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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To start a topic for asthmatics?

85 replies

Twistedunicorn · 09/01/2023 18:22

I feel being asthmatic is something very few people actually talk about, I've been strucked down over the weekend with a chest infection which has led to a pretty bad asthma attack where I've been nebulised 4 times since yesterday and no farther forward.

Does anyone else go through similar when they've had a flare up or been unwell? I feel so sorry for myself and looking for anyone who's struggling to chat away too for support

:-)

OP posts:
poppym12 · 09/01/2023 22:06

I caught this flu type thing last week. Last day of prednisolone today and 2 more days of abx. Since I've been changed to a combi inhaler I haven't needed my blue one as much but I just can't shift the pain in my back.

It eases when I'm lying down so am spending as much time as I can flat out.

Coffeecreme · 09/01/2023 22:10

they are not sure whether i have asthma or copd
and i am in denial

TrevorOptions · 09/01/2023 22:11

not read the thread - will tomorrow- but has anyone else found going low carb has really helped their asthma?

It made a massive difference to mine.

GetDownkeith · 09/01/2023 22:25

DonkeyCup · 09/01/2023 19:00

Sorry to hear you're so poorly and I hope you feel some improvement soon x

An asthma attack is a really hard feeling to describe, and has a huge impact on what you can do.

I haven't needed a preventer since I was a teen (42 now). GP prescribed a reliever spring 22, alongside an antihistamine, as I started experiencing allergy related attacks.

Then the bug I had since end of Nov resulted in 2x courses of steroids, antibiotics and back on preventer over Christmas. Frightening stuff.

very similar. I’ve always had hay fever but two years ago at 42 they got much worse and started getting a summer wheeze.

Had Covid in March and my chest never fully recovered then a chest infection a few months ago with antibiotics and steroids then given a preventer that I haven’t needed since I was a teenager with the dose getting upped until my breathing was back under control again.

MrsSkylerWhite · 09/01/2023 22:30

Why TF are you a smoker?

So, you were brought up in a smoking household. Lots of people were.

You need to take responsibility for yourself.

poppym12 · 09/01/2023 22:33

Coffeecreme · 09/01/2023 22:10

they are not sure whether i have asthma or copd
and i am in denial

Doctors and specialist nurses I've seen over the years have said it's one or the other, apparently my spirometry results aren't 'typical' for either complaint.

I've accepted now that as the treatment and flare ups I have are the same, it could be either. Or both.

Most helpful was a German doctor I saw in Spain who put me onto a new inhaler. It's made soooo much difference day to day. Couldn't totally keep this awful flu type bug from playing havoc though.

dicker · 09/01/2023 22:34

Coffeecreme · 09/01/2023 22:04

@dicker
the majority of smokers dont smoke in the house

evidently you’ve not heard of (or understood) 3rd hand smoke either

SleeptightDaisy · 09/01/2023 22:38

My asthma is awful at moment, I had COVID for the first time in September and still have a cough. Some days are better than others just walking up and down the stairs leaves me wheezing on bad days. I've had a chest x-ray but they said it was all clear. Currently taking prednisolone so hoping it will finish help. I switched to the environmentally friendly inhalers last year and before this current issue found them to be much better.

RamonaBadwolf · 09/01/2023 22:44

Agree that asthma really isn’t taken seriously. Mine has been terrible since I had covid this time last year, and it really interferes with my daily activities. I’ve also developed this thing where after almost everything I eat I have a lovely phlegmy cough, yuck! Sadly I end up in OP’s situation needing nebulisers once or twice a year, and I’ve just been in yet another course of atx and steroids. It just gets you down doesn’t it.

maddening · 09/01/2023 22:46

I used to be much less well controlled and had a nebuliser at home which helped as I didn't wait for the attack to get so bad.

I am well conteolled these days, generally only allergic reaction that sets me off - v v bad with dogs, but I avoid allergens where possible.

I also double up on my preventer inhaler of there is illness around me or I feel illness coming on.

Thw doctor puts me on steroids and antibiotics if bacterial

Dogsarebetterthanpeopl · 09/01/2023 23:12

Asthma is shit.

I got an air purifier thing....a big fancy pants one that helps.

I find even a tiny bit of cardio helps.

I avoid asthma clinics like the plague as they just keep wanting you to take more time off for appointments to show them pretty graphs you have taken ....before they try and pop you on the cheapest med available and you end up having an asthma attack and having to beg for the one you had before back. Or they want to explain how to use an inhaler properly 🤔

I take fostair that they somehow sneaked into my prescription but seems decent. Ventolin..they once gave me a different receiver without telling me that didn't work during an attack...see why I don't trust these guys 🤣. I take prednisone a few times a year.

I don't think judging or lecturing smoking asthmatics is helpful

Dogsarebetterthanpeopl · 09/01/2023 23:18

Twistedunicorn · 09/01/2023 20:34

Here's a question for everyone...

How do you sleep? Last night I tried every position possible and could not stop wheezing so ended up wide awake on the sofa from4/5am ish

This can be hard but a tonne of pillows underneath your head so it's as raised as possible. Lying down defo makes it worse.

WishIWasACavewoman · 09/01/2023 23:46

Thanks for the thread, nice to meet my tribe.

I get a winter cold like clockwork every year that goes to my chest and sets off a big asthma flare, resulting in sleeping sitting up for a week or so.

