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What is wrong with me? Some sort of bronchospasm thing and nothing much is being done. Asthma?

7 replies

hmc · 08/03/2013 12:31

I've been suffering an upper respiratory tract thing with tickly irritating cough and white sputum for around a fortnight. I've generally felt okay with it except for finding the coughing annoying. The coughing has been considerably worse at night - waking me 4/5 times for fits of hacking. That had reduced to once per night and I woke at 4.30 on Wednesday to cough - and then couldn't breathe - AT ALL - for a 1-2 minutes. I was trying to inhale with all my might and nothing was happening - was making a death rattle noise. It gradually eased off, but then I coughed and same thing happened again. It was terrifying. At that point dh called ambulance.

It eased before ambulance arrived but they took me in anyway. By the time I got to hosp my breathing was normal, I felt fine. My oxygen sats were normal, a chest x-ray was fine and my bloods. They didn't say so but probably thought I was a drama queen. They did a peak flow but the 10 year old casualty doctor (honestly - she was a bit green bless her) didn't comment on whether that was as it should be. They said they thought it was bronchospasm and they sent me home with a salbutamol inhaler and told me to go to my GPs in the next week or two to investigate whether or not I had asthma.

Later that day I got increasingly worried about the impending night ahead and so rang my GP practice. The Practice nurse asked me to pop in and tried to reassure me - she said it probably wouldn't happen again but that if it did to contact her tomorrow.

That night I slept sitting upright - hoping that would help. No problems

Last night I slept supine - no problems

This morning I have coughed a few times and had that same airways spasm issue - I didn't panick and managed to take some salbutamol and it eased off. But this isn't normal is it?

I must have adult onsett asthma or something?

I've rung surgery to ask Practice Nurse to phone me

OP posts:
hmc · 08/03/2013 12:33

Sorry its long

OP posts:
Sidge · 08/03/2013 12:40

It's not uncommon to have bronchospasm after a viral or bacterial upper respiratory tract infection.

If you had absolutely no respiratory symptoms before your recent illness and it's only been going on for a couple of weeks I would roll with it, but see the practice nurse when you are fully receovered if the night coughing or bronchospasm persists.

I'm a practice nurse and we've been seeing patients by the truckload with a lingering virus causing an awful cough with bronchospasm, it can last up to 6 weeks. Salbutamol often helps.

hmc · 08/03/2013 12:46

Ok thanks Sidge - that's helpful to know that

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LIZS · 08/03/2013 12:54

I'm currently under hospital for similar, if less acute symptoms, which became apparent last winter. It is thought I have/had an inflammation or narrowing of small airways, probably post viral, which is being treated as asthma atm. Am now awaiting results of ct scan and blood tests to rule out allergy and sinus problems.

hmc · 08/03/2013 13:40

If you don't mind awfully LIZS would you mind keeping me posted on your progress - in case there are emerging parallels?

Did the clinicians investigate further immediately or did you keep going back to docs saying that something was wrong?

Don't want to be a hypochondriac - but actually it is quite surprising that I have escaped asthma since I have the cluster of allergies often associated with it (grass pollen, house mites, cats). I don't want to have asthma you understand, its just that if I do have it I could do with some management advice....

OP posts:
LIZS · 08/03/2013 13:46

No problem . I eventually went to my gp with the persistent cough (was making me sick and at times I just couldn't stop long enough to catch my breath) , she referred me to practice asthma nurse for assessment who referred me to hospital.

hmc · 08/03/2013 13:58

Thanks LIZS - I am glad that they are looking into it for you

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