Bronchitis and asthma
Hello all. I'm new to this site. I was dx with asthma probably 20 years ago and always handled it well with an albuterol inhaler. I could go many, many months without a mild attack and using the inhaler once would typically take care of it. I have allergies to tree pollen, grasses and changes in the weather-- usually rainy weather.
This past early November, I woke up with a horrible attack in the middle of the night. I felt like someone was squeezing my lungs. I did the inhaler which did not help much. I was able to see my PCP a few days later, still coughing and tight chest. He said it was bronchitis, which was going around, and the asthma exacerbated it. Said to ride it out, it would get better.
Fast forward to 7 1/2 weeks later, 1 trip to the ER for a chest CT, trials of Trelegy (made my heart race,) Breztri 5 days-- took away the wheezing and crackling and seemed to "liquify" the mucus a bit. Off the Breztri for 1 1/2 weeks now, still coughing up mucus and periodic wheezing and hissing.
I'm so done with this. I'm so tired of being told "give it time. You'll get better." I've never smoked a day in my life and yet I feel like I've got COPD or something. I'm disgusted and depressed. Anybody else struggle with bronchitis on top of their asthma?
Hi
- welcome!! Thanks so much for sharing your recent medical history managing both asthma and bronchitis. You have certainly come to the right place! Here at asthma.net, we are all about all things asthma and asthma related. You are certainly not alone!
I am hopeful others in the community will see your narrative and respond by sharing their own personal experiences managing these diseases. I have something to contribute as well.
I myself, a long-time asthmatic, have my own (brief) story to share. Throughout all the years, I now have my asthma controlled quite well, using Advair and a rescue inhaler when needed. (It's a long, many-years story, but this will suffice for now, as a brief history).
For me, if/when I catch a sore throat and/or cold, it turns into (acute) bronchitis and that in turn can aggravate my asthma equilibrium. Generally speaking, my doctor will treat me with a course of antibiotics, and fluticasone nasal spray. This tends to work quite well in my case!
From my own personal (and professional) perspective, in most cases, 'waiting it out' is not the way to go. Rather, an early interventional approach can be a more effective treatment.
What do you think?
Leon L (author/moderator asthma.net)Thanks Leon. I did do a 10 day Doxycycline round about 3 weeks ago, along with 5 days of Prednisone. Nothing improved. I'm seeing my PCP in about an hour and we'll see what he says. I'd like to ask him for a sputum culture to see if we're missing anything. I have to be extremely cautious with antibiotics since I acquired C Diff last year after some minor surgery and a surgeon who was overzealous in prescribing Flagyl and Cipro. Not an experience I'd like to repeat. I know that bronchitis is prevalent in my area right now and it seems to be lingering, but I'm ready to be done with it!
I hear you, Deb - thanks for responding to me! I also noticed you posted another comment following the visit with your pulmonologist, regarding the medication Bevespi - I will hop over there and continue speaking with you in that post: https://asthma.net/forums/bevespi.
All the best,
Leon L (author/moderator asthma.net)
