Asthmatics’ during Covid19

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Would anyone like to join this thread for asthmatics during this outbreak?

I’m mid 30s in England. Have had asthma since childhood, hospitalised a few times (not for 5+ years now) and the odd course of oral steroids for flare ups plus daily inhalers. I got the extremely vulnerable text message today.

Ambulance arrived within about 10 minutes. Course it took him 5 minutes to put all his PPE on to come in safely! I had shortness of breath, fast heart rate, slight temperature (but I’d taken paracetamol). Oddly had no wheeze but awful tight chest, pain down my sternum and on the side of my chest on the in breath which only the nebuliser settled. I was oddly calm. DH was obviously worried. Awful night for him.

In case it’s useful for anyone else. I spoke to my GP earlier and she thinks the message saying I’m extremely vulnerable was an error and potentially for my daughter (oncology patient), so the confusion was justified. She said the best thing to do at the moment is just keep asthma under the best possible control so to continue with the fostair.

Hope everyone’s doing okay this evening. Another day nearly done

I have had asthma for nearly thirty years but in the last three months it has been worse. Didn't get the text. I think I have the corona virus. I've been coughing for at least a week, no temperature, lots of headaches, sore throat, breathing issues, sometimes can't say a whole sentence and now today have coughed and been a bit bleurgh iykwim in my throat.

I have had a tight chest, breathlessness but only occasional cough.
My theory is that eating garlic helps. I have tried diced garlic in yogurt and it was ok to eat.

Hi i am nc so as not to out myself .Late 40's on fostair 100/6 have had to have two doses of steroids last two chest infections and antibiotics made my asthma horrendous should been in hospital but didn't go 🙈 cause i didn't want bother anyone in the middle of night got me telling off from dr .I have had no txt yet , gp surgery said wait see i get letter if not to ring and speak gp .I am in a key worker (not nhs) where i can't social distance .I am terrified of catching it and i am a very no nonsense unfazed person .But all talk lack ventilators has got me really scared .

Should added i was on montelukast but didn't get on with it .My fostair is both preventer and reliever with ventolin as back up as at one point my asthma was badly controlled.

I haven’t heard anything yet but going by asthma Uk I’m expecting to. I’m on fostair 200/6 2x 2 daily, also fexofenedine. Was prescribed montelukast but really didn’t get on with it. Was hospitalised last February so just fall outside of the year. I’m a key worker so it’s going to be hard to stay sufficiently distanced if I do t get this letter.

@wailedAndNearlyLevitated so will i .Its such a hard one i love my job but i don't see how i can keep myself safe .I had two long doses of steroids last year due to getting ill and not being able to get my asthma under control. But i don't know if that makes any odds it advice is so confusing .

I received a text and not like mycat or the longer one so I think yours is the more vulnerable one.

I'm much worse tonight. Inhaler not helped. Can't speak in full sentences more frequently and coughing a lot. Definitely got the bloody persistent cough .

My asthma ia generally well controlled - i use a Clenil modulite 100 inhaler twice a day - but i'm concerned that there's a supply problem with them - i ordered a repeat prescription kast week which dh went to collect today, and was told that none were available so i should speak to GP to ask for an alternative. I've been on it for years & don't really fancy experimenting with others now of all times :/ Can anyone recommend a similar inhaler that works well for them?

So supposadly those on Montelukast are 'vunerable'? I'm on that, Seritide inhaler and Salbutamol inhaler and have done since the age of 12, before that I was on the brown inhaler and Salbutamol. ( I'm 20 next month) Gp has tried to take me off montelukast but I have refused as if I forget to take one or the chemist delays my refill due to them being out of stock I get extremly tight chested so that proves it works (my GP is pissed I'm on them as a locum put me on them without asking her so every time I have my asthma review with the nurse she barges in and tries to take me off them and is promptly booted out by the practice nurse.)
I've not required nebuliser treatment since primary school and have not been on additional steroids or antibiotics since I was 15. I've not recieved a letter telling me to self isolate and had attributed that to being in Northern Ireland, assuming the devolved health minister hasn't sorted it out yet or we wouldn't get them over here. Found out tonight that a friend of my mum's recieved a text and she has very severe asthma (red and white inhaler) and recently diagnosed Copd (never a smoker) so there goes my theory...
Asthma/lung conditions aside, my uncle has zero immune system due to surgery to remove his pituritry gland when I was 13 due to a benign tumour and his wife has MS so both are immune compromised. My uncle also works as a bus driver doing school runs so if he hadn't been off sick due to carpal tunnel surgery his risk levels would have doubled. Neither of them have recieved any letters or texts telling them to self isolate though they are both social distinancing to the best they can.
I'm maybe lucky as I'm on sick pay/UC right now as I was recently diagnosed as having High Functioning ASD and was on several waiting lists of support etc, before Coronavirus stuck a rather large spanner in the works so 'social distancing' is pretty much my defalt state right now. I've no symptoms and in the past 2 weeks have only been out 3 times (last monday week as my grandmother had a fall and needed picking up off the floor by paramedics, who, due to the fact she's 85 and has dementia, insisted on taking her to hospital, the first time ever there where no trolleys in corridors I might add, she tends to kick off once she reaches hospital and when she gets into that state I'm better at caoming her down than mum is so any hospital visits mean 2 of us have to be there. I was out on Thursday to help mum with the main Tesco shopping as its easier for me to do my grandmother's shopping with a seperate trolley right now as if we had both our's and her's in one trolley like normal we would be over the 3 quantity limit on several items and we were not sure if the staff would believe my mum if she explained she was shopping for 2 households. I was also out last Monday to help mum with the purchase of my Nanny's M&S Mini Meals as we weren't sure if the 3 quantity rule appkied to everything, or just certain items, the plan was that if it did apply to the ready meals we would split them and go through in 2 separate lots, thankfully it doesn't apply but better safe than sorry right now.) Mum recieves carers allowance so she's dug out the letter confirming it so she has proof that she has reason to go out now that martial law- sorry, lockdown, has been implimented so I might accompany her to get shopping in future weeks but otherwise I'm staying put.
Segue aside, it seems to me the whole criteria is messed up and hudgely inconsistant and if it is the devolved government's fault in Northern Ireland: there's no suprise there as its rare they aggree on anything without a month (or 36) of bickering first.

