Asthma

[YokoReturns]

I had asthma as a child, it started after a bout of the measles (I was born pre-MMR). I was on ventolin and becotide until I left home.

I've wheezed on and off as an adult but last summer felt quite poorly so went to the GP.

First GP was unhelpful and told me he couldn't hear my chest with my newborn wailing Second GP got me to do a peak flow test which was 'the best he'd ever seen'. I play woodwind instruments and breathe using my diaphragm, which might explain this. But I'm no further forward in terms of preventing wheezing.

I am having a really uncomfortable evening with wheezing and itching and wondered if anyone could advise me as to how to get help for my asthma? I've got an emergency ventolin inhaler, but I'd really like to control it better.

I read something on Facebook yesterday about placing cut lemons in your bedroom, and how they help to clear airwaves. Might be worth a try?

I'm prepared to give anything a go!

Go back to the GP/nurse and ask if you can track your peak flow for two weeks, you do it morning, noon, and night and plot it on a graph to see if there's variation. I have allergy induced asthma and mine would be worse at night, even though it was still in the ok range of most people I felt very wheezy.

I then got flixitide inhalers and montelucast tablets to control it, though I don't need them anymore as I've eliminated the allergen from my life.

You could also try over the counter anti histamines as it sounds like it could be hay fever/allergy related.

Does your surgery have an asthma nurse? I have silent asthma, you can't hear the wheeze, brown inhaler helps with it as a preventer and blue for treatment, I too come out well on a peak flow but I run and think that's why, i was diagnosed as an adult after a computer blowing test, you blow out candles and balloons on the computer! It came about after an immense amount of chest infections and I get a lot of mucus in the mornings. A dehumidifier helps, I'm worse with damp, you need to find out what your trigger is.

Though the itching could be connected to hay fever my dd has an inhaler for that alongside antihistamine

I think my trigger is pollen, also change of temp and exercise.

I shall book an appointment with the asthma nurse. Thank you all

Second the notion of finding an asthma nurse - often GPs are uninformed and (worse) uninterested when it comes to asthma, as it's not considered serious. It really can be though, so you need to pursue this (not that you weren't going to anyway; just underlining seriousness)!

Google 'GINA asthma' and you should find the global asthma treatment guidelines PDF. I used to work in this area (medical communications; not a GP myself but very familiar with the relevant scientific literature) so can answer questions on it if wanted.

I hope you get some answers!

Thank you contessa - I'd always imagined you as a character in a Mozart opera so am now furiously reimagining you based on your advice

You're welcome Yoko I'd love to be a science-savvy opera character - beats RL!!

Definitely worth trying an antihistamine too, if you aren't already.