Starting Rescue Pack

[Superfly1975]

I have COPD with underlying Asthma for which I use a Trimbow inhaler but have never really had an exacerbation, for the last couple of days I have been more breathless and have a very dry non productive cough which in turn is making my chest feel tight and a little sore, my question is should I start the Predisilone from my rescue pack?

[Ortho10]

I would get a sample handed in, and get an appointment to see the Doctor.

[PaulineHM]

Hello,

Yes start the steroids and then if not feeling better in 2 days speak to your practice respiratory nurse or GP about antibiotics if they are not already in your rescue pack,

Do you have flare up treatment plan ? If you don’t I suggest you request one.

Hope you feel better soon.

Go well

Pauline

[JPC2]

Hi, do you have a respiratory nurse? I have to ring mine before I take anything and she says if there’s no wheezing don’t take the steroids. If my phlegm has changed colour and I’m more breathless she tells me to start the antibiotics. Hope you feel better soon.

[Burghy]

yes but only 5 days

[Dorris59]

I recently had an exacerbation due to a viral infection, but by the time I got up to Drs for my query asthma check, it was improved. However, I was still coughing and wheezing in my left lung (it’s always only my left lung ) which is why I say query asthma. The nurse called the Dr in and she listened to my chest and asked questions. She didn’t prescribe steroids as she said they only prescribe them when oxygen SATS are 94%. With wheezing. Mine were 95%, so I didn’t need prednisone. She did however change my steroid inhaler/reliever to a stronger one as she said she’d prefer I get the steroids directly into the lung. I can take this inhaler up to 8 times a day. My cough was productive but not initially, and that’s worse because it could be that you’re not moving it off your chest, hence why you might be short of breath. Perhaps buy yourself a pulse oximeter to monitor your SATS and go up to see your Dr to find out what’s going on. Don’t mess about. It needs sorting. I got told not to leave it next time but to get it sorted asap.

[Superfly1975]

many thanks for your replies, my oxygen stats are fine as is my peak flow, so I’ve just used my reliever in addition to my Trimbow inhaler which I don’t normally need to do, It feels much improved over the last two days, with my COPD only being mild I have never had an exacerbation so it’s very difficult to know when one has started or whether it’s just a cold 🤷‍♂️

[Dorris59]

an exacerbation is basically a worsening of symptoms: increased breathlessness, sputum production, cough, wheezing etc. Both my mother had severe COPD and my father died from an exacerbation of COPD due to a chest infection. He’d put off going to the Drs and things worsened. My mother would become hypoxic as well with low SATS and was hospitalised a few times before she died from Covid pneumonia due to catching it and having COPD in ‘22.