Does this sound like normal Flu or asthma?

[Rainbow28x]

I was diagnosed with mild asthma as a child and now I'm in my late twenties I only take my blue inhaler when I'm ill or I have hayfever, as it really affects my breathing. I've always thought being so short of breath is normal, so I've never expressed concerns with a dr and I can't remember when the last asthma review I had was, I just usually sit down until it passes. I'm short of breath everyday, whether it's walking up the stairs or going on a short walk etc. Sometimes just standing up makes me dizzy and short of breath! I wouldn't say I'm fit, but I wouldn't say I'm unfit either (running around after two young children.) I try to avoid exercise apart from walking as I can get into a right state with my breathing!

Anyway, since last Saturday I've been suffering with what I think is flu. Saturday and Sunday I had the worst fever of my life where one minute I was shivering (even with 4 blankets on) to the next waking up in a completely soaked bed. Since then I've had an on and off fever and most of the day I still feel really hot, but not as bad as it was. I've now developed a dry cough but I am so short of breath, even between the coughing fits. My blue inhaler isn't doing much and I just can't stop coughing which is making my breathing even worse! My chest feels tight and I'm finding it hard to even talk because I can't catch my breath properly. I haven't really been eating because the coughing is making me feel like I'm going to be sick and again when I'm eating I panic a bit because I can't breath properly. I've arranged a telephone appointment with the GP this afternoon, but I was just asking for some advice really! As I've never really be spoken to about asthma I have no idea what to look out for or how to improve it! Obviously this could just be normal for the flu, but my husband caught it too and he's had no breathing problems whatsoever!

Many thanks

Sounds like you need a daily inhaler. The blue one is only supposed to be used as extra help.

Good luck with your appointment this afternoon.

I'm glad that you've got an appointment with the doctor this afternoon. It sounds like asthma. I use a brown inhaler (preventative one) twice a day. When I don't I feel as you have described. Best of luck.

Sounds like you need some oral steroids for now, and a proper asthma review with the prescription of a daily preventative inhaler. You should not be feeling short of breath every day and unable to exercise, this isn't normal. Best of luck with your appointment.

What you describe is asthma. You should be taking a daily preventer. Ask for a peak flow meter and monitor your output. You may also have a chest infection post flu, so will need oral steroids as well. You need to get on top of this and keep it under control.

As a fellow-asthma sufferer, being out of breath from a short walk is not normal. Have you ever told your asthma nurse? It sounds like your asthma is not under control at all, and as everyone else has said, you should have a daily preventer. Paula Radcliffe has asthma, Bradley Wiggins (infamously) has asthma - it should not be impacting your everyday life like this!

Id suggest anaemia for some of your symptoms, and peri menopause as well.

Thank you everyone. I'm glad I made this post as it's just something I've learned to live with and didn't realise it wasn't normal!

I did book an asthma review a few days ago as I was struggling, so I've got that in a few weeks. I did do a few peak flows at the doctors years and years ago, but I always scored so badly they'd keep making me retake them saying I wasn't doing them properly! 🙄 but I just don't have a lot of breath!

@KangarooKenny
I had my baby 3 months ago and had low iron during pregnancy and it hasn't been checked since, so I can also get that checked, thank you 😊

Jesus how has a, presumably, GP diagnosed you with asthma and then not ensured you have regular asthma reviews? Anyway, yes you may have flu, yes that may exacerbate asthma. Either way if you’re struggling to breath you potentially need additional help like montelukast and/or prednisone. If you have difficulties in any normal day then you should probably be on a daily preventer. But you need to be seen and for someone to check that this is actually what is happening and actually properly diagnose you. You need to really push for all this when you speak to the GP. It’s a bit concerning that you are struggling so much to breathe atm. If you were to speak to 111 and tell them that I’m pretty certain they’d be sending to A&E now tbh - I’ve been in and on oxygen even after a simple cold bug has exacerbated my asthma. See what the GP says, don’t be fobbed off, and if your breathing gets worse don’t hesitate to go to your nearest UTC

@MandyMotherOfBrian

I honestly have no idea! The lack of care from my old GP and brushing it off made me think it was just completely normal. I asked an asthma review a couple of times, but there was always an excuse like I couldn't do it while pregnant etc. Whenever I mentioned something could be triggering asthma they just gave me a blue inhaler and that's all! They even took the blue inhaler off my repeat prescriptions for no reason! Anyway, I have a new GP now which seems really good so I'm hoping something is finally going to be done about it 🤞🏼 Thank you for your message.

My extremely mild asthma (didnt even need a blue inhaler) became really bad about 7months after having my daughter. Couldnt walk upstairs without feeling like I had ran a marathon.

Apparently the hormones can cause it to worsen. I am now on a daily inhaler of budesonide 2 a day after a prescription of oral steriods.

My peak flow is pretty rubbish (or I'm not doing it right 🙄) but I have still run half marathons! Good luck with your new GP - and be assertive if necessary.

I totally relate to thinking being short of breath is normal ! I was stunned the first time my asthma was really controlled, was this how I was supposed to feel everyday?

It sounds like you need steroids now and a serious asthma review with daily meds when you are well.

If you are short of breath AT ALL there is already a lot of inflammation in your lungs. So you should be aiming for no symptoms at all day to day.

@mummatobeat33 Ah that's interesting about hormones. That could be part of the reason then, I hope you're feeling better now!

@BlueChampagne @AnnaMagnani

Thank you both, I had a telephone appointment this afternoon with the new GP and I've been prescribed antibiotics as I'm still getting an on and off fever and also a course of oral steroids which should hopefully help 🤞🏼 I've ordered a peak flow meter online and I shall definitely have a good chat to the asthma nurse in a couple of weeks too!

Ok,
When you are not unwell, just a bit of walking can make you breathless. This indicates your asthma is poorly controlled and you need an asthma review as soon as you are no longer unwell.

You are now unwell, and frankly the fever and coughing with blue inhaler doing nothing are red flags for covid. Take a covid test if you have one. That will help the GP decide if you have an illness triggering asthma or covid cough.

@Discovereads
Thank you! I've been taking covid tests everyday for nearly a week now and all negative thankfully!

Thank goodness. I’ve seen your update too…so as suspected your illness is triggering your asthma. Wishing you the best. I have asthma and it can be a bastard. Not bother you for years and then rear it’s ugly head and be severe for years.

How are you doing now Rainbow28x?

@BlueChampagne
Much better now, thank you! I'm still struggling at times as I've still got a cough and my breathing isn't 100%, but it's far better than it was 😊 I've got my asthma review soon, so I'm hoping i'm feeling 100% by then 🤞🏼 I didn't realise flu could last so long!

Great news - and hopefully you'll feel a new person when you finally shake off the flu!

Had my asthma review today and she couldn't believe I'd never be given the brown inhaler! She's given me that, along with another blue inhaler and actually put them on repeat prescription (which my old GP didn't do!) Also a phone call in a week to see how I'm getting on and another asthma review in 4 weeks time to see if I need anything stronger. Thank you everyone for the push 😊

Thanks for the update. Hopefully the new inhaler helps you

I'm amazed they haven't chased you for an asthma review
I had an inhaler once, when I was about 5 (I'm not asthmatic) and somehow it got added to my notes I'm asthmatic
Every few months I was being chased for "a review of your asthma" and nobody could get it removed even though they agreed it was an error. Eventually I just went to the bloody appointment, did a peak flow and she went "you don't have asthma do you?"
No. Thats what I've been trying to tell you for years it got removed then

Thanks for the update from me too.