Does anyone else really struggle in the mornings? My chest feels really tight, congested and coughing. There’s has been a few mornings for the past few weeks I’ve been feeling so yucky & congested. It can make me feels sick and a couple of times I’ve also been sick as a result of coughing so much (tmi it’s just mucus that I’m throwing up) only in the morning.
Once I’ve had my inhalers first thing and few puffs of ventolin throughout the morning I feel better. Surprisingly on the couple of occasions I’ve been sick I feel loads better sooner as chest doesn’t as congested and cough feels easier.
Not much of cough throughout the day unless I come into contact with the cold or wind. The rest of the day/ night I still get symptoms as control isn’t great right now and lungs being very twitchy.
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Lotti_321-
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Are you on Montelukast? Also I had a lot of problems in the morning with coughing and mucus. Montelukast helped but moving to using a spacer with my Seretide also made a big difference to the mucus as the steroid was not getting stuck in the throat.
I have also changed to lactose free milk, don’t know if that also helped but the combination of all three things has made a big improvement.
I think the dairy thing is only relevant if dairy/lactose is a trigger for you - as opposed to stopping it being "something that reduces mucus" generally (as I don't think it does cause increased mucus). In your case maybe it was an issue of course, I know for some people dairy is a trigger.
Whatever it was though of your combination, I'm glad it's improved!
Yes it was a trigger for me. I WASNT stating it as a trigger for everyone but if something works for one person it’s worth a try if only to rule it out.
Oh I didn't mean you were, sorry! I didn't get that from your post at all. Just some people read that sort of thing and then kind of pass it on as a fact for everyone 🙈.
And yes you're right sometimes these things do need to be tried to find out 🙂
Yep been on montelukast for years, I’ve never really found it’s done much for me. Always use a spacer.It could be something to try but I still have as much dairy when I’m controlled so can’t see it making a huge difference
When my asthma is flaring up, I get more gunk in the mornings (not tonnes but usually it's none so all relative I suppose). So is reassuring to read your experience as sounds similar (sorry but am a unicorn so to have something a bit normal is good 😅) - and if generally not controlled atm some extra control might ease the morning gunk too.
It does sound like you could do maybe do with something at night (perhaps like Montelukast as Oldandgray suggested) as that's when your symptoms seem to be worse, or maybe an extra daytime preventer would help day and night.
Might be worth a call to nurse or GP to discuss ongoing lack of control?
It’s not tonnes (usually if cough at all it’s dry -unless I’m having a flare then it becomes white). I’ve been on montelukast for years and never felt it makes much of a difference. I only take it as drs looked very surprised at me when I’ve said I’m not taking it. My consultant did say I could stop it but as it doesn’t cause my any side effects it won’t do me any harm to carry it on. I’m currently on xolair, vent, fostair 200, qvar 800, montelukast, fexodenadine, carbocisteine & various courses of pred each year. I’m waiting to be discussed at MDT to see where to go next
It’s ok! I’m grateful for the advice & makes me see I’m not alone. Started the pred this afternoon, fingers crossed I hear from the MDT soon as don’t want to keep being in limbo
When I feel like this I will start my emergency prednisolone and make an appointment to see my GP. If I think I have a chest infection, I will also start my emergency antibiotics (not every exacerbation is a chest infection as it can be viral or just asthma). I wouldn't let it fester. Do you have an asthma plan to follow? Mine indicates that taking Ventolin more than usual (once a day) i need to seek medical input. It appears you've gone beyond this point and a chat with your GP today would be a good thing.
I know I’m probably heading that way but after 5 weeks of pred in aug/ sept I’m trying to avoid them until I really need to. Thankfully I don’t feel like it’s infection as most of the coughing is mornings and no fever etc, I do have a plan, it’s followed loosely even bu th medical team as I’d be at the drs every couple of weeks if I just based it on vent use. So always tend to go with that and symptoms - but do realise I shouldn’t leave it
Some asthmatics do respond well to antibiotics used as inflammatory meds rather than treatment for infections. But I believe that a consultant has to prescribe these. I had your symptoms for about 18 months before being treated with 4 months of antibiotics by my consultant, after many tests. Worked better than oral steroids. They're not suitable for everyone but something to consider, if you can get a a referral.Hope you start to feel better soon.
Ugh. I can relate! It does sound like you’re in limbo land (where your asthma is starting to kick off, but not enough for anyone to do anything if you’re already on pred), for me mucus like this usually suggests an attack is slowly approaching 😒😅
Just throwing ideas out there (I know you’re already on a lot of asthma drugs 😅): have you tried a nasal spray (jic post nasal drip is an element...) or azithromycin to see if that works for you?
Hope you feel better soon (or at the very least I hope limbo isn’t too long!)
Yes limbo is the best way to describe no sooner have I finished steroids I’m back to needing them again. I finished a 5 week course in sept & probably heading that way again! Yeah I use flixonase spray and just recently done a three month course of the nasal drops. I think that’s definitely an element of it related to my nose/Eusteian tubes. But there is also been a change in the fact my eczema has flared up loads recently too and the cold/ wind is setting off and lungs just generally twitchy to anything (even laughing). Which is all not new but certainly the cold & eczema is stuff I’ve not had for years
Have you contacted your dr or asthma nurse about it if not contact them and see want they say you might need a change of inhaler but get intouch with your gp or asthma nurse and seek advice from them ok.
I did! I ended up on 5 days of steroids & they really helped. Since then I’ve felt so much better in the morning, not been sick since, can clear my chest and not waking up every morning between 2pm -6pm for my inhaler. I don’t know why I am always so surprised by how well I feel after some pred. It’s still not fully controlled & can be still symptomatic at various times but that’s becoming the norm until the hospital can review things.
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