Adult Onset Asthma, talk to me

[eandz13]

I've had breathing trouble since early March this year (completely non covid related) and I've EVENTUALLY been diagnosed with asthma. For one, I didn't know you could just develop it as an adult, and for two, I haven't had the typical wheezing/coughing associated with the condition. I've simply been short of breath every day. It feels as though I can't take a satisfying, deep breath, even at rest. As though my lungs aren't expanding the whole way. It came on very suddenly one day.
Has anybody else got any experience with developing asthma? Did it gradually develop for you, or was it pretty sudden? Did you have the wheezing and whatnot?
I'm just pretty stunned with the diagnosis, I'd put my symptoms down to having low iron (and so did my doctor originally). I'd be interested to hear others experiences.

I’ve had the shortness of breath but I believed it to be because of low iron. It’s just as you describe it. Yes you could have adult onset asthma, I found out when I was googling. Mine has gone so not sure what caused it.

@Oldmum55 thanks for the reply. Yeah, my doctor has diagnosed it as such now, but he hasn't actually performed any lung function tests to confirm it, so I'm not really completely convinced.
How long did your shortness of breath last? Was it pretty much daily? I've been experiencing for almost 8 months now! It's more irritating to me now than concerning. I kept hoping it would disappear once I gave birth (it came on whilst pregnant) but nope! Still here! 😒

Hormones play havoc with asthma. You may find it will go again. For now it should be well controlled.

Did you doctor give you a peak flow meter to use at home?

The people who know a lot seem to be Asthma UK. You can talk through your treatment plan with them. They are very knowledgeable and bang up to date, GP's are often not quite so up to date.

I was diagnosed with asthma for first time this year - mid 40s and have had breathing difficulties on and off for past 2 years. Diagnosed in hospital based on symptoms, negative covid test and clear chest x-ray. I cough all the time too.

In my case I think its plausible as I moved into a thatched cottage 2 years ago with a big garden and they think I'm allergic to hay and thatch. It got a lot worse when we were having our thatch redone for a month. Also got much worse when we got rabbits and chickens and had hay for them and once hay was hoovered up could breathe properly. I'm not totally convinced its the only thing going on but it could be. Also have family history of both sides of severe asthma.

I have low iron on and off and folate all the time but happens whatever iron level is. One thing I wonder about is kidneys but blood test says fine but I often get swelling in the feet now and currently have kidney infection and family history of kidney issues.

Mine developed suddenly though started a bit at old house then worsened rapidly when moved to thatch cottage. I have lots of coughing, wheezing not so much, more like restricted breathing. At its worst I can't lie down with it. I've just been told to take anti-histamines and avoid thatch and hay, not easy when I live in a thatched cottage with chickens and rabbits! But they were originally looking for heart issues so quite relieved when said asthma.

Test

I was diagnosed with asthma in my thirties. I think I had it long before to be honest. I often coughed at night. I never thinj about it now, apart from to take my inhaler morning and night, all year round and to always have a blue inhaler on me too. Also, when I get a chesty thing I will up the dose. My DD also has it but diagnosed as a child. My sister's family has it. I think it's a combination of family tendency and surroundings. I have cats and live in an area with lots of birch trees. But dust, cut grass, cold weather, cleaning products and mould also trigger it.

Chesty thing i.e. a bad cold or virus in case that wasn't clear!

I was diagnosed at 42. I needed to use
My inhalers for about four years. Then for the past two years, I have barely used them.

Name changed, as this post could be outing.

I developed asthma as an adult in my late 30s. I have always suffered from various allergies but I wasn’t asthmatic. That changed when I began to notice that my chest would ‘tighten up’ in bed at night, and I would struggle to breathe normally. These episodes would pass after 20 minutes or so, and I would cough up sticky mucus from my lungs.

During this period, I caught a nasty respiratory virus and was struggling to breathe for several days. I went to a NHS walk-in centre where a nurse gave me a ventolin inhaler and suggested I try it. Two puffs later, I could breathe normally. I was diagnosed as an asthmatic.