My asthma wasn't recognised for years, including by me, because I have cough variant and don't wheeze that much. So it didn't seem like asthma. I was only diagnosed when I went in for something else and the doctor recognised the cough, explaining years of having to leave meetings and concerts to hack away outside in a stroke.

My question is how do you know when you need to seek help? I'm another one who's alright until I'm not, provided I take my preventer regularly. When I'm not, I'm really not, with the cough causing spasms through my chest and abdominal muscles, hypoxic restlessness, legs giving way etc. As long as I sit still, try to take my reliever, and don't talk, it passes, so I've never had any emergency attention, but I wonder how I'd know where the line is, and whether I get too close to it.

RafaistheKingofClay · 10/01/2023 00:13

Several days after I should is probably the answer to that question @WishIWasACavewoman. I sometimes find it difficult to know what’s just a couple of bad days and what’s a couple of bad days that will keep getting worse.

SpacePotato · 10/01/2023 00:50

I was swapped to fostair for my mostly well controlled asthma. Hated it. Few months later I was worse than I had been for years then had to argue with the GP to swap me back.
Within a week I was back to 'normal'

One of my triggers is exercise but have found pilates great as I can exercise without the heavy cardio and the breathing techniques really help.

StridTheKiller · 10/01/2023 04:54

Yep. My freezing cold has triggered my previously well managed asthma.

WishIWasACavewoman · 10/01/2023 07:00

I'm (sort of) glad it's not just me then @RafaistheKingofClay !

DonkeyCup · 10/01/2023 07:02

GetDownkeith · 09/01/2023 22:25

very similar. I’ve always had hay fever but two years ago at 42 they got much worse and started getting a summer wheeze.

Had Covid in March and my chest never fully recovered then a chest infection a few months ago with antibiotics and steroids then given a preventer that I haven’t needed since I was a teenager with the dose getting upped until my breathing was back under control again.

Show quote history

I think Covid has a lot to answer for, and is certainly a factor for some. Hoping yours settles xx
I have done a bit of reading, as I wondered why my asthma has "come back" and "why now". I have some perimenopause symptoms and it can be linked to fluctuations in hormones.

DonkeyCup · 10/01/2023 07:07

Twistedunicorn · 09/01/2023 20:34

Here's a question for everyone...

How do you sleep? Last night I tried every position possible and could not stop wheezing so ended up wide awake on the sofa from4/5am ish

I end up "sleeping" on the recliner chair, reclined to about 45 degrees.
It's exhausting.

Sirzy · 10/01/2023 07:13

DS is a severe asthmatic, until recently a combination on high dose steroid inhaler and other meds along with chest physio has kept him pretty stable but this last year things have been a lot more wobbly!

he also has adrenal insufficiency now as a result of the high steroid use so that adds to the fun and games!

Augend23 · 10/01/2023 07:15

WishIWasACavewoman · 09/01/2023 23:46

Thanks for the thread, nice to meet my tribe.

I get a winter cold like clockwork every year that goes to my chest and sets off a big asthma flare, resulting in sleeping sitting up for a week or so.

My asthma wasn't recognised for years, including by me, because I have cough variant and don't wheeze that much. So it didn't seem like asthma. I was only diagnosed when I went in for something else and the doctor recognised the cough, explaining years of having to leave meetings and concerts to hack away outside in a stroke.

My question is how do you know when you need to seek help? I'm another one who's alright until I'm not, provided I take my preventer regularly. When I'm not, I'm really not, with the cough causing spasms through my chest and abdominal muscles, hypoxic restlessness, legs giving way etc. As long as I sit still, try to take my reliever, and don't talk, it passes, so I've never had any emergency attention, but I wonder how I'd know where the line is, and whether I get too close to it.

This is what I don't know either, and have tried to explain to asthma nurses to no effect.

I can end up coughing til I can't stand up. I've been sick before.

But there's a lot of not breathing between breathing normally and dead. What level of not breathing is an acceptable amount? I have always been told to try not to take my reliever as it's a sign your asthma isn't well controlled, and even going through a bad phase as long as I try and concentrate really hard on not coughing and just sit there for a while I can usually get things back up and running without taking it.

Honestly I still don't feel like I even know if what I have is asthma as it just appeared out the blue one day as an adult but that's a whole other problem.

All best wishes to everyone for whom most sound like they have a much more difficult journey with asthma than I do.

SouthCountryGirl · 10/01/2023 07:20

TrevorOptions · 09/01/2023 22:11

not read the thread - will tomorrow- but has anyone else found going low carb has really helped their asthma?

It made a massive difference to mine.

Oh really? I found that going milk free helped. I'm ok with goat and sheep milk but cow's milk just causes so much mucus. I can have one coffee a say and I'm ok. Any more milk and I struggle.

Exercise was mentioned upthread - as great as swimming is, the chlorine is a bit of a problem.

Original poster
Twistedunicorn · 10/01/2023 07:48

Morning all, i haven't had a chance to properly read all the replies but wow what a response! I'm so glad I started this thread 😀 I'm almost certain I saw every hour on the clock last night and gave up about 5 to come sit in the livingroom.

OP posts:
Coffeecreme · 10/01/2023 07:51

i would take a reliever if it was required.

Coffeecreme · 10/01/2023 07:52

have always been told to try not to take my reliever as it's a sign your asthma isn't well controlled, and even going through a bad phase as long as I try and concentrate really hard on not coughing and just sit there for a while I can usually get things back up and running without taking it.

you need to take it if required, imo, if it is not well contorlled, then it needs looking at surely?