Asthma suddenly reappeared after years and scared me half to death!

[aleC4]

So I suffered with asthma from about the age of 13 until several years ago when the symptoms just disappeared, I stopped attending check ups and over time never needed to use an inhaler again.
I recently started C25K (again🤣) and from the very first run my chest felt tight. I've also suffered with hay fever this year for the first time ever.
I kind of ignored the tight chest thinking I was just incredibly unfit! As the runs got a bit longer I felt worse - tight chest while running and then wheezing a bit and coughing afterwards.
Stupidly I still didn't get it checked.
Then on Saturday I went out to run with my best friend. We had to run for 9 minutes I think, which is quite a lot for me.
About 6/7 mins I was getting the familiar tight chest feeling but pushed on. All of a sudden I just couldn't breathe. At all. I was literally gasping for air and my chest/throat felt like they were on fire.
I instantly knew it was an asthma attack and I was terrified. Knowing I'd got no inhaler was without doubt the most frightening thing I've ever felt.
Thank god my best friend has a little boy with quite bad asthma. She recognised what it was straight away and thankfully had one of his inhalers in her car. How I got back to the car I'll never know. I was panicking so much which was making it worse. I was a total crying, wheezing, snotty mess.
She had a spacer for the inhaler too thank goodness, I'm not sure I could have coordinated taking it myself. After 10 puffs I felt loads better, I could feel it work almost immediately.
For the rest of the day I was ok but had a real ache in my chest.
I managed to get through to the gp today and after a check up, and a telling off, I've now been given a seretide inhaler as well as ventolin with strict instructions to go back in 2 weeks to be checked, or before if I'm still needing ventolin regularly.
I guess asthma never really goes away, I've learnt that the hard way this weekend!

I must admit I'm a little nervous about having my jab tomorrow.
I had no side effects whatsoever from the first one but I'm just a bit anxious about having it while this flare up feels a bit out of control.
Fingers crossed I'll have just the same reaction as last time!

I thought I'd grown out of eczema after over two decades of not suffering with it. Boom, severe, all over my face and eyelids. Then all down my arms.
Also thought my asthma had been easily controlled until one day I ran and as luck (or lack of it) would have it, my inhaler had run out. Luckily I was able to get to a pharmacy fairly quickly on the brink of collapse. These bloody things will get you when you're least expecting it!

You're right there goddessofmischief!
Sorry to hear you've been suffering too.
That attack on Saturday was so frightening and it was just that panic of knowing I knew exactly what it was and what I needed but I didn't have it.
Thank god for my friend.
The instability of it since Saturday has also scared me a bit as I've felt really vulnerable.
It was such a relief to get through to the drs today, to be listened to and to pick up those inhalers.
Just taken my night time Seretide so here's hoping I get a decent night's sleep tonight.

Ds had a better night thankfully, just a couple of coughing fits, and doesn’t have covid which is always a relief! DH is collecting four prescriptions this morning when the chemist opens and then DS is going to grandma’s for the day so we can both go to work. I don’t want him going to school whilst it’s still so fragile. I hope you had a better night and good luck with the vaccine!

Thank you that's good to hear for your son. I hope the inhalers have the desired effect.
I slept!! For the first night in ages I didn't wake coughing or with a tight chest. I don't think I'd registered how much I was waking and how much my sleep had been affected.
So far so good with this new inhaler.

I think allergies can trigger stack @aleC4 - so if you've had an attack AND you've got hay fever AND you go near a cat then it all stacks up and makes you much more susceptible. Also I am particularly, hugely allergic to black and white moggies, other cats I can tolerate for a while. But when I was in France in a house with a different type of cat cat, getting bitten by mossies and playing fast and loose with seafood (also allergic) then things went south quite quickly.

I'd start taking anti-histamine as part of your pre-run prep, as well as two puffs. Also (apologies if this is teaching you to suck eggs) do a shorter circuit more times until you build your confidence - so do round the block many times rather than going a straight line route, so you can get back home quickly and safely.

That's interesting about the allergies stacking noYOUbekind, and definitely makes sense.
I'm taking a one a day anti-histamine at the moment to help with hay fever but should perhaps switch to something like piriton that I can take more often.
I've been for my second covid jab this morning and had a bit of a funny turn while there which was highly embarrassing. I think I'd got myself all worked up about having in and then it was a long walk from the car and I was rushing. I arrived at the desk a bit of a wheezing mess and suddenly there were doctors and nurses everywhere 😳😳

Mate, you are going through the mill with this! Hope you're OK.

Glad you've sorted an inhaler out. I too had childhood asthma that only appears when ive had a bad cold for the last 23 years. Except it has now returned after being ill with a sore throat/cough last March (suspect covid, but no test at that time). I thought it was anxiety causing me breathing problems, but it finally clicked it could be asthma. GP prescribed inhaler which has sorted it. Hopefully it'll work well for you to continue running.

I felt a right fool this morning, I think I'd just got so anxious about it all.
The volunteers were just lovely and really looked after me. The vaccination centre was practically empty so I think they wanted something to do 🤣
I feel fine now although I'm absolutely exhausted. I think it's just the poor sleep recently catching up. Last night was the first night I'd slept properly in ages.

I'm actually feeling a bit better this evening.
I'm still tired but has to stay up to pick up my ds from his friend's after the football.
However my breathing is a lot better and feels more under control. Long may it continue.

I'm still right here, I think I'm going to call the drs again if it doesn't pick up.
I'm sure I am using my blue inhaler more than I should be.