I am 69 years old and since I was little I have had chest infections I remember laying on the sofa when I was young the doctor would visit and say it’s bronchitis.
As I got older I was finally diagnosed with asthma, I have always had it under control but I have always known if I get a cold I would normally get a chest infection.
Doctors have always given me a course of antibiotics which sometimes would be enough but sometimes I would need more than one course and steroids, so I wasn’t surprised when I had a really bad cold ( probably flu) in November that I got a chest infection I was given antibiotics but within two days I got really poorly, I struggled to breath I couldn’t eat or drink only sips of water and I had unmanageable diarrhoea I don’t think I have ever felt so unwell.
I phoned the doctors but got a call back from a nurse not the asthma nurse and he insisted that I went to the surgery which I couldn’t do I could barely get up thinking back I should have called an ambulance but I waited until I was well enough to go to the surgery.
Long story short I have since had 5 different antibiotics and 4 courses of steroids on my last visit I saw a different doctor and she said she wanted to me to do a lung function test and she gave me Annora Ellipta she said she thought I may have Copd three weeks on seeing the same doctor after listening to my chest decided to change it to Trimbow.
So at the moment the lung function read as Copd I am still waiting for x-ray results.
I am still breathless still coughing and producing a lot of phlegm and generally unwell.
I can’t understand why I was perfectly fine before I got the flu and I expected to get back to my normal at some point I really wasn’t expecting this.
Has anyone experienced anything similar and now doing ok!
sorry for such a long moan!
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Monkey3131
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my advice is what you can do now is to use your Dr prescribed meds regularly to control chronic symptoms, also use step up meds recommended by Dr if exacerbation comes up.
and for COPD care you can
drink warm water to loose phlegm
ask Dr for mucolytics if mucus is a concern
Next step is to avoid exacerbation triggered by chest infection by
1. regular exercise (moderate one which will not worsen your breathing symptoms)
2. keep warmth
3. proper nutrition by eating suitable foods +/- vitamin d, vitamin c supplements
I'd put a specimen of mucous in for testing to see if you have infection+ on correct antibiotic.asthma lung uk website have lots of info on asthma&copd. If you've mucous,u need to get it up or it'll keep getting infected - read up on lung clearance techniques eg huffing,postural drainage.also ' controlled pursed lips breathing technique'- practise regularly so u can use it whn struggling,it'll help u focus+ relax. Do u smoke/vape - if so it's advisable to stop.itmay be yr antibiotic/steriod course isn't long enough& needs extending. I presume yr using salbutamol whn u need it?I'd request a ct scan.hope u soon feel better
COPD is a progressive disease, and each episode of chest infection will add to the damage. My lovely late mum had COPD and I bought her a nebuliser to give her some relief. Your GP can prescribe some Salbutamol nebs. Mum was also on Spiriva Respimat.
I have copd and I dont know what I would do without my nebuliser. My doctor also gives me saline nebs as well as salbutamol nebs. I can mix the saline with the salbutamol if I am on it a lot (salbutamol makes me shakey) or I can just use the saline to dampen my lungs down.
I’ve recently been put on a daily low dose antibiotic and you should ask for pneumococcal vaccine, CT scan sounds like something they should do. I had a chest infection not as bad as yours but pretty bad - 3 different antibiotics and lots of prednisolone and never thought I would be clear of it, definitely most ill I’ve ever been, had another one 6 months later which seemed to drag on for months even after I was mostly better, but the daily antibiotic I hope will stop this happening fingers crossed. Azithromycin is the antibiotic. Hope you feel better soon!
Poor you! All I can say is I had late onset asthma for many years well under control until frequent chest infections crept in and eventually bronchiectasis was diagnosed. That's not copd but one feature is much phlegm . Ordinary antibiotics like amoxicillan and erythromycin don't work due to the nature of the bacteria . I now have rescue doxycyline to hand along with prednisolone. The latter I avoid if possible. In terms of hope , push to see a consultant . Conditions can morph and change, and maybe a better treatment is available. I'm back under control, thankfully. Best of luck.
Hi - your history sound exactly like mine. Bad asthma, diagnosed poorly when young and much worse when young (did you have to take a pink pill? Goodness knows what that was! And confined to bed.) Eventually the blue inhaler came along, hurrah! And then outgrowing episodes which only really appear with bad chest infections.
