Please help

So I've finally got a referral to see a specialist. I was in a&e 10 days ago with a mild attack which I'm now not even sure was an attack. Woke in the night with thick clear mucus that is clogging my throat and chest. Nebs are the only thing that seem to help but everyone reminds me the evidence says different. I've been on pred 40mg for 8 days and abx, seretide and ventolin 8 times aday. Feeling like I'm going to have an attack any day now because I'm exhausted, tight chested and shallow breathing. Particularly worse at night and early morning. Can chat for a few mins, walk around for a while so when I see the GP and everything is normal they think there's nothing to be done. I don't want to keep contacting them anymore either because there's no solution-seems like they're only trained in 'life threatening' attacks. I'm scared now. How can I one min be in hospital with regular nebs prescribed and another just be sat at home feeling so much worse than then?

[Hidden]

I have had abx. What is magnesium used for?

[tyber28]

the asthma uk help line are very helpful

[pucageorgie]

Is the thick mucus coming up from your lungs - ie, coughing it up - or is it just sitting at the back of your mouth and throat? If the latter it sounds like post-nasal drip. I get extreme amounts of mucus from my sinuses (I know, I know, tmi) and the only way to keep it under control is to use a Neti-pot like Neilmed. It sounds horrible if you've never used one, but it's actually very pleasant if you use hand-hot water and is extremely effective at flushing mucus. I used to have constant sinus infections leading to ear infections, throat infections and ultimately chest infections, but I keep the sinus infections completely under control now.

[Hidden in reply to pucageorgie]

I'm not really coughing up but I can feel it's starting to loosen very slightly in my chest, think sinuses are clear to be honest. Hopefully I'll rattle soon and get this stuff out.

[pucageorgie in reply to Hidden]

Good, plenty of fluids and keep coughing!

[snoubelles]

Sorry to hear your feeling so poorly.

I know what it's like to feel like you're walking a tight rope at home.

Did you get a written asthma plan in hospital?

How have your peak flows been & what zone do your peak flows/symptoms put you into on your plan?

I think you need to get re examined & if your not confident that your GP will be able to help then go to A&E. By day 8 of steroids & antibiotics you should be improving - do you feel like you've turned a corner at all yet?

One possibility is that you've a bacterial chest infection which is resistant to the antibiotics you're on so it might be worth the doctors switching the antibiotics.

Hope you get sorted & feel better soon!

[Rosie007]

An asthma attack is a very frightening experience - and I had my first one over twenty five years ago. Sometimes at night I feel very tight chested and I panic. But the big question is what triggered it - sometimes it could be it is a cold and I use olbas oil on my pillow to help unclog me, hot bath with it in before bedtime works a treat. Sometimes its because I couldn't resist a milky drink and I am lactose intolerant. It could even be a build up of bedmites in your bed, an old mattress, feather pillow etc. Even vacuuming your bedroom a couple of hours before you go to bed. But the biggest cause of tightness I think I have is stress. I wake up feeling tight and panicky. Am I going into a asthma attack - probably not but a panic attack which to me is very similar. Not sleeping can make the whole thing a lot worse.

You need to identify what it is that has gone on in the day, what you have eaten, weather conditions etc. Many factors you can eliminate, some you may have to live with.

Also when consulting my asthma specialist he said do not use any more than 5 puffs a day of Ventolin as it becomes ineffective.