Hi. I'm new to asthma. It all started with a cold , cough which I couldn't get rid. It took two weeks to get a doctor appointment, by which this time i became quite poorly. Doctor gave me an inhaler, but still I didn't improve, took another week to see the doctor. Came away with antibiotics and steroid tablets, but that night I started to wheez and struggle to breath. next day I rang shrop doc and got an emergency doctor appointment. Doctor sent me to hospital and then I had a type 2 respiratory failure. I was put in an induced coma, which lasted 6 days. That was may, I'm still regaining strength and recovering, but I'm now an asthmatic. I have had a chest infection every month since, and several astma attacks. I'm educating myself with the triggers, managing my inhalers and learning how to manage my condition.
But I'm beginning to get really sad and down with losing my energy and miss walking up the mountains, suffer with anxiety and petrified of going into another coma.
Im a single mom of 2 dependents. I work full time and money is always tight.
Has anyone on here experience induced coma and recovered fully?
Has anyone given you a nebulizer treatment with nebulized medication? I destabilized totally this year and am now controlled on the following : 8 am : Mucinex 1200 tablet + theophylline 100 capsule, 9 am duoneb ampule via nebulizer followed by peak flow and then 2 puffs qvar 80, 8 pm same as 8 am, 9 pm same as 9 am, 10 pm montelukast 10 mg tablet. Also use Flonase Sensamist as needed.
Asthma is reversible with the right meds - that's why it's asthma.
The wait for doctors to see you cost you in terms of inflammation.
It can take a while to recover from a severe exacerbation as well as from steroid pills and shots.
Your immune system may be very susceptible especially to flu and secondary infections. Antibiotics can get you through it.
Beware - don't just open the lungs with a dilator - always follow up with a steroid. Otherwise, your lungs are temporarily opened so you feel better but you are accumulating more and more inflammation - a sudden emergency when the dilator wears off.
If an allergist is not controlling you see a pulmonologist - they see COPD as well.
Yes, you can feel better, but it's the right combination of doctors, meds, rest, decreasing stress, and time.
Purchase a true heppa air purifier for your residence, at minimum where you sleep. Allergy proof your home as best you can. I am triggered by chemicals so I dust with damp cloth only. I had to stop tinting my hair, doing my nails, and wearing perfume. When I go outside I wear those disposable face masks the sell in pharmacies and you see healthcare workers wear. That protects against outdoor pollution and pollen. Allergy shots might help you.
You say you have asthma but did anyone tell you if it is allergic or nonallergic asthma.
You can get IgE blood test as well as full immunoglobulin testing in case you have an immune system problem.
Allergy skin testing can show up something that is triggering you. Then you can try to avoid it.
Do laundry with fragrance free gentle products. I have a Seventh Generation Free and Clear home.
Bedding needs to be laundered and dried on hot to kill dust mites.
Vacuuming if you have a rug is very hard on asthma but the rug does need to be kept clean. It is a source of mold and dust mites. Some vacuums have heppa air filters.
Wear a hat when you are outside to keep pollen off your hair and off your pillow.
Seal all bedding - pillows, mattress, box spring at minimum in allergy proof dust mites proof covers.
Air vents for heat and air conditioning should have air filters that are changed or cleaned periodically.
Oops .. sorry .. I have never had coma of any kind, but it sounds like you are in a chronic bronchitis phase and should see a pulmonologist. You also sound like you should apply for disability, possibly permanent.
Anxiety is really common with lung problems - understandably I think. Try and nanage that too as it can quickly get a grip and make your breathing feel worse which then becomes a vicious circle. I know how worrying it is every time your breathing changes you fear the worst. Other people have made some good suggestions, Good luck and stay with us for support x
I know only too well how you feel, since the age of 20yrs I have been vented periodically 5 Times, the longest being 3months whilst pregnant with my only child(for obvious reasons)he’s now 20! Put to sleep @3mths & woke @6.5mths with a bump, very scary
I found the shorter the time on life support the easier to recover, but it gets harder as I get older, but my point is, there if life after ICU!
More recently I was put on Kenalog for over a yr whilst they waited for new therapies to be approved, yes for first 6mths it felt like I’d been cured, back in the gym, horse-riding, but suddenly I got the onset of side-effects, gross muscle waste, adrenal fatigue, cataract to name a few, so personally I would of avoided it had I been made aware of the long term effects,
I was then trialed on the new injections, you know the ones, the first had no effect, the second maybe some but I had to stop it after the 2nd shot as I got a severe allergic eczema reaction, something else I’ve been left with!
