Recovery from Asthma attack

[MrsAngelClare]

Hi,
I was wondering if anyone could share their experiences with recovering from an asthma attack. I had an episode over the weekend which started off with me feeling lightheaded and chest pains on Friday then gradually weaker until Sunday when I got an OOH Dr to come and see me. She said it was an asthma attack (I didn't know it could be a gradual thing) and I had a fever which suggested I probably had a chest infection too. She gave me steroids and anti bs to take immediately, which I did. She said that the steriods would make me feel better... Hmmm, three days on I'm still feeling weak and lightheaded. I've been back to my normal GP who tested my peak flow (pretty normal) and I also had a chest xray which came back clear. So, from the Dr's point of view I should be on the mend. I just don't feel like I am!
So, can anyone guide me on how long it should take to recover from such an episode? I can't see me going back to work this week as I feel like I might pass out at any time!
Thanks for any advice

I'm no expert, but it can take a while. I caught a cough last may which started to affect my asthma in June, the first time since I was a kid that I had any trouble with it that a quick puff of reliever wouldn't fix. I'm afraid it was the end of august before I was feeling myself again.

I think my gp had me on too low a dose of the steroids, I think that the standard dose for an adult with asthma is 8 of the little tablets (40 mg?). Not breathing properly is very tiring for the body, so it can take a while to recover. I think you're supposed to stay on the steroids until your breathing is back to normal, so if it isn't and you're nearing the end of the prescription head back to the doc and keep taking add much reliever as you need.

If your breathing is normal you may just need to be patient, but see your doctor if you're in any doubt.

If you are still feeling unusually light headed, weak and feverish your body is telling you to rest, so do not go back to work yet. It takes quite a while to recover from a severe chest infection.

Steroid tablets for asthma exacerbation are usually given in a short sharp dose - 30 - 40mg (depending on weight) per day for 5-7 days,(longer if very severe) and usually breathing will improve after the first few days. I think the idea is to get you lungs working better because if you have been going short of oxygen, nothing works well, including fighting off infection. Steroids themselves damp down the immune system, but very short course only have less of this unwanted effect.

I do not tend to get acute asthma attacks in the way people imagine, but do get the exaccerbations just as you describe, where breathing gets worse over a period of time. Although steroid help fairly quickly to damp down the inflammation in the airways that make breathing so inefficient and exhausting, it does take some time for to slowly come back to my normal.

Rest! And go back to the GP if you are not getting better.

Thank you so much for your replies, I guess that I'm probably trying to push myself too soon then. I'm in Australia so it's evening now here and I've called the OOH dr again and she's coming out (more to reassure me than anything I think)! At least here, even though you pay for the service, at least you get seen quickly.
I think it's all making me feel very anxious as well (side effect of steroids?) which is probably not helping.
Thanks again, I needed to know that I wasn't alone

Steroids do have odd effects on my mood too-up than right down. Usually my mood swings settle very quickly after the tablets stop.
Thought you must be not in UK as home visits are almost unheard of here.
Hope you are properly on the mend!

Although this is an old thred, I wanted to ask if any of you knew that steroids can increase your blood sugar to a dangerous level. I found this out the hard way while hospitalized with a COPD exacerbation. So, when you feel like you could stay up all night and paint the house while on steroids PLEASE check your blood sugar. I wasn't diabetic and it happened to me! I had to have insulin as they continued the steroids.