Hi im a newbie recently diagnosed

Hi i'm Carrie and I have been newly diagnosed with asthma, I had infantile asthma as a child nothing major I just remembered taking an inhaler every now and then- and going to the hospital I grew out of it by 9 or 10 i think. I remember having a cat allergy when I was 9 I then went on to of suffered the usual allergies horses dogs dust hayfever etc. oh and have always been allergic to penicillin.

All until 12 weeks ago I think it was - I had a tiny cold , after 4 days I then woke up wheezing I made an appointment at my GP and I was told I had a viral infection on my chest and to go on antibiotics and have complete bed rest, after days of wheezing and being breathless and like death laying in bed waiting for the antibiotics to kick in I decided to go back to the gp who seemed a little concerned after listening to my whirling chest and took my peak flow which was 250 she gave me predisolene(- might be spelt wrong but i havent got the energy to get up sorry:-() as well as erithromycin

she wanted me reviewed the next day but as it was saturday had no appointments left. I felt no better and so with my mums advice I made another appointment with the saturday walk-in clinic - my peakflow was 250 still and after going through my history he suspected asthma and additionally gave me a ventolin inhaler.

My low carried on for weeks and weeks and weeks the Drs thought i had pneumonia as well as asthma and carried on and on with antibiotics as well as asthma treatments I went to and from the Drs when I look back I really struggled to get from room to room i could only rest and suffered if i did anything I then got told by my gp this wasn't normal it was out of control asthma and i should of gone to hospital before now not sat all week allowing it to remain like this however I was checked over again and by that time I very slightly improved it was left if I felt a little better i could stay at home that weekend but if not i had to go in to hospital- I think my oral steriods kicked in then. pheo

When I went to Asthma clinic on monday I was then put on singular my seritide was upped and some days I was taking my inhaler 6 x 2 puffs a day and others up to 12 x 2 puffs daily. I very slightly improved and was referred and seen quickly by a specialist who was wonderful and spent nearly 2 hours with me. Since then I improved a little more for a week or two although my peakflow highest ever has been 370 but it is generally between 300 on those worse days and between 320 and 350 on others I was advised feeling that unwell was possible with that peakflow and all those occasions of breathlessness and so on- was infact me having an asthma attack but my ventolin was keeping my peakflow at around 300- I just thought I must be okay i'm above 250 so I didn't see it as urgent so the suffered at home.

Last week I felt unwell I had a infection, I was given antibiotics and sent on my way. I began to feel unwell a few days later with my asthma but put it down to the damp and smog of bonfire night until yesterday. I'd missed a dose the day before of my antibiotics so took two tablets 4 hours apart in the morning by 4pm when I finally got to the Drs I could not speak I was put on a neubuliser and given oral steriods (white tablets) which seemed to work I felt unwell but only had 4 people standing on my chest not 10 like earlier I had a sleepless night but didn't get as bad as earlier so I didn't need to call 999 pheoww.

This morning I took 6 steriods but these where coated in red, by 2pm I had 6 people standing on my chest. I went back to the drs and was put back on the neubuliser was given 6 white steriods and told to stay with someone this evening incase I need to call 999. I cant sleep and tomorrow i need to take 12 steriod tablets (white ones) seems my asthma is at its worst again although i've never been on 12 steriod tablets, seritide 250 4 puffs a day 1 singular tablet oh and i'm on 12 puffs twice easy of ventolin.

I think this part of my asthma is triggered by certain tablets mostly antibiotics I came to this conclusion yesterday - is this common? does this happen to anyone else. I also suffer with my allergies which mostly makes me wheeze and heavy on the chest and my peakflow dip but in a very different way. this tablet thing i must admit i'm scared at the moment - anyone who can help please please do

Sorry to go and on and on but i thought you'd need my whole story.

thanks for reading

Carrie xxx

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Hi Carrie,

Sorry you're having such a terrible time right now and I hope things improve.

As far as your concerns with tablets etc I think you really need to discuss your concerns with your GP and/or consultant. We can't give specific advice here, just general support but we have lots of shoulders to lean on if you need one!

