Hi, about 6 weeks ago I asked my doctor about my breathing (no immediate history of asthma - did have inhaler as a kid when I had lots of chest infections; immediate family members have asthma). Peak flow (EU) was about 330-370 (34 yo female 5ft 9in). Used Qvar for about 5 weeks and peak flow was still the same sort of level. I've now been given Beconase (as my nose is continually running) and a Ventolin inhaler to use twice a day. I'm also monitoring my peak flow. Beconase helped my runny nose for a couple of days but is now as bad as it was again. My peak flow is continually at 330-380 and it doesn't improve after using the ventolin inhaler. My question, is this actually asthma? I have probably been suffering from this for at least 5-6 months. What should my next steps be? How long should I continue with Qvar/Ventolin if I'm not seeing an improvement?
I think it might be a good idea for you to make an appointment to see your GP
You need to go back and see your Doctor.
May I suggest, as many of us have had to learn, that you become a swot on asthma, on the medications and the various reasons why you may be suffering.
The steroids can take 6 weeks to work and, in some cases, they can take longer if you have had undiagnosed asthma for years.
Some people do not respond to one type of asthma med but change it to a different brand/drug and they find it works pretty rapidly. You need to find the right medication for yourself as we are all different in terms of asthma. Perhaps you simply need a different asthma inhaler? I used pulmicort turbohaler for years and it did nothing but went over to flixotide turbohaler and, touch wood, my life got a whole lot better.
I think most people go through denial when diagnosed with asthma and look for other possible reasons - I know I did. I also believe that some GPs are a tad too eager to label someone asthmatic and not look into other reasons. For example, chronic silent hyperventilation - look it up - can give you all the same symptoms as asthma.
(Allergies, Asthma, Exercise, Hyperventilation, and Panic Disorders;
You say that other members of your family have asthma so I wonder if there is a family 'weakness' in that your family is allergic to something - dairy/milk, wheat? One of the commonest causes of asthma is an allergy, people are told they are allergic to something - say milk - but then they carry on drinking milk. Or they suspect that it might be an allergy, say to wheat, but they never even try giving up bread and all wheat products for a minimum of a month to test whether that helps make them better.
It is important to look into possible allergens - you might have an allergy/intolerance to dairy/milk so why not try giving up ALL milk in anything and everything you consume for at least 30 days. The same with wheat - there is a type of asthma known as 'baker's asthma' - so why not try giving that up for 30 days also. How about Vitamin D3 from sunshine - are you someone who never gets any sunshine and who covers yourself in sunblock when you go out (Sunblock cuts out 98% of Vitamin D creation) as several recent research studies have made quite striking conclusions about asthma and chronic Vitamin D deficiency and then treating asthmatics with high doses of Vitamin D.
As I say, you have to become your own expert on your own health, you have to find the right medication for you and you have to give it time to kick in. Also, in my experience, some GPs are brilliant about asthma and some are, frankly, rubbish. Find yourself a GP who actually knows what he/she is talking about and, as many on here will attest, quite often the best people to talk to about all of this is a specialist Asthma Nurse.
I am not a Doctor so I can't tell you what to do but please go back and see your GP and talk things through with him/her.
Best of luck - and keep asking here if you need help.
Thanks for your replies - I'll keep reading and asking questions. I'm starting to feel more like I've got a continual low-level cold, runny nose, continual feeling of needing to cough but when I cough not able to clear it, feeling like my throat is a little swollen etc. I think whatever is going on with my lungs is related to my head/nose/sinuses. I think it all did start when I had a really nasty cold and just feel like I haven't got completely rid of it. Interesting your mention of allergies - hadn't thought of that. Will certainly do more reading before I'm back at the doctors. I have been offered a chest x-ray as well so I'll go for that and hopefully it will rule out other things.
Thanks
Andrea
could also ask doc for nasil med to help if allergy also
I got a Beconase spray last week - helped for about 2 days, now as bad as it was before.
I got a Beconase spray last week - helped for about 2 days, now as bad as it was before. I presume this would help if it was allergies?
Second question before I go back to the doctor....
Another day monitoring my peak flow goes by - I see a little improvement after I take Ventolin (this morning it was 370 before, 385 after). My question, how much improvement should I be expecting?
I'm becoming convinced that it's either rhinitis or sinusitis that's causing the low peak flow because it seems to take a good 6-10 hrs from when I get up in the morning for my nose and throat to clear - by which point my peak flow reaches the dizzy heights of 395...still not broken 400 yet - and then starts to clog up again as the night goes on.
Thanks again for all the advice....learning so much already!!
Andrea
Doing the right thing monitoring your pf and try not
to worry ,the doc will decide what to give you if your pf needs
to be higher.
monitor your highest eg, mine is on a good day 550 and crash down to 350 .
you will soon find out in time what yours is.
Would be good wright down questions you might want to know and ask the doc about
so dont forget.
Good luck love Glynis xxx
Your symptoms sound like mine
My symptoms sound like yours, peak flow between 320 and 380 and a phlegmy cough which has lasted 6 months now. I have also had about 4 heavy colds during this time which have lasted weeks and have lost my sense of smell for weeks on two occasions. I seem to also have gone quite deaf in one ear. The doctor started me off on 2 puffs of 100 mg Clenil morning and evening but when that didnt make any difference suggested that I double the dose, after a few weeks of this there was no significant change so she suggested 4 puffs twice a day of 200mg Clenil inhaler and 30mg of Prednisolone oral steroid every day for 7 days. I only have one more day of the Prednisolone left and my peak flow is still not above 380, still have the phlegmy cough and my throat feels puffy and clogged up. I have been for a chest X ray which was OK but am starting to wonder if it is asthma. Sorry this wasnt much help to you but I would be interested to hear how you get on. Good luck with the X ray
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- and then starts to clog up again as the night goes on.
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