advice on breathing issues

[NLGA]

any tips to ease episodes of breathing issues

I am currently on seritide and what i call Ventolin although is now a different name

I am as I have AF so take beta blockers

But before I was putting beta blockers I was having breathing issues now these do restrict my life just doing basic things like diy makes me breathless

I have had a echo on my heart and a xray on my lungs nothing to worry about but the AF

I find some days for example I can’t walk around the shops without breathing issue other days I forget I have the issue the Ventolin doesn’t really seem to help but my GP says it’s a mix of AF and asthma as if it was heart related it would not just come and go

It’s definitely worse since my Covid jab but I’m not saying that is the readings have no proof

Any help appreciated

[Homely2 Administrator]

I started getting temporary episodes of breathlessness six years ago, after investigations by cardiac department it was concluded that my heart rhythm issues were not causing the breathing problem and they diagnosed asthma. However my cardiologist was happy to consider that my heart beat issues could be causing temporary breathing issues and had no problems with the possibility. So you might want to explore this further on British heart foundation community on health unblocked rather than just accept your GPs view that af can not cause temporary breathing issues, or go and see a different GP or discuss with your cardiologist.

Re asthma as a potential cause, has asthma been formally diagnosed by the GP, rather than just simply treating you for asthma. If the GP is happy that you have asthma then the GP should have given you an asthma plan, which tells you what to do. if your asthma is causing breathlessness and showing signs of being out of control. The plan should be telling you to seek medical advice, and your gp should then be looking to escalate your treatment, with a range of treatments. If the GP cannot then get any asthma under control the GP needs to refer you to a consultant. Asthma can get scary and if you are regularly breathless with asthma you need to be under the correct medical care, if it escalates badly ring 111 or 999.

To discuss the asthma side further ring the asthma UK helpline on 0300 2225800, office hours. The nurses there can help you with what the GP should be doing re asthma, and talk to you about how to use inhalers.

One final point is beta blockers, they can effect asthma, partly depending on the type of beta blocker you are on, so discuss this with your GP or the asthma UK helpline.

[NLGA in reply to Homely2]

What a great reply

They have diagnosed asthma by use of the spirometer and the peak flow done years ago which I have a yearly test for

The breathing got to this level 24 mi the or so back before my asthma wasn’t this bad so they linked it to the sudden AF that appeared . I have inhalers but they don’t seem to solve it although I guess they might help without me knowing

I have never been referred to a asthma consultant

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador]

I agree with Homely2, including ringing the helpline. I also think someone needs to look at both sides and how to manage the treatment - as he says, beta-blockers can affect asthma. So someone needs to be looking at how they can treat your AF without potentially making your asthma worse.

[Ern007 in reply to Lysistrata]

I Can't have beta blockers because of my COPD and to a degree Asthma, but there are other options to Beta blockers. I take Amiodarone Asthma friendly but can cause other problems.

[NLGA in reply to Ern007]

Unfortunately Amiodarine didn’t help me at all with my breathing or heart rate they took me off them after 3 months

[Birthday60 in reply to Lysistrata]

The helpline are lovely but cannot diagnose or actually do any more than listen to you sadly

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador in reply to Birthday60]

Sometimes you actually need someone to just listen while you discuss what's been happening. Especially if you haven't been getting anywhere with real life medical care, or are new to asthma, or have an issue no one has explained properly. I also find them good at picking up if you're having breathing issues right then and there (guess they can hear it more easily on a phone) and advising accordingly.

I also find they're good at making suggestions you may not have considered and discussing how to approach your GP/asthma nurse with those suggestions. I note someone else has mentioned they were told their inhaler dose was inappropriate by the helpline - a useful check/balance even though they can't change it, as people may not be aware.

Not everyone will find them helpful and they don't claim to be a substitute for medical care, but it doesn't mean they can't be useful, even within their limits.

[Mandevilla in reply to Birthday60]

The helpline does an awful lot more than listen to you (although sometimes that is great, just feeling that someone else 'gets' it and you're not dealing with this on your own). Without the helpline, I would almost certainly have been hospitalised multiple times in the early stages due to my GP not having the foggiest idea about asthma. They may not be have been able to prescribe or diagnose, but they could tell me that I was right in feeling my asthma was poorly controlled, that there were more treatments available than my GP was offering and also advised on how to approach the surgery to get the help I needed. Even now, I tend to ring them before a GP appointment as they often have helpful suggestions of questions I can ask, which helps me get the most out of the appointment.

[Spikedog66]

Seretide is the preventer and ventolin your rescue inhaler. Seretide is usually taken 2 puffs twice a day and ventolin as required when you are breathless. A heart issue could make yiu breathless but I'm unsure about beta blockers. I'd go and ger checked and your medications too. I had covid and have been left more breathless and a persist cough. My sister no chest issues has had problems since vaccine. Noone knows really the side effects. I hope you get sorted lots on the market to try.

