peak flow

[Mac2]

Hi

I have had mild asthma for 10 years now (I'm 46), and have had it since having pneumonia and pleurisy. It has been very mild and I only use my blue inhaler (bricanyl) a handful of times a year. Over the last few weeks I have had a constant tight chest and a cough, no wheezing. I went to the doctors and he gave me pulmicort to take twice a day, two puffs each time and then to reduce after a week if I felt OK and wasn't using my blue inhaler as much. I immediately reduced to one puff twice a day as I felt really weird on the first day after my second dose, (is this normal).

I hope to stop using the Pulmicort after a couple of weeks and wonder if this is OK to do. My friend who has bad asthma has said that I should not do this and should use it forever but I really do not want to do this if it is not necessary. Is it usual for someone such as myself who does not have bad asthma to use a preventer only when necessary. My doctor seemed to think this would be ok but I guess he is not an asthma specialist.

Thanks.

Mac2

[MillyMollyMandy]

Hi Mac

I also have very occasional mild asthma, but my 14 yr old son has had sometimes unstable brittle asthma for 13 yrs, so I am in close contact with his specialist asthma nurse. It may not be necessary to stay on Pulmicort forever, but any reduction needs to be closely monitored. I would stay with it for 2 or 3 wks, then reduce it gradually providing symptoms have cleared up.

[Mac2]

Hi

Thanks for your reply and the advice given. I have a friend who has a son who has the same inhaler as me and uses it when and if he needs it and he seems to be ok. It is not something I want to use regularly as it frightens me taking these drugs into my body. Hopefully I will get away with just using it this once for a couple of weeks and never having to use it again. Out of curiosity what actually happens if you do stop using them, are there any side effects. Do you know? Thanks.

Mac2

[MillyMollyMandy]

Hi again Mac
I fully understand your fears about taking the steroids, I went through same feelings when Doc first suggested them for my son, I was extremely reluctant to let him have them, he was only 3 yrs old at the time, and until then had been taking Ventolin when needed. At this stage symptoms were mainly cough, only wheezed on a handful of occasions, but he was getting worse.
I can only speak from experience, but Doctor was very understanding of my fears, and took time to explain pros and cons. As the steroids are inhaled, they are reaching straight away the only place they need to be, the lungs, not flooding the entire body. From what I understand side effects are very few and far between on inhaled steroids, but it may be useful to read the small print on the instruction leaflet, I don't have one to refer to from Pulmicort. The Doc explained to me that the risk of not using them was far greater than using them because of the risk of permanent lung damage from repeated inflammation (if your chest is tight, you have inflammation even if not wheezing).

My son's asthma nurse has always told me, and more recently him now he is older, that to stop the steroids suddenly can be extremely dangerous. I assume this is because it could cause a serious attack, which I know can be life-threatening. Don't panic about this, it's not all doom and gloom, Jake's asthma has progressed, he now takes Bricanyl as a reliever, Serevent as a slow acting reliever, and Flixotide is the steroid inhaler which suits him best. He has occasionally needed oral steroids for short courses after a particularly bad attack, we both hate him going on these, but he has suffered no ill-effects.

This does not mean that your asthma will progress in the same way, in many people it is very occasional, and can go away completely. Important thing is to try and identify triggers, and be prepared. Jakes triggers are infection, and animal hair. If anybody in family has a cold or cough, or Jake starts showing signs, we immediately increase his dose of Flixotide, and he takes Bricanyl 4 times a day, which sometimes staves off any bad asthma attacks.

Is there a specialist asthma nurse at your GP surgery? They are usually remarkably well-informed and a mine of information, often more so than the Doctor.
Sorry for the long post, hope I've not banged on too much, wish you luck and good health, if you have any more questions feel free to ask.

[Mac2]

Thanks for your reply and I really appreciate you taking the time to help me.

I think your advise about seeing the asthma nurse at my doctors surgery is very good and I will look into making an appointment.

I have only been using this Pulmicort for 10 days and have started reducing the dose down to once a day. This is what my doctor advised. He said if I felt better to start reducing the dose. I can't recall him telling me to stop eventually, I think he did, so I will see the nurse just in case.

Thanks again x