Are you asthmatic? Can I have a bit of advice please??

[twiglett]

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I'm sorry to hear your asthma is being troublesome. Don't worry too much about using ventolin as you need it. It's also used in much higher doses to prevent premature labour. As others say, though, if you need it more and more, that's a sign your condition is deteriorating and more needs to be done. The Asthma Campaign people are a source of useful info and have an advice line. Hope you improve v soon.

oh you poor thing. My asthma got really bad during my pregnancies. It was so awful that I called my gp in los angeles in desperation (i was waking up 3 or 4 times a night with attacks) and he prescribed a long acting inhaler that really helped get through the nights. I don't remember what it was called. Definitely keep it up with the preventors, they will help after a while. Also, eucalyptus based cough sweets help when you are feeling tickly in the throat. Sometimes I think they even prevent an attack coming on. It helps to remain calm...difficult I know when your lips are turning blue and you can't breath. It might help also to make sure that you avoid foods that aggravate asthma (wine, dried fruits, msg etc.). Get a list from your gp or get that book that lists all the e numbers and tells you all the ones that aggravate asthmatics.

my asthma got much much worse during pregnancy because I had to come off my usual medication (singulair montelukast tablets) - but I had great results from acupuncture. Ended up better than it had ever been. The practioner I went to specialised in peri natal work. its on the pricey side but worth a try if you do want to avoid drugs.

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Twiglett - sorry haven't been on computer for last couple of days. As others have said, it is better to take medication to keep asthma controlled than suffer an asthma attack. Better to take steroids when needed - will not harm pregnancy. Hope you are starting to feel better now.

So perhaps there is some truth in the findings then! My asthma virtually disappeared last time, and my hay fever too..... and I was carrying a boy. We'll test the theory again... my asthma has worsened this time.... so perhaps a girl?

I developed asthma for the first time during my 2nd pregnancy, and she was a girl ( 1st was DS )I coughed for about 8 weeks solid before my GP gave me inhalers which I still use now occasionally.

Thankfully I was able to manage it ok, my SPD was worse!!!!

I'm very interested to hear that carrying a girl may have been the trigger.

DD is 17mths now, and I think she has asthma, as I have put on another thread, she has a cough every 2 weeks.

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On the plus side, twiglett, when your asthma is well controlled, you actually have "stronger" lungs than non-asthmatics (built up all those muscles gasping for breath, I assume!!) - on those peak flow tests I always scored "above average" when healthy which is apparently what they expect for asthmatics and woodwind/brass musicians....

twiglett, you should be prepared to take it easy through the whole pregancy. I found that with both pregnancies I would have to keep a chair at the top of the stairs so that I could sit down for a few mintues after climbing them or else I would literally pass out. With my second pregancy, my ds could run faster than I could walk, I was so breathless. I was extremely fit before getting pregnant. And happy to say, if not fit now (dd is 17 mo.) at least I am no longer breathless and my asthma is back to normal (use an inhaler once or twice a month for wheeziness....attacks only once every few months).

Twiglett

Glad you're feeling better

I went back to the Asthma nurse today - not needing the steroid tablets at the moment. Am back sleeping through the night (hurrah!!) and feel great in the morning.

I still suffer coughing/breathlessness as the day goes on and am now using my Blue Inhaler a bit less. I've been told to use the Brown one as I am at the moment for another week, then perhaps cut back down to 2 x 2 puffs a day.

Didn't go out to the Pub last night as I felt the smoky environment might knock me back again. Made the right decision as the girls at work told me today that they were struggling as it was very smoky (and they're non-asthmatics!!).

And KS, definately agree with your comment about GP surgeries and neglect!

My GP just flung the inhalers at me, told me to read the instruction leaflets and "see how you go!!!!" The Asthma nurse I see now was horrified that no-one had bothered to show me how to use the inhalers correctly (made me use it in front of her to check) and was particularly horrified at the "see how you go" comment.

Her advice now is to avoid the GP altogether and to see her. She's told me to contact her at any time at the surgery and if she can't see me, then she'll ring me back. And I have another appointment to see her in 4 weeks for another assessment (unless I get worse in between) and then I'll see her at regular intervals during the year.

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Peak Flow Monitors are great - I charted for months when I was about 14 just out of interest (yeah... I was sad like that). Took me ages to work out why my peak flow used to halve every Wednesday evening without fail until I twigged that was the night I went to a drama group where all the adults were chain smokers... who says there's no evidence that passive smoking has an effect?!

I'm pleased you can breath again, Twiglett! Peak flow readings are a good tool. We did ds2's for years and years, lots of lovely charts to do. He got so used to it that he could pretty accurately predict what the reading would be. Stay well!

My Peak-Flow Meter was quite literally a life-saver. I had the beginning of an asthma attack but hadn't been using a PFM long enough to know what my normal level should me. I can still remember the panic in the nurse's voice over the phone when I innocently told her I had a reading of 110 (my normal level is about 440!) Needless to say she phoned for an ambulance pretty quickly!