[NLGA in reply to Spikedog66]

That’s the inhalers and amounts I am on

I did have Covid in early December then a jab I think my 2nd 5 weeks after by late feb I was seeing the GP over breathing issues

By May I was in hospital for 5 days with a high heart beat of 145-170

[Highlighter in reply to Spikedog66]

Seretide 250 gave me a persistent cough for 6 years. Doctors of no help to diagnose. The day I changed to DuoResp Spiromax 160 my severe night cramps ceased and a week later the cough was gone, touch wood, never to return [3 years ago]

Reduced the dosage in Australia using Symbicort 100/3 but air quality in London means I'm back to the DuoResp. I'm not a fan of Seretide but everyone is different.

[Spikedog66 in reply to Highlighter]

I was given fostair as a preventer and a reliever instead of seretide what a mess I was my family thought I had parkinsons. I went back to seretide wasn't offered anything else until recently which was a 3 in one inhaler to replace all inhalers I take . I'm not controlled at all but I'm still around. Im reluctant to change. As you say we are all different. I think tiotropium has been my lifesaver. I wont give that up ever. I would imagine Australia air quality is fabulous compared to London. Hope you enjoying been back in the uk.

[Highlighter in reply to Spikedog66]

Hi Spikedog66.

This site is so helpful to those of us trying to manage our health.

Interesting isn't it? 4 puffs a day of Seretide 250 certainly controlled my asthma, but unbearably severe leg cramps at night and a chronic cough for 6 years were the side effects. I can't lie, I'm happy to have reduced to Symbicort 100 and be rid of these side effects.

London is wonderful, apart from the air quality, which means I've had to up my dosage to DuoResp Spiromax 160 but I'll go back to the Symbicort 100 when I get back to Oz. Fingers crossed.

[Spikedog66 in reply to Highlighter]

Your lungs are telling you oz better and what suits you best. I'm a bit of coward when it comes to change.🤣

[Highlighter in reply to Spikedog66]

This site helped me get over the trauma of being taken off Seretide after 10+ years.

I was panicking and thought the doctor was just putting me on cheaper medication due to funding cuts.

Only realised Seretide had side effects - for me - when I changed medication and they disappeared. (6 years undiagnosed coughing is a long time for doctors to ignore.)

Not suggesting anyone change, but given how much help I received from others, I post my history from time to time.

I wish you better health. Asthma can be so restricting if not controlled.

[Spikedog66 in reply to Highlighter]

Thank you I hope you keep well too. It was the helpline that told me I was been overdosed twice with fostair and also with seretide. A Gp told me to take seretide 4 puffs morning and the Same at night for over a year even though I queried this with hospital consultant and others. I despair at times. This godsend of a site is wonderful. My best wishes to you always listen to your lungs🥰

[Spikedog66]

Is the beta blockers working? Has your blood pressure settled. I have a dyasyolic impairment the treatment is beya blockets but bp normal and would cause issues by lowering bp. Do you feel you can't get one issue sorted then something else starts. Im dropping to bits feel like a hyperchondric😂 If you can breathe everything else is immaterial. I hope they sort you. I feel for you. xx

[NLGA in reply to Spikedog66]

My blood pressure wasn’t to bad it was the heart beat that was way to high 140-170 just doing nothing then the breathless issues alongside it I was like a fish out of water

With beta blockers it still goes around 95 at times but not often where before it was higher constantly

The breathing started before I had the beta blockers as I never got prescribed them to after my hospital stay due to breathless issues

[Spikedog66]

Ok I understand now.

[Gareth57]

Hi, my brother was diagnosed with asthma then after a couple of months with no improvement they checked again and it was AF. It took a while to get the correct drugs and quantities but he was back cycling eventually. So I guess what I'm getting at is that your asthma may be under control but the AF needs looking at. Good luck getting sorted out.

[NLGA in reply to Gareth57]

Thanks for that , it seems that’s very similar to me

[Thomas45]

I'm surprised that you are on beta blockers. Because I had asthma as well as Atrial Fibrillation my treatment for AF was Flecainide daily. I was on it for 12 years, 10 of which were at 300mg a day. I only rarely had AF episodes as a result. After having AF for 21 years, the last 12 of them treated by Flecainide only, I was found to be in persistent though asymptomatic AF. I was taken off Flecainide, and take only an anticoagulant for AF.A few years ago I was in hospital to have my appendix out. During the operation my heart rate shot up to over 190 BPM. While I was in hospital while my heart rate fell to an acceptable level, ( it took about 60 hours), a doctor said I should be on beta blockers. I told him I was asthmatic but he insisted on me taking Bisoprolol. 7 weeks later I developed urticaria, a rare side effect of beta blockers. While being weaned off Bisoprolol I had a very sudden exacerbation of asthma, resulting in emergency admission to hospital. That was caused by the Bisoprolol. The most common side effects of Bisoprolol is breathlessness.

