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Preventive how long does it take to improve your asthma?

elanaoali profile image
14 Replies

Hi all i am on my third lot of rescue steriods as i took the first lot wasnt enough but the drs didnt prescript more for another 4 days later as I push for it with the strong advice of the asthma uk nurses. Stop it again two days later as it set my blood sugar really high on the advice of my dr. He wanted to see if my blood sugar would go back down. Blood test fine. So back on again on monday 4 days on 40mg for 4 days then tapering down to 0 by day 7 or can take another couple of days on 40mg if i think i need it. Then taper down. The reason for more steriods this time is that i not still better and although i have now started a prentive one week today this should be working by now ie. Thats wad day 4. Still need my inhaler yesterday twice and once so far today as my peak flow is 350/425 this morning. Cold air is my trigger so yesterday when the temperature drop i got a bit wheezy. How long will it take fot my symptoms to settle down and because i had a gap between sterioid treatments does it mean that i am starting from zero with this lot? Thanks

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elanaoali
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14 Replies
Minushabens profile image
Minushabens

Hi there

Sorry you aren't feeling too good. Preventers can take a while to really take effect especially if you airways are badly inflamed. And as you say cold air, etc. don't help at all.

I certainly wouldn't assume that after 1 week all should be well, but of course if you're worried then speak to your GP (& try to get them to spend a bit of time listening to you, as they can be a bit fond of trying to rush you through).

Good luck.

elanaoali profile image
elanaoali in reply to Minushabens

My doctors never rush me as they have been brillant through out. They have never rush me.i am have an appointment with the asthma nurse in a weeks time. To talk about how I am getting on and review my medication. So by monday at the earliest i would have finished my steriods. Next wednesday would be two weeks on the preventive so It is my understanding that preventer takes this long to work. I am keeping a dairy of my symptoms and doing my peak flow every morning. So keeping a very close eye on myself if in doubt I will ring to asthma helpline.

elanaoali profile image
elanaoali in reply to elanaoali

Book an appointment on line with my GP who I saw on monday just in case. As I don't want to be in the same position next Monday as I was with my first lot of steroids that was a five day course. Still wasn't well and it took one visit which didn't get me any where and then another later on in on the day on the insistent of the asthma uk nurses who told me to go back. Didn't get any more I didn't need to have a preventive prescript as I was seeing the asthma nurse in two days time. The asthma nurse then prescribe the preventive but still after talking to asthma uk again the doctors agree to put me back on the steroids I want to give a proper 7 days course this time give it time to really work.

elanaoali profile image
elanaoali

Update talked the wonderful nurse on at asthma uk again today. One yes the steriods are doing there job and no having started stop then started stop and then started again hasnt mess up my recovery. Steriod yes will still be messy with my sleep so I just have to deal with that til i finished them. Take it easy tomorrow and use my ventolin 4 hourly because i very busy and out for hours my first test of how well i really am. Plan to rest and chill between guitar rectial and one sixth form parents evening.

My asthma attack was propery cause by two/three of my triggers coming together and over whelming me. Hopefully I might be on the preventer for the winter when its cold but not long term. Also she said that the asthma nurse might give me some rescue steriod to keep at home. This all said has just made me more and more confidence to be able to spot when i am not so good and be know when i need to take it easy or got back to the doctors when i need to.

elanaoali profile image
elanaoali

Still having my sleep interupted by the steriods BUT today is the FIRST day my peak flow is near normal in TWO weeks this morning am. 400/425. Every morning its been 350/425. Todays the day I go out for along time i am going to rest as much as possible. Take my inhaler 4 hourly and wrap up. Thank you God for giving me doctors and thank you God for the people involved in discovering this drug. Amen

elanaoali profile image
elanaoali

Back from my long afternoon and evening. Still very tired but I am ok. Chest was a little twitching. Damp and damp here not cold which is one of my triggers. I am glad that I did my inhaler 4 hourly as I think that kept me on an even keel. Taking it easy and slowly walking not steeping off I normally do and resting got me through. Dropping down my steriod to 30 me tomorrow then 20 my then 10 mg. No steriod by Monday and doctors appointment booked Monday just in case. Will still be taking it easy promise.This is the point I need to just convalescent and remember I can be well with asthma.

elanaoali profile image
elanaoali

Managed to sleep til 4:30 is this morning. Peak flow is 400. Sore throat almost gone. Looking forward to ending these steriod! As my mum would say if you spoke me I rattle! ie lots of medication.

elanaoali profile image
elanaoali

Only taking two tablets today. Slept til 6am today. One tablet tomorrow and then thats it. Hope and pray that I am completely recovered.

elanaoali profile image
elanaoali

Last night I woke up at several times and went back to sleep. Around 4 is awake again and realbecause as because my asthma was waking me up. Peak flow had dropped to 350/425 so I have had a couple of puffs of my ventolin. Drop off again woke up 5:30 and checked my peak flow back to normal.

