Could any passing asthmatics advise me please?

[PMTIsMe]

Im suffering a bit at the mo, and Im thinking it might be asthma? I had a chesty cough/cold thing a couple of weeks ago but it has left me with a really tight and sometimes sore chest (feels sort of laboured.) I feel breathless a lot- when doing the school run (walk!), but sometimes even when Im sat around too. Last night I was almost feeling slightly panicky because its unpleasant when its bad. I then seem to spend all night coughing and havent slept properly in 2 weeks. But the cough is productive whereas I thought asthma coughs were dry?? I had a go on a peak flow thing back in the summer and my result was 550, whereas now it is 300-350. Doc has said its a viral chest thing..but I also get quite wheezy after running when its cold so Im wondering itf there is a bit of an asthma thing going on. so, will it pass given Im not usually like this, or have I suddenly become asthmatic, or is it just as doc says? Any thoughts welcome. TIA.

Have they given you any antibiotics or an inhaler to see of it helps?

sounds like a friend of mine who essentially has extremely mild asthma, only ever affected when the weather is like now or when she gets a chest infection or similar, she was prescribed a ventolin for such times

Doc gave me a brown inhaler to use twice a day, south, to calm it down I think. I have to report back in a few weeks.

Sounds like mild asthma probably then. Would hate to have it bad is all i can say! Would one of those blue use-when-you-need-to inhalers help?

Thanks for replies!

Yes a blue inhaler will help with the tightness. Have you got an infection? DD's cough can be productive when her asthma has been bad for a while.

I became asthmatic at the age of 35 after a really mild chest infection. It left me with a cough for three months and every night it felt really cold in my throat when I breathed. I have a red preventer inhaler for morning and night and a blue one for relief. Apparently mid thirties is a classic time to get asthma if you've not had it as a child.

I'm currently doubling my red inhaler and using my blue one quite a lot. Had a massive coughing fit last Monday night after being in and out of cold/warm conditions several times in the evening. My doc has now put me on steroids for a few days to try and calm the inflammation in my lungs and I'm still struggling a little bit.

A big however though, I'm now 40 and this is the only time I've needed anything other than the inhalers and usually hardly touch the blue one. Try not to worry as even if you have become asthmatic, if it's mild, once you've got over this it should be almost no problem at all.

Lots of sympathy - I'm in a similar situation but I am slightly asthmatic. Definitely get a blue inhaler, they help so much.

My asthma is managed by the nurse practitioner rather than the GP, so it might be worth you trying to get an appointment to see yours on Monday :)

sounds like mild asthma to me as well.
my night cough is also a little bit productive even though I don't have a cough as such. I'm only on the blue spray if required and brown spray if I need the blue spray more than 3x a week.

It is very unusual for a doctor to go straight to a brown inhaler without trying a blue one first.

The blue ones are "relievers" and open the airways up a bit to ease the tightness and cough. Usually it's only if the blue one doesn't help adequately or if you are using it more than a certain number of times a week you then get a brown one. Brown ones are "preventers", they contain a steroid which suppresses the allergic response that causes the tightness but can take a while to reach their full effect.

Keep using it regularly and hopefully you'll see an effect soon

I would get a blue one of you are short of breath after exercise. I have really bad asthma (2 inhalers and 3 lots of tablets daily with regular steroids and still trying to get under control). Keep going back if no luck with gp, there's nothing scarier than being short of breath.

Is it unusual to be given a brown inhaler first? DS and I have both been prescribed them (by different GPs and in my pre-asthma days) for chronic coughs.

OP, I have allergies and find antihistamines helpful. Might be worth a try in case there's an allergic component to your problems.

antihistamines are not very good for asthmatics (can make asthma symptoms worse), low dose steroids (those otc nasal sprays) are usually better.

Can antihistamines really do that mousy? I've never heard that but it makes sense for my DD.

I take antihistamines every day they make my asthma a bit better I've never been offered any alternative.

Well I've learned something! I takes them daily because I have occupational allergies which also set off my asthma. I struggle to cope without them so it looks like I'll have to continue. My doctor and nurse are aware and have never mentioned a problem

hmm, I just googled to find some scientific text, but coukd only find one that said that for antihisamines to have any effect for an asthmatic person, the dose would need to be very high. might try to find a good source tomorrow.

anyway, both a lung specialist and the asthma nurse told me not to take otc antihistamines for the hayfever.

I don't take OTC ones I have them prescribed by the gp maybe it makes a difference?

Thanks for the replies, very interesting. sounds like mild asthma it is then. Will goo back and ask for a blue inhaler i think. Sympathy to those with bad asthma - this is bad enough!

PMT if it's bad go to out of hours. Really, it's such a frightening feeling, they would be understanding. Get yourself a script for some salamol then you can relax a bit.

PLEASE go to your gp and ask for an asthma check,my son gets the same symtoms as you in the cold weather,he caught a flu virus recently and it triggered a really bad asthma attack, he was in hospital for 4 days. The most frightening thing was just how fast it happened,lunch time a dry cough, tea time blue lighted to hospital. he"s fine now but is still under hospital gp.I would definatelyseek medical advice if only for peace of mind.

Hi deaconred. I have been back to the docs since I posted the first time. She still isnt totally sure if it is asthma since I dont seem to be responding to the inhaler at all. Peak flow is 280 mornings now, and 320 ish evenings (down from my normal 550 ) She has now got me on predisolone (steriod tablets.) I did actually feel a bit better for the first 2 days but today feel bad again. Im feeling pretty down tbh. Sore back, tight chest, slightly breathless, no energy and a bit spacey. She has arranged for a chest x ray Monday. I dont look particulalry unwell, a bit tired and wan perhaps, so feel fraudulent. Mightily fed up

I know a couple of people who seem to have had similar, a viral chest complaint, tho not been sent for an x ray. Wierd. Hopefully by Monday either the tablets will be working or the x ray will confirm/deny stuff.