No joy

[Brenviking]

An ENT specialist prescribed me ethromycin, fenofexadine and flixonase as he thinks my asthma has been caused by chronic sinus problems - he also advised another course of prednisolone.

I took the meds as prescribed - sadly, as before, once the pred wore off I was back to square one - the other meds have done little or nothing - the cold weather we are having in the UK means I am using my fostair a lot. I have found a saline nasal wash makes my sinuses feel better than using the flixonase.

I know that prednisolone can have nasty side effects over a period of years if you take a lot of it but I am having little quality of life at the moment and it is the only thing that restores normal service - I am beginning to form the opinion that even if the prednisolone did'nt affect my health then something else would.

Thoughts?

[emmasue]

My GP has put me on a one, 5mg of pred every day. I truly think this has made a massive difference to how my asthma has been. I think after the winter worries are past, he wants to wean me off. He says that they do produce 1mg tablets of pred and I can take 4mg, then 3mg and so on until I don't need it. He can then see how I get on. I am in my 40's and he is worried about me taking it long term because of issues with bone loss. Still, if I need the pred, he will continue to prescribe it. You might want to talk to your GP or asthma nurse to see if you should take a maintenance dose for the time being. Good luck. x

[angievere]

My son was put on Avamys which really helped his rhinitis. He also has a daily nasal rinse which has helped. I have Osteoporosis as a result of taking steroids on and off for the last 35 years for my asthma. Good luck and I hope things improve for you.

[Matman]

I'm due to see an ENT guy in a week or two, due to poor response on Inhaled Steroids, plus frequent Oral Steroid Bursts of 30mg to 40mg (lasting 5 to 10 Days) which I need to take every 4 to 6 Weeks. I'm not that optimistic about the EMT Outcome and suspect it will serve only to put another 'house-keeping' tick in a box on the long journey of trying to discover if any specific triggers are major contributors.

As appears so often to be the case with Asthma - a compromised / broken immune system seems simply to respond to practically 'any kind of trigger' e.g. infection, allergens, diet-triggers, pets, brand of mouthwash, yeasts / chemicals in certain booze etc.

I'm also due to see an Asthma Consultant with a view to trying a more advanced / modern inhaler than Fostair. I've suggested elsewhere on this Platform that, where Meds are concerned, I suspect simply changing them from time to time is a valuable exercise as our body's get use to what we stick in them daily and - after a while - compensate in order to return to the balanced state of equilibrium our biology is pre-set to.

Seems that Leukotrine Angonists may be worth exploring by those who might be somewhat resistant to Inhaled or Oral Steroids, so you may want to research those Meds if that applies to you.

As well as temporarily (for 5 or 6 weeks) eliminating - one at a time - everything I put in (or on) my body, then seeing what happens when I re-introduce it, I'm also exploring additional broader approaches for trying to tackle 'inflammation' (likely the root cause of most compromised immune systems where conditions like asthma are concerned). The focus being on trying to get the body to fix itself faster and more often. The tools are multi-factor life style, diet, sleep / rest improvement and exercise, aimed at optimising all round health. It's not the quick, effortless fix we all hope drugs will provide, but - depending on how poorly you get (and how often) it's probably worth the time and effort for some folk to put in the hours. In connection with this, I'm also researching Glutathione. (It's like we all need to be medical students these days!)

[Brenviking]

I gave more blood at my last visit to the ENT but my respiratory specialist has told me they have tested me for everything they can.

If I was a couch potato I would'nt mind so much but I used to be physically fit and loved running and martial arts - sadly I can only really partake in these now if I take steroids.

Something else I have realised is just how much all the meds are costing.

[johnsmith]

Ethromycin acts as an anti inflammatory. Google "ethromycin anti inflammatory".

Asthma can be affected by posture and tight rib muscles. It is worth seeing a McTimony chiropractor to see if they can loosen any tight rib muscles you have. The Alexander Teacher will help you with posture and muscle control.

There is a habit many asthma sufferers have of reducing the cross section of airways when they breathe in. You need to learn to stop doing this is this is what you habitually do. An Alexander Teacher should be able to help you with this.