Has anyone had the letter yet?

I haven't yet.

No

Are we all on the agreed list from asthma UK?

I don’t think I’m on the list...usually take Qvar 100 two puffs twice a day. Currently on that plus steroids..then switch to a steroid inhaler when I finish the tablets but it’s DuoResp 160mcg/4.5mcg so still on the lower side..so when I can breathe again (!) I’ll be back to my patient facing job but supposedly I’ll get a risk assessment.

I’m on the list and have had the text but no letter yet.

I think you get a text or a letter? Rather than both?

Oh OK. I know of someone who had both. The letter had more information.

Hi all,
Does anyone know what's happening in Scotland.
I'm on that second list at the bottom as I'm on fostair 100/6 x2 puffs a day as well as my blue inhaler if/when required, thinking this makes me in the high risk category but not sure.
Are all GP's going by this list or are they going off of some other guidance.
Please help, thanks.

@RDunville2000

I think those on Montelukast are only on the highly vulnerable list if they also take a preventer inhaler which puts them on the highly vulnerable list such as Fostair 200/6.

So someone on Fostair 200/6 is highly vulnerable by virtue of being on Fostair 200/6. This still applies if they also take Montelukast.

However by listing Montelukast for people who are already highly vulnerable, it's also caused some confusion for everyone else on Montelukast.

I'm on Fostair 100/6, Montelukast and our old friend, Salbutamol, and don't expect to get a text or letter. However, the Montelukast is the only thing keeping me off the Fostair 200/6 - my asthma nurse has considered putting me on that several times in the 23 months since my diagnosis.

For now I'm staying home until we're past Sunday which is when we should have received a text or letter by. If you think you should receive a text/letter and haven't by then you should contact your GP surgery.

Like you I had a rapid worsening of symptoms after stopping Montelukast. Horrified your GP is trying to take you off it if it's working well for you. For me it's been a wonder drug - made such a difference I'd cry if my asthma nurse tried to take me off it!

@Kion

By the second list, do you mean this bit about Fostair 100/6 when used as part of a Mart regime?

"100/6 one puff twice a day + 1 additional puff when necessary (if using at least 5 puffs each day on average)"

I'm also on 100/6 2 puffs twice a day, so 4 puffs a day on average. I can take up to 8 Fostair 100/6 puffs a day though, if needed and can also use my Salbutamol when needed.

Are you using your reliever inhaler, or taking reliever Fostair puffs on most days to take you up to 5 puffs on average a day?

I'm in England, so not sure about NHS Scotland but would assume it was the same unless it's been stated otherwise. Might be worth calling your GP surgery to check that they will be contacting those identified as highly vulnerable?

@CaffiSaliMali thanks, yes the second table as part of the MART plan

I take the x2 puffs twice a day of Fostair 100/6 and then also use this an extra once or twice every other day depending how I feel. But also use my blue inhaler if I need a bit extra.

I would phone my GP but I really feel bad bothering them with something non-urgent at this time.
I suppose I'll just need to wait and see, it's just frustrating to know if GP's are going to use this guidance or not! Did you get a letter then?

@Kion

I've not had a text or letter, but am not expecting to get one, unless Montelukast and Fostair 100/6 combined push me into the highly vulnerable category.

If your prescription states fewer than 5 puffs a day it's worth reminding your surgery that you take more than that each day as needed. Asthma UK says to contact GP surgery next week if you haven't had a letter/text and are expecting one, so if you don't hear anything this week I'd give them a call - better safe than sorry and I think being on the list of highly vulnerable can bring extra support from your local authority for getting food and medicine etc. So if you should be on it it's better to know so you can take extra precautions and access support

Does anyone know if it considers history or based on medication only?
I'm front line NHS, in my 50s
Im on fostair 100 and spirva, I've just started on montelukast
But I was ill over Xmas. Diagnosed chest infection in Jan. It took 3 lots of antibiotics and steroids to clear it and I'm only just getting over the cough and SOB. I totally lost my taste and smell, did wonder if it was the virus but perhaps wishful thinking
I'm very worried re working on the front line