asthma

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

He's actually really lovely, and very excited cos his daughter's just had identical twin boys. I haven't seen him for a few years so we had a bit of a catch up. The antibiotics are more to make sure the bug is dead and I'm not infecting anyone else - the coughing just has to run its course for me. I don't feel ill at all, other than when I have a coughing spasm and my diaphragm tries to exit my body via my mouth, which is really horrible.

Luckily, a dedicated chest inspector will be here on Wednesday. 

[Mrs Pingu]

Did you not get the vaccine when you were little then?

[barakta]

Hope the clarithromycin works well, vicious stuff, but bloody works in my experience.

Yay for fab GPs.  I may end up seeing mine sooner rather than later given I don't think they have me down for repeats again - may have watching her batter her computer games going on.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

Did you not get the vaccine when you were little then?

My mum says I had all the vaccines that were offered. We were in Singapore for the first year of my life, so I suppose it's possible whooping cough vaccine wasn't offered, but I doubt it - I'm sure they'd have made all the UK vaccines available for forces kids. According to my reading, though, whooping cough immunity can wear off.

[DrMekon]

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/qj0PEn79Cuw&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/qj0PEn79Cuw&rel=1</a>

[mrcharly-YHT]

According to my reading, though, whooping cough immunity can wear off.

Most of them can wear off. Vaccines don't guarantee immunity to a disease and we shouldn't go about thinking that they do.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

The whooping cough has taken a disturbing disgusting new turn. *searches internet for 1-pint sputum pots*

[Butterfly]

Oh no! Poor Kirst. Hope it's just clearing itself out. 

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

Mainly it's the cough reflex copious saliva, but with added lung-gunk too.

[DrMekon]

Getting a bit bored of 3 chest infections a year. Whilst the easy weightloss that always comes with it is a bonus, its a bit of a pain with work. Just had a dose of flu, which has been followed up with a chest infection. GP is making noises about upping my treatment, as my asthma has gone from being completely controlled for decades to a bit all over the place. Plus the chest infections. West Yorkshire climate and West Yorkshire traffic pollution (I commute through central Leeds and Bradford)?

Was on 2x 2puffs QVAR 100 (beclosmetasone 100ug) + salbutamol PRN for forever (30+years)
Have just been moved on to seretide 125 (salmeterol 25ug / fluticasone 125) plus a 5mg desloratadine tablet
Had a blood tests that showed alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. Apparently, I'm a heterozygous carrier. GP says that whilst my consultant may be excited about this, in that I don't smoke, it's of no clinical significance. I had a CT scan of my lungs this week, and will hear back in the next few weeks.
GP suggested I go back for some more oral steroids if this lot doesn't clear it, and that then we'll look at adding an additional fluticasone (Flixotide) inhaler.

Looking at this treatment ladder, I'm on step 3, and the addition of additional steroids is normal for that step. Bit sad about this. Asthma is something I've not had to think about before, other than to take my "preventer".

[tom_e]

If you think it might be the change in traffic pollution, have you looked into any kind of breathing mask?  I tend to think of them as hardcore fashion items, but there appear to be some which are actually tested for effective particulate filtering. 

[Feline]

I am also at Step 3, but I always am in the winter months.
After much trial and error over the years my doctor now gives me oral steroids at the first sign of a chest infection (with the antibiotics) and things will improve remarkably in only a few days. It affects both my sleep and my ability to ride my bike in the winter, and is highly annoying. You have my sympathies.

[DrMekon]

Yeah, sleep is the worst thing. I have to sleep in the spare room, as the bed ends up sopping wet. Waking up with your hair dripping wet is no fun.

Looking at those pollution mask, it seems like they are fine if you aren't exerting yourself, but once you are, the side leakage makes them less effective.

I'm involved in a pollution monitoring project at work at the mo' (projecthelix.eu). I'll soon be able to look at pollution exposure by route. I'm surprised that nothing similar exists already - suspect it could be an option on something like cyclestreets.

[clarion]

Step 5.

Ah well.

[Jakob]

My wife started suffering from asthma after developing a chronic cough caused by post-nasal drip.
She was tested for peak-flow several times and had normal readings, so it wasn't until the 2nd ambulance call, where the paramedic gave her ventolin that the penny dropped and we figured out that the constant coughing caused asthma.
It's been out of control for the last few weeks and finally we got the doctor to prescribe a daily oral steroid, which is now slowly bringing it back under control. Last night was the first night in a month where she had a decent nights sleep. We have an open-plan loft apartment, so my sleep have been suffering as well, although obviously not as bad.
 It's most likely connected to her current immunotherapy treatment, but we really don't want to break it off.
She's seeing a lung-specialist again in Feb and is back to the GP tomorrow to have the oral steroid evaluated.

