Asthma flare up

[charlottemack03]

I’ve been in and out of hospital a couple times in the past few weeks, o2 levels have been fine, heart rate raised but just been sent home. Over the last few days my asthma has been significantly worse so I’ve been following my action plan and I’ve been to the doctors today and been given another course of prednisolone but I feel really breathless and tight chested, coughing to the point I’m vomiting, kept up at night, my peak flow has dropped to around 45% of best etc. I’m not sure if I should go to a&e or not, as every time I’ve been I haven’t been given anything as I don’t wheeze and as I said my oxygen levels are always fine so I don’t really see the point in sitting waiting for 3 hrs to just be told to go home but then again I can’t carry on being kept up at night and not being able to eat for fear of coughing and vomiting. Anyone got any suggestions? x

[Kelshaw2011]

Hi charlottemack03

Sorry to hear you feel unwell have they not gave you nebulisers in a and e, maybe this is wot you need I have a home nebuliser and take mine three times a day and more when I am unwell but I have severe brittle asthma I too have good oxygen levels even when I am having a life threatening asthma attack but my respirations go up to 60+ and my heart rate 145 plus so I get intravenous magnesium aminophyline which I take tablets daily anyway hydrocortisone and intravenous ventolin but my asthma is not straight forward if you feel that your breathing is getting much worse and your finding it difficult to speak in a full sentence I would go back to a and e it's always best to be safe than sorry as asthma can escalate to life threatening within minutes as mine does hope you are well soon take care and good luck Hun

🤞

[charlottemack03 in reply to Kelshaw2011]

A&e have never given me a nebuliser I’ve even gone through the ambulance service and it was the same thing and I feel like they don’t take me seriously and I don’t know how to ask for one x

[Kelshaw2011 in reply to charlottemack03]

That's the trouble sometimes some hospitals don't take it seriously enough until you are fighting for breath. Are you under a consultant for your asthma Hun x

[charlottemack03 in reply to Kelshaw2011]

Yes I went to her last week and she changed my inhalers x

[Kelshaw2011 in reply to charlottemack03]

Maybe that could be the problem then Hun the change in inhalers maybe if you could get a action plan written up for visits to a and e and if you have to go to a and e again just go don't leave it or feel a fraud we asthmatics know our own bodies and know when our asthma is out of control when you do go maybe just ask them if you could try a nebuliser to see if it will help with your breathing as it is not goin to harm you if it doesn't make a difference

Xx

[charlottemack03 in reply to Kelshaw2011]

Thanks if it’s still bad tonight then I’ll be straight to a&e and I’ll ask if I can try a neb x

[Kelshaw2011 in reply to charlottemack03]

Hope they listen to you Hun take care xx

[emmasue]

You could try going to a different hospital. That's what I did last time and the different A&E was a better experience for me. The hospital consultant on admission was rubbish but at least I was admitted and treated! This is a major issue for asthma patients. I wonder if some of us should contact Asthma UK to see if they can advocate for better A&E treatment.

[charlottemack03 in reply to emmasue]

I think that would be a good idea cause if enough of us complain then maybe we will be taken a bit more seriously and get something changed like as soon as we’re taken to a&e we should be given a neb then assessed rather than waiting 3hrs to get sent home x

[emmasue in reply to charlottemack03]

I have emailed Asthma UK. I hope they can help.

[charlottemack03 in reply to emmasue]

Thanks x

[wilmack]

A.Charlottem you should not be struggling like this! Kelshaw is right, don't feel that YOU are the one inconvenienci.ng the hospital staff, that's what they're there for. I think that even if you had a nebulizer at home, it sounds to me as though you need to seek medical attention today. I used to feel similar to you, as though I was a fraud, but last Friday morning at 6.45, I jumped into a taxi, went to A&E, and been treated. I am still here only because of other complications.

Please listen to your body. We all wish you well.

[nickpeters]

Hi,

Steroids should not create a problem, they should in fact give a ‘feel good’ feeling. By the sound of things your constant coughing has irritated your lungs and strained your chest muscles (hence the tightness and perhaps pain). I know this sounds impossible (but it isn’t); try and limit the amount you cough, if your cough is productive then instead of trying to cough to clear the mucus, try the ‘huff’ method. Inhale so that your stomach distends, then give a series of exhalations (huffs, you make a noise like huff) from your stomach area, this should help move the mucus from your lung upwards towards your throat, then a couple of fairly light coughs should clear the mucus. It’s worth sitting upright or slightly bent forward when doing this. Remember, the more you cough the more mucus your lungs will produce.

I take it you have extra pillows on your bed to prop you up, lying flat is not a good idea. When you start a coughing fit at night, sit on the side of your bed, try the ‘huff’ technique, wait until things calm down before using your inhaler, wait 5 to 10 minutes before lying down again.

Hope this helps, before I started to use the ‘huff’ method, I spent weeks coughing almost all night, I was walking zombie during the day! Trust me it’s worth a try.

[charlottemack03]

It’s a dry cough which I’m not able to stop and the steroids haven’t been helping I’ve had them a few times before and felt the results almost instantly but this time it’s different x