I was able to control my asthma well with ventolin for the next few years, then when I was 42 the asthma became much worse very suddenly and the ventolin wasn’t touching it. My GP then prescribed steroid based ‘preventer’ inhalers and steroid tablets which didn’t have much effect. By now my asthma was getting genuinely scary. After several very difficult months, the breakthrough came when I was prescribed a combination inhaler containing a long-acting bronchodilator and a steroid. I have taken this every day since, and will probably continue to do so for the rest of my life. I can now live a normal life as long as I take my inhaler daily which goes everywhere with me.

My suggestion, OP, is that you ask your GP for a ventolin ‘reliever’ inhaler and a ‘peak flow meter’. This is a plastic device into which you exhale and which measures the rate at which your lungs are able to breathe out. You will then be able to measure your own lung function and get to know what is normal for you, and work out when & why your breathing is problematic and what your ‘triggers’ are. Everyone’s triggers are different. Asthma is a pain and severe asthma is extremely serious and frightening but it is controllable with the right medication.

Apologies for the essay, OP. I hope some of it is useful, and
I’m happy to answer questions or clarify anything.

Yeah, my doctor has diagnosed it as such now, but he hasn't actually performed any lung function tests to confirm it, so I'm not really completely convinced
How did he diagnosed you then? Did you get an x-ray to rule out anything else?

It took two years for my adult DD to get diagnosed. She only for a proper diagnosis after a lung function test, and a number of episodes over the two years.

She was diagnosed by the community asthma team.

sort of ... I think I have undiagnosed viral-trigger version.
Finally realised that some things I do on tail end of colds aren't "normal."

I've managed it so long (like 40 years) that I don't see any need to do anything about it.

DH was once diagnosed with adult onset asthma. It turned out to the sort of asthma that goes away if it's relabeled pneumonia & treated with 3 different types of antibiotics. So I have some cynicism about how the diagnosis happens anyway.

I was diagnosed with asthma in 2018 aged 52 , but that was after an original diagnosis of emphysema in 2017 . The emphysema was diagnosed after a CT scan , the diagnosis was changed after lung function tests/ further CTs Personally I wouldn’t be happy to be diagnosed simply by a GP looking at symptoms . Have you been referred to a respiratory specialist ?

eandz13 my shortness of breath, or inability to take a deep breath and feeling I needed it, only lasted a couple of weeks. I self diagnosed as low iron, which I know I am, or even anxiety. Even had a Covid test. Luckily it went but in your case, as it’s still bothering you, have you been given medication?

I have asthma that developed after my last child was born. Very much linked to a truck load of allergies. I was basically ignored by my GP every time I went there because my blood O2 levels were perfect, even though I could barely walk up the road without being breathless. I was made to feel like a hypochondriac. “You dont have asthma!” I was told all the time. However the attitude of my GP changed when I had a near fatal asthma attack and the hospital report changed his mind. I was fortunate to have private medical insurance and saw a specialist straight away. Ridiculous to think it took a 9 month wait for the nhs appointment.

It’s not uncommon for asthma to develop in mid life. Mine is certainly down to allergies and early stages of COPD caused by passive smoking as a child. Some people think COPD and asthma are linked.

I struggle to control my asthma, I suffer from pneumonia regularly after a bad cold. Today I had a lung function test to see how my lungs are coping. I take strong antihistamines, montelocaust, and symbicort. I have my own nebuliser too.

I would say to anyone with asthma to take it seriously. If you’re prescribed a preventer please use it properly and regularly. I cannot begin to tell you how scary not being able to breathe is. Thank god my husband is a panic button and we live on the same road as an ambulance and fire station. He’d rung for an ambulance whilst I was still trying to say I will be alright in a second. I went from being a bit breathless to lungs burning and not working in seconds. And if you have no air in your lungs you can’t talk to tell anyone about it either.

Asthma kills!

Thanks for all the replies.