Welcome to the forum and I hope you feel better soon,

Feejay

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Hi Carrie,

As FeeJay says, you need to contact your GP practice. While waiting for your appt you could also contact the asthma nurses on the adviceline (see red link in top right hand corner).

The US based Mayo Clinic has just updated it's drug allergy information (12 November) here: mayoclinic.com/health/drug-...

If this link doesn't work, google 'drug allergy mayo clinic' - it's the second result listed (indented).

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HI Carrie,welcome.

hope you feel a little settled soon with help from your GP.

Love Glynis xxx

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Hi,

You clearly as others have said need to go back to your GP, but while reading you post I noticed one item of concern.

Quote "" my seritide was upped and some days I was taking my inhaler 6 x 2 puffs a day and others up to 12 x 2 puffs daily.""

I hope that this was medically advised for seretide, mainly due to the Salmeterol (Serevent) component as shown below in the Summary of Product Characteristics excerpt. Seretide is still technically 2 puffs twice daily at the moment, but many do choose to double up when exacerbation's exist.

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""Serevent Evohaler is for inhalation use only.

Serevent Evohaler should be used regularly. The full benefits of treatment will be apparent after several doses of the medicinal product. As there may be adverse reactions associated with excessive dosing with this class of medicinal product, the dosage or frequency of administration should only be increased on medical advice.

Recommended Doses: Asthma

Adults and adolescents 12 years and older:

Two actuations of 25 micrograms salmeterol twice daily.

In asthma patients with more severe airways obstruction up to four inhalations of 25 micrograms of salmeterol twice daily may be of benefit.""

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There are no data available from clinical trials on overdose with Seretide, however data on overdose with both drugs are given below:

The signs and symptoms of salmeterol overdose are tremor, headache and tachycardia. Additionally,hypokalaemia can occur and potassium replacement should be considered.

Acute inhalation of fluticasone propionate doses in excess of those recommended may lead to temporary suppression of adrenal function. This does not need emergency action as adrenal function is recovered in a few days, as verified by plasma cortisol measurements.

Chronic overdose of inhaled fluticasone propionate poses a risk of adrenal suppression.

Monitoring of adrenal reserve may be necessary. In cases of fluticasone propionate overdose Seretide therapy may still be continued at a suitable dosage for symptom control.

Regardless of what's above, if you have been told to do something, don't change it, without speaking to your GP or asthma advisor first.

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Hi carrie

I do react to some tablets but do not be too quick to blame the tablets it is possible that your asthma is really really out of control. I know last year mine was and only a year and a half later have they got control of it. I looks from your post like you are seeing your doctor daily if not weekly, when do you see your specialist again? Do you know you can ring there secretary and ask them for advise if you are a bit unsure? We can support you as you battle on with your uncontrolled asthma. I hope you like the site and make friends soon and hope your asthma is better at least a little better soon. I understand how aweful it is to struggle moving or walking due to breathlessness i have been there.

Plumie

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antibiotics

Hi there,

I hope things have begun to improve. At the end of your post you questioned if the antibiotics could be triggering symptoms.

You mentioned being on eurythromycin and also being allergic to penicillin. During a hospital admission as a child for asthma+an infection I was given eyrothromycin and things worsened - I was told I was allergic to this in addition to penicillin and have avoided both since.

It could be you're in the same boat although a whole load of other factors could be causing your current flare up.

If you require more antibiotics it may be worth asking for something different just to see.

If you haven't already been given one, a spacer device could make using your inhaler easier and more effictive.

Good luck and I do hope you see an improvement soon.

[cici73]

Hi my story is similar to yours, only I never have had asthma before I was 34. This time last year I got a headcold which developed into a really nasty prurient chest infection that I Couldn't shift at all.

I took antibiotics but kept getting worse so had to have a whole load of tests (as I live on a farm with lots of established badger sets & cattle they were ruling out T.B.) The whole episode lasted into mid January till my GP gave me a steroid inhaler and ventolin, the Clenamil was the first thing to help me. I have just recently ruled out occupational asthma so now I know I'm stuck with Asthma for good, and I have a rotten cold which is making my chest feel a bit 'mucky' again so I may have to go on antibiotics. So take heart, you're in good company here as Asthma UK have been a great help and support to me. x