chronic fatigue moderate lung disease asthma

Hi

I have been on here a few times and have found other experiences very helpful. I don't really know what I am asking today.

I had pneumonia 3 years ago and since haven't been right. My asthma has become volatile, i constantly have chest infections from colds and can't seem to get my life on track. I have recently been diagnosed with moderate lung disease and chronic fatigue (my body can't handle the cold virus - i am literally out of action for a month minimum as I get a chest infection then pluerisy). The consultant says my asthma is stable as last time he saw me there was nothing on my chest, he said i have chronic fatigue and there is no treatment only cognitiv therapy. I came home and looked up chronic fatigue and you can get immune therapy and cognitiv therapy (latter on NHS) so my next appointment with the consultant I am taking my partner with me to get some treatment into action - as the consultant said i could get therapy, referred to me a physio and i have only just got the appointment to the physio. In the meantime I have had 3 months of illness - the last 2 weeks have been infection free, so I have been exercising as much as possible, seeing friends again and have found a local job as my doctor advised that the commuting was affecting my health. I realise that the therapy may help as when you feel well it's great you start planning things and then you get infected again and everything stops. How my asthma fits into this I don't know - I am very confused as to the differing opinions of doctor and consultant. I am keeping my consultant updated with infections when I am not seeing him which is helping - but I feel in the year I have been seeing him nothing has really changed. Does anyone have an idea on the treatment plan I am on? Drug wise when well I am on seretide 500 (2 puffstwice a day), dexarhina spray in the am, loratadine, monkesulat and ventolin. When I have an infection or the start I am put on n antibiotics (can't remember name but the ones where you take 2 in morning and 2 twelve hours after) and oral steroids and green inhaler (can't remember name this morning). I used to be on 1 amoxycillin a day but the doc thinks this stopped working and the consultant said to stop taking.

Sorry for rambling so much - just wondered what people's thoughts are.

Jx

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Hi Julie,

My first question would be are you more worried about the asthma or the chronic fatigue?

Chronic tiredness goes with asthma, if my peak flows are 80%of normal or less, I get really tired quickly.

I think in your situation I would see if I could get a second opinion from another consultant, sometimes people, consultants make judgments about people, and then they find it very difficult to look again.

I was in rut with my consultant in the UK, who basically told me (in other words) to put up with it.... and that 30% of people with asthma get better, 30% stay the same and 30% get worse, and I was in the worse categorie, and therefore that it was it, but I MIGHT improve sometime in the future... (I don't see this consultant anymore, actually he was a nice man, but quite blinkered in his outlook, and I think getting a bit out of date, also my GP really disagreed with his advice)

Then I moved to the states and I got a new consultant, who started from scratch, she investigated my asthma thoughroughly, and in the course of that discovered that I had chronic infected sinusitus, (for which I had absolutely no symptoms)

I had to go on antibiotics for 6 weeks (azithromycin) and then it was amazing, my asthma almost dissapeared, I was the best I had been for 4 years. I now know that my sinus's can play a major part in how my asthma is.

I now see 2 consultants in the UK and 1 in the United States for my asthma. Keeping everyone in agreement is very difficult. The only thing that they generally agree about is the need to try and reduce the amount of inhaled and oral steroids that I take. Actually I have a good relationship with all of them, but it has taken an awful of work, particularly with the brits, to get them to actually listen to me.

I think the moral of this is, that there is more than one way to skin a cat.

(I wouldn't really do that to cats).

Cheers RI

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Dear RI

Thanks for your reply - that helps a lot - I will ask for a second opinion and ask him what he means by chronic fatigue. In answer to your question am i thinking about asthma or fatigue - i think you have helped me answer this - i do think they are combined and thought they were until the consultant confused me - i am glad my partner is going along with me next time so I am clear what is being said. These last couple of weeks my peak flow has been good, i have felt good and exercised like mad - then a woman sneezed on me on the train and i have the slight sniffles and feel exhausted, peak flow is down and have pain when cough and a wheeze - so I think the asthma and fatigue have to be interlinked as the exhaustion is different to when you work out and are tired from exercise.

Thanks for your help Hope you are feeling ok in this cold weather.

Jx