Any asthmatics here got through coronavirus - did you do anything differently re medication etc

[Apocketfulofposies]

I have moderate asthma - mainly manifested as a cough. Have never had a major attack (touch wood) though often respond quite badly to various food triggers. I take Fostair on a MART regime (100/6 two puffs twice a day plus when needed as reliever which is rare - maybe once a month or so).

I had a coronavirus positive result from a test yesterday - I think symptoms started on 26th Dec so today would be day 8. My oximeter oxygen levels have been fine all along though they have shown a fast heartbeat since Dec 25th - about 120 - (so perhaps that is when it started?) which has decreased so it was 99 this morning which I am more comfortable with. This morning however I do have a bit of a crackle when lying down but that stops when I cough and my chest clears. It is fine when sitting up.

Sorry that is a lot of info. My question is if you are asthmatic and had coronavirus did you do anything different with medication - I could in theory up my fostair as maximum puffs per day is 8 so I could take whenever I have a coughing bout. But I have also read about the problems of taking steroids and the relationship between that and making you more susceptible to viruses. And is fast heartbeat alone enough to seek medical advice?

Thanks

Ill reply but I haven't had coronavirus and this is just from a conversation with my GP as I shielded. He did say that if I had problems with my asthma to contact them rather than up my steroids which is what I would normally do. I believe there is some concern about steroid use and coronavirus. But I would speak to your GP about your own circumstances.

Thanks @HerculePoirotsGreyCells

My adult dd has struggled with control of her asthma since June, been very stable since she was 8. In October she had antibody test as she works in the care industry and it was positive but she doesn't know when she had it so obviously no symptoms.
After a chest xray a couple of weeks ago she has been diagnosed with long Covid, had a bad time Boxing Day more inhalers and now on 5 days of steroids but she is now breathing better.

Hopefully you will be fine but i would get medical advice as you are asthmatic.

My teen ds had Covid and was quite ill with it. I was worried as he is prone to chest infections and has ABPA. He did have to sit up in bed for 24 hours as he found he couldn't breathe lying down and he had slight cough but nothing more than that.
Hope you feel better soon.

Covid didn’t affect my asthma at all. I have controlled asthma and take a strong preventer twice a day. I did have shortness of breath and a horrendous, painful cough but I didn’t have to use my reliever and I didn’t alter any of my medication. I found if I laid on my stomach when I was feeling short of breath it really helped. Hope you feel better soon

First time the gp prescribed prednisolone and antibiotics as I was suffering a lot with shortness of breath. Blue inhaler wasnt doing anything.

This time round has been mild and I've just upped my use of the blue inhaler. Have also steamed myself a couple of times each day and use a humidifier at night as these are things that helped the first time.

I also found lying on my stomach hugely helpful which surprised me.

I was positive a couple of weeks ago and by day 3 I could feel it had gone to my chest . I phoned 111 and they started me on oral steroids and gave me a prescription for antibiotics if I got worse . By day 6 my chest was still feeling ropey and the GP told me to start taking the antibiotics , and suggested I should have started them with the steroids as a precaution . I'm off both now , two weeks on , and I've only had the odd day of wheezing . I was also advised to go to my maximum inhaled steroids . Normally I'm well controlled on minimum inhaled steroids . I do think it helped me getting worse in all honesty.
My chest still doesn't feel right though so I'm going to ring GP Monday to see if they will listen to my chest or do an X-ray to check for residual infection.
I'd say if you are at all concerned , just give 111 a call.

@Porcupineintherough have you had it twice ?

Yes.

This may be a silly question from an asthmatic @girlofthenorth but how do you know if it has gone to your chest. I hear a slight crackle but then when I cough it clears all the phlegm and crackle disappears.

I had a positive test in October. My asthma presents as a cough and has been well controlled until this year. I had a continous cough from early September but tested negative at that point. I was tested again in late October at my GP's request as I was still continually coughing. This test came back positive. The coughing only settled just before Christmas. I was given antibiotics and oral steroids in October and had the same in September due to a crackle in my left lung. I was also advised to up my inhalers. The reliever inhaler didn't help at all. Hope you feel better soon.