But inbetween all this I do get some times of rest-bite, maybe not in my families eyes but you learn to live the ‘milder days’ when your able to do normal stuff, maybe not stuff that was normal for you before, I can’t do a hill let alone a mountain, but I can potter around a gym & do some light weights, I can’t do cardio but I Can do yoga, your life isn’t over it’s just different I push myself on the good days & rest on the bad, it becomes ‘your Normal,
It’s very important you get a good medical team behind you & push for all the tests to establish your “type” I’m both A&B and allergic to Aspergillosis (airborne mould) as well as citrus, food colourings(reds), MSG-Chinese food!, cold weather, the list goes on but I’ve had this 40yrs I know my body, and you will learn your triggers too,
The more times on life support the more your lungs get damaged, so the minute you get a cold, go see GP for Antibiotics/Steroids because your lungs are susceptible to bugs now, that cold WILL go on your chest, if you don’t improve & “your asthma” feels like it’s worsening get yourself to A&E you’ve been vented once you can’t take any chances, let them make the decisions, just because you’ll have other attacks/flair ups doesn’t mean you’ll end up in ICU again!
Push for testing & for different therapies if you feel no benefit, it’s trial & error as we’re all different as is our asthma, for the asthma I’m on Phyllocontin225mg, Spiriva, Relvar, Mucodyne, Ventolin inhaler/nebs, Prednisolone, there’s a list of other things for my other problems now caused by the Kenalog but hopefully that will never be suggested for you,
Kerrie, learn about your Asthma, the type, the triggers, the medication & though I’m not going to say it’s easy, it is manageable and it’s not a life sentence as long as you don’t let it beat you, your life is different not over, I’m a “Brittle Astmatic” with Un-manageable symptoms & I've never give up or let it beat me, use that determination you had to climb those mountains to get through the bad days & enjoy the good days as best and as much as you can, you will get down, it’s hard for you because you were very active & obviously fit, but with the right therapy & management you still can be, there’s athletes with asthma!
Your lucky there wasn’t half the therapies 30/40yrs ago that there are now, with far less side effects, so be positive, you’ve got two beautiful children that need you, you can learn to control this & not let it control you, good luck stay strong and well😘
PS, I’ve been registered disabled since age 17 & as such get financial assistance, speak to Citizens Advise, you should be eligible for help👍🏻
Hi, I feel for you. I've not had an induced coma so can't help there but had a few anaesthetics and felt awful for weeks afterwards.
Your body has had a traumatic time. Mine did when my mild asthma took a downturn & had 2 x pleurisy & 5 x pneumonia in 18-24 months. Then continual chest infection for 5 months, October - March '13. All that completely smashed my immune system. I thought my life as I knew it was over. Thankfully, it wasn't. I've rebuilt my immune system, sail every year, travel to France 6 times a year (to son & family) amongst other things. I've moved out of London & my asthma has much improved, Good medication means I can climb the local hills with perhaps one ventolin puff on the way.
Steroids and antibiotics can make you feel absolutely dreadful. I take a 20 billion probiotic daily to get back all the good bacteria which is essential for immune system.
I wish you all the best, it can take a while to get the right medication for you - we're all different. Knowledge is the key & there's so much to learn. Peege
What is the awareness like in London and UK in general regarding smoking and second hand smoke, as well as air pollution? These are major factors in respiratory disease. I ask because a move out of London helped.
Hi, well it's definitely getting better. Smoking is banned in places of work in all of the UK including pubs, bars, restaurants. The flip side of that is that workers smoke on the street in groups 😷! To drive in to central London we must pay a 'congestion charge', £20 a day I think. London black cabs are are all diesel as are buses, all the delivery lorries & most vans. A bit of a pain. The government is encouraging people to buy petrol cars instead of diesel with incentives. We have gas powered cars in Europe, electric ones plus the hybrid ones (petrol/gas). England is so tiny, densely populated in cities with major roads never too far away. In UK there are laws against driving vehicles with dirty emissions.
I lived in green leafy Wimbledon which wasn't too bad so I'm surprised by my improvement after moving only 120 miles west (another 120 & I'd be falling off a Welsh cliff)!
Hope this helps you get a picture. 😃 where do you live?
Climbing hills and sailing, i feel a bit more positive now having just been recently diagnosed and reading your feedback has made me more positive to get my meds sorted and get exercising and start to live my life again,
Wow! What a story! Here's what I DON'T UNDERSTAND about this sudden onset of asthma: doctors (my doctors) all treat it as a diagnosis. By this I mean, I went in 4 months ago with asthma, trying to find out why. 4 months and 2 doctors and thousands $$ later, the diagnosis is "You have asthma." BUT WHY???? HOW CAN I NOT HAVE IT? WHAT CAUSES IT? WHY DID I NOT HAVE IT AND NOW HAVE IT? Do we want to put all our energy into managing it, or don't we want to find out WHAT'S WRONG WITH OUR BODIES?
