having just been diagnosed at 55, I’m struggling to know what is asthma and what is perhaps a cold? Constantly having to blow my nose - mucus is clear. Have had a few chest infections in the last few months too and just generally feeling unwell all
The time. I am on Fostair 100 - 2 puffs twice a day and as and when needed - any advice would be much appreciated
Finde out your triggers, each one is different, do whatever you have to do so you don’t forget your inhaler when you leave the house, make sure you don’t have gastric reflux, check your vitamin d level, get flue vaccine, sport is essential and better with airofit, finally don’t panic the medication could take time to work.
Ring the asthma UK helpline on 0300 2225800, office hours. Ask the nurses there to take you through the basics of asthma, and what is and what is not asthma.
It is very normal to be confused as to what is asthma, so have a good chat with the asthma UK nurses.
I also have late onset (was 54 when diagnosed). It comes as a bit of a shock !
I went from no allergies / asthma to suddenly being allergic to house dust mite and grass pollen and having severe eosinophilic asthma seemingly overnight.
Have you tried antihistamines for your nose/mucus? Might be worth a chat with your local pharmacy to see if one would be suitable for you to try.
You could also call the asthma nurses as Homley2 said above or ask to see your asthma nurse at your gp.
There is also lots of good info on the asthma and lung.uk website below
asthmaandlung.org.uk/will-y...
Thank you - have got some antihistamines to try 👍
You may need to try different ones depending on what is triggering the reaction. Good luck and I hope it helps
This was my experience too. Sudden loss of 50% of lung function at 55. Misdiagnosed as COPD by GP and given a preventer (stiolto respimat) that made things much worse as it’s not for asthma patients. Was often sent away from GP with a ‘come back in 6 months if it doesn’t work’ message (why not two weeks?). A hospitalisation brought be into the orbit of a consultant and things began to improve. Carbocistene really helped clear mucus. A nasal steroid cleared blocked sinuses (although sense of smell only returns on rescue oral steroids). They gave me precautionary pills for acid reflux. One thing that helped was to keep a detailed diary of peak flow in an and pm for weeks and weeks - as then the doctors can see what is working. The consultant kept doubling my Fostair until we got to 8 puffs plus a morning serving of Spiriva respimat. The GP never really thought of increasing my Fostair dose past two puffs. My asthma is now pretty well controlled although I’ve never found any triggers.
Been aent away from the doctors and told to forget about it! Very difficult to know what’s what at this early stage - do you suffer at all from upper back pain with yours?
Spiolto respimat is safe for Asthma as well as COPD, first question i asked my asthma nurse when I was put on it and on reading info inside, I queried it and she looked it up and it is on the safe register x
I’m suspicious of it. It caused a big adverse reaction in me - making my lungs feel like rocks and giving me a terrible cough. If you google it there are lots of warnings that is isn’t for as asthma. But I’m no doctor and you might be right. But I wish I had read the warnings of side effects more closely.
Hi, I would say, every one is different regarding triggers, peak flow etc so dont be concerned if your symptoms don't match anyone else's but one thing that is probably shared by everyone is that when your asthma is playing up you will have a tight chest almost as if there is a weight on you and your breathing may change, quick in breaths and slow out. A runny nose is most likely a cold, a chest infection is not in itself asthma but can affect your asthma. It's a bit of a learning curve and if in doubt contact the ALUK nurses for help and advice.
My asthma went undiagnosed/untreated for years because I don’t get a tight chest - I too had always understood it was something every asthmatic got, so I didn’t go to the doctor, just thought I must be terribly unfit! It’s asthma.
This all makes sense except I'd say not everyone does get the feeling like they have a weight on their chest - it seems to work a bit differently for different people. Eg:
Some people feel like they have a heavy weight on their chest like you describe and think of it in terms of the size of animal sitting on them (cat? Elephant? etc)
Some people (me) feel like they're being hugged round the lower ribs by a boa constrictor, or wearing a very tight corset. I can also get the feeling as if someone is squeezing my lower ribs in large hands from both sides. Or that someone is inside my chest pulling them in.
A friend said it can feel like clingfilm round her lungs stopping her breathing out, or as if she's been forced into a series of jackets that are several sizes too small for her.
I'm giving these examples because I think it helps to show a variety of ways that people can experience what's called 'tight chest'. I think medics can sometimes be too restrictive, as they don't always understand the variety in how people experience and describe their symptoms, and are going off a narrow list of descriptions they've heard or read. (I often get very tempted to ask if they'd like a demonstration in that case. I would quite happily tight-lace them like a cliched scene from a costume drama and leave them for a while to see what it feels like.)
Even if you do get these symptoms sometimes, Smoo21, you may not get them but still be having asthma. I personally find (others may vary) that feelings like this come on when the asthma is REALLY playing up and as a very clear warning sign, but it doesn't mean you're fine if you don't get them.
Oh and no one mentioned it but just so you know Smoo21 - you DON'T need to be wheezing to have asthma - that goes for wheezes you can hear and wheezes only doctors can hear. A clear chest doesn't mean no asthma.
Thanks for the clarification, so everyone is different including how a "tight chest" feels, personally I don't get the elephant it's more like my chest doesn't expand as much as my lungs lungs when I breath in, maybe like the cling film?
Thank you - I will give my asthma nurse a call and see if she will go through it with me. Appreciate everyone’s advice very much
Hi I second call the asthma helpline and an asthma nurse at your docs, hope you are feeling better soon.
I developed severe asthma in 2023, at the age of 70. I went from having no problem, to almost passing out with the effort of walking to the supermarket, in just two months. Despite this very rapid onset, the medics wanted to send me to be tested to see if it was COPD! They seemed to think that the fact that I had smoked until giving it up about 30 years ago was significant.
Got a Ventolin inhaler, which provided partial relief, then became next to useless. I was having to use it 14 times a day. Was put on Relvar, and this was a godsend. However, I became suspicious about how such a rapid decline could have happened. The only thing different in my life was that, some weeks before developing asthma symptoms, I had been prescribed finasteride to reduce the size of my prostate. This drug is also prescribed for baldness.
There was nothing in the drug leaflet to suggest that finasteride could cause asthma, but a quick search on the Reddit forum revealed many posters who had made the association of breathlessness as a side effect while taking finasteride. So, I gave up taking the finasteride, and I soon managed to give up Relvar, and my lungs have now almost returned to normal.
However, once the asthma has been activated, other triggers can be identified. House dust and alcohol are implicated and I have a suspicion wheat may be too. I've given up wheat, and intend to reintroduce it at a later date to see if it causes symptoms.
I am 56 & was diagnosed with asthma this past July. For the past 2 years whenever I was sick with a cold, it would trigger asthmatic symptoms & each time, the symptoms were more severe. My pulmonologist sent me to an ear, nose & throat specialist to see if there were additional issues triggering my symptoms. That may be an option for you.
Also, I found the American Lung Association website to be quite helpful & informative on understanding asthma.
It takes time to recover frm chest infections and asthma flareups ups so give yrself time and rest. Aluk website have good info on asthma,symptoms,management etc..And aluk have nurses manning helpline mon - Fri 9- 5pm on 0300 222 5800
I'm sure they'll give u gd advice x
Like you I am late onset, in 2014 when I was 65. It was indeed a steep learning curve even though I brought up a daughter with asthma. I did call Asthma +Lung UK, and not only spoke to them then, but they also rang me the following day to continue to help and support them. They are great and ever helpful!!
HISTORY AND QUERIES OF LATE ONSET ASTHMA
New adult onset asthma
Sudden onset poorly controlled asthma
Adult onset asthma
Recent diagnosis of late onset asthma and Winter
