Hi All,
I've had continual colds since November. By that I mean as soon as the snot and tired feeling leaves following a cold, I get a period of being ok, starting to exercise ( ride again ), then get the next cold. In early December I went to the doc's as had a cough that wouldn't stop once I started. Went again in early January, and by then was wheezing noticably, especially at night. Went for a chest X-ray ( clear ) and was given a mild strength inhaler. Just before Easter, 2-3 colds later, had the worst bout of coughing, until chest spasmed, my Doc now going into overdrive, prescribed stronger inhalers and antibiotics. A week later I felt *really good*, best all winter, and thought I'd finally beaten the infection.
Last week it's come back, after shaking and shivering a cold has left me wheezing again. Went to the doc's and got more inhalers and have to go back after it's calmed down to take stock. He checked my chest and said it sounds like an asthmatic chest.
We don't know whether the continual colds have started Adult Onset Asthma, or merely spasming the bronchioles to mimic this. I suspect only time will tell.
I'm an old git, and dived for 15+ years in my past, so had medicals, and also was a HSE Diver so had more than the normal sport diving ones, nothing showed then.
I work in a school where there has been persistent colds doing the rounds and similar coughs. I'm in the firing line, sadly.

Has anyone else experience Adult onset asthma?
Once free of the continual colds etc. I wonder if it will 'go away' or whether I've now got it for life. Any medic's any ideas?
Meanwhile I'm waiting until I loose this cold and can get back to some form of exercise.
it really is getting to me, a I've been ill over the entire winter. 😐
anyone else like this?
Q

try over the counter anti-histamines to rule out allergies?

It simply is not colds to have a pattern like that. Sounds like allergy / asthma to me.

colds do not respond to anitbiotics as they are viral infections.

I suggest you ask your GP what is happening. Stress? Run down? allergic?

TJ: I understand that antibiotics don't work on viruses, I was prescribed them because of possible mucus 'reservoir' building up in bronchioles, and therefore provide a seat for any potential bacterial infection.
GP is a friend too, so knows me reasonably well, and has promised to get me right as I have a busy summer ahead.
Stress, well always a bit at school, especially after surviving a redundancy exercise, but no more than normal.
Run down – yes because of constant colds! I suspect my immune system is a bit weak. The whole school has numerous things constantly going round, and boss has had a constant cough for a year or more. They can't find out why!
Allergies, don't know of any, never been affected much by pollen etc. and used to conduct pollenation experiments in a greenhouse, plus ran greenhouse when coleagues off ill etc. to no adverse effects.
anyway, thanks for the thoughts
Q

I suspect something else is going on. Its simply not usual to get repeated colds and boss having a cough for a year or more?

Got air conditioning in the building?

Allergens?

Paint fumes?

I've had something similar. I got a chest infection a few years ago following a long flight (back from a diving trip ironically) which led to a cough that wouldn't go away. After some months of varying degrees of coughing – some pretty bad but particularly bad after colds which seemed to come more frequently than before – I went to see the GP who sent me for a chest X-ray (clear) and gave me a salbutamol inhaler to relieve the symptoms. After another 6 months of a cycle of colds – cough – colds etc I found one weekend my breathing got so wheezy that I could hardly walk upstairs. Mrs R sent me to the doctor (left to my own would have just died in pain rather than admit illness) who immediately prescribed a course of steroid tablets (instant cure, next day I felt as though I could run a marathon) and referred me to a specialist, and have been on inhaled steroids for mild adult onset asthma ever since, the trigger in my case being viral infections. It took a long time to diagnose this as most of the time my lung function was above average for my age and as the doctors said, there no reason why someone in their 40s should suddenly get asthma so they were looking for something else.

If you have got asthma once it's diagnosed it's easily manageable – the only thing it's done for me is prevent me diving (PADI seem to have a total ban on diving with asthma, although I don't see why if it's properly controlled. I think BSAC may be more enlightened).