Everyone has given some excellent advice in all areas. Your immune system has had a gigantic hit and you will now need to do what you can to strengthen your immune system again. Looking after your gut with probiotics is a good start but keep investigating for what works with you.
Hi Kerrie hope you get better soon I was put to sleep for a week last November as I was rushed in hospital with life threatening asthma which I didn’t know I had I also got pneumonia and septis while in hospital I was really worried about going back in a coma it’s Natural to think that when you have been there it’s took me a long time to fully recover but u will get there x
Hi. Good to hear that you have recovered. Do you have asthma now? I'm determined to rebuild my immune system, and get fit again. But I am getting really down with being unwell so often.
Yes kerrie1 I do have asthma and am allergic to dust and other things but now I know what triggers it I try and avoid it x
Thank you all for your comments. It took me a while to build the confidence to write anything on here. It's really helped me. I had another asthma attack last night. I'm pleased to say that I was able to manage it with my inhalers. The doctor has now given me montelukast tablets.
I do have my own nebuliser, which I would only use while waiting for the paramedics.
I'm working on strengthening my immune system, and core exercises. I'm also waiting for,a,wellbeing appointment as I get tearful too.
Montelukast will help your asthma loads I’ve had the tablet over a year now and very rare need my blue inhaler and cough free good luck keep us all updated x
Kerrie what happened to you is in some ways very similar to what happened to me. I first had an asthma attack 13 years ago the day or day after I left hospital after having given birth. Previously to that hadn't ever had an asthma attack or been diagnosed as asthmatic. However as a small child suffered horrendously with allergies where my eyes would swell and get a membrane over them, and seal themselves almost completely shut becoming encrusted and definitely stuck fast together in the morning, suffered terrible chesty coughs, wheezyness, running nose dripping constantly whatever the month, sneezing which wasn't just a few sneezes but prolonged and all of that put together impacted upon my school attendance leaving me exhausted and unable to cope in school effectively due to feeling so unwell. Moved abroad in my 20's and those symptoms disappeared, returned to UK and they returned sometimes mildly, other times exactly as they had been during childhood. During my childhood nothing was done, was just left to deal with it, my parents didn't question what's wrong with our daughter this is impacting severely upon her education instead took me to the doctor who basically said look at her colouring - what do you expect and that was it, my skin and hair colour held responsible, parents didn't bother seeking out a proper diagnosis for me, and my suffering continued through out all of my school life, seriously affecting my education. I can't describe how desperately ill I felt almost every single day. Laided up in bed unable to do anything. My parents had no comprehension of how serious it was. Tried almost to imply I should get over it. My body was exhausted completely continually, wondering why all I could do was sleep. Sleeping was the only option to escape all the allergens affecting me when awake. Asleep I was unaware of all my bodies suffering. And then I finally in my very late teens found antihistamines which helped just a little, enough for me to realise I needed to leave the country. Did and as mentioned my symptoms vanished. Age just days into 30 I gave birth, left hospital the day after ( back in UK by this point ) and bam went home and had this enormous asthma attack which took me to a & e and from there I went several years symptom free as left UK again. Return to UK when my child was almost 4 to live, didn't want to be here, but no choice. The house moved into had damp ( owned by my parents ) begged them to sort it as asthma was coming back, saw many doctors, inhalers worked at first as did various tablets, but unbeknownst to me the damp and black mold was playing havoc with my lungs ended up after seeing 3 doctors and an asthma nurse who all told me either I was imagining things, I didn't have a terrible chest infection, didn't have asthma at all, then inhalers taken off me. I was so ill, dragging my body to the play ground to collect my child after school, couldn't stand upright, my breathing rasping, cough almost bringing me to my hands and knees it was so deep, I was completely exhausted, other parents in the playground collecting their children each day were worried for me, but doctors telling me chest was clear, no infection, all in my mind, didn't have asthma. Absolutely appalling treatment. Finally insisted I saw a female doctor I had been recommended who was apparently very good and actually cared about her patients. She was mortified when she saw the state of me, telling me I had pneumonia and if I hadn't seen her would in the next day or two have ended up in hospital and possibly died. She was furious at the other doctors diagnosisis and attitudes towards me, and instantly reinstated my inhalers, put me on steroids and antibiotics and ordered complete bedrest. I did recover very slowly, the damp and mold in the house made my progress slow, parents kept promising to do the repair work, we went away for a month the repairs to be done then, we came back to nothing having been done. I