Coughing - Ventolin Evohaler - can anyone advise please?
tillytop
Member Posts: 3,460
Morning, I know that there are some folks out there who have asthma or use inhalers so I am hoping for some advice.
I've been coughing for about 8 weeks - started when i stopped taking steroids and has got worse and worse as the Humira begins to work its way out of my system. Was coughing generally with bouts of sustained coughing (2 hours or more occasionally).
I suspected it was a long-term chest infection which had been suppressed by my meds. Saw doc on Thursday who listened to my chest and said there were no signs of infection. He thought it was some kind of wheezy, allergic thing probably due to my immune system "waking up again" and he prescribed a Ventolin Evohaler 100 mcg - 2 puffs every 4 - 6 hours. He did say it would make me cough but I coughed all day yesterday and, after a dose at about 8pm I coughed for 3 hours with no let up (to the point of almost being sick several times) I gave in and took some pred to suppress the cough so I could get some sleep. Cough didn't keep me awake then, (just the ongoing hot and cold flushes and the joints) but the minute I sat up in bed this morning I started to cough again. I now have pain in my left hand side at the top of my ribs and it hurts to breathe, let alone to cough. My question is - does anyone else have experience of this - should the Ventolin make me cough to this extent - or should I be going back to the docs. Any advice welcome (sorry for rambling on.) Thanks, Tilly x
I've been coughing for about 8 weeks - started when i stopped taking steroids and has got worse and worse as the Humira begins to work its way out of my system. Was coughing generally with bouts of sustained coughing (2 hours or more occasionally).
I suspected it was a long-term chest infection which had been suppressed by my meds. Saw doc on Thursday who listened to my chest and said there were no signs of infection. He thought it was some kind of wheezy, allergic thing probably due to my immune system "waking up again" and he prescribed a Ventolin Evohaler 100 mcg - 2 puffs every 4 - 6 hours. He did say it would make me cough but I coughed all day yesterday and, after a dose at about 8pm I coughed for 3 hours with no let up (to the point of almost being sick several times) I gave in and took some pred to suppress the cough so I could get some sleep. Cough didn't keep me awake then, (just the ongoing hot and cold flushes and the joints) but the minute I sat up in bed this morning I started to cough again. I now have pain in my left hand side at the top of my ribs and it hurts to breathe, let alone to cough. My question is - does anyone else have experience of this - should the Ventolin make me cough to this extent - or should I be going back to the docs. Any advice welcome (sorry for rambling on.) Thanks, Tilly x
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Comments
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Sounds like a nightmare fir you Tilly! Ventolin does not make me cough at all. Have you tried taking an antihistamine ( for allergies)? If you have allergies that are making you cough like the doc says, then one of these tabs may help you. You can buy them at chemists or cheaper at supermarkets. But I think you need to go back to docs, the coughing is not right. The pain you have is that youve probably pulled something now due to all the coughing. Poor you! Hope you get sorted very soon
Janie0 -
Thanks Janie - have tried anti-histamines over past few weeks in the hope I would not need to go to the doc (!) but unfortunately they didn't work. I think you're right though unfortunately, I really do need to contact the GP again. Thanks for your post. Love Tilly x0
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Coughing to that extent obviously isn't good. The pain may mean that you have pulled a muscle or two - which is going to hurt.
Are you actually wheezing at all? It seems pointless to give you an asthma inhaler if you are not wheezing, just coughing. Coughing is listed as a possible side effect of humira but you've been off it for a while now, and this amount of cough seems excessive.
He has not done right by you, tillytop. Go back, start coughing in front of him (!) then he may have a better idea of what is happening to you. Good luck , let us know what transpires. DDHave you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben0 -
Morning DD - having recovered temporarily I suspect, from yet another coughing bout have just phoned the docs and he will call me back at lunchtime after surgery. No, not really wheeziing. Seems odd to me that cough only appeared and got worse as drugs stopped so feel sure that it is probably a lurking infection which has been masked previously. Don't want to take antibiotics really but hoping he might prescribe something to see if cough clears up. Can't carry on like this. What is it with docs and antibiotics these days? They seem quite happy to dish out pills and potions for everythinig else at the drop of a hat (quicker I suppose that trying to find the underlying cause) but antibiotics seem to be a real no-no as far as they are concerned. I know it's not good to have too many antibiotics but I haven't had any for years. Will post with an update later. Yours cynically, Tilly x0
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Keep everything well lubricated - sips of water, the odd glug of clear honey, don't move suddenly (!), anything to avoid triggering a bout! I know what you mean about pill-dishing. If it's something they want you to have, no problem. If it's something YOU want, well, forget it.
I don't understand why he gave you something that makes people cough to cure a cough which isn't asthmatic in its root. I reckon I could be a doctor if giving people the wrong meds is all it takes. Take care, sweet girl, and please keep me informed. (I humira'd last night and I is feelin' fab - just to rub it in, but I think you understand!) DDHave you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben0 -
Hi tilly
Your por thing :shock:
I hate coughing like that. I hope he has a better idea for you.
