Has anyone else been struggling with their asthma recently?

[Claire-Rose]

For the last couple of days my asthma has been really bad ( tight chest, wheeze occasionally cough) and I am wondering if anyone else is struggling to see if it is weather related or allergy related as my eczema is also coming back and I’m suffering with sinus problems too. Oh the joys of having multiple conditions 😂

[Troilus]

My asthma always deteriorates in January through February but then improves in March. I can’t work out why. I have experimented leaving the heating on overnight in case it was due to cold air, but it doesn’t improve things.

[Claire-Rose in reply to Troilus]

I tried that too as I was waking up in the night struggling to breathe and it was also cold but it didn’t help, just wish i knew what was causing it so I could treat it

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador in reply to Claire-Rose]

As Twinkly has said, it doesn't really matter what the cause is - you can treat it without knowing that. And as she also says you need to contact your team or your GP - especially at the moment they would probably prefer you to avoid getting worse and going to hospital if you can (obviously if you need it you need it but best to get on top of things early and avoid hospital if possible).

If you're looking for a trigger to avoid that's different - a cold bedroom could be it though. I tend to have bad nights if the room is too cold so try warming it if you can.

[twinkly29]

Hi,Unfortunately, asthma being so personal, anyone else struggling is largely irrelevant. That sounds really offhand and I don't mean it to be but I could say yes mine has too and it's allergies or it's weather - but that doesn't affect anyone else because, whatever the reason for someone struggling (and sometimes it's not obvious why), it needs dealing with according to the stage they're at and their plan for what they do and when.

So if you're struggling, you need to seek help as appropriate to you for where you're at. Like I could think oh I'm struggling and ok it might be weather but that doesn't change the fact it needs dealing with. No idea if that makes sense 😅

[Claire-Rose in reply to twinkly29]

That is true I suppose just feel like I bother my Gp and asthma nurses a lot already and wanted to deal with it myself which is so hard when you don’t know what the trigger is 😩 hope you are ok

[twinkly29 in reply to Claire-Rose]

But that's my point - it kind of doesn't matter what the trigger is. If your asthma is an issue, it needs dealing with so you're not bothering your nurse or GP ever in that case. If you're not antihistamines maybe try some. But other than that it's got to be nurse/GP if asthma warrants it. Maybe I'm just used to triggers not being obvious though as mine are often a mishmash.

[Lotti_321- in reply to Claire-Rose]

Hope you’re better soon. Mine isn’t happy at all right now (never is in Jan). After trying to manage eg increasing my inhalers etc it’s still not relenting. So I rang the drs as would rather try & nip it in the bud now rather than it spiral (of which I’ve done enough times during the pandemic). They were glad I’d rang as would rather I treat it before it gets worse. Due to it being so much back & forth with steroids being given over the phone lately, they want to see me (no covid symptoms, only wheeze / tight chest/ low peak flow / worse morning cough). My point is they’d rather you bother them now when it’s simpler to nip in the bud then end up in a&e (which has happened to me) & it become harder to get on top off.

[Claire-Rose in reply to Lotti_321-]

Oh no sorry to hear your asthma isn’t good either hope you feel better soon. My gp and asthma nurse always prefer me to contact them early on but I just feel so bad as my asthma isn’t controlled so I contact them a lot I have increased my steroids will give it till tomorrow and then call them if nothing helps thanks for the advice

[Lotti_321- in reply to Claire-Rose]

I understand the frustration of not being controlled. Please don’t feel bad, if you’re doing everything ie taking inhalers etc. To try to get control, then gp/AN should be trying to optimise treatment. If not maybe they need to consider a referral to secondary care! Hope you get some relief

[MELNEL in reply to Lotti_321-]

Exactly LOL 😋

[miriALsumayra]

hi, my ashtma improved because I had been strugguled with sleeping and I cant sleep without fan, after 1 months and half of using fostair 100/6, then I can sleep and wake up without chest tightness, but the heating allwas off when sleeping, I dont know exactely because I sleep in cold led to improve my asthma or because fostair helped me, on march I want to try to go on seaside and stop using any medication for a while.

[miriALsumayra]

also I talked about vitamin D with my doctor because I know it very low so I think it plays good role in help to cure from asthma

[Chrissey89]

My ashtma has been really bad as well I take sinus infections all the time

[MELNEL]

I guess you will not be the only one. Winter months are the worst months in the year for my asthma. I do struggle with the heating on, it's sometimes to warm and I can't get cold so it will definitely make my asthma worsen. Coughing a lot and wheezing a lot to. And then it's cold and wet outside is just horrible for people with asthma, worse time of the year. I can't not even go to Spain because of covid19, I get one infection after another. Then you think it's over and it starts again.... awful but not easy to avoid.I hope you will get better again soon, like everyone else who is suffering. Bless you all and stay safe!! Spring is not far away ☘️☘️☘️

[discoballs]

I have been struggling quite a bit of late. I had one trip to A and E which ended up with a full blood test, chest x ray and general MOT. I was really breathless and not wheezing. I was discharged with an asthma exacerbation flare up diagnosis. I explained that I have almost constant pain in my right left rib cage but found everything so vague. I am almost 70 and try to keep fit and look good. I see Xolair posted here and did ask my Asthma consultant about it a few years back but he told me I wasn't in need of it. At the moment I'm on Ventolin (ever since they were invented I think!), Relvar Ellipta, Montelukast and prednisolone for GCA (6mg) I get so frustrated... David