Lingering breathlessness

Hi, it's been 3 weeks now since I all of a sudden became breathless/tight chested (like nothing I've felt before... horrendous!). I had a dry cough, sometimes a little clear mucus. That's seems to have cleared up. Initially my doctor put me on a course of amoxicillin, which did nothing. Then she put me on a 10 day course of 30mg prednisolone, which slightly improved things, but not by much. I'm now 3 days into a 50mg course, which did seem to be working, but now feels like it's going tight again. I'm at my wits end, I've had bloods to say there is no infection, crx is clear, I bring a little bit of green mucus up in the morning but not alot. I just constamtly feel like i cant get a lung full of air! Im so down about it. I'm getting stressed at my kids, I'm off work because of it, should I go back to the docs? I have an asthma clinic appt but that's not until the 27th of April. I'm so lost. Any advice?

Thanks

Luke

[Hidden]

Hi Luke. I’d go back to your gp asap. From the green sputum & tight chest, it sounds as if you do have an infection. Bear in mind there are some bugs which aren’t sensitive to amoxicillin, which could be why it didn’t help. I suggest you take a morning sample of sputum with you (you can get a pot from the chemist) for the gp to send to the path lab, and ask him to try a different antibiotic. Infections cause inflammation, which is why prednisone helps, but if you’re needing increasing amounts of it & are still breathless, that’s not good. You should also be taking it easy, not putting your lungs under any stress. I’ve been having very similar problems myself so you have my sympathy!

[Mardi]

Did they do a ct scan or at least a lung X-ray. When I was bad ( not as bad as you except when I had pneumonia). The sputum test should be the first thing they do. Dr's dont seem keen to do it but , in Australia, they will do it if you ask or insist. If they won't go to another dr.

I had a chest infection for 5 months, amoxicillin took the edge off it. Dr was going to test me with a sputum test for TB!!?, without first testing me for other lesser evils. He said have 3 sputum tests one day after theother but didn't say he was testing for TB. It turned out to be "haemophilia influenzae " a persistent bug. Just more and more antibiotics fixed it. It doesn't cause influenza but years ago they thought it did so named it this way.

[Sapper21]

I am sorry to hear that a young man like you has this problem, Coupe1982. I have the same symptoms and same treatment - amoxicillin and Prednisolone - but I am an old man of nearly 84 and I have come to expect these episodes. Stay strong and I hope you feel better soon. Albert.

[starskyd]

I would go straight back to drs. You know yoyr body better than anyone, it tells you when things arent right. Hope you feel better soon.

[Hidden]

I’ve always had a low low function with asthma and in December I had the same thing throughout a day my breathing went right down hill tight chest obstructed airway feel, it’s march and it ain’t got better, sometimes when lung function deteriorates it don’t always go back up but hopefully yours is due to some sort of other thing and isn’t permanant, loads of things out there reversible and irreversible could be due to a weather change or maybe damp/mouldy in your home? Loads of things that’s why it’s so hard to pinpoint

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Sorry to hear you're ill too buddy. My lung function is usually really good, 3 weeks ago I was running 5 miles a day 4 days a week. I just don't get how one minute I'm fine, literally half hour later I'm so ill, and for so long. Are you taking steroids or inhalers?

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I take seretide and montelukast have been taking them years, been put on 3 courses of steroids last few months and anti biotics, it’s looking like I might have to accept this is my life now, low lung function and really fatigued 24/7 never happens like this before tho, never just couldn’t breathe one day and that’s it, weirdest thing just the progression of a lung desease I guess

[Mardi in reply to Hidden]

Wow running 5 miles- that’s wonderful! How old are you? I’m 74 and have discovered since I’ve been on the preventer seretide I can actually run 50 metres or so sometimes - couldn’t do this at 44 as I wasn’t on the preventer!!

[Megan321]

Ask for a sputum sample to be done, Xray and blood wrk to see what's going on. Sounds like an infection..,

[Palm-Tree-11]

You might need your inhalers changing, I got ill a few years ago and changed from seritide to anoro, also topped myself up with vitamins, multi, high c, d3-and more! Have also found olive leaf extract good for fighting virus's, you didn't say what your lung problem was, mine is copd, emphasemia probably, good luck sorting it

[Hidden in reply to Palm-Tree-11]

Hi palm tree, thanks for the reply. I have suspected asthma... I something I've only just started suffering with if I have got it.

[alvorite in reply to Palm-Tree-11]

Could you explain the high c, d3 and more (vitamins) please as I have the same symptoms as coupe1982, must admit my diet is rubbish though 😫 I also have emphasemia. Thankyou