was furious! Finally after finding my child completely wet without reason in his playroom I found his beanbag saturated and stinking of damp, as was the carpet underneath it and the floorboards underneath that. Instantly emptied that room pulling up the carpet and throwing outside. My child had been very ill previously with numerous infections, and diagnosed with possible asthma, told the house was killing us both, we shouldn't be living in it. That spurred parents on to sort out the playroom, it then became our living room. I was still unwell as was my child, ear infections, chest infections, flu, another chest infection, chicken pox and Scarlett Fever, he was wiped out, had to cancel his birthday party, his immunity system now monitored by hospital as so dangerous ly low. He finally recovered, but left always susceptible to every single bug going. Again told we shouldn't be in the house, especially not him, unless I wanted him to suffer in adulthood as I was then, so as parents wouldn't do further work, he had to go live with them to save his health. Parents had us trapped in that/this house knowing I had nowhere else to go and nobody to turn to other than them. Intermittently he returned home but always got sick again, but I was still caring for him, just not at our home. Finally in the last 2-3 years my health plummeted leaving me unable to get upstairs to breathless, and living 24/7 in the living room the damp and black mold so horrendous no amount of cleaning previously shifted it, no amount of open windows, nothing, the damp and black mold destroying our books, child's belongings, seeping into wallpaper causing it to peel off wet, damp can be smelt strongly upon entering house, it's destroyed clothing, is in the clothing making them feel wet and they stink of damp, in the bedding, everywhere is moldy, damp smelling, black mold on walls, kitchen cupboard units covered in fur and wet, sagging inside and on January 18th I had a massive asthma attack at home, managed to call an ambulance, nothing helped my attack, my heart was doing over 200 BPM and I became to critical to move so had to be intubated and put into an induced coma to try and save my life. I wasn't expected to survive, parents called in twice to watch me die, my prognosis wasn't good, wasn't expected if I did survive to be mentally competent. I did survive but then told I have heart failure and brittle asthma. My muscles had wasted away, had to learn to walk and use hands again. I left hospital on the 2nd of Feb this year weighing only 5 stone and told I have 12 months or more of recooperation ahead of me. My very last hospital appointment was told my heart failure has gone, no scarring, no damage, but must remain on heart failure medication to support my heart as it could otherwise revert to its previous state. That doesn't sound to me like it's gone away really. Was told my lungs had become so enlarged they shocked my heart into stopping ( I died for a minute or so as I inhaled ) then somehow upon exhaling it shocked my heart into beating again, but critical care staff mistook it at the time as some kind of heart attack. Left hospital returning to parents home to recooperate, it became unbearable there due to their complete lack of understanding about the damp in the house and how their lack of action has left me very ill and not discharged yet from hospital care, so I am back in this damp house again, my health is reverting back to how it was prior to hospital, I'm meant to be recooperating and all my parents are interested in is that I should be clearing and sorting out the house now for them to do the repair work. No care I'm still very ill and been told frequently I shouldn't be in this house, but they don't care at all. They have my son with them and care nothing for my recovery, promising I could stay with them to recooperate but mum just being nasty when my dad wasn't around and causing arguements. My asthma is now brittle, I feel not quite right from the coma as if I'm not really here, and not convinced my heart failure has gone as they claim as heart still beating rapidly in my chest, and I just don't feel well or right. It's only been 3 and a bit months since I woke from the coma and my family is acting like it's nothing, never mind that I died briefly, and then they were called in twice to watch me die, and that I wasn't expected to survive. My mum is crazy, she is now trying to deny I wasn't expected to survive, and we're it not for my critical care file stating so she might have convinced me I'm imagining everything. Now need to see my doctor urgently but can't get an appointment. I'm not working and throughout my entire illness have been harrassing even in hospital on a ward filled with patients and visitors by DWP about attending a health assessment. I'm so I'll from all this, my asthma nurse told me recently not to use my inhalers because they increase my heart rate, feel so confused and left ill without proper help or diagnosis and left to fend for myself alone when serious struggling. Have been readmitted twice since leaving hospital just over night those times, hospital lost my critical care file when I was in there, and doctor refused to then treat me, they forgot to remove my catheter, and now I'm home I'm struggling, have a untreated chest infection and cough because I can't get to see my own doctor who knows all about my conditions and ordeal, plus fight for life. My asthma is getting worse, yet asthma nurse telling me not to use inhalers, and I don't know what to do or who to turn to for help now.