Keep talking to the docs about this. If you can, go and have allergy tests done. I was diagnosed with exercise induced asthma a couple of, nearly three years ago. Subsequently I have found that my body has changed and I react to things differently. I went through a lot of allergy tests which didn't highlight anything and then went as close as I'd want to anaphylactic shock from chickpeas of all things!! My diet has changed dramatically, I react negatively to alcohol- which is no bad thing- I've cut out pasta and eat a lot of fruit and vegetables, 90% of my food is home prepared trying to be as natural as is possible.

I didn't have a history and had always done aerobic sports, cycling rowing and a spot of running.

After two years of messing with medication and diets I'm finally returning to the world of competition with my first 70km race pencilled for the end of the year.

Good luck and try and be posistive.

I had a pretty similar experience. Had a whole bunch of colds, stayed in a mate's manky flat for a couple of nights and got good and ill.

I remained breathless after that, needing to drink cold water and open the windows at night before I felt I could breath properly. Eventually went to the docs, but I'd already figured out I'd developed asthma. It's never "gone away", but allergies, colds and hangovers make it much worse.

My asthma has come back lately after a 6 year absence. It follows a similar pattern to yours and got noticably better when it was warmer a week or so ago, now that we're back to normal springtime conditions I'm starting to wheeze once more. I think a good long summer is required to truly shift it, I can only conclude that the cold snap over wwinter started it up again and somehow the lungs get irritated more easily afterwards.

Hmmmm…thanks guys. Lots to think about here.
If I put your comments with the discussion I've already had with the doc, it looks like once over this cold, and stable, he'll try and come up with a long term strategy. One scenario might be that I have got adult onset asthma, and I've got to accept it.
I can relate to Rio…. had a total chest spasm, just like cramp but all over as I'd coughed for ~ 16hrs non stop, that was my eye opener. Not nice, howling with pain, thank goodness everyone was out or I'd have scared the kids silly.
As said, perhaps my body has changed, something I'll have to get my head round. Maybe my birth certificate isn't lying, like I always thought 😯

Thanks to all, I really appreciate the comments. Will keep positive, try and get better soon and then get off to the doc's for a followup.
best wishes
Q

I had a bit of a run of limping from one malady to another.
Went to see a herbalist who put me on a bit of an immune system booster. that was 3 months ago and i have never felt better despite people around me dropping like flys. All natural stuff and probably a complete con but who cares it seems to be working. Might be worth a try.

Go and see a specialist

Dr Simon Taggart who is Manchester based is recommended (Wythenshawe) does private (Spire) out Moss Side

late on-set asthma tends to be a "default" diagnosis, don't accept it without clear evidence

Very interesting thread.

Seems like many people are suffering from shortness of breath and wheeziness at the moment. Personally, I've been searching for breath on climbs to the point of actually getting quite panicy and lightheaded due to shortness of oxygen.

All seems a bit odd to me. Is anyone else wondering if it might have something to do with a certain dust cloud, I was actually wondering about investing in a commuter mask to see if it had any effect.

something to do with a certain dust cloud

More likely to be to do with the high-ish amount of pollen about at the moment. link

I started a cough (annoying tickly cough worst at night and lead to tight wheezing chest) at the end of last August that didn't stop until the middle of January.
Doctor tried antibiotics but he pretty much knew they wouldn't work as he thought I had a virus (his wife had something similar).
He eventually prescribed an inhaler which helped and a consultant mate made me go back and get a steriod inhaler as well and to take it every day for a couple of month whether I felt I needed it or not.
This worked great and the cough has now gone and I only get wheezy very occasionally for a couple of minutes when I breath in spray-on deoderants.
I did have a bit of asthma as a kid but it had gone by my teens. Apparantly you are never rid of asthma, it just goes into the background and can resurface at any time given the right conditions (illness, alergy, environment, stress, etc.).

What inhalkers has GP given you? Reliever or preventer, or both? If you've only got a reliever, then that will help in the immediate short term by relaxing airway muscles, but if you have significant airway congestion then a preventer (steroid) inhaler might be needed to reduce the sweliing over a longer period of time. Other option might even be a course of prednisolone (steroids taken orally) if the symptoms and duration of symptoms are having that much of an impact.

You're also getting into the time of year where an already inflammed set of airways might be provoked into responding to pollens etc that they've never seemed to have a problem with before. Any other new potential allergen sources – pets etc?

