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.

FourTea are you on tiotropium/spiriva?

Following.

I have a history of asthma too, lasted about was just over a year ago .. currently well managed using seretide only.

At My asthma check up recently, my asthma nurse prescribed me Montelukast but I'm not sure why it what it's for so haven't started taking it yet.

Have spare ventolin and seretide inhalers plus a pack of prednisolone in house in case I need to start taking them.

Thanks OP for starting this thread. No letter or text from the GP.

Montelukast is s long acting anti inflammatory I think. It has made the difference for me. Without it, I was still frequently wheezy even on a stronger seretide. With it, I don't often need my blue inhaler.

I'm on the LABA/ICS combi seretide, but not a LAMA (phew as that indicated no COPD!)
I've had 2 lots of pred in Dec. Originally 2 or more was indicated as being important, but now it's 4.

While I'm relieved that it's got me away from needing to be stuck in for 12 weeks, I'm still rather worried based on how ill a normal chest infection made me in Dec and taking every possible precaution and staying in as much as possible.

DH (in no way at all an essential worker - makes parts for aircraft displays atm!) is still out at work in their factory. So we aren't completely isolated and clear.

Yes, I'm on spiriva.

FourTea either earlier on this thread or on a different thread it seemed that everyone on tiotropium (Spiriva) was getting the text/letter. I'm on Spiriva because I was going through crazy amounts of prednisolone. The Spiriva apparently reduces the need for tonnes of prednisolone. I've only had one lot of pred over the past 7 months because the spiriva has replaced it/reduced the need for it.

Damn it. Last night I felt loads better. This afternoon I’ve had another asthma attack

I love spiriva. I had got to the pint with my asthma where I spent a lot of time on the couch, walking more slowly than everyone around me, spiriva was like a shot in the arm. It's been amazing having another round of being normal and I haven't had an admission or steroids since. If I have to stay indoors for a year I still wouldn't give it up. I sound like an advert 😁

Just looking for a bit of reassurance I think. I've had a funny / gravelly throat for nearly 3 weeks now and it turned into a productive cough last Wednesday. It's not too bad and my peak flow has been normal every day.

My doctor prescribed me some 'keep in hand' antibiotics and prednisolone a couple of weeks ago. When I spoke to the Dr on Wedensday she said not to take the antibiotics unless I had a 'secondary' infection with fever / started to feel better and then felt worse. Talked about viruses and anitbiotic resistance as is the usual spiel.

Today I decided to start the antibiotics. While not 'deep' or breathless, it's definitely deeper than it was and harder to cough up. I don't have any other Covid symptoms and didn't think it was that until the Dr said it was possible it was. Who knows! It's not going to hurt to take the antibiotics though is it? (I'll make sure I finish the course). Just as I don't want to take them unnecessarily, I don't want to leave it too long either!

Can anyone give clarification. Haven’t had letter or text , but am under severe asthma clinic. On biologics injections, tiotropium, azithromycin, relvar, but don’t think I’ve had 4 x pred in that time. Surely biologics also qualifies for letter?

Pebble I can tell very quickly if my chest infections are bacterial rather than viral..rattling chest, pain in my collar bones, usually bringing up phlegm..if I have those symptoms I need antibiotics. If you feel like you’ve got a bacterial infection, you may well have. Currently my symptoms are of the worst viral chest infection I’ve ever experienced with exacerbation of my asthma...I think it could well be COVID 19 due to the severity of my symptoms and that my family (who have been isolating since I showed symptoms) are mildly under the weather with coughs.

craddock yes if you’ve been told you have severe asthma and are on biologics you’re best self-isolating regardless of the letter.

Thanks FaithInfinity - it is more rattling - productive and bringing up phlegm, so I think I'm doing the right thing starting the antibiotics. It helps to have somone agree with that. I hope you start to feel better soon - take good care of yourself.

Sounds like the right call! Thanks. I’m starting to think the steroids/steroid inhalers are making me worse DH is working from home and not letting me do much! I’m just trying to rest as much as I can without atrophying! (Making myself get washed and dressed every day!).