Last tablet 10 mg to day. This will be my seventh day of steriod. Decreasing 4 days at 40 mg then 30,20 10 mg. Felt really good yesterday and the day before peak flow normal. Had a sore chest last night before bed but that's gone.

Really don't know what to do now. In total i have had 5 day course, gap 2 day course stopped because of high blood db sugar side effect. 7 days from Monday as above. I have an appointment booked as a precaution t tomorrow with my GP. He was the one who gave the medication and told me to come back if I wasn't well by the end of the course.

He did say I could keep the tablets to 40 mg for a few days longer after day

Four then drop down but I didn't as I was feeling better.

Day 11 of my preventive hoping that was starting to work for me.

Don't know what to do now. It looks like back to the doctors on Monday.

Thoughts?!

Emmajayne75 profile image
Emmajayne75 in reply to elanaoali

Go back to gp hun, waking due to ur asthma symptoms is a major sign that things r not right, u may need longer on pred. Good luck xx

elanaoali profile image
elanaoali

Thanks for the advice. Booked the doctors appointment on Monday as a precaution. I was hoping and praying that I wasn't going to need it. More time on prednisone I am not looking forward to as it affects my sleep. I have had two good night's sleep which was friday and Thursday night since 29th November. Back to see asthma nurse on Wednesday booked up two weeks ago when I was put on the preventive to work on my action plan and have flu jab. Feeling feed up! Gone from mild asthma for ten years to first ever asthma attack on the 25th of November nearly 3 week in still not right.

elanaoali profile image
elanaoali

Hi I decided to ring 111 in the end to ask advice on how much presidone to take this morning. Talked a nurse then doctor who decided that I need to take 30mg so going back up again. Took them at 10:30am. She also wanted me to have my blood sugar tested as a precaution. So ended up at local out of hospital at my local hospital this lunch time. Blood sugar absolutely spot.

However does not explain why my asthma hasnt resolve yet? The doctor I saw who did my blood test. He said it is very usual to go from mild asthma to what it is now. So he thinks that they may be something else going on

I had some ventolin an hour ago. Two puffs peak flow 380/425 before puffs. Chest still a bit sore.

30mg tomorrow morning and doctors mid afternoon.

Hope and pray that my doctor can work out what is going on.

elanaoali profile image
elanaoali

Hi na iall reporting back from seeing my GP. However before this I rang asthma UK helpline to help gather my thoughts and ask some questions.

The nurse was as usual very reasurring and we talked through what is going on with me. New bit of information she thinks I have allergic asthma as I get set off by cats. Also have a small mould problem in my bedroom which needs addressing ASAP. My Wonderful Hubble is going to deal with tomorrow. So its the futon again for me tonight.

As for the prednisone my doctor wasn't happy that I still hadn't got better in fact worse again. So 25 mg tomorrow and dropping down 5 mg per day to zero by Sunday. However I can keep on go back up 5 mg for a couple of days and then drop down again until zero.

He switch my preventive to Seretide 2 puffs twice a day. Should be working within a few days. Also listen to my chest and is sending me for a chest X ray tomorrow. It's a sit and wait result back by Thursday.

If he rings me on Thursday and I am not better then he's going to contact a respiratory doctor, He also took great note of my peak flow record as I have only had one day where my peak flow has been normal one day without the use of ventolin. So recording my peak in the morning before any ventolin has been very useful.

Still going to see asthma nurse on Wednesday late morning. No flu jab allow to better.

My doctor can't understand why I haven't recover yet?

So off to hospital tomorrow it's very near by so planning to go as soon as they open 9am.

Thats all for now. I thank God for the NHS. Hope and pray that I can be in better for Christmas. Good night everyone.

How long does it take to improve an asthma condition? For me it took about 11 years.

I moved to a mountain area with less pollution. I no longer had a cat. I started doing deep breathing exercises. I stopped eating dairy products. I avoided smoke filled places. I consulted with my doctor who told me it would be ok to do distance running. I'd done that as a youth. I'm now 69. I now run 5k races but I don't over do it. Too much exercise can make asthma worse. Perhaps you would be interested in reading my book, "Running with Asthma: An Asthmatic Runner's Memoir." This book is available on amazon.com. I wish you good breathing.

John Terry McConnell

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