Does this sound like an asthma flare up?

I was diagnosed with asthma at the age of 9, and took a preventer until the age of 14 when I thought I had grown out of it, since the cough and chest tightness was dealt with by the preventer and I had never been given a reliever as never needed it.

I had never had hayfever as a child, but over the last few years have gradually become aware that I get the symptoms every year and this year it has been much worse. I have started taking cetirizine hydrochloride 1 tab per day in the morning, but still had terrible congestion so also started taking Beconase spray. That sorted out the blocked nose, although the antihistamine wears off in the early evening and if the pollen count is high I still get itchiness and headache it isn't too bad. However, while this has been going on I have also been getting a tight chest and a cough every morning, with mucus in my chest/throat even when my nose is not blocked. It also comes on during the evening when the tablets are wearing off. It's making me really tired and my neck, shoulder and upper back muscles are constantly sore from trying to breathe. I wheeze when it is at it's worst but only a slight wheeze on a deep breath. With the extremely humid weather this weekend this has become worse - I woke up in the night last night coughing with a tight chest, had to sit up and coughed so much I pulled something in my ribs, was breathless drinking sips of water. Continuing today I still have a tight chest, and have been a bit out of breath going up the stairs and felt awful at the supermarket.

There is asthma in my family, mostly allergy related so I am aware of the symptoms and slightly concerned that I may have redeveloped asthma with the hayfever - is this possible? I don't like to go to the doctor's because I know there are so many people far worse off as I can see by reading some of the posts on here. Will the doctor just send me away because I am not wheezing? It took several months of a constant cough before I was prescribed the inhaler as a child...

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spooky193,

It does sound like asthma but keep going the docs until you are happy and feel well

they will sort you out and maybe send you for tests.

if you type in the surch box in the top right corner dont weeze you will see lots of posts

all about alot of us that dont weeze.

good luck love Glynis xxx

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keep going...

I think every asthmatic can have a different set of problems. You should go to the doctor when something seems odd. Ive had to go in to an emergency clinic and i thought it was something simple mild rhinitis its only when the doctor checked he said its an infection. Dont let things develop to a point where your asthma spirals out of control - i've done that i learnt to go and get things checked out sooner.

even if its not a flare up the you pick up some stronger antihistamines! I think you need to keep going back, I dont wheeze the only time i wheeze is at the severe stage and on route to A&E!