odd pattern of attacks?: hi there, just... - Asthma Community ...

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odd pattern of attacks?

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hi there, just wondering if anyone could help me out here?

Basically the last few weeks have been having bad attacks late at night and in the middle of night-waking me up or first thing in morning. Seem to be steadily getting worse and taking a long time to feel better-really struggling to breathe in or out, slight unproductive cough, tight chest, hideous wheeze and chest pain, using a combo of the symbicort and a ventolin with a spacer- beyond reccomended dosage. Have begun to feel quite frightened as have been unable to speak and struggling to use inhaler at times and the last 2 days i have been having bad atttacks in the daytime too.

So i went to the drs last week and they did a peak flow and listened to chest-peak flow was fine for me -350 and at the time i was not really wheezing and she said i didnt need to worry. I went back again today and the same thing happened-i seem to be fine inbetween attacks- but then quite suddenly have a bad attack and i felt like a bit of an idiot explaining this and got quite upset about it. In the end i just said - i know i am fine now but i am getting very severe symptoms at night and i think i need prednisiolone which she gave me, and i'm sure this will help as it has in the past BUT i am just wondering is this 'normal' to be ok inbetween severe attacks and how to explain this to a GP?

thanks!

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4 Replies

i think that as you are ok during the day it amy well be worth taking a trip to A and E when bad - i have had similar patterns and do end up in at night and then it gets sorted .

Good luck

hi northern star

I would advise the same as hopalong, when you are bad take yourself or get someone to take you to a and e and let them see you in the middle of an attack because i also find i am worse around 2am - 8am so during the night basically. I know you might not want to go to hospital but it would be more benefical for you if they could see you at your worst so they can then treat you as symptoms in the night mean your asthma is not properly controlled.

When i have night time flare ups i know my control is going out of the window so to speak. I take it as a warning sign.

Plumie

hi, if you are having attacks at night i would have thought that it means your asthma isnt fully under control. just explain to the doc, im sure they must have come across this before. when my chest is ok i only have a slight wheeze or none at all and feel fine unless something like perfume sets its off, i have no flutters, pain, heaviness etc but when i have a chest infection or my asthma is really playing up i dont really get any rest from it as even a walk upstairs will make me ill.i do what you do and hammer my inhalers but it really would be better if you see your doc or a+n if taking more than told to.

thanksyou for all your help...thats really helpful..i am feeling much better now i am on the pred. If this same kinda pattern happens again then i think it would be a good idea to go to A&E so at least they can have a look at me and theres some kind of record..but yeah i feel very nervous about that- i think i've kind of just got use to managing at home even when there have been times when i should have gone to a&e. I've also never been given a peak flow and so i might ask for one so at least i could have a record to show if this happens again-although i cant really imagine being able to do a peak flow in the middle of a severe attack!

This is all kind of new to me..i had a short spell of asthma when i was a teenager and then it just got bad seemingly randomly last october..since then i've had four courses of pred. According to ny partner i wheeze almost constantly through the night and often dont wake up until he wakes me to sort it out or it gets really bad and i eventually wake up myself but then by that point it takes around an hour to get back to the point where i can lie down again.

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