Whether to start another rescue pack or not?

[Saro1]

It's a while since I posted but I have been reading and keeping up with things.

A couple of months ago my husband kindly shared a cold with me, and I subsequently had a COPD flare up - everything coughed up was clear so I just took the steroid tablets for the required week. All was fine for three days following that, but then I went downhill again so took another week's course but still no ABs.

Now a couple of weeks on, my breathing is once again terrible although I only really cough during the night and first thing in the morning.

I saw my COPD nurse a few days ago, and she changed me from Fostair to Trimbow and told me to keep using the reliever as well; I will see her again in a month. The thing is, when I saw her I had been sitting quietly in a warm waiting room for some minutes, so my breathing was almost normal when I saw her, and she could hear nothing untoward in my lungs.

So are my breathing problems just a continuation of the flare up and do I just have to be patient I wonder, or should I take yet another course of steroids? Or, is this now how things are going to be?

My COPD is classed as moderate, and before this flare up (and after the one I had in the Summer) I didn't need the reliever inhaler at all and my breathing was fine.

Sorry to be a pain, but it's difficult when one is working hard to breathe and not quite sure what to do.

[CDPO16]

Hi, I'm not sure that another course of steroids is needed. It may be that the new inhaler will gradually help although it may take several weeks to have the full effect. It may be best if you could phone your surgery and try to get a phone consult with your nurse before taking any more prednisolone and describe how you are to her.

I had a bad chest infection last winter which left me struggling as you describe for a couple of months afterwards. I too had 2 courses of prednisolone but in the end it was a change of inhaler that gradually settled things down.

I don't know when you use your reliever but if used 15 minutes prior to the Trimbow it should help the latter get deeper into your lungs. You can still use the reliever as needed during the day. I also use a spacer with my inhalers which is a more efficient way of getting the medication into the lungs.

I hope that you soon get some ease. This shouldn't be how things are going to be once the flare up settles.

[Saro1 in reply to CDPO16]

Hi CDP016, thank you so much for your reply.

I was wondering whether the new inhaler might take some time to help, and you have given me the incentive to keep going without taking more steroids which I really was not keen to do.

I will try the tip about the reliever to see if that makes a difference - certainly when I have used Trimbow I almost instantly feel heaps better, but that effect disappears after a short while. I too use a spacer.

Thank you too for telling me that once the flare up settles things should be better. Every bit of encouragement helps.

Oh, I nearly forgot about you saying to ring my Nurse - unfortunately she told me last week that she would be on holiday this week; and I can forget about my doctor! Appointments are given for 5/6 weeks hence..........we have a real problem now in this little market town.

[CDPO16 in reply to Saro1]

I do hope that things settle, I understand how worrying it is at times like this. Ortho had a valid point. I should have mentioned antibiotics but didn't purely due to you talking about a cold. My surgery won't accept a sputum sample unless it is requested by a doctor or nurse. Yours may be different. As for appointments, if you have lung disease and are struggling you should be given priority and not have a long wait.

Let me know how you get on. Wishing you well.

[Gladwyn in reply to CDPO16]

Hi CDPO16 you said you think a change of inhaler gradually settled things down.....I’m curious to know which inhaler it was? I’m going on to a new powder one when Boots is able to process the prescription ... any remember the name begins with an E . 😙

[CDPO16 in reply to Gladwyn]

The inhaler was Fostair 200/6. I was also given Spiriva Respimat which had no beneficial effect. That was changed to Braltus 2 weeks ago and that has definitely made breathing easier by relieving a constant feeling of tight chest but had no effect on the degree of breathlessness I have.

I hope that whatever you have been prescribed helps. I think it is often trial and error as we all seem to react differently to various medications.

[Gladwyn in reply to CDPO16]

Thank-you for replying. I was on Fostair 100/6 which was ok then it was replaced with Trimbow which I found disappointing but persevered with for about a year then in an annual review with nurse I mentioned I wasn’t getting much relief from either of the 2 inhalers so she gave a prescription to Boots chemist changing me to 2 other inhalers . Fingers crossed they help! I hope you find a more suitable one than Braltus. As you said it all about trial and error.

[Ortho10]

Wouldn't hurt to hand in a sputem sample to eliminate a bacterial infection.

[Saro1 in reply to Ortho10]

That's definitely something to consider, thank you.

[Durcot]

Hi Saro1

I dont have much to say but I think I have to say something.

I have sever COPD and sever ASTHMA and I will fight it till the end. I've been reading a d reading about my illness. I have a VA doctor that I trust but you need to get involved read up and have your questions ready for the doc. Realize your not the only patient he has but you must worry about you alone. So team up with your doctor to make your situation better.

Ive only had one flair up and was sent to emergency hospital. They gave me steroids internally for an hour or so to calm me down. I think it was perchosine ( cant spell it ) but it was a steroid. So the following week I went to see my doctor . (I was on Spiriva and Albuteral for energency) he ordered Symbicort to go with what im doing. I feel 100% better except for the energy level. I'm now enrolled in a pulmonary rehab class to get my energy back.

The thing I want to express is be careful with the steroids, the more you take them the more chances of a dangerous reaction. I lost 3 uncles using steroids.

Also do research if your still not doing ok talk to your doctor and find the answer together. It's your life and you have worth, some doctors treat you like a number dont let them do that to you.

God Bless

[Saro1 in reply to Durcot]

Durcot - thank you.

Your comment about steroids has hit home, and I am so sorry about your uncles.

My COPD nurse said that she was prescribing Trimbow instead of the Fostair that I have used for years, because she was trying to wean her patients off steroids, and Trimbow could help to prevent flare ups. I think that from the helpful replies on here I shall leave the steroids in the cupboard and plug on.

Thank you for the rest of your advice, and I wish you and your health to continue to improve.