I have been told now, to manage myself by taking low dose brown inhaler every day to avoid situations like you are in at the moment. I don't do it! And I wonder if you should, when you are well, or even now, religiously take the brown inhaler each day. I am told it is a preventative measure that works.
Have you done this up til now? I am learning from your story, and I am going to dust off the brown inhaler and take it daily. I use a small Aerochamber space device to prevent thrush in the throat.
Meanwhile, I think time and rest and good diet will help, even though it all seems so awful when you are suffering now. Best wishes for a good recovery x
The pink pill was probably prednisolone. Preventative inhalers do help keep inflammation down..but only if u use it!as it's been prescribed for you yr gp must think it's necessary
Sounds like chronic post viral inflammation. The immune system is activated by an infection, but remains activated after the infection is cleared. Many diseases are caused by chronic 'upregulation' of the inflammatory response. Instead of viruses and bacteria being targeted, the body's own cells are being damaged. Long Covid may be an example of this. Hopefully, it'll abate in time.
I'm sorry that you're struggling so much with post viral symptoms that seem to go on and on. I definitely recognise this and I now it take ages to get over even the mildest of viruses, and I put it down to my age (in my 60s). One of my consultants has approved treatment with Azithromycin over a 16 week period, whenever I experience an asthma flare and the main culprit is a virus. It's the only thing that works for me, short term antibiotics and/or Prednisolone just doesn't work.
There is ongoing research into the mechanisms of how Azithromycin works, but there is enough evidence now that it does work in some cases where infections have caused the asthma or COPD flare. This is taken from an article (link below) that explains the current understanding;
"Dr Hinks explained the nature of his research: “I have discovered that a recently-described class of immune cells, called ‘MAIT cells’ [Mucosal-associated invariant T cells], is important in fighting infections in the airways. I found that these cells are deficient in asthma and COPD as a result of the steroids that are the mainstay of treatment.
“This may explain the increased risk of infections in these people, including subtle long-term airways infections which could be driving the inflammation which causes the exacerbations.”"
I understand this, I always was a chesty child, colds and flu would hit me hard as a child. I got diagnosed with asthma a few years ago, I am in my 60s now, I got COVID in the Christmas of 23, that knocked me back and then I caught a cold a few months back and ended up on steroids for the first time. The consultant said that asthma sufferers take longer to get over colds and flu etc. I get regular calls from an asthma nurse that have been very helpful, one thing she said was that if you are going out from warm house in cold frosty conditions put a mask on. Try to maintain an even temperature in the lungs, cold air has been a trigger for me and having a mask on when out in cold weather has made a huge difference, not to mention the reducing the chances of catching something.
Hi Monkey. Your story sounds a lot like mine. Repeated bronchitis as a child, lots of nice pink medicine and the occasional not so nice orange one! Wheezy chest, smelly lamp thing in the bedroom for years. Every cold turned into a chest infection.
Role on until the tender age of 63 and I experienced my very first (nasty) asthma attack. The A&E dr suggested I had copd, not asthma as I had smoked in the past. However, full pulmonary function tested showed asthma.
For now I would forget about the copd diagnosis. To my thinking, if you are loaded with phlegm that might negate the reversibility element of the test - don’t know that for sure, but common sense tells me that if there is phlegm in the airways that will restrict airflow.
Back to me. In May I got covid - it lasted for 3 weeks- two courses of antibiotics, two courses of prednisone, but boy did I struggle- coughing from 2am until 6am every morning. Any kind of activity cough, cough, cough. I had an appointment with my consultant in the July and he said that this kind of reaction was not unusual in people with asthma.
I am on a mart regime, which helped (a bit). It was also suggested I use a nebuliser with saline solution, which made me cough, but gold the mucus off my chest (I say mucus because at this point there was no infection)
My suggestion to you would be to see your GP, tell him you are worn out. Ask if you can submit a mucus sample and discuss the possibility of a mart regime to treat the inflammation.
My meds are slightly different as they were prescribed by the consultant but I take Spivira Respimat, Fostair 200/6 and Montelukast which are fairly standard. I also take (only when needed) Fostair 100/6 up to 6 doses in addition to the 200/6.