I've never actually been taken off it. I notice a difference if I accidentily forget to take it or if I am forced to due to the chemist being out of stock (in my gp you have to list a chemist when you join and that is who all your perscriptions are dispensed to. You are not allowed to pick any up, apoarently there are high numbers of montelucast takers in my area assigned to that chemist so if a delivery doesn't come in we are all screwed. Luckily the chemist there has known me since he was a trainee under his predecessor, who knew me since before I was born, so if the GP messes up and doesn't get my perscription ready in time my chemist will 'lend' me some so I've never been more than 48hrs without them and by that point its just a very tight chest.) Luckily if there's an issue with dispensation of inhalers I can manage without them as I've trained myself to cope without them due to my idiot ex-father who's also asthmatic and when we where on the same perscription used to use my inhalers instead of ordering more (hated our chemist as he used to have a go at him about his drinking, rightfully so as he's a 'recovering' alcoholic, and the GP wouldn't let him change chemists) the GP wouldn't believe us and didn't perscribe more for either of us (logic was that if he wasn't ordering more he wasn't asthmatic) so I trained myself to only need the inhalers twice a week and when needed if I absolutely have to. This also helped immensly as we were not allowed to use inhalers in secondary school during theday so If I forgot to take them in the morning I wasn't struggling during the day. My secondary school where idiots as I got detention twice due to my inhalers falling out of my blazer pockets, which was 'substance abuse' in their eyes. My mum ended up having it out with the draconian sexist islamiphopic, slut-shaming headmistress when I was 14 as I couldn't walk the length of myself due to a severe chest infection and I wasn't allowed to use my inhaler in front of people, only in the medical room, which I never was actually allowed in to. It was only for those (boys) with nosebleeds and bruised egos. I ended up having to get a very nice locum to write me a letter saying I had to use my inhaler whenever needed or I would die to let me even carry an inhaler with me. Ican manage without inhalers if I need to but my main thing is the montelucast so if there are issues with it I'm f*ed. In that regard I probably don't need a letter but I'll admit it is confusing criteria wise as from what I can tell the criteria is different in NI from the UK and no one seems to have recieved letters, I've since found out my mum's friend didn't get a letter but asked her consultant to write her one as she works in a care home so is not only high risk, but works with high risk people and neither my aunt or uncle have revieved letters but my aunt is working from home anyways per policy (she's the boss anyways) and my uncle would be off anyway due to him only doing school runs and the school's being off until september with reduced buses and trains all over the countryso half the bus drivers are on the 80% anyways.

That's me on prednisolone and doxycycline been bad nearly 3 weeks now so praying this is corona virus.

Can I join? Asthmatic since a child but mum didn't persevere at finding the right inhaler for me as a child. Eventually properly diagnosed at 21 when I was admitted to hospital with pneumonia. I'm on symbicort but a lower dosage and I use it for both preventer and reliever. I've had 5 courses of steroids for flare ups/ infections over the last year. I'm not on the shielding list, but I'm being careful anyway.

I wish I could edit that ^^ 😂 too many 'as a child' s

Got my letter today.

Did you know you would be getting one? Do you have people to help with shopping etc?

Hello everyone im on purple inhaler cant remeber exactly the name but its on the asthma uk website as list of inhalers to put me on shielded list i have also been in intensive care due to asthma was about 14 years ago now, athma not been too bad as long as i take purple inhaler, i havent got a.letter yet and said on website if been in intensive care ever u would be on it, im not sure it would be on record as was in London when i first moved out to another county . Ive been at home the last 3 weeks went out a bit in first week but havent since 2 week on Saturday for walk in countryside down road from me.

@alwaysneedgin I was anxious I wasn't going to get one however my doctor told me I should yesterday I having home delivery but slots are getting harder and harder to get so don't know what I will do if I can no longer get slots.

I’ve had to call in sick for a bit longer. On my second course of steroids so I’ll see how I am after that.

@FaithInfinity I'm on steroids right now making me really anxious as if I do have corona then obviously I'm worried and if I don't I'm worried about catching it on top.

Hope you feel better soon and I'm sure your anxious too hopefully this will pass for all of us soon.

It sucks doesn’t it Theordoreb? It’s only the second time I’ve ever needed steroids. Never been this bad for this long. That’s my fear too, if this hasn’t been caused by COVID19 how will I be if I catch it?! Hope you feel better soon too.

How many steroids are you taking chick? I find them very helpful, are they helping? Are you on antibiotics as well?

I’m on 8 tablets a day (40mg) for 5 days - already had a set of 5. I think they’re helping!
No antibiotics as I don’t think this is bacterial - no temperature, not coughing up Phlegm, no pain across my collar bones (I’ve had enough to know very quickly when it’s bacterial). It feels like I had a viral infection and although that’s passed my lungs haven’t recovered yet. How about you?