Made asthma worse?

[frustrationcentral]

Hi

I was diagnosed as asthmatic as a young child, seemed to very much get better the older i got. No inhalers prescribed for at least the last 10 years. 12 years since my last steroid requirement for a flare up. Rarely any issues since.

Back in April I had awful hay fever, no temp but typical hay fever symptoms. Ever since I've had chest tightness and a slight cough. Nothing major, all through the summer put it down to hay fever still.

It's continued and the other night woke me up. So I contacted the doctor this morning to ask about possibly having inhalers again.

His first comment - have you had Covid. I replied - not that I know of. He said I bet you have! And this is the after effects! He said they've seen a fair few patients who outgrew asthma to have it reappear after confirmed Covid

Is this really a thing? I wondered how many others have had the same thing?!

I hadn't needed my inhalers for many years until after I had Covid, so yep this is a thing.

Yup, I had a few asthma attacks during my 2nd week of covid, have had to double up my steroid inhaler since. I haven't had an asthma attack in years and years!

That's happened to me too, haven't used an inhaler for years, now after having covid in October I've been prescribed them again.

I suspect (though not test confirmed) I had it in March. Cough, breathless, fatigue.

I am asthmatic and barely used a ventolin (in fact pre-march I had last used the previous summer). March I was using ventolin 5 plus times a day (2/3 puffs each time). I was also prescribed a preventer which I hadn't been using since maybe 3 years previous, my asthma was massively under control until that point.

I am only just coming out the other side of this now, this week I've not needed my ventolin at all. The first time in months.

Again, I don't know for certain I had covid back in March, we have since isolated with symptoms again in October (this time tested, but negative) and this week we are isolating again due to youngest having a cough (awaiting results). But nothing has flared my asthma like March did and it has taken months to get back to relative normality breathing wise.

I had a virus at the end of last year, and my asthma has been awful since. I went from just being on a brown inhaler, to having montelukast each day and a MART regime, plus have needed a course of steroids and using my blue inhaler more than I had ever imagined, all in the past year. Covid wasn't meant to be in the country then, but GP said she would be interested to know what the result is if I get an antibody test in the future, as she has seen many patients in exactly this situation.

I have asthma (since childhood) I was quite ill early feb with what would now be covid symptoms, my asthma this year has been the worst its ever been im constantly wheezing and short of breath and had to reintroduce the steroid inhaler but still going through a ventolin inhaler about 1 a month. Last prescription I got the pharmacist told me I need an asthma review but then said they won't see me due to covid, it can wait apparently

I'm convinced I had covid at the end of Feb/beginning of March. during half term ds developed a cough, headache, extreme tiredness and a slight temperature that lasted for 3-4 weeks. I caught it from him about a week later.

I havn;t had a new inhalor prescription for 3 years but my breathing was terrible for those 3 weeks. I had a new inhaler in March and I used it all up by last week.

I tested positive for covid mid October and my asthma seems to really have flared up! It was really well controlled- I hardly used my blue pump. I've got a weird bubbling on one of my lungs and get short of breath easily. I've had my brown pump doubled and I'm using my blue pump loads more! I've got an asthma check tomorrow so hopefully they'll be able to sort things out! Then it'll just be the aches in my joints to sort!

DS2 (7) is talking about feeling breathless more than usual. His symptoms tend to be seasonal so it's not surprising at this time of year, but the weather hasn't been cold enough to trigger it as usual.

I suspect that 8 months absence of parkruns and football and only two months of being back at swimming and karate before the most recent lockdown have affected his cardiovascular fitness. We've tried to keep active on walks, but it's hard to inspire a child to run around much when its illegal for us to meet other families.

Nothing to suggest that our household has been exposed to Covid.

Apr
Really sob. Like others i hadnt used preventers for years. But ventolin didnt help. I had used ventoilin for cold usually. It's an odd feeling it's not wheeziness. I also had upper back pain and in left lower ribs.

Do a phone asthma review. I bought myself a peak flow and thats only 410-20 now im sure it used to be over 450. My usual problem was phlegm and this isnt like that.

Annoying too gov making out covid not an issue fo r asthmatics so not prioritised for a vax.

We had a ... thing in March which has made my asthma spiral to the point of needing to shield due to the amount of steroids I’ve had.

I know of an asthmatic this has happened to - asthma never bothered him, massive asthma attack during covid and not settled since (with long covid too).

Wow

The doctor was absolutely convinced. It's not worth me paying for an antibodies test is it, as if it was long enough ago I could now present as no antibodies? Not that it would change anything but I'm intrigued!

@frustrationcentral

Wow

The doctor was absolutely convinced. It's not worth me paying for an antibodies test is it, as if it was long enough ago I could now present as no antibodies? Not that it would change anything but I'm intrigued!

I had antibodies done in September & they were negative but I’ve never had anything make my chest throw such a long shitfit

I have cough variant asthma and use a symbicort inhaler daily.

Never had an attack (other than coughing fits where I can't breathe) and never used to have 'classic' asthma symptoms other than occasionally a little wheezy.

I now get out of breath, but it's weirdly specific. I work in a local version of a supermarket and I'm able to move heavy cages, stock etc with no issues. But when I'm on the checkout I get out of breath after serving customers, so could be the talking from serving? There's no chairs so standing up, after 10-15 mins I struggle to breathe and it's more embarrassing than anything.

I guess I'll never know if I've had it (if I did would have been back in March when DH was still travelling to London for work) and this is interesting.

Needed my asthma inhaler in bed as I woke up the other morning.

Yeah made it a lot worse for months. Had to double my symbicort and started on montelukast, had 3 courses of steroids, had not had any real issues in 10 years, has only started settling properly in last couple of months and was unwell in march, although am still breathless at times but that feels like a seperate issue and is mostly made worse by eating.

I've been to see the asthma nurse today, they've changed my inhaler to see if that improves my breathing. They listened to my lungs and they sound clear so Lord knows what the weird ruttle is! I've got to ring back in a couple of weeks to see how I'm getting on. Fingers crossed it helps then its just the achey joints to sort!