V quick - any of you use Symbicort? Will it make illness worse?

[lborgia]

Only in Chat because it's so late at night - have a bad cold for first time since being diagnosed as asthmatic.

Have just been given symbicort to take 2x daily, unless I need more... in which case up to several times a day. Due for review in a couple of weeks. It's been fantastic.

Anyway, I know that steroids can make infection worse, but don't know if it applies to puffers/viruses, or just tablets and/or bacterial?

TL:DR - can I keep using it whilst waiting for gp appt? Feel that cold has gone to my chest.

Thank you!

Yes. You should keep using it.

Hi, I used to use this. I found it worked really well for me and always used to use extra if I felt a chest infection brewing.

I've been prescribed this. I get bad asthma triggered by a colds/sore throats/viral illness that sink to my chest, but it's always worked brilliantly. I didn't know it could make the illness worse. I'd be up all night rasping and wheezing and coughing if it weren't for Simbicort.

It gives me terrible heartburn though.

do you take a brown inhaler (becotide ?) every day

For pity's sake don't stop taking your asthma medication when you've got a bad cold - if anything you'll need extra. Breathing is important.

Thanks for the helpful advice. At no point did I say I was going to stop I was asking about advice given to others.

@Sh0na - that's exactly what was happening before, but this is the first time it's got as far as my chest since starting it. No, haven't been offered anything else yet. This was a kind of trial because the other doctors said they had no idea what it was, but def not asthma. Then current doctor said it was an presentation more common in kids... being triggered by virus, etc. So he would treat it as such.

Don't worry about the steroids thing - taking tablets definitely has an effect, but obviously not a problem with puffers, or not enough to outweigh the benefits.

I'll be more liberal with it until I feel better/ see ther GP.