Anyone else worry about their asthma?

[Fitnessgal160]

Im 20 i got dignosed with asthma when i was 17 and gradually i have needed more and more medication to get it under control. I started off with just a brown inhaler, then fostair, then revlar 92/22, then relvar 184/22 and now i've started montelukast tablets. I've started to worry a lot more about how quickly my asthma changed, i've gone from relatively mild asthma to relying on medication every day just to breathe. Just wondering if anyone feels the same or has had a similar experience with their asthma.

[Gareth57]

I try not to think about it, I take my medication, try to keep active as I find putting some effort in clears my lungs plus it's good for mental health if you can.

[Gareth57 in reply to Gareth57]

I should have said I've been asthmatic for 60+ years, generally get autumnal and spring chest infections, the exact length of the season for each tends to vary but I try to cycle when I can

[Homely2 Administrator]

It took them about three years to get the correct inhalers for me, it can take time,so in a way, what you are going through is not abnormal. They just keep upping the inhalers until you are balanced.

As to long term worry, yes, to some extent, but life is such a collection of uncertainties and challenges, asthma is just another one of them. The difference with asthma, is that it all about prevention, you need to live and work, if you can, where your asthma is happy.

Asthma UK do a mindfulness course and a breathe easy course. Look on their website, free of charge and online. They will help you talk to and be with other asthmatics, which will help. You can also talk it through with a nurse on their helpline, on 0300 2225800, office hours. The nurses are superb.

Remember if your asthma gets too bad, they will put you on biologics which should solve it.

[Thomas45]

I just want to add to Homely2's reply. I was diagnosed with asthma in 1974. I am now aged 79 and still use my preventer inhalers twice a day. Over those 50 years I've tried a variety of inhalers. My asthma comes from infections like a common cold which rapidly goes to my lungs. My worst day was 1st October 1983. It was a Saturday I had caught a heavy cold, which was getting worse. I saw an out of hours GP who prescribed an antibiotic. I took the first tablet at about 3pm. By 9pm I was sitting by my open back door gasping for breath. I phoned my neighbour who dialled 999. I was in hospital for 12 days. On that Saturday I thought I was not going to live to see the next day. That was 41 years ago and I've only been admitted to hospital because of asthma on one other occasion, about four years ago, caused as a very rare side effect of a beta blocker. As well as asthma I have permanent, though asymptomatic, atrial fibrillation, where my heart beats out of sequence all the time . I'd been prescribed a beta blocker, despite my telling the hospital doctor that I was asthmatic, after my heart rate had risen to over 190 beats per minute during a hospital operation to remove my appendix.

The treatment for asthma has much improved during the last 50 years. All I add is that if you're overweight, try to get in the normal range of BMI. It really has helped my health.

[Butterfly2honey]

It has taken me along time to get the right inhales along with Montelukast and hayfever medication to get my asthma under control.

I have been under a constant for my asthma’s as the GP had given me the strongest medication he could prescribe. It turned out that I was reacting badly to my BP medication Ramapril. Once I stopped taking it my symptoms really calmed down.

I’d have a word with your GP as I am also highly allergic to almost everything, dust, house mites, grasses, pollen, cats and dogs. (Even though I have cats and dogs).

Because of my asthma I have a humidifier so the air in the room doesn’t dry out in very hot weather or when the central heating goes on. I also have air purifiers which you can pick up quite cheaply and I have found both of these to really help me.

Saying all of that my asthma has started to not be under control as my GP has changed my Fostair to Luforbec I’ve only been on it a week and I can’t stop coughing and my chest has gone feeling tight again. So I need to speak with my GP.

[Patk1 in reply to Butterfly2honey]

Ring Yr gp and insist u go back on fostair

[Patk1]

No,I've always been pragmatic and dealt with it and lung diseases but that's me.have u got a salbutamol inhaler which is a reliever

[Beth_19]

it is very scary when asthma changes and starts affecting your life. Unfortunately asthma can be a very fluctuate condition and can at times seem very hard to control and that definitely can cause worry. I can empathise and sympathise with you because my asthma has went from very controlled to not controlled at all with multiple hospital admissions affecting my day to day life and job, but unfortunately while a perfectly reasonable response worrying about it isn’t productive for your overall health.

I know it is hard especially when it comes to breathing, but try to relax a little bit with breathing exercises etc. Have you talked to your asthma team about your concerns? Apart from medication have you been referred to any other service such as asthma physio or SALT?

[Patk1 in reply to Beth_19]

Look at aluk website for controlled pursed lips breathing technique. It's really useful

[Beth_19 in reply to Patk1]

Thanks Patk1 hopefully that will help them. I’m under asthma physio so already have my breathing exercises

[AsthmaandLung]

Hello Fitnessgal160,

Sorry to hear that your asthma is causing you to worry.

If you're in UK you can call us on the Helpline (0300 222 5800, 9.15am-5pm, Mon-Fri) for advice on medication and symptom management.

Please also seek advice from your GP or asthma nurse so they are aware of any changes or worsening symptoms you are experiencing.

Take care,

Helpline Team