struggling at the moment and fed up!

Am definitely needing a bit of sympathy at the moment. I am on my 4th attack needing steroids since the beginning of January and feeling rubbish. I had one about 10 days ago and only just managed to avoid going to A&E. My peak flow went down to 180 (cut off point on my plan is 170 - personal best 550), had pred for 5 days plus an extra 3 days to taper (to try and avoid the usual 3 day headache after a course of pred) and then not 3 days later it is off again, peak flow this evening down to 190. My face is looking fatter, restless legs have started again, I know I am in for a few sleep deprived nights and have definitely been a bit grumpy today. On the plus side, my lovely husband cooked a really nice dinner so I didn't have to do anything. Apologies for the moan!!

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  • thanks stray. I have to say, I do avoid A&E like the plague. They have mostly been ok in the past (apart from one nurse telling me that I couldn't possibly be having an asthma attack as it hadn't come on suddenly - and that was before she took my peak flow. Thankfully my husband put her straight and stood up for me), but since I have had a nebuliser at home I cope better than I used to and sitting there for hours and hours with the drunks is not pleasant

  • Hugs! sorry you are feeling rubbish at the moment! me too if that helps (not that it does!!!) just thought i'd say that its crazy you were told it could be an attack as it didnt come on quickly - i have been told its not a 'proper' attack if it comes on too quick! Goes to show how inconsistent A&E staff can be - glad your PF put her right!!!

  • Moan away, it sucks when you know you're going downhill and going to be struggling for a while.

    Hope its a blip and you perk up quickly.

    Have to say I got my neb a month ago and its definitely making life a lot easier .

    Hugs x

  • Moan away Valj. It's rubbish when you get into the rut of bouncing off and on steroids. Have you been checked out or had an xray to check that there's not an infection causing these attacks? I hope you're feeling better soon . x

  • :( That sounds rubbish! Also a pretty low PF cut-off given your best is 550 - is that because you have nebs at home? It must be hard work though and can imagine struggling in between.

    I can understand not wanting to go to A&E though - I have luckily not had to so far but if I ever do have always thought the weekend would be the worst time because it would be massively busy and full of drunks/DIY accidents.

    Really hope you pick up soon and don't need to go in.

  • Thanks people it is good to have some support. My management plan is the generic one given to me by my local hospital and it has 4 zones green (75%+), yellow (50%-75%),orange(below 50%), red (below 30%). I have just looked at it again and the orange clearly says start pred and immediately see GP(or A&E if not available), but when I have he just looks at me and says what do you want me to do, rarely listens to my chest, mainly as I am a non wheezer so there is nothing to hear so he has just put pred on my repeat and leaves me to it. The red says go to A&E or call ambulance. I was told that I didn't have to wait for it to get that low if I couldn't cope, but I don't think they do an awful lot more than I would do at home with the nebs except give me a higher dose. If I went when my peak flow was in the orange I would be down there at least once a month. I think I have had all the tests known to man and my asthma is severe/brittle and just a pain in the neck. I think part of the issue is that I don't make a lot of fuss when I do get seen, I'm more likely to be quiet when unwell which if you knew me you would notice. When I was pregnant with my second daughter I had pneumonia with pleurisy and my GP just stared at me and said you look too well!! I had hoped to have the Bronchial Thermoplasty last summer in London, but got turned down. I am going back to Portsmouth in just over a week so will get another going over then - they have been lovely in the past. Basically I think I just need to ride this one out and avoid going outside in the cold air if I can.

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