Maybe it might be worth asking for a referral to your local hospital if your GP cannot come up with a plan that works?
sorry to see you’ve been laid really low by this bug. There have been some virulent bugs going around this winter and it definitely sounds like that is something you have had. The best you can do now is rest when needed, take your medications and eat as healthily as possible. I have had pneumonia and pleurisy in the past and that has taken me months to recover. Pretty similar to your situation. But each time I have improved.
I wouldn’t worry too much about a COPD “diagnosis “ at this stage. I am not surprised your lung function test was poor. Personally I am surprised that gp carried out test whilst you are still so poorly. Really you need to be significantly better for at least 6+ weeks to get a true reading and only then should COPD be considered (in my opinion) depending on results.
I know you are waiting for an X-ray result. This may show original infection, although not always. Plus may show some changes related to COPD. But generally COPD does not show up on an X-ray! A CT scan may be more appropriate.
IF you have COPD then there is lots of advice on how to manage the condition and there is no reason to think you can’t be doing most of the activities you were doing previously. But for now I would just concentrate on picking up after this bug and I hope you feel much better soon.
I can relate with you very much! First of all there is hope! And never give up until the end! You have no other choice! Get a good blood test from your doctor! Maybe you have a eosinophil problem where your white blood cells are too high!! And your doctor can help! I can’t give you specific advice OR this website will cut me off!! But be kind to your self! Rest and a good diet is always the best thing! Hang in there! Hope your immune systems will get stronger soon!!
I’m at extremely similar albeit alot younger. Two infections in 3 years has buffered my lungs. Still don’t know if I’m severe asthma or copd. Or a bit if both. Constant mucus all day every day, if I don’t clear it I can’t breath and if I clear too I feel nauseous for the rest of the day. Request a Ct to rule emphysema in or out. What are your PTF results? Specially what’s your fev1/fvc ratio? DLCO? RV?
The continuing excess phlegm could possibly be Covid not flu. All the times I got Covid (3 times) I always had excess phlegm. NAC is excellent at reducing phlegm production. It does increase heart rate a bit though. I would check with your doctor to make sure there are no drug interactions before taking it. I took it once each morning for a week, after having Covid and it worked like a charm. Just sharing my experience, I am not a doctor.
Similar history here too. More 'bouts of bronchitis' than I can remember, loud barking cough, a very bad dose of measles about age 6, fast sprinter but always came in last gasping for breath. I must have grown out of it but it came back in mid 50s (does menopause have something to do with late onset asthma I dunno). First pleurisy & pneumonia late 2009 and downhill with more pneumonia, constant infections for 3 years before referral to respiratory consultant. It wasn't until a 3 month course of antibiotics that I was finally clear and could rebuild the immune-system which of course was shot to smithereens although it took a while to get to there & get the right medication regime. Each pneumonia &/or chronic infection took at least 3 months to recover from - others are right, you really have to take it carefully and slowly with recovery. Definitely don't run before you can walk.
Fast forward: I now take prophylactic Azithromycin 250mgs Mon Wed Fri from November to April which has saved me many an infection. Like others a viral cold would turn into a bacterial infection needing abs of at least 2 weeks.
Don't hesitate to come back for support, has anyone suggested the excellent helpline on 0300 222 5800 - 09.15 to 5pm Mon to Friday for professional advice and guidance.
I agree with Bevvy , you can’t diagnose someone on the basis of spirometry carried it when they’re acutely ill. So I’d be sceptical about COPD. I have a similar history - childhood asthma, repeated bronchitis, then suddenly really ill with a severe virus causing filthy sputum. But I’d never smoked, so I was referred for a CT scan and this showed extensive bronchiectasis, a totally different lung condition from COPD which needs different treatment. If I’d ever smoked, no doubt I would’ve been told it was COPD! I agree you should ask for your sputum to be tested. If it reveals a specific bacteria then you can be given the correct antibiotics for that & hopefully will eradicate this horrible infection. But if your symptoms persist you MUST insist on a referral. A CT scan will show you what’s wrong
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Refusal to give nebuliser at A & E. Has anyone else experienced this?
Recovering after hospital stay
Sudden onset poorly controlled asthma
repeated chest infections 
no judgement please