I'm sure my immune system has taken a beating, especially having swine flue in late july, and 2 weeks off with awful food poisoning in late september….then the cough started in early november!
When I went for an x-ray in January, I told my boss what was happening and why,he's had a tickly cough for over a year, despite x-ray, mri scans etc etc… my bro'-in-law has been similar ( without the wheeze ) despite living 200miles away.

I'm on the ventolin ( blue ) inhaler to relax, and upped a stronger ( brown ) steroid one, 3 puffs night/morning until it gives, then when feeling better keep on 2puff, then go see him in a few weeks.
We have a good gp service here, despite being in the sticks. He won't palm me off but I know will get to the bottom as best as he can, and I know I'll be referred to an appropriate person if need be ( my wife's got a very rare blood condition, and has been treated very well ).
I think the gp has reached the conclusions of 'either I have had viruses that induce bronchiole spasm *like asthma*, or it has induced asthma, but we will wait and take further action accordingly later…."

All this has started waaaay before anything came out of Iceland….or Tesco's for that matter! ( sorry, couldn't resist!)
Until now, never had asthma, allergies or anything similar at all ever during my life.

Pollen – never been an issue so far, and have had 2 *huge* pollen laden lillies in my prep room all day today, and no unusual effects. I've a cat, but had one for most of my life.
As I type, I'm reasonably ok now, but if i exhale it sounds crackly and wheezy.
Again, thanks for all the thoughts, it is good to know it's not just me that has been suffering over the winter.
cheers peeps
Q

Pollen – never been an issue so far, and have had 2 *huge* pollen laden lillies in my prep room all day today, and no unusual effects. I've a cat, but had one for most of my life.

Probably not a problem, mine's the exercise induced so there are no problems at all with pollen or the dog, these were checked by the allergy specialist. For me the biggest problem is food and alcohol. Seriously, try a period without alcohol to see what happens, this is assuming you drink copious amounts in line with the typical STW athlete. Made a huge difference to me.

I developed late onset Asthma – I was about 26 or 27. It followed two back to back really nasty cold type viruses. I went from not taking any medication to taking regular medium dose inhaled steroids in a couple of weeks.

I suffered with it for about 3-4 years and then it just seemed to go away for the best part of a decade (ie. no medication not even the odd puff of ventolin). Then about 5 years ago it came back again.

Like you the last winter has been a real bitch for me. I have had cold after cold, each resulting in a chest infection which triggered my asthma. It seemed no sooner had I recovered from one bout then the next was just around the corner.

My GP tends to hit these things hard. Short dose (5 days) of Oral Steroids, a course of anti-biotics and a stronger inhaled steroid (Fluticasone / Seretide). Dose for dose this is more effective/stronger than I Becotide (beclamethasone sp?) – the brown one.

I was unsure about the antibiotics, but it was those that seemed to really clear things up for me this time.

don – alcohol?? wazzat?
Erm… I'm one of the sad ones that will go months and months without any alcohol. Can't remember the last pint ( ahhhh yes, Easter, before then….Christmas??) but then will go off to a festival for a weekend and not be strictly sober for the entire time!

GJP – I had some antibiotics at Esater after a nasty time, but this time he gave me a presecription should I need it with the long w/e coming up, but told me to hold off if poss. I didn't need it, and feel ok now, just a rattly chest. I think he's not going in really hard just in case we need to at a later stage. To be fair, I am dealing with the cold, and my wheezing is lessening considerably to just heard at a forced exhale. If it wasn't for this rattle, I'd just be thinking the cold's going hurrah!
hey ho.
P'raps steroid tablets might be on the horizon……
cheers
Q

Q – This has been going on for close on 5 months. I would say to hell with this softly softly approach – nip it in the bud so you can get on with your life.

Inhaled steroids are a preventative maintenance treatment for asthma. During asthma "flare-ups" even doubling the dose etc may not prove effective in getting things back on an even keel, and even when they work in such circumstances it will take a number of weeks to really have an effect.

Oral steroids are nasty drugs, if you are on them for any length of time (months), but a short course ( a few days) will have no long lasting side effects.