He basically diagnosed me by assumption since I've had no pain etc, I've now pushed for a chest X-ray and managed to get one for this Saturday. I also asked for my full blood count report which I've picked up today because the more I think about it, the more I'm not convinced it's asthma. I don't seem to have 'triggers' - no strong smells (cleaning products, smoke etc) seem to set it off, it is somewhat worse when I've exerted myself but I can bring my breathing back to a slower pace by myself without an inhaler. It's just always there, every day, no time is worse than another (except, like I say, with exercise).
My blood report is 'satisfactory' but haemogloblin, red blood cells etc are all on the lower end of normal... does breastfeeding affect what level I should be? As in, should I aim for a higher level of iron whilst BFing? They didn't ask if I was or not. I'm backtracking on myself and now believing again that it is my iron/ferritin etc and I'm just symptomatic sooner than most.
I'll try to attach pic and see what everyone thinks of my bloods

Here

And the reliever inhaler doesn't seem to actually do anything for me, either. I had a bit of a panic when I read @Fucket 's reply (I know that wasn't your intention and I really appreciate the information, it's what made me push for further tests and blood count!), and my breathing got much worse whilst I was panicking, and the inhaler didn't actually do anything - but it did work psychologically and made me think "right, it's my anxiety making my breathing worse currently since the inhaler isn't working, I'm not gonna die". Surely it would have worked if it was asthma. I'm just confused. What the hell is up with me?!

I was diagnosed with asthma after first pregnancy. Now on reliever, preventer meds. Hormonal changes of pregnancy can bring it on. Also mostly just tight chest symptoms. Diagnosed after lung function tests, and (? Spelling) methacholine push test. Worsened with second pregnancy, better after he was born. I would suggest allergy tests (go to reputable clinic who do skin prick and blood tests) as my symptoms are significantly better since managing allergies, some of which I wasn't aware of e.g. Dustmites. But get a proper assessment & diagnosis would be first suggestion.

I didn’t mean to scare you, I’m sorry about that. I think you need to mention to your GP that the reliever doesn’t work for you. Then ask for alternatives or maybe get a consultant appointment or something to diagnose what’s going on. There’s no way any of us can Diagnose you.

Exercise induced asthma is definitely a thing btw so don’t rule that out. I would say carry on taking what you are prescribed and prepare to do battle with your GP and ask all the questions you are asking here about blood count etc.

@Fucket oh no don't worry it was a useful kind of scared! It made me actually really think about it and push further instead of being 'meh' about it. I know nobody can diagnose me, but it appears my doctor is also a bit meh and I'm having to actually suggest things to him, so I'm just looking for some suggestions I can pass on!
It's making me feel like I'm doing something about it iyswim.

@Fucket also, if it is asthma, I do agree it's just exercise induced asthma. Probably not the safest thing to do but I've actually gone out of my way to breathe near cleaning products when I've sprayed them on the surface, I've stood near DP when he's been smoking etc etc to check if anything 'sets it off'. Nothing does, it just remains the same. Shit, but the same.

Doesn't seem right to diagnose asthma the way the doctor did. I was diagnosed late 20s, I had to do two weeks of peak flow monitoring before and after using an inhaler to see if the inhaler made enough of a difference to reach the diagnosis threshold. When DD was tested they had some special machine she had to blow into which was able to rule it out in her case.

I sometimes get that feeling like I can't get a proper breath but when I check my peak flow its normal so I don't think that's asthma related, iron deficiency sounds more likely (I'm prone to it so I reckon that's why I get it sometimes)

@Natsku yeah, that's partly why it's not sat right with me. My doctors are very particular at the moment about who can get a face to face appointment (understandably), and he kind of took the approach of "if you've survived with it this long, you can wait a bit longer" kind of thing. I honestly think he just said it to shut me up!

Urgh, I sympathise, its a horrid feeling even if you know you are still getting enough oxygen, just feeling like you can't can you make you all panicky and upet.

I have a very strong suspicion that some GPs take the easy way Out to get you out of the door. You could push to see an asthma nurse and get them to assess your peak flow, inhaler technique etc. They might have more of an idea. Asthmatics should be having annual reviews with their asthma nurse anyway.