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Original poster

Preparing with asthma

92 replies

Nofoolfornoone · 12/03/2020 21:06

Hi all,

I have asthma and so I am worried about covid-19. It’s not particularly well controlled these past couple of years with a few attacks and I live alone so I’m quite anxious.

To prepare i have ordered extra inhalers, I’ve started taking my preventer 3 times a day instead of twice, I’ve ordered an oxygen Saturation monitor and a nebuliser. I’ve stopped using public transport and I’m walking everywhere - sounds good but as I live in London it’s prob not that great for my lungs!

I’m going to try intermittent fasting too as a way of reducing inflammation.

Anyone doing anything else?

OP posts:
Original poster
Nofoolfornoone · 15/03/2020 12:32

Does everyone have an asthma plan? Download one from the asthma uk site. Tells you what to do when your peak flow changes or your symptoms increase and what to do if you have an attack. I was told by my asthma specialist that With peak flow it’s just good to know your normal so if it decreases by 20% you up your meds and 50% is considered an asthma attack and you should follow those guidelines.

OP posts:
NigellaAwesome · 15/03/2020 13:00

I checked my peak flow this morning. Personal best is 320, and I am currently at 240, so I am upping my preventer and taking more reliever.

That's without even having any infection. Sad

One thing that I do know really affects my asthma is white wine, I think due to the sulphites in it, so I am going to knock that on the head.

Bobbiepin · 15/03/2020 13:07

If your asthma is severe or you are experiencing more symptoms than usual, keep a daily record of your temp and peak flow. If you do notice a change, it's really useful info for HCPs.

eggstrordinaire · 15/03/2020 13:15

Hi lung condition here. There is some evidence vitamin D can help prevent respiratory infections. I am taking high strength as I always do in winter.

ManyShades · 15/03/2020 13:17

chaotica you said your son may be reacting to asthma meds. I think my son may have a cough caused by his inhaler. Have you mentioned to your GP and do they take it seriously or are you going to continue with same meds?

WrongKindOfFace · 15/03/2020 13:26

You can buy smaller spacers that will fit in your handbag. There about £10 ish. I’m not if the nhs prescribes the small ones.

WrongKindOfFace · 15/03/2020 13:26
  • they are, not there.
effingterrified · 15/03/2020 13:26

lolaflores - can you describe your yoga breathing exercises? Do you have a link to any?

effingterrified · 15/03/2020 13:29

ShastaBeast - the preventer suppresses the immune system

I didn't know this - do you have a link for this at all? If so, it's worrying.

covetingthepreciousthings · 15/03/2020 13:46

Does anyone know what is best in this scenario..

I have asthma, BUT I have managed to get to the point over the past year or so where it's pretty much completely managed without any inhalers, the dr said I could stop my prescription if i wanted but I still got them to err on the side of caution. As sometimes I do still very occasionally use the blue one, but I would say only a handful of times in the past year.

Should I start taking the preventer brown inhaler now? Or just leave it as it is and not take either but carry them with me?

KarenTookTheKids · 15/03/2020 13:48

Effing, it is well known that corticosteroids suppress the immune system. However it is important to manage your asthma so I wouldn't be reducing without medical advice.

lolaflores · 15/03/2020 13:49

The yoga exercises are in yogajournal.com. I googled best yoga breathing for asthma and wheezing. This one was very good and reflected a lot of the exercises I did with my respiratory therapist. I am doing the exercises twice a day and they help reduce the tightness in my chest.
There is a very neurotic component to my asthma. All of this carry on has stressed me and on Friday I was just having little panic attacks one after another at work, till i got home, laid out my little space and calmed, the fuck down. I can't guarantee it will work, but it takes my mind off things and makes me feel a bit more in control. Let me know how you get on...all the best

Chaotica · 15/03/2020 13:49

ManyShades Which medicine is your DS reacting to? Is coughing a listed side effect? (Not that it isn't a side effect if it isn't listed - it just makes it easier to get the doctors to take notice.)

Some of the doctors we've seen accept we may be right about DS but we're having real difficulty getting his medication changed. (He already had to come off the brown steroid inhaler because it gave him uncontrollable fits of violent rage.) He's been referred instead, but in the current climate, I really don't know when he'll get to see a consultant. It's not safe just to give up the steroid inhalers and, given his asthma is bad, I don't feel I can just leave him with nothing.

ManyShades · 15/03/2020 14:50

Chaotica my ds is on Clenil Modulite 50. Cough is listed as a side effect. I will try speaking to someone at our gp practice.

