October. Finding a good consultant is a key. If yours isn't listening to you then don't wait - find another one. Perhaps your asthma is severe and need severe asthma clinic consultant.
I can imagine how you feel. I am at the point of having a mental breakdown of not finding any good help for my asthma that just keeps deteriorating. And I'm already under severe asthma clinic. Everything on nhs takes forever.
Lots of good advice already. For me Spiriva is useful when my asthma isn't under control and I use it as an add on to the Fostair. I find 1-2 puffs of Spiriva better than multiple puffs of ventolin.
thank you all. I think I am slowly getting better from this exacerbation but am going to try to get a private appointment with someone at the royal Brompton just to run through options. My work health insurance will cover some of it.
The mucus seems to be a major issue for me which kicks off when I get a cold. In fact from endless googling, I've come across "plastic bronchitis" -- now I'm getting a bit better, I'm coughing up rubbery branched mucus plugs (apology for grimness). Does anyone else do this in exacerbations? I can breathe easier after having done so, but they don't come out easily. The same thing happened when I was in hospital in September and on endless nebs of saline and salbutamol.
I think carbocisteine (I was on this in hospital and taken off afterwards) and spiriva are worth trying but GP has prescribed me the wrong Spiriva (the powder formation for copd rather than the respimat for asthma).
I have been feeling very down about all this but at least relieved to feel a little better today. I suppose I'm still early on and I seem to have some odd symptoms that don't tie in completely with others' experiences.
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