A typical short course of Pred (say 40mg per day ) is perhaps 100x more than 4 puffs of a steroid inhaler. Plus, it has the benefit of getting into the blood stream and to the lungs. Perhaps only 50% of an inhaled steroid reaches the lungs using a standard MDI.

Whenever I have taken Oral Steroids and it has not been very often (3 times in the last 5 years) then there has been significant improvement within the first 24 hours.

ATB
Gary

phew that told me.
Trouble is, I get better, feel ok then get another cold and it tips it off again. No symptoms, zilch….but as you say it's cyclic.
Thinking about it, it *is* infections that trigger the response, so as well as something to resolve the wheeze, ( inhaler, tablets whatever, ) I somehow need to build up and *not* get infections again, or not with such frequency.
ok, if I continue to pull out of this as I am doing, on the prescribed medicine, I'll keep this in mind when I get a checkup. If I take another dive, yes I'll bring up the question of stronger steroids.
thanks guys
Q

I was chatting this evening with a guy whose son is never fully “right”. Chest, breathing, mucus, headaches, ear ache and defness, tear ducts don’t work, coughing, etc etc.

It’s all well documented from his birth and is the result of a perforated ear drum.

Bizarre? I was flabbergasted at what this seemingly simple birth defect (he’s supposed to be getting better as he grows) as it seems to impact into just about everything above his nipples!

Do you have cats or dogs or any household pets? Have you spendt 48hrs away from home to see it there's a difference (inc' fresh, washed clothes from another machine so no cross contamination).

I read your OP, but no other posts
I haven't personal experience, but it sounded similar to my Deputy Manager. She had a long term continual cold which didn't shift, then suddenly, over a few days, had serious breathing problems, which resulted in a near death experience. She ended up rushed into hospital and put on a machine. Her airways just collapsed (that's probably not the correct term). She had always suffered from mild allergys (hay fever, cats), but at aged 38ish, she suddenly became a serious ashmatic. She now uses various inhailers to keep her airwaves open, depending on the severity of her condition at any given time.

I don't want to sound like some sort of nutty hippy but surely instead of just battering more drugs into you it would be worth seeking an alternative approach via a herbalist or similar ? Wife has had huge success with chronic hayfever via this route after all manner of hardcore drugs.

Having a small Whiskey now, in 2 mins I will have asthma.

Had a Ventolin since 5 years old, evenings and alchohol make it worse

evenings and alchohol make it worse

Am I missing something?
Is that not a self inflicted "wound", drinking in the evenings?

I'm popping up to the local pharmacy later as my "summer cold" is not shifting and wonder if there's a pollen / hayfever issue I'm unaware of. Living at the bottom of a hill on the outskirts of Watford doesn't help as it's in a natrual "bowl" and we have the M1, and M25, not 3 miles away.

Is that not a self inflicted "wound", drinking in the evenings?

Maybe, but I tried drinking in the daytime and my boss got upset 😆

One thing you 'could' try is getting some DoDo Chestease tablet from Boots You have to ask for them as they're not on display, and they'll only sell you one box as they're used by bodybuilders.
They have an amazing effect on your airways/wheezing and really really help, BUT they're a steroid and do not do good things to your blood pressure (which is why I stopped taking one tablet a week before riding when I had my cough) and can be adictive.

Loaded up with Antihistamine for the day and thus far, yes, it seems to have made a difference.
It's the first time I've ever tried it.
I still say it's a normal cold with something else on top whist my immune system was fighting something else off.

It's a bu££er as I've been off the bike far too long and my first solo 24hr is on the 22nd May. I've now been off the bike 6+ week thus far this year.

I'm off to the docs on thursday…
Started uni in september, had pretty much a constant cold until christmas (turned out my sinus was all infected and I had to have an op to clean it out!) only had one "proper" cold since then, but I've noticed I get a tight chest after / during riding plus copious amounts of coughing.
Wonder if this is what it is…

Interesting…. I went for a brief 'trip around the block' of my locale on sunday. Afterwards I kept blowing my nose which resulted in really emptying a sinus…. feel a lot better now, a lot clearer too.
Since I've been prescribed an inhaler, i haven't had tight chest, and never experienced that before either. It isn't nice!
Best of luck at doc's
Q