You must be very worried about your ds. It sounds like he has had a rough time ☹️

MeadowHay · 15/03/2020 16:35

Hi, I am a bit worried about my DD who is only 20m and suspected asthmatic. She has not been diagnosed as GP and consultant are not sure yet and no way to do definitive testing. Her main symptom is coughing which is worst at night and immediately upon waking in the morning and after naps. She has been like this to varying degrees since she had bronchiolitis when she was 6m old. She also has eczema and hay fever. I know that children are usually less affected but there is that worry in the back of my head. She is currently on a trial of a preventor inhaler and she is due for a review in a month's time and a review of her growth too as she's massively gone down height centiles over the last 8 months or so. I'm anticipating that we may never get to have this GO appt though and I'm worried about the impact this will have on her health in the future not just re:corona virus. Sad I'm also worried nursery will be unreasonable and indefinitely exclude her for a cough even though she literally has a permanent mild cough which they are fully aware of. If she is excluded from nursery indefinitely then I don't know how we would manage because we can't afford the nursery fees if I can't work. The corona virus situation is so shit for everyone because it's not only the sickness itself that is an issue it's also all the other things that it impacts. Sad

Chaotica · 15/03/2020 17:28

ManyShades - it was clenil modulite that my DS reacted to first (and we independently took him off it because he'd only been on the steroid inhaler 6 weeks at that point). He went straight back to his normal self. You should ask for your DS's prescription to be changed just to see if it helps the cough. How long has he been on it?

My DS is now on fluticasone, but this too might be causing him problems and I want to swap to something else to find out. Might have to chat with Asthma UK (don't know if they are any good).

Chaotica · 15/03/2020 17:29

MeadowHay - isn't exclusion/isolation only supposed to be in the case of a new cough?

ManyShades · 15/03/2020 18:21

Thank you for the info chaotica he has been on it for a couple of years and does really well on it except for having a little cough. The dose of Clenil was increased recently and cough is much worse.

I hope asthma UK are helpful. I was thinking of contacting them because I don't find my GP or asthma nurse very helpful. I hope you can find medication that suits your ds.

jewel1968 · 15/03/2020 18:29

I normally swim which has had a huge positive impact on my asthma. Increased lung capacity. Am currently pondering if I can risk swimming but then I wonder if I can risk not swimming. I understand the pool itself is safe (and possibly safest place to be) but the surrounding surfaces could be a problem. Am thinking if I go very early in morning when very few people about.

MeadowHay · 15/03/2020 20:00

Yes @Chaotica. However our nursery sent us a newsletter which had the advice wrong. It said exclusion if you have a new OR persistent cough. Which is not the gov advice. And she's only been in her current nursery for a couple of weeks and missed some sessions due to illness so the staff in there do not know her that well. Her coughing is up and down. I'm worried with the current climate they will worry and also be worried of what other parents think if they hear her coughing etc. I'm hoping they will be reasonable and follow the gov advice but I am worried that other pressures might cloud their judgement.

ShastaBeast · 16/03/2020 01:15

Anyone seen this - www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.11.987016v1

I’m taking Fostair which isn’t this medication. I can’t see anything suggesting this is bad.

I saw an article about the french advising against NSAIDs such as ibuprofen. Similar reasons for why steroids are an issue, the inflammatory response is part of the immune system.

I am taking my steroid inhaler as I believe the risk from asthma is greater for me than the virus. I’ve had bad flu before and it’s never impacted my breathing. However I won’t be insisting on it for DD as her asthma is mild at the moment, but if it worsens she will use it.

I wonder if salbutamol is being used to help people experiencing breathing difficulties. If so there could be a greater demand. I might order one each soon in case we need them more if we catch it.

Menora · 16/03/2020 02:57

I am asthmatic and have also tried to research this a little. I couldn’t find anything that suggested asthmatics were at a higher risk than a lot of other conditions

I have powder inhalers and I am monitoring peak flow. I struggled a bit this morning and feel like I might be getting a cold. My biggest worry is that I have had pneumonia a few times now so whether my lungs are weaker I am unsure - I was also swimming but am unsure whether to carry on going either.

boomboom1234 · 16/03/2020 22:06

Have people seen this on gov.uk? Does this mean that anyone with asthma should social distance? I'm confused!

www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-social-distancing-and-for-vulnerable-people/guidance-on-social-distancing-for-everyone-in-the-uk-and-protecting-older-people-and-vulnerable-adults

Original poster
Nofoolfornoone · 16/03/2020 22:29

@boomboom1234 yes. It does!

OP posts:
TackyTriceratops · 16/03/2020 22:34

When does this advice start?

Asthmatic primary teacher. My head has emailed to say the advice is (xyz) from next week. And we are to let him know our plans so they can plan. But I can't see that anywhere. Couple of people said the same on twitter.

They did speak to staff with underlying conditions including me last week to let us know they'd inform us if guidance changed. So this is that inform. It's just that Dh is adamant it's from today.