67 year old female living in Brittany.

[Dalef376]

Hi.

I've just joined this community as I was Googling my current situation, Bronchitis, having visited my doctor yesterday and been given Prednisolone 40mg twice a day and cefpodoxime (antibiotic) 20 mg once a day for 5 days to sort it. I took my first dose last night and am already feeling better though still a bit wheezy and still with an occasional productive cough.

I am usually pretty healthy but having lived in Buckinghamshire all my life, between Slough (was in Bucks when I was born), High Wycombe & Aylesbury being pretty polluted and having worked in very smoky offices (one small office I shared with 4 heavy smokers for 6 years!) I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised that I was diagnosed with asthma about 12 years ago.

I started with the brown inhaler, then, after a few years when my asthma attacks became more frequent, I was changed to the lilac inhaler Seretide which I still use. Then a few years ago I was at the doctors for my check up and happened to mention that I thought I might be allergic to alcohol as if I had a glass of wine or lager within half an hour I would start sneezing and my nose would run which would usually last around 24 hours. This was a bit of a pain as we had a holiday home in France (where we now live permanently - very little pollution here!) My GP suggested I try Montelukast and I am still taking them. I found that they seemed to help for some time and I could go for a meal and have a glass of wine or in the summer enjoy a cold beer with no side effects. I am not a drinker and my normal tipple is orange juice or Diet Coke however I have recently found that sometimes the old symptoms have returned after a glass of something alcoholic!

I also have become an erratic sleeper, some nights not sleeping at all. I would be interested to know if anyone else has had any similar problems?

Thanks.

[Cjtucker91]

Hi there! Sorry to hear about your Bronchitis but glad you’re already starting to feel better.

Alcohol can sometimes have the same effect on me, but it seems to be worst with red wine. It’s usually the next day where I’ll be more wheezy than usual and have to take my blue inhaler a few more times than normal. I’ve read different things that it could be the sulphites or the alcohols causes histamines.

I mentioned it to my asthma nurse and she recommended taking some antihistamines if I knew I was going to be drinking. Not sure if that might help at all!

I am also a terrible sleeper, but have been my whole life. I sometimes wonder if that’s why I get bad flare ups as my body can’t get adequate rest.

As with all things though it comes and goes and gets better or worse at different times.

The best we can do is to try and not get too anxious about these things ( I have a tendency to let my thoughts run away with me).

Hope you have a full recovery for Christmas! Also, lovey doggies!

Chris

[Dalef376 in reply to Cjtucker91]

Thanks for your kind reply, Chris. It's usually white wine (or champagne) that affects me worse than red. I seem to be reasonably okay with a good rose. Thanks for the tip about antihistamines. I'll try that. Also I was told by a knowledgeable friend who lives in Portugal that Portugese wine apparently doesn't have so much tannin in and is less likely to cause problems. I managed to down some with no ill effects. Perhaps you could try some?

Have a lovely Christmas x

[Cjtucker91 in reply to Dalef376]

Oh brilliant, I'll keep a look out, thanks!

[WHOA]

montelkkaust is evil. it made me not sleep and agressive. i stopped it and i can sleep.

[selyab]

I,ve been taking montelukast for a few years and I also like a pint or two because they need to be in your system about three hours before they start working I take mine approx. 20.00 hrs and have no problems hope this helps

[ccccc]

Hi Dalef

I would second what other posters have said, usually wine (both red and white) can trigger symptoms for me. I have been on Montelukast since I was 22 (I'm 35 now) and I was always told to take it just before bed, I don't think it works on reducing histamine the way that antihistamines do, it works on other types of chemicals released by your body called leukotrienes which are released in response to triggers, so it might not work on counteracting inflammation brought on by alcohol. I know red wine especially can trigger a big histamine release in the body, so perhaps the Montelukast doesn't wouldn't work as well on that. I take Montelukast and an antihistamine so I have all bases covered!

[Dalef376 in reply to ccccc]

Thank you for all the really useful info. I don't feel such a freak now! Lol! Very interesting to hear what everyone has to say. I will definitely go for some antihistamine and try that first and after, if all is okay, I may stop the Montelukast and see if it makes any difference to my sleep patterns.

Hope you all have a very happy and healthy Christmas and 2018. Bon Noel from Brittany xx

[Wheezycat]

No one has mentioned that prednisolone messes with sleep for a lot of people, big time. It gets better once you are off them.