[NLGA in reply to Thomas45]

Hi

Thanks for your reply

I do take Flecainide 300mg It was explained by the cardiologist that that controls my strange beats as I have one tube feeding my heart beating out of time with the rest and the beta blocker stops my hearts beating to fast

I totally understand your point but I was put in hospital with 170 pulse for 5 days before I took the Bisoprolol itvwasbinnthere they put me on it

When they cut me from 10mg to 5mg it got worse and I couldn’t even get upstairs very easily

So I had the breathing issues before the beta blocker

I use to sit with a fan with my constantly on and doors open even in the cold that seemed to help but I don’t know why

[Manforallseasons]

hi NLGA,

I can’t add to the excellent replies you’ve had so far.

But I’m confused by your comment where you say you’re on Seretide which you call ventolin.

So just asking you do have two separate inhalers Seretide and Ventolin ?

[NLGA in reply to Manforallseasons]

Did I ?

Sorry I take both have for years

[Manforallseasons in reply to NLGA]

Sorry I misread your original post .

You’re right it was clear you had both.

[Patk1]

In some people, beta blockers cause breathing issues. I'd request a separate salbutamol/ventolin inhaler to help with breathing.if in uk, see pharmacist or ring 111x

[NLGA in reply to Patk1]

I have one have for 40 years doesn’t help at all to be honest

[Patk1 in reply to NLGA]

Right.it usually does help asthma.i wonder if it's drug related eg flecainide??have u been or ru a smoker,/vape? X

[NLGA in reply to Patk1]

No never smoked or vaped

[NLGA in reply to Patk1]

Yes but I had the breathing issue and abuse of 170 before the beta blockers I was getting more breathless 3 months prior to taking them

[Patk1 in reply to NLGA]

U could ask if copd is possible as treatment may need to be tweaked. A lot of yr symptoms could be associated with side effects of flecainide- I've just b reading up for you

[NLGA in reply to Patk1]

Good point but I had a lung xray twice as I picked up pneumonia in hospital the 2nd time

The first time they crated my lungs prior when I was admitted the first time to hospital

I also had a CT and echo none heart

[Patk1 in reply to NLGA]

It's prob worth keep a diary eg peak flow, pulse in morning,how u feelThen time of ' events,change to pulse,peak flow etc

It may make sense of it for u x

[Poobah]

Do you have any home monitoring system for your AF? Unless you know that your heart rhythm is good on a daily basis, can you rule that out as a contributing factor for your breathing issues? And have other cardiac issues arisen?

And separately, if your asthma meds aren't helping, your asthma nurse or doctor should be monitoring your peak flow and spirometry to rule in or out asthma as the cause of your symptoms. And if it is, then a change in treatment is called for, but with your cardiac requirements in mind.

It's a fine balancing act between the treatment of AF/cardiac and asthma, meds can affect symptoms and symptoms can be misread. In cases like this, the specialists should be talking to one another in order to address your symptoms.

I'm not sure if I'd be confident that my GP could resolve this complex issue and would expect specialist care.

[NLGA in reply to Poobah]

Yes I have a monitor

Sometimes I am breathless but not always in AF but I am 80 per cent of the time although the heart beat is always high say 90 sat down

My GP has me in once a year to check my peak flow and spirometer but nothing else no real further help

Before I had the beta blockers I was a time gasping like soon as oxygen entered my body I needed more

Now I’m breathless doing basic things but not gasping like a fish out of water

[Poobah in reply to NLGA]

Several members of my family have AF and their treatment results in normal heart rhythm and rate. Your heart rate does seem high and this will affect your breathing. So the beta blockers have helped to some degree, but not full addressed the underlying issue. I would definitely ask to see your cardiac specialist as the current treatment isn't quite there yet.

Have they discussed ablation with you? Could be the next step, if you're a suitable candidate.

[NLGA in reply to Poobah]

Yes they did discuss that

They said to try flecainide first

The problem I have is in August I was told they will see me in December as I had a monitor in November but no appointment came no results either

I have phoned and left countless messages with the cardio secretary office I tried Pals they have tried to help but no joy my GP emailed but no reply

So I’m kind of in no mans land

[Poobah in reply to NLGA]

That's so frustrating! I think it might help if you have a chat with the British Heart Foundation. They'll have suggestions on what you can do. Contact details in the attached link. Good luck and hope your appointment comes through.

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...