im an asthmatic currently suffering the flu. why does my breathing get worse at night?any tips to clear throat

Question

i use prednisolone steroids as a last resort cause sometimes after taking 1 iv woken up in a severe attack. the wheezing is seriously driving me out of my mind

Answer 1

Ok, first of all you shouldn't be taking prednisolone by mouth without a doctor's supervision, steroids can be very helpful when allergies and inflammation are very problematic (like in asthma aggravated by a respiratory virus) but they can also be dangerous when not used properly and you can make yourself very ill by starting and stopping on a whim. If the doctor has told you to take steroid tablets while you are very wheezy you also shouldn't stop taking them without discussing it with him/her because you will have been given them for an important reason, and also when you are better you must stop taking them slowly by reducing the dose a little at a time.

I doubt you are allergic to the prednisolone itself, probably you only are prescribed them when you are already suffering severe asthma, so the timing coincides, but it is always possible you are having a reaction to one of the other ingredients, especially if it hapens often. You must discuss this with a doctor urgently.

As an asthmatic myself, and having worked on a respiratory ward for 3 months (i am a medical student) I can totally empathise with the problems of getting a cold or flu and it going to your chest (last time I had flu a few years ago it turned into pneumonia and pleurisy because my GP refused to believe I was actually ill and prescribed me cough medicine...anyway that's another story).

Look at the stuff you are coughing up. If it is white or clear and sticky it is just a result of the inflammation the virus has caused and if you can manage to cough it up it is not really a problem. If it is yellow or green you should seek medical advice urgently because this means you have a bacterial infection on top and you really need to be on antibiotics so you don't get pneumonia. If it has blood in it you should go to A&E. If you are having real trouble breathing you should also go to A&E, you may be better off in hospital, don't worry about "bothering" doctors, that's what they are there for and nobody will be cross with you for being safe rather than sorry.

Take plenty of your ventolin (salbutamol) inhaler to help you breathe, it opens up your tubes so you can cough up the goo better, but don't take so much you go all shaky and have palpitations - if you are needing that much you ought to be on nebulised medicine in hospital. Make sure you are using your regular prescribed inhaled steroid (Becotide etc), without knowing your age and normal medications I can't comment on a safe dose, but your doctor can tell you if and how you can increase it when your asthma is worse after a virus. If you take it preventatively when you know you are getting a cold it will shorten the time you are likely to be more wheezy than normal.

Asthma is normally worse at night because your immune system responds to the allergens it has encountered during the day, releasing messenger molecules that cause all your symptoms (e.g. tight chest, lots of mucus) and this takes several hours, which usually means your immune over-response is worst in the middle of the night. If you are waking up regularly in the night not being able to breathe your asthma is not being properly controlled and you should have a review either by your GP, or if that doesn't help, by a respiratory doctor. If it is not that serious raising the foot of your bed by putting bricks at the bottom, and using an extra pillow might help, but if you find yourself regularly on more than 2 pillows then again you need to go to your doctor. An anti-allergy pillow and mattress cover will almost certainly help you too, because one of the triggers for most asthmatics is the house duct mite waste, and I read somewhere that by the time your pillow is 10 years old about 20% of it is made up of dead mites and their faeces (not nice!), so being in bed with your head on it is not going to help you breathe more easily! Also keeping your bedroom free of dust and clutter will help you sleep better.

Asthma, if you are on the right combination of drugs and taking them regularly, shouldn't make you so sick you can't breathe. If you are worried about taking regular steroid inhalers, please don't let it frighten you, because inhaled drugs don't go beyond your lungs into the rest of your body, they just act on the inflammation in your lungs and - if you take them regularly - mean you will have much fewer attacks and can enjoy life a lot more. Taking care of yourself and taking your medications now will also mean you are less likely to get more sick when you are older.

One last thing - if you smoke - you must stop asap, it is even more important for asthmatics than everyone else

Sorry this is so long but I hope it helps

http://www.asthma.org.uk also has lots of helpful information for patients.

Answer 2

2

Answer 3

Me too sista.

I get relief from deep breathing which I use during meditation.

If that doesnt help, and the inhaler doesnt help, try the deep breathing again. open a window to deep breathe it should take the heavy feeling off your chest and settle the wheeze.

sorry about the steroids, i came off them and suffered for a few months but have improved since kicking the steroids. They are a very last resort for me, if the inflammation is on the lungs as opposed to the passageway which become inflammed.

I found barley starts an attack, so check all foods that are triggers. I use a lot of olive oil and other beneficial oils in cooking/salads etc. I find it helpful. Everyone's different.

Good luck.

Answer 4

Right, first point, when you lay down the mucus you've got from the flu sit's on your lungs which is why you can't breathe properly. Prop yourself up with pillows and I strongly recommend a Sudofed Plug-In to help you breathe (costs about £5.00 from any chemist) Secondly, if your wheezing is that bad you should see your doctor and ask for a retailer on Home Nebulisers, this will really help when you have an attack.

Answer 5

I'm asthmatic too, and I also have trouble at night. It sounds a bit odd but try allergy/hayfever pills. Apparently there was a very high pollen count this summer and that's quite seriously affecting people with asthma. But even if you think it's relatively minor you should definitely go to a hospital, just to be sure you're ok.

Answer 6

Many will tell you to go see your doc or to take some kind of medicine which can be helpful. I will tell you that my son has asthma and allergies and had problems sleeping too. I started giving him a warm cup of cammomile tea every night before he went to bed and it really helped. Cammamile is really good for reducing inflamation in the bronchial and relaxing the urge to cough as well as a mild natural seditive. Yes it will help to clear your throat too. Durring the wetter weather of winter it is nice to have it on hand for preventive measure and is good mixed with a little honey.

Answer 7

when an asthmatic is having a severe attack sometimes you have to use steroids, it seems wheezing always gets worse at night..

Answer 8

you probably have nocturnal asthma. You may need to tell your Dr. Try not to eat heavy meal before bed. Avoid milk at bedtime. If you use a mobilizer take a treatment just before bed. Sleep slightly proped up.If you use a rescue inhaleor take 2 puffs just before bed. Be careful with prednisone! Do not stop takeing it without Dr. advice. Prednisone should be tapered down. There some serious side effects if not taken properly.

Answer 9

I have mild asthma, but I find the recent humid weather aggravates it. Get a dehumidifier, or try using an extra pillow or two. When you have breathing difficulties, it's best to avoid laying flat (I currently have a blood clot on my right lung, so I sleep on two thick pillows -- it's uncomfortable, but I can breathe more easily).
Other than that I can't help.

Answer 10

If it is when you are lying down, try putting a few pillows under you and propping the upper part of your body up a little. It will allow the congestion to not build up and close your chest up more. I find this helps even with head congestion, keeps you from coughing so much,