I was positive over xmas and have asthma and allergies, and overweight and 40. But it never really hit my chest, and I never coughed.

All I got was a sore throat, so didnt need to do anything.

I had suspected Covid-19 back in March (before widespread testing). The doctors prescribed steroids via the phone and warned me to dial for an ambulance if I could not breathe - "don't leave it too long". It did go on my chest and I increased the inhaler dosages, along with the pills. Oddly enough, it was worse at night so I spent most of the day asleep and the nights propped up on pillows.

Rest more than you think you should and be pro-active with your medication.

I found myself using my blue inhaler more to try and cope with the breathlessness, but I'm not sure it really did anything - it was more out of habit. That bit only lasted a few days though, so I never got round to contacting anyone to try and get alternative medication (it was over Christmas so GP was shut). But it was bad while it lasted - couldn't walk up a flight of stairs without panting by the time I got to the top - lots of breathing in through nose and out through mouth helped as well.

DS and I are both asthmatics and he tested positive on Tuesday - no cough

We've both got into a better pattern with our inhalers and are tracking peak flows. I have an oximeter but it doesn't seem very reliable so I've given up with it - at one point my SATs were 74% !

@NK346f2849X127d8bca260

My adult dd has struggled with control of her asthma since June, been very stable since she was 8. In October she had antibody test as she works in the care industry and it was positive but she doesn't know when she had it so obviously no symptoms. After a chest xray a couple of weeks ago she has been diagnosed with long Covid, had a bad time Boxing Day more inhalers and now on 5 days of steroids but she is now breathing better.

Hopefully you will be fine but i would get medical advice as you are asthmatic.

My teen ds had Covid and was quite ill with it. I was worried as he is prone to chest infections and has ABPA. He did have to sit up in bed for 24 hours as he found he couldn't breathe lying down and he had slight cough but nothing more than that.
Hope you feel better soon.

My GP is convinced I've already had Covid, my asthma has been stable (in other words no inhalers) for over 10 years, yet this past 9 months I've had a cough and slight chest tightness. I spoke to the doc about a month or so ago and he said he's seen lots of patients with the same story and the common theme seems to be asthma triggered by Covid. So I'm now back on the inhalers again

@Apocketfulofposies

This may be a silly question from an asthmatic *@girlofthenorth* but how do you know if it has gone to your chest. I hear a slight crackle but then when I cough it clears all the phlegm and crackle disappears.

It felt like it was lower , really horrible sensation, like something was moving around, really fruity chesty , with yellow phlegm . Now it's different , like you say , a crackle that goes away .

I am asthmatic and had confirmed covid OP. My asthma was unaffected, I did ensure I was taking my full dose of my steroid inhaler. I was short of breath on occasion but not wheezy. I would say a crackle on your lungs is something to maybe call your gp about as it is not a part of normal breathing, you might need steroids or antibiotics for a chest infection. Not freaking out about having covid in the context of being asthmatic was my bigger battle. I intentionally exercised daily after recovering from covid to try to max out lung functioning in case of any lung damage.

@JigSaw879 how long did the breathless go on for ? I'm more breathless today, day 16/17 and chest more tight .OP how are you doing ? I'm going on second lot of Antibiotics .

Following

@girlofthenorth the breathlessness came and went for weeks. I wasn’t gasping but regularly just found myself breathless. I also had palpitations but they have mostly ceased now. Its an odd virus.

I put this on the other thread I started too but in case anyone wants an update. 111 sent me to a&e to get checked over yesterday. They did bloods and chest X-ray and ECG.

ECG showed fast heartbeat but steady and doctor said not to worry about this as his still fast seven months after covid. X-ray showed mild covid signs and he said no way to know if will worsen but some people have heat Xrays like that on day 3 so to have it on day 9 is not too bad and then showed me a bad case X-ray to compare. Bloods were fine which was good. He also said v helpful to have a baseline in case admitted in future.

He said because of fast heartrate and family heart history he would have given me beta blockers except they make asthma worse. He gave me precautionary antibiotics though to start immediate (blood did show slight infection but v low - I think it may be infected toenail ) and also prednisolone to take only if I start to wheeze.

Am under strict orders to return of home oximetry goes below 92

Obv I am now obsessively checking the oximetry