Chest infection with asthma

[sciencepotato]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone of you with asthma manages to go through sinusitis/chest infection without taking oral steroids, just on the max dose of inhalers? Currently pregnant and been through covid and now again some asthma flare up after sinusitis that worsened my asthma. My Peak flow of 400 is not representative of how breathless I feel but gp doesn't want me to take oral steroids just yet as peak flow should apparently go down to 270 for me to do that (my normal is 450). Took steroids for a week already with covid three months ago.
Thank you for sharing your experiences!

Hey, thanks for your suggestions! I'm so sorry you've been struggling for so long! I've only been on inhalers for a year. I did try seretide a year ago but that did nothing to me compared to extrafine particles of fostair inhaler that on top was so so gentle on my throat! With seretide during exacerbation I had to take ventolin but with fostair never had to, just upped the dose as a reliever (which you couldn't do with seretide) until now!
I did consider silent reflux but have an unpleasant stomach reaction to gaviscon and omeprazol, so not sure how else to check if it's that?

Oh and the worst inhaler I've tried was Symbicort (mdi), I had such a bad throat reaction and voice was raspy. Dry powder fostair led to the same experience - just settles on my throat :(

A quick update : trying out Seretide at the moment. Doesn't work for decongesting me unless I puff ventolin 1-2 before using it. On the strongest dose right now of 250 since I have been taking fostair 8 times a day lately. Can notice the throat is reacting straight away and became sore as it's not a fine particle steroid inhaler like fostair. Palpitations and tachycardia too. Will see if any improvement in a couple of weeks as so far been taking it for a few days.

Another update: Changing inhaler to seretide didn't achieve anything. Back on using fostair 8 times a day. With fostair 200 4 times a day I didn't manage well as kept needing ventolin every day - clearly need the LABA component more. Started on another course prednisolone for 5 days 30 mg a day, hopefully that will improve things this time. Spoke with respiratory consultant today, he's referring me to the clinic that oversees difficult to manage asthma. Said that he doesn't know why oral steroids boosts don't do the trick for me, so the specialists need to assess me and possibly treat me with biologics after I have had the baby. Hopes to avoid putting me on oral steroids as every day treatment, so recommended sticking with fostair and if another steroid boost is needed closer to delivery time then will take it, and then hopefully the difficult asthma clinic will provide their help with this.