Colds and asthma

[Dilbertian]

I've caught my first cold since being diagnosed with asthma last year. One of my symptoms was that I would cough for weeks or even months after recovering from a cold. I'm on 3 puffs daily of Pulmicort.

I can't remember whether I'm supposed to increase the Pulmicort as soon as I catch a cold, or only if I start coughing from it, or only if I end up with a lingering chronic cough after I recover from the cold.

Anyone advise?

Call your GP and ask. Surely it depends on your personal asthma history.

It's Saturday.

Also have had very poor advice on asthma from GPs. I generally try to get an appointment with the Asthma Nurse, but have to book weeks in advance.

Try calling 111 NHS line then. They can have an out of hours GP call you if you can’t wait until Monday.

Pulmicort is a preventer inhaler and so you would normally have a second reliever inhaler (usually blue salbutamol) to use to help when coughing. Pulmicort is also a corticosteroid so I wouldn’t increase dosage without first speaking to a professional?

My mistake - I'm on 3 puffs of Symbicort, which is combined preventer and reliever.

(I was originally on Pulmicort.)