I reckon you should be looked at properly by someone - that was vague wasnt it - sorry.
You knwo a sort of lung-type expert - maybe even a chest xray to be ressured.
Hope you get something else you will have to buy some tenaladies too :oops:
Love
Toni xx0 -
Thanks Janie, DD and Toni for your replies.
Finally got a call back from GP just before 7pm after a couple of calls during the day to chase up. Reluctantly he has agreed to prescribe a course of antibiotics - but he has also said I should take 30mg prednisolone daily for a week - yippee - sweet relief! So much for no RA type drugs for 12 weeks eh? But you know what - I don't care! If pred suppresses my cough whilst the antibiotics do their stuff that's great and I know that I will get the added bonus of joint relief - oh joy! I currently only have 1mg pred tabs in my stash so just off to swallow my allotted 30 tabs (might start with lower dose though to see how I get on given that I've spent ages coming off steroids). S'posed to take with food so maybe I'll do 5 at a time with a bar of choccy between each set. Hopefully by this time tomorrow I'll be literally skipping - there'll be no stopping me when the steroids kick in!
PS:
DD - so glad you're feeling good following your Humira fix!!! Have you stopped your metho too? Thought I picked that up from another post.
Toni - you are sooo right about the Tenalady! How embarrassing eh. But musn't laugh or it will start me coughing again!
Yours druggily, Tilly x0 -
I'm supposed to meth tomorrow but I've got a sore throat and my lot say 'no meth' usually. I'll turn up anyway, leave it to them.
30mg? That's one helluva lot. You'll be bouncing off the walls! Seriously girl, that's a big hit, but then if it works . . . . Be careful. DDHave you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben0 -
tillytop wrote:Morning, I know that there are some folks out there who have asthma or use inhalers so I am hoping for some advice.
I've been coughing for about 8 weeks - started when i stopped taking steroids and has got worse and worse as the Humira begins to work its way out of my system. Was coughing generally with bouts of sustained coughing (2 hours or more occasionally).
I suspected it was a long-term chest infection which had been suppressed by my meds. Saw doc on Thursday who listened to my chest and said there were no signs of infection. He thought it was some kind of wheezy, allergic thing probably due to my immune system "waking up again" and he prescribed a Ventolin Evohaler 100 mcg - 2 puffs every 4 - 6 hours. He did say it would make me cough but I coughed all day yesterday and, after a dose at about 8pm I coughed for 3 hours with no let up (to the point of almost being sick several times) I gave in and took some pred to suppress the cough so I could get some sleep. Cough didn't keep me awake then, (just the ongoing hot and cold flushes and the joints) but the minute I sat up in bed this morning I started to cough again. I now have pain in my left hand side at the top of my ribs and it hurts to breathe, let alone to cough. My question is - does anyone else have experience of this - should the Ventolin make me cough to this extent - or should I be going back to the docs. Any advice welcome (sorry for rambling on.) Thanks, Tilly x
HI Tilly,
just wondered if you were prescribed an 'aerochamber plus' when you got the inhaler.
I have for the last week been using a ventolin inhaler which I was given following a severe allergy-type reaction (probably hayfever) that caused breathing problems. I was given the aerochamber to act as a spacer - it makes it easier to breath in the ventolin dose, and I was told to use it with the becotide inhaler I was given too.
If you are still using an inhaler this might help you get the stuff to the right place and maybe stop the cough more quickyl?
hope the steroids work for you ..... but don't envy you ...... I know they make a huge difference to our joints but my 5 days of a daily dose of 60mg made me absolutely manic ...... I feared for my sanity by the end!!!!
hugs
WOnky xx0 -
Hi Wonky and DD and thanks for your posts.
Only managed 15 pills last night - and 6 so far this morning - thought I would be sick if I took any more but will be getting some 5mg tabs with my antibiotics when I can motivate myself to go to the docs and collect them (only at the bottom of the street but still, feels like a bit much yet). My intital euphoria at the thought of 30mgs pred per day has worn off somewhat and I think, in the spirit of trying to take more control of my drug intake (given my probs over past year and a half) might take less than indicated, together with the antibiotics too see what happens. Like both of you I have had experience of the side effects of high dose steroids before and remember almost climbing the walls at one point. Still, I'm not sleeping well anyway so at least I'll be mobile enough to use the otherwise wasted nightime hours to do somethiing useful - like the ironing. Have already warned G that if I go missing in the middle of the night I'm probably digging in the garden to make up for lost time - and while I can! Wonky, wasn't given a spacer but think I am s'posed to stop the Ventolin for now. But if need it again will perhaps ask for one. Thanks for that - and hope your inhaler works for you. . Love Tilly x
PS - hope you do get your meth DD.0
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