Adult asthma ?

[generallygenial]

I'm wondering if I have asthma or if this is normal...others don't seem to have these symptoms but not sure if worth bothering the GP! I was diagnosed with exercise induced asthma as a teenager, with similar symptoms. But haven't taken any inhalers in about 10 years (had salbutamol prn and beclometasone regular) as I stopped exercising and had no more symptoms. I also have eczema so am a bit 'atopic'(!) but no food allergies.

Triggers-

• Cold air (mild chest tightness and coughing if walking, severe chest pain/burning/tightness/coughing/wheezing if jogging or running- it's awful)
• Cooking anything involving chilli- I will have severe coughing until im almost sick even if I am in a different room with the door closed
• Exercise - unless it's around 15 degrees or above I will be coughing and wheezing after reps
• Central heating- makes me cough
• Evenings when tired- coughing

I'm very fit and not overweight so I don't think this is caused by being unfit. But I REALLY struggle in winter when others don't seem to!

Any experiences of anything similar? Don't want to waste GP's time if this is 'normal'.....

I would say that sounds like fairly typical asthma, especially if you were diagnosed in the last! See a doctor, you’re putting your life at risk leaving asthma untreated.

Thanks, I guess I don't really feel like my life could be at risk

I only had one asthma attack (I think it was anyway) where I really felt I couldn't breathe at all when exercising age 15 or so. It eventually got better with salbutamol but that was the only scary thing that happened.

The rest is just very annoying, and tiring when I can't stop coughing!

It’s very easy for it to tip over into something more serious, when you catch a cold etc if you’re already fighting hard against untreated asthma. The coughing is an asthma attack. Both my kids have cough variant asthma and the constant coughing is a sign that they need to see a doctor within 48 hours to have a review.

Sounds like asthma. A well managed preventive inhaler will get rid/reduce the coughing and make it easier to exercise.

I counted how many times I've coughed today- 53 separate times. I do not have covid. I test twice a week for work & have been negative throughout the year. I cough when I wake up, early hours of the morning, when I go to bed, when I go outside, when I come inside, when I get into work (nhs ward- not a great place to be walking round coughing at the moment!) when I talk, when I exercise, always really! It's worse in winter & in the summer I take 3 antihistamine a day & it suddenly occurred to me when I was talking to a friend about our children's asthma symptoms that the cause of my constant cough could also be asthma. I'm going to try & get hold of a peak flow meter & do that for 2 weeks before I speak to gp as I've got a feeling that's the first thing they'll say to do. Hope you get sorted

It sounds like my asthma. Please go to GP/ get inhalers again. I left it for ages as it was "just coughing" and then had a "proper" asthma attack where I just couldn't breathe. I was sat on couch watching my toddlers play, no trigger, just managed to dial emergency for an ambulance. I was sure the kids were going to watch me die. It was horrific. But I now have a daily preventer and ventolin reliever and it's much more under control.

Yes it’s asthma. You’ve been diagnosed with asthma. Asthma is a chronic health condition. It may be barely noticeable and well controlled for years and years, and then get worse and limit you and be severe later.
It’s not something that you are ever “cured” of. So this is simply your asthma cycling back to being worse.

As others have said, it sounds like asthma. I probably had mild asthma all my life, but it worsened in my late 30s when I got a tentative diagnosis, but then it went away. Came back with a vengeance in my mid-50s.

Thank you all for challenging my preconceptions of asthma!

I was diagnosed with 'exercise induced asthma' as a teenager which is why I thought it was less severe/not as risky/gave up with inhalers when I stopped exercising so much when I was about 18.

I also didnt realise asthma could come round in cycles.

@PaquitaVariation I hadn't heard of cough variant asthma. That does sound most like me, although it is worse and more symptoms when multiple triggers eg. exercise in cold air

@suzuki650 good plan with the peak flow meter, I will buy one this week and keep a track. I have been coughing a lot since yesterday evening. Lateral flow test today negative!

@mylittlepony374 that sounds so scary, I'm so glad you're ok and asthma now well under control

Did your doctor advise coming off inhalers? I know some doctors like people to taper down but others seem to disagree!

Also in cold air wear something over your mouth (easy to do at the moment!).

@splodgetastic I don't believe so, I went away to uni and I think just stopped taking them. I wasn't on a huge dose anyway. Then with the chaos of starting uni, I sort of got lost to follow up as registered permanently with the surgery in my university town.

Yes, wearing a mask while walking to work has been really helpful!!

I think you should visit the doctor as you just came off them without any specific advice to do so. I did the same and got a bollocking when I eventually presented to a doctor with a chest infection that needed steroids to calm it down. But since then the practice nurse has been trying to reduce my dose. She says because it will make it easier when I’m older to then up the dose but I suspect cost reasons.

You've reminded me I had a pretty bad chest infection needing antibiotics in my first year of uni. I don't remember my asthma being mentioned and there was no follow up after that (I think? Unless I just didn't go for review when I should have done...)

It can be different for everyone, I was diagnosed at 40! I used to cough at night and it was whilst getting my son diagnosed that the nurse turned to me and said, oh yes, youve got it too-look at the rings under your eyes! I was sleeping poorly due to my coughing and even now, nearly 20 years later, I have to work hard at keeping my peak flow level acceptable.
Def see your GP, it can be pretty well controlled when you get the meds right. Good luck.