Struggling to breathe episodes!! asthma?! Hayfever?!

[Sunniestsunflower]

Feeling a bit confused!

I’ve had bad hayfever in the past. It was controlled by fexofenadine and salbutamol as I was wheezy from it. I’m not asthmatic.

I’ve noticed recently that I keep getting episodes of struggling for breath (I’m not having an episode at the moment). Dust and exercise and laughing all seem to trigger it! I can still breath but i feels as if when I breath in, I can only breath in a little bit and then I physically can’t breath in anymore, as if I can’t get a good full breath. It feels sort of tight. I think I’m wheezy when it happens, but I’m not sure if I actually am. I don’t hear any whistling sounds when I breath, but there’s a husky dry sound when i breath, especially when I breath in- it almost sounds like I’m breathing through my teeth but I’m not.

Each time I have one of those episodes, I take my salbutamol and after about 4-5 puffs I start to feel better and the symptoms go. But then one of the triggers set it off again and I have to take salbutamol all over again. I had 3 episodes yesterday and took my salbutamol inhaler 16times in total over the course of the day. Exercise seems to be the worst trigger for it

I can’t get through to the doctors and I’ve been busy at work and University so it’s really hard to get through. What are these episodes?! I googled it and all I could find was asthma, but I don’t have any whistling wheezing and I can still breath during the episodes, it’s just difficult but it’s not impossible and I always thought asthma was more serious than this. Is it just really severe hayfever?

Really appreciate the advice, I’ll keep trying to get through. AFAIK they reopen after lunch at 2 and there might be some cancellations for today so I’ll try again this afternoon. No econsult over here unfortunately.

I’ve just realised I’m using the ventolin more than it says to in the instructions for it. For each episode I’m using it 4-7+ times but I’ve read online that you shouldn’t use it too many times in a row? If it’s not being controlled by the ventolin anymore and I’m having to take up to 10+ puffs of it everyday, will it eventually stop working altogether?!

Just a bit worried I’ve overused it and in case one day it won’t work for me anymore before I’m able to see the doctor for a preventer? Or does it not work like that and ventolin will always work, it just takes a lot more puffs of it? Suddenly realising how serious it could be if I had an episode and the ventolin didn’t help anymore!

@Sunniestsunflower

Really appreciate the advice, I’ll keep trying to get through. AFAIK they reopen after lunch at 2 and there might be some cancellations for today so I’ll try again this afternoon. No econsult over here unfortunately.

I’ve just realised I’m using the ventolin more than it says to in the instructions for it. For each episode I’m using it 4-7+ times but I’ve read online that you shouldn’t use it too many times in a row? If it’s not being controlled by the ventolin anymore and I’m having to take up to 10+ puffs of it everyday, will it eventually stop working altogether?!

Just a bit worried I’ve overused it and in case one day it won’t work for me anymore before I’m able to see the doctor for a preventer? Or does it not work like that and ventolin will always work, it just takes a lot more puffs of it? Suddenly realising how serious it could be if I had an episode and the ventolin didn’t help anymore!

No it doesn't work like that. The ventolin is used to open the airways. The preventer inhaler should be used everyday to help avoid needing to use the ventolin.

If you are needing 10 puffs to make your breathing better then you need to go to a and e now

I don't think it will stop working long term but needing more than you're supposed to take is a flag that you need to go to A&E.

Needing your inhaler more than every four hours is a flag for an asthma attack on my action plan. When I needed it every hour, I went to urgent care. Other flags are finding it difficult to walk or talk, to breathe, and to be coughing a lot, have a tight chest and wheezing a lot (for those who wheeze).

My asthma action plan says in an asthma attack to take up to 10 puffs max, then call an ambulance if not better. I can then take another 10 puffs after 15 minutes if ambulance hasn't arrived.

I've never needed more than 2 puffs at a time to relieve my symotoms bar the time I had an asthma exacerbation and needed urgent care.

Honestly OP, just go to urgent care or A&E. It really sounds like an asthma attack and you need to be seen.

Also, people with asthma are advised to book an asthma review if their asthma is getting worse and one criteria for that is using your reliever 3 times a week.

So if you're needing 10 times a day, you really do need to be seen.

www.asthma.org.uk/advice/asthma-attacks/

I'm asthmatic and this is almost certainly uncontrolled asthma. I'm not trying to scare you but if I was having episodes like that I would as a priority get steroids to reduce inflamation and immediately go on a preventer like becotide daily.
You should then go and have a proper skin prick allergy test to find your trigger & see if you can avoid it.

Also go and find an asthma nurse to show you proper inhaler technique. As I said I am not trying to scare you but you need to be seen very quickly. Can you do a GP phone consult and get a Becotide script to get today?

I had this, I am asthmatic but inhalers didn't help. I went up to A&E because I thought I maybe needed a nebuliser, and ended up being admitted due to over expanded lungs, caused by breathing in ok but not breathing out properly (look up to understand why)which causes problems.

I wouldn't bother with GP to be honest....go to A&E. Breathing issues are taken really seriously.

This is precisely what 111 is designed for - cant get through to docs or get a timely appointment or it's the weekend- call 111 unless it's an emergency then go to a&e obviously. My daughter has asthma and takes the brown preventer inhaler everyday and ventolin when needed (rarely). You absolutely sound like you have asthma and it sounds like how she felt before starting the preventer inhaler. As PP said you might initially need steroids so either way you need to see a GP - the chemists can't help with this. Good luck OP.

I am asthmatic and I think you should try and get seen as soon as possible. You shouldn't need to take so much ventolin, you must be feeling really shakey after that.

A doctor can prescribe you a preventer inhaler so things like this shouldn't happen in the future.

Yeah. Sounds like u need a course of steroid tablets and a long term steroid inhaler..