Snoring!

For about the last week I have apparently been snoring really loudly!

I have told OH to wake me up if this happens, because it usually seems to mean my chest is tight so I should wake up and use my ventolin. He has done this every night this week - I've had 4 puffs of ventolin each time, gone straight back to sleep and woken up earlier than usual feeling tight. Haven't had any symptoms at any other time, which is odd for me as I usually have morning and evening as well as night time.

Does anyone else snore when their asthma is bad? Is it a sign of worsening symptoms that I should see my GP about?

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Could it be allergic rhinitis? I had this in the past and a nasal spray from the gp helped massively.

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That's a good point because the tree pollen season seems to have started for me, which is probably what has set my asthma off as well. I guess I should ask to have a spray put on my repeat prescription. I've already started my antihistamines, but that doesn't seem to have helped the snoring as yet.

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I dont know wjether or not snoring is an asthma symptom or sign of worsening asthma.

However the fact hat you are consiatently needing reliwver every night might of itself warrant a visit to gp or asthma nurse? Especially since thwy may be able to better inform you re the snoring.

Take care.

Rose xx

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Think you were right Rose and I had already answered my own question. Today the tightness started during the day and I've had a few puffs of ventolin this afternoon.

Now feeling quite annoyed as I just seem to be lurching from one episode to another atm. Had pred at the beginning of Jan, then was ill a couple of weeks ago but managed to get over it with loads of ventolin, then had a cough all last week when allergies started and now this. I had thought all the issues I had when I was first diagnosed were due to the fact that it took a while to find the right inhalers and that things wouldn't get to that point again - now I'm a bit worried that the constant irritating symptoms seem to be creeping back, although I know I'm nowhere near as bad as I was then (attacks requiring multiple puffs of ventolin most days), but I've been enjoying the weeks I've gone without any ventolin use at all...

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Well I'm talking to myself but it does help to write these things down.

Think I was overreacting slightly before, but seem to have narrowed it down to things being triggered by either exercise or a particularly busy and active day. When I've been exercising during the day, I spend the evening with sore tender ribs and tight chest, and have usually had to have ventolin during exercise.

Also if it's a foggy, windy or rainy day I generally get an increase in symptoms and disturbed night.

Last time I spoke to my GP about my asthma, about a year ago, she said she didn't want to increase my meds because anything else she might add (such as theophylline) would have side effects and she thought it would be better to put up with some irritating symptoms than have those side effects, as my asthma isn't severe. So not sure what else she might suggest.

Anticipating replies am thinking if I can ring AUK helpline during the week that might be a good bet.

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Hmmm, I think there's 'irritating symptoms at times' and there's 'lurching from one episode to another'. One maybe you can put up with, another you shouldn't try to and it might be worth reviewing things with your GP, especially if that was a year ago! Defo phone AUK nurses if you can.

I know the 'ideal' for asthma control is Ventolin no more than twice a week. I kind of laughed when the AUK nurse asked me if I was taking it more than that, because even though I'm not severe I still think twice a day is excellent and means I'm doing really well! But even though it's not meant to be 'ideal', if I could just have reliever twice a day and most things as normal with a few symptoms, I'd be happy to do that rather than adding meds with side effects (I'm lazy too and consider I already have too much to remember though am sure others on here could beat me hands down for sheer number, though no doubt they'd rather not).

But more than that: daily, annoying symptoms that restrict things to some extent even if they aren't severe and I'm not about to be rushed into hospital? That I wouldn't be prepared to live with and I don't think you should either when there are probably things that could be done (if your GP can't think of any more, she could perhaps refer you? It doesn't have to mean adding meds, could just be tweaking of a kind an expert would think of). Plus I can't see it's a good idea to just leave things that suggest there is uncontrolled inflammation in there.

'Not severe' certainly doesn't mean you don't need to do anything, given people don't necessarily stay where they are on the spectrum their whole life.

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Thanks Philomela, I do see your point. I think the reason I can get anxious about having symptoms is that I'm aware I've never been at that well-controlled point for any decent length of time. I may have had periods of a few weeks where I used ventolin less than twice a week, but in the last two years I doubt those weeks add up to more than 20 altogether. I suppose because I've seen a general upward trend since diagnosis, I tend to think that since I've been a lot worse before, I should just put up with things how they are (generally no one seemed to think that the way I was then was a problem except me). Also doesn't help that people constantly pick up on my anxiety at being unwell yet again, and assume the symptoms are all down to anxiety.

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I could have written most of that! It does feel even worse when you feel rubbish and everyone is just saying 'well there are others more severe, you could be worse'. If it's affecting your life and work (and I remember your posts, it clearly was) then you shouldn't feel you have to settle for that just because you're not in hospital half the time. I do get the same thing with thinking 'well it is better' but am trying to work out what I can just deal with and when I should nag.

Re your GP: I seem to remember you saying she was generally good? But if there is another one in the practice, maybe worth a fresh perspective? I was seeing one for a while and she was lovely, knew her stuff and did listen to me properly and want to help. But I realised also that she wasn't very confident in her own judgement/skill and her feeling that something was wrong, and she didn't want to contradict the consultants. So, although she was and is a good GP (I wished I could have thought of a way of telling her she should have more confidence!), I got further when I (almost by accident) started seeing one of the others who was much more willing to think outside the box and say 'well, let's try this and see if it works'.

Might not be the same for you but sometimes a fresh pair of eyes can help.

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Yes my GP is brilliant. At our surgery you can only see your named GP and I really don't want to change. I was only saying the other day I really don't know where I would be now without her, she's helped me so much with various different things over the last two years. Before that the only times I had seen a GP for years I had ended up being fobbed off so had just been ignoring any illness completely, which was probably why my hayfever and asthma had built up to be so bad in the first place. It was only when I got to the point that I was coughing continuously for the entire morning every day that I gave in and made an appointment, to find out that my old GP had left and current one had replaced him.

I think because I'm very up and down, I spend all my good days thinking there's nothing wrong with me, but I do actually realise that I'm having quite a lot of times where I need ventolin 2 or 3 times a day, and since October have had one week out of every month where I've been multi-dosing, had night waking etc. Managed last cold without pred or having any time off work, but was doing the day with inhalers at break, lunch and straight after school then going straight home. It really does worry me that people at work don't realise at all how much it affects me, although they were very kind and concerned they just don't understand the impact constant symptoms have. I know I don't like to make a fuss so worry about how bad I would be before anyone at work noticed or took notice of me saying I wasn't well.