(member)

08/01/2009 14:15

Asthma

Hi All

After nearly a year of coughing and spluttering I was finally diagnosed with Asthma yesterday. I have been prescribed a brown preventer inhaler to use in the morning and evening and a blue reliever inhaler to use when I need to. I have to go back to the Doctors in 3 weeks for a check up and to make sure that I am on the right dosage. I was a bit surprised that I'd developed it at this stage of my life (I'm 40), the Doctor thinks that it was most likely triggered when I developed Bronchitis back in February and has been underlying all the coughs, colds and chest infections that I have had since then.

Any one else have it and want to share experiences with it?

(member)

08/01/2009 14:24

Re: Asthma

How odd, for my 40th birthday I was given astmah as well!
the inhalers must be taken, even if you feel well, as directed by your GP, carry them with you wherever you go

do yousmoke? not an accusation, but I did

and cigarettes and astmah are not good companions ;(

anyway, you can manage and live with astmah as your local astmah clinic will show you

(member)

08/01/2009 14:29

Re: Asthma

Hi Nowcemsi

Thanks for replying, nope never smoked, at least that's one thing I don't need to worry about. Did you manage to quit with out too much of a struggle?

I can think of better 40th birthday gifts, but hey ho, it could have been worse!

How are you finding the cold weather, does it seem to be affecting you?

Hope you are having a good day

(member)

08/01/2009 15:11

Re: Asthma

I was diagnosed 18mths ago at the age of 57 so you are just a youngster and ever since to have one horrible cold after another. I had seretide and salbutamol inhalers but i found that after a year with the seretide it was affecting my voice apparently should always gargle after using it and preferably clean your teeth. Anyway am now on a new pink inhaler which appears to be much better.

(member)

08/01/2009 16:14

Re: Asthma

My husband was diagnosed with asthma about 20 years ago after suffering with severe all his life (he was 40) with coughs especially in the summer months and when it is really cold. He has found that by taking the inhalers as prescribed he can keep it well under control and only has a few bad days a year when he needs to increase doses. Try to see if any food makes you worse my OH is peanuts and red wine (he usually suffers though for his drink!!)

(member)

08/01/2009 16:19

Re: Asthma

I've had asthma diagnosed since I was 7, when there were no inhalers (I'm now 53) or nurses specialising in asthma clinics (as at my local surgery). I am now well on a seretide inhaler and the main improvement for me has been that I take medication regularly and correctly. It's well worth while getting someone to watch you use your inhaler. I hadn't been using mine correctly and as a result had had a very bad attack once when I had a heavy chest cold. Once I knew how and inhaled fully, it has been fine.

(member)

08/01/2009 16:27

Re: Asthma

Jenniferpl
I don't know if the parrot picture is significant but a good friend of mine was hospitalised once as a result of calling in to see a friend who had a parrot (I kid you not!) He is (he discovered) highly sensitive to them. Also I notice that you are in South East London; I lived near Plumstead Common and the air there is really polluted and is worse in the cold weather for asthmatics. I also found that the GP surgery just did not have the time to spend with me to explain what asthma was or to help me to understand how to control it properly. That had to wait for 7 years until I moved to an area where they spent time explaining it all to me (and where they had more time). It might be worth asking to see a specialist nurse; they are usually available locally and the GP should be able to tell you where they are. Hope this helps.

(member)

08/01/2009 16:44

Re: Asthma

Hi all

thanks for taking the time to answer.

Bod welcome to the forum. The Parrot is sadly no longer significant, I used to have a Jenday Conure called Ben (the one in the Pic is a Sun Conure), he died just over 2 years ago, well before this set in. I've always known that I can't live with a cat or dog because of allergies and never planed to have a pet, but Ben was being made homeless so I ended up with him, he made me laugh for nearly 5 years before he passed on. Now I just love parrots, I won't own another one, I never really did like the concept of Birds in cage, but I couldn't see him go to a rescue centre. He was probably the most demanding and most rewarding creature I have ever known and I suspect that nothing and no one will ever be as excited to so me get home again! Ah well!

I live in Abbeywood, and yes the air there is quite poor, My flat backs on to the wood, so though the air isn't great it could be a lot worse. Luckily the GP surgery I go to has a nurse practitioner who is an Asthma expert and fellow suffer, she was the last in a long line of Doctors I have seen and the one who finally diagnosed me, I have to go back in a couple of weeks.

Have a good evening

(member)

08/01/2009 20:40

Re: Asthma

Hello Jennifer,

My Elderly MOther has had Cronic Astma for many years.

Check out this Website for support...

http://www.lunguk.org/supporting-you/breathe-easy/

(member)

08/01/2009 21:18

Re: Asthma

I am also an asthma sufferer & have pretty much got it under control now. I find it is worse when around animals, in very cold weather, in hayfever season & when exercising strenuously such as running or aerobics, although I am lucky to only have a mild reaction.

After years of using ventolin (reliever inhaler) and becotide (preventor inhaler) I now take a combination inhaler (Serotide? - its purple) which seems to really keep it under control..

I find that if I feel a bit wheezy, breathing out as hard and as far as possible before taking a good breath in really helps. Also making sure that taking the inhaler properly, standing up and breathing out hard to empty the lungs before taking the puffs really helps.

Keep in touch with the Asthma nurse at your GP practice and take their advice and also try and identify what triggers your attacks.

Hope that helps!

(member)

09/01/2009 10:47

Re: Asthma

Sounds like you will get good advice from your surgery, asthma nurses are normally very well trained to deal with your asthma problems and will refer you to your GP if they think you need further investigations.

I have been an asthmatic for 25years, a little tip while using the brown inhaler is to rinse your mouth out afterwards with cold water, this can prevent oral thrush. The brown inhalers can sometimes course oral thrush in some people! I had this problem and it was a constant battle, in the end my GP changed me to seretide which helped more with exercise as it is slightly longer lasting. Seretide is a purple inhaler.

It's also worth trying to find out what your triggers are, everyone is different but if exercise or cold weather is a problem then you may have been advised to take your blue inhaler just before you exercise or go out into the cold. I have found it better to do this as the blue inhaler doesn't always relieve my symptoms.

often when symptoms are under control it is very easy to forget to take the inhalers, to be honest I have occasionally forgotten thinking that I am OK then find I am gasping for breath because I haven't taken the inhalers before going out into the cold. It is far better to try and prevent the asthma then trying to relieve the wheezy symptoms once they start, well for me it is!

As others have said always carry your inhalers with you.
Good luck and I hope your symptoms improve. Another good tip before seeing the asthma nurse again right any questions you want to ask her down that way you won't forget:-) Oh, it's also worth making sure you are on the flu jab list and have a pneumococcal injection, i'm sure your practice would have already done this.
Best wishes Camomile

(member)

10/01/2009 10:12

Re: Asthma

Hi all

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply with all your useful adfice. I got up wheezing this morning, it's very foggy outside, so I can add that to my list of triggers! It's only been a few days, but the inhalers are already making a dramatic difference.

Hope you all have a good day, I plan to stay in and potter all day, it's one of those rare weekends with nothing planned - I shall make the best of it.

(member)

10/01/2009 17:42

Re: Asthma

Hi Ladies

I don't have asthma but I am doing the asthma course as I work as a Practice Nurse and it has been really interesting reading about all your experiences. It is putting all of the theory into place.

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