[Ruthie]

(sigh)

Payback for yesterday's unaccustomed exercise in the cold.  Airways horribly twitchy and tight today.  Bah.

[Sergeant Pluck]

Interesting reading, albeit not entirely relevant to the thread, on (mostly) exercise-induced asthma:

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/dec/28/asthma-elite-athletes-study-swimmers-cyclist-eid

John Dickinson from Kent university, a world expert on asthma in sport, who has tested all 33 UK-based swimmers from the British Swimming squad found 70% have some form of asthma. A similar test on the cyclists from Team Sky revealed about a third are prone to a wheeze, against a national asthma rate of about 8% to 10%.

[hellymedic]

Anyone will wheeze if provoked sufficiently.

I once wheezed for hours after doing a 10 mile time trial on a cold damp foggy Easter morning.

I have never wheezed at any other time.

I do not think that makes me an asthmatic.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

In Oz, asthma kids are encouraged to swim. If they have athletic ability, they tend to get into racing. It isn't too surprising that several of the Aussie swim team have asthma.

Does the same sort of thing happen in the UK?

[crowriver]

Turns out that the "cough" I couldn't shift for weeks after a mild cold was in fact my asthma flaring up.
Had an asthma review last week, and my peak flow is the lowest it's been for years. 

As a result of feeling below par, I've hardly ridden my bike, and am putting on weight, losing fitness, etc. A spiral of decline. I've had to bow out of my second planned audax ride this year, partly because I just don't have the fitness, but also because cold air is one key asthma trigger for me.

Inhaler doses have been upped in an attempt to manage the asthma more effectively. However I'm desperate to do a bit of cycling, but also a bit worried that I might push myself before my lungs are ready.

Any fellow asthma sufferers have tips as to a gentler way to get back into cycling and help improve fitness?

[Kim]

Ride to a heart rate, avoiding Bastard Hills.  Go out and acclimatise to the cold before you start riding.  It'll be cold and boring, but it's a bike ride.

[crowriver]

Hm. Yeah, maybe a run out along the coastal road would be a way of easing back into it...

[Feline]

Hm. Yeah, maybe a run out along the coastal road would be a way of easing back into it...

What I tend to do is use Salbutamol just before going out, and at the start of any significant ascents. It lessens the chances of your chest tightening on you. Who knows, might even make you faster uphill 
But the only way to reverse the viscous circle is to start trying to get the fitness back in small steps- at which point your asthma may spontaneously improve.
I'm still asthmatic when I'm fit but less likely to succumb to chest infections and major flare ups. Likewise if my weight is lower I seem more resilient breathing-wise.
Good luck!

[crowriver]

Hm. Yeah, maybe a run out along the coastal road would be a way of easing back into it...

What I tend to do is use Salbutamol just before going out, and at the start of any significant ascents. It lessens the chances of your chest tightening on you. Who knows, might even make you faster uphill 

Might be worth a try! 

But the only way to reverse the viscous circle is to start trying to get the fitness back in small steps- at which point your asthma may spontaneously improve.

Indeed, this was my strategy prior to the asthma flaring up again. It took me about a year to get properly fit last time, after which I had very little trouble with my asthma. This may have led to complacency on my part... 
 

I'm still asthmatic when I'm fit but less likely to succumb to chest infections and major flare ups. Likewise if my weight is lower I seem more resilient breathing-wise.
Good luck!

Thanks. Aye, weight, fitness, asthma all seem to be linked. Think I buggered all of it up with extended DIY in the last quarter of 2015: dust, fumes, no time for much cycling, etc. Not been right since before Christmas.

With a bit of determination and good luck, hopefully will be on the mend as the spring advances...

[Ruthie]

I felt a sore throat starting in London when I went down for the Dynamo.  By the time I got home on Sunday night it was very sore indeed.  Tuesday morning it was most bothersome, but I just took painkillers and went to the beach anyway and had a lovely time.  Wednesday it was still sore, but I went to my exercise class in the evening anyway.  Thursday I woke up unable to breathe.  Didn't leave the sofa much on Thursday, or Friday.  Lots and lots of ventolin.  Lots and lots of sleep. This morning I felt loads better  and managed to do some stuff round the house, walked into town, then thought I was going to faint in a shop    they fetched me a chair, gave me water to drink, and I left as soon as I could as I was mortified.

Feel crap now.  Shaky, weak, lightheaded.

I hate asthma.  And curses on whoever passed their cold on to me.  FFS.  So bored of being ill!