When to call for help

[Babl76]

I have been diagnosed with asthma for roighly 10 years, and in the past 2 years I have been diagnosed with brittle asthma, but I was looking for advice on when to call for help?

I suffer with a constant cough that is very difficult to control, I take Fostair 200/6 x2 puffs twice daily with Spiriva, Ventolin and Montelukast as well as antihistamines. When previously seen by the respiratory consultant a few years ago, they said my peak flow and spirometry were good and discharged me. Yet my symptoms are not under control at all, I don't understand.

I cough up large amounts of mucus at times and have coughing fits where I bring up mucus and vomit and struggle to breathe, but then will settle down after a while, but leave me wiped out.

As I have a cough constantly I don't notice the times when I have chest infections, and often these are picked up when I see the doctor due to my constant coughing and the impact it is having on my day to day life. I seem to be going through a constant cycle of antibiotics and steriod tablets which lead to constant thrush symptoms in my mouth and elsewhere.

I guess I have always thought that you call for help when wheezing and unable to breathe but my episodes are not like that. I get triggered and cough so much I bring up mucus and vomit and I can't catch a breath in between, so I wonder whether I should be phoning for help at these times?

Hope this makes sense?

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador]

Hi

Do you have an asthma plan? That should help you know when to get more help! Equally it’s worth asking for another referral to a consultant (your GP may be able to get you to a tertiary - in some areas thy can refer direct), if you have brittle asthma you SHOULD have it confirmed by a tertiary consultant, and make sure it’s nothing else going on and rule out other resp conditions (like bronchiectasis etc who are more prone to mucus and infections!)

But if you ventolin usually calms your cough and then it stops calming it then that’s a sign to get more help!

Here’s a link you might finds useful - basically tells yOu what to do when 😉

healthunlocked.com/asthmauk...

Hope this helps and things calm for you soon

[Babl76 in reply to EmmaF91]

No asthma plan but will ask the nurse to help me with it, thank you.

[Babl76 in reply to EmmaF91]

Doctor has restarted steriods and advised me to recommence esomeprazole 40mg (I'm not happy about this) I am diagnosed with bile gastritis and esomeprazole is not effective in helping this and I know has side effects when taken long term. I was previously a nurse working in endoscopy and was advised to take Sucralfate for bile reflux, which helped massively, but then there was a supply problem and now the GP practice are reluctant to restart, so not sure where to go from here.

[Poobah in reply to Babl76]

Bile salts may help with bile gastritis. I'm not sure if you've tried them but this short film explains why they may help. youtu.be/K63PQzIfmFE(Not working as expected?)

[Babl76 in reply to Poobah]

Thanks I'll give them a try

[ninelives]

Fabulous reply from Emma.Said everything I was going to.Asthma plans are great cos you should have clear instructions as to what to do when!

Best of luck and let us know how you get on