Weird ""relaxing"" asthma attack?

Recently I've been noticing a pattern that I'm fairly certain has been going on for years and years. Sometimes all of a sudden I get really really tired. Or sometimes tiredness creeps up on me. Either way, I might be running errands and then boom, I barely have the energy to take another step. Or I'll push myself till I get home. But as soon as I get in the door, I drop my bags, make for the sofa, and can barely move.

Or I might be working on something at my computer and then I stop. If I pay attention to what I'm doing, I'm just sitting there breathing as if breathing were the only activity in the world. Or if I'm up and doing something, I might suddenly stop, make my way to the bedroom or the sofa in the living room, lie down, and well... just breathe.

I don't feel like I can't breath or even that breathing is hard or difficult. I'm breathing calmly, slowly, deliberately. If it weren't for how hard my abs are working to keep my diaphragm moving it would even be relaxing. But if I try to keep my abs from working, then its like my diaphragm gets stuck until there is enough air hunger to make it push extra hard on its own.

My doctor says normal tidal breathing shouldn't need abs.

About the last thing I ever want to do is get up and check my peak flow, because it feels like I'm already busy with breathing and need to concentrate on that. But recently I've made myself. It is always low: anywhere from about 12-20% less than it was earlier in the day.

If I use ventolin, both peak flow and my energy level go back up. I feel like wilted lettuce after you sprinkle some water on it and stick it in the fridge for a quarter of an hour. It usually spruces right up and turns crisp. I used to think ventolin had some sort of upper in it to make such a difference.

Is this an asthma attack? I would think so with the ventolin making a difference and peak flows dropping and rising.

Any one else get asthma attacks like this?

[Hidden]

I can kinda relate to this, I can be doing something, then boom. I don't fall asleep or anything, I just 'zone out'

I've never checked peak plow or anything, will bear it in mind next time it happens.

[Asthma-girl]

Strange you should mention this, latter part of last week and so far this week something similar has been happening to me, my chest goes very tight indeed I have a pulse oximeter at home and used it, whether it is a coincidence I don't know but this morning when this happened my oxygen sats were 85 and pulse 112, when it happened again this afternoon/evening my oxygen sats were 88 and pulse 108.

[Hidden]

I get this too, where my oxygen sats and peak flow drop, I take some salbutamol or a neb, and they bounce right up again. It's really weird because it's usually not when my asthma is playing up. I don't know if this is helpful, but when I asked my cons about it, he said it was probably some mucus getting stuck (Gross!), which the salbutamol loosens up.

[Ami40]

Hi this exact same thing happens to me! Let me know how you get on... is the answer steriods? Let me know if you find out... been fine for ages, all of a sudden weather change and now breathlessness!

[Hidden]

Best write your own post Ami40, as you may not get a reply to this very ancient one