Have you contacted social services for a needs assessment of your disabilities, they may be able to get you some support and most crucially a better home (as it is impacting on yours and your son's health). I would also, if you haven't already, apply for social housing.
I am so sorry and it sounds like you're having an awful time.
Could you try contacting 111 for advice? I think you also need a referral to a difficult asthma consultant as your case sounds beyond GP care alone.
Thank you for replying Paradigm. I am in receipt of housing benefit which goes directly to my dad for the rent of this damp house. They own this house, but do expect rent for me and son living in it. I don't want to live in social housing, that brings with it uncertainty and worry that if benefits were stopped we would become homeless, however staying in this damp mold filled house belonging to my parents does offer a little more security in that if my benefits were stopped, my parents wouldn't kick us out of this house. Though that gives them power over me/us and I am completely trapped by them, and the benefits system. I would now just be quite happy to die and have done with this horrible life. My health is appalling, doctors don't care, nobody cares, because I have depression I'm made to feel I'm making up my symptoms and situation. Made to feel like I'm a liar, even though my conditions have been verified by a few kindly doctors who don't use depression against people. The last time I saw the asthma nurse at my doctor's surgery this month, she basically tried to imply I had ended up in hospital in the coma because I'd used my inhalers to much which had increased my heart rate resulting in them needing to intubated and put me into the induced coma. Basically trying to imply what happened was all my own fault. She's told me not to use my blue inhaler more than two puffs. I said to her what if I'm having an asthma attack and can't breathe? Are you suggesting I just die instead? Because that's what would happen if I followed her stupidity of only two puffs of my blue inhaler even when having an asthma attack as more puffs will increase my heart rate and that will then be my own fault and end me up in hospital. Not realising that if I have another serious asthma attack I won't be able to breathe and will end up in hospital anyway regardless of whether I use the blue inhaler or not, just due to the fact that I would be having a severe asthma attack, and in hospital they would be encouraging me to use more of my blue inhaler than just 2 puffs and they would be putting a nebuliser mask on me. That asthma nurse is the one who several years ago took my inhalers off me completely telling me I didn't have asthma and didn't need them. My doctor was furious as I became very unwell due to that asthma nurse refusing me my inhalers. Nobody is listening, when I was in hospital had all kinds of lung function and spirometry tests done. The results came back indicating I have brittle asthma, but that my lung function at that time was reasonably ok. It is when I come back into this damp house that my breathing problems/asthma becomes very serious, and chest infections start. I saw a cardiologist in hospital when staying in there, who kept giving me different diagnosisis for why I ended up in the coma so critically ill. From infection or virus attacking my heart, to ( their own words ) some kind of heartattack to mold spores in my lungs, heart failure, copd ( I haven't got that ) brittle asthma, no asthma, then brittle asthma again, then no heart failure. They keep telling me different things, am on heart failure medication even though I apparently according to the cardiologist don't now have heart failure. I'm completely confused and lost. Ringing 111 will just result in me being sent back to my local hospital where I'll be told yet again a multitude of different diagnosisis and sent away without help and still feeling very unwell. To see a different asthma consultant would again just result in me being sent back to my local hospital, given lung function tests over again and nothing done. My local hospital is a disgrace apparatus from critical care. And I have lost faith in the NHS locally and their ability locally to actually diagnose people correctly, offer follow up and correct aftercare for people having been in comas. Nowhere/nobody left to turn to unfortunately, even paying to see a specialist privately would probably end up with me seeing a consultant at my local hospital whom I've seen before. I'm completely at a loss as to what to do about my failing health, have an esa health assessment coming up, that's making me feel even more unwell worrying about it, because I'm on ESA due to depression, not due to coma, asthma, possible heart failure or not. Need to see my own very trusted doctor, but can't get an appointment with her due to her being so indemand and only working two days a week, plus having to call the surgery on a Monday/Tuesday morning to get an appointment with her for the following Monday/Tuesday. Impossible for me to do as all the medication I must take leaves me completely sedated until 12 - 1 PM ISH now. I was never on these medications prior to my coma in January. Though having depression also keeps me asleep for longer than I want. Don't know who to turn to anymore or what to do.
It's now 5 Am haven't yet slept due to wheezyness and coughing, and in about 30 mins my medication will kick in finally knocking me out until 12 or 1 PM and it's like this every day since leaving hospital.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
I push myself on the good days & rest on the bad, it becomes ‘your Normal,
Asthma attack and chest infection 
4th course of Prednisolone this year
Consultant doesn't believe my diagnosis 
GP won't increase my inhaler for winter
Snap, crackle and pop
