Underlying health risks such as asthma

[danny la rouge]

reasons being that the brown one didn't work

Yes. That was the reasons. Waking up gasping for breath. It was inconvenient.

 

[two sheds]

Mind you I had that when I tried the powder type inhaler - I couldn't lie down at night for choking. Moving to aerosol type (I think it was seretide) sorted it for me.

As I recall it was someone on urban who suggested seretide so thanks to urban once more

 

[MsHopper]

I get the free flu jab so I don't really know where that puts me in terms of risk but socially isolating as much as I can

 

[Sue]

Kinda vaguely related...

I was telling a very dear friend about a guy at work who tested positive for Coronavirus.

'So he hadn't been feeling great for a few days then he went downhill on Saturday. Was really struggling to breathe. His partner called an ambulance, he was taken to the hospital and put straight onto a ventilator,' says I.

'Oh, that's terrible. I'm never sure when you're meant to call an ambulance. So does that mean it's okay to call one if you literally can't breathe?' says she, astounded.

'Aye, I think that'd be fair enough,' says I like .

That's why I love her dearly.

 

[Epona]

Kinda vaguely related...

I was telling a very dear friend about a guy at work who tested positive for Coronavirus.

'So he hadn't been feeling great for a few days then he went downhill on Saturday. Was really struggling to breathe. His partner called an ambulance, he was taken to the hospital and put straight onto a ventilator,' says I.

'Oh, that's terrible. I'm never sure when you're meant to call an ambulance. So does that mean it's okay to call one if you literally can't breathe?' says she, astounded.

'Aye, I think that'd be fair enough,' says I like .

That's why I love her dearly.

I can understand that, I had H3N1 (might have been H3N2, can't recall) swine flu 2 or 3 years ago and was in a fairly bad state with my breathing, I didn't call an ambulance but I think certainly if I'd been more vulnerable in terms of my health beforehand or had any underlying respiratory issues I might have needed to do so at its peak. But then despite the fact that I was delirious with fever and having breathing problems I "didn't want to bother anyone" iykwim

 

[Big Bertha]

not fostair i.e. pink? what's the drug?

eta is it steroid? I think a friend has red inhaler because she's allergic to steroids.

I had a pink one, I was told fostair was the upgrade!

 

[Sue]

I can understand that, I had H3N1 swine flu 2 or 3 years ago and was in a fairly bad state with my breathing, I didn't call an ambulance but I think certainly if I'd been more vulnerable in terms of my health beforehand or had any underlying respiratory issues I might have needed to do so at its peak. But then despite the fact that I was delirious with fever and having breathing problems I "didn't want to bother anyone" iykwim

I know, right? Think it was even more scary as he's in his 30s with no underlying health conditions and a three-month old baby at home. Must have been incredibly scary all round. (He's out of hospital now and on the mend so that's all good.)

 

[two sheds]

I had a pink one, I was told fostair was the upgrade!

I used to have seretide and was told fostair's similar but fostair seemed to me to give larger dose - psychosomatic I'm sure but there you go

 

[mx wcfc]

I'm type two diabetic - free flu jab (I don't bother) and free pneumonia jab (I did), so apparently I'm high risk. I haven't found anything that explains why I'm high risk (other than the free flu jab definition), apart from something I found about diabetics having impaired immune systems. Thing is, my immune system is pretty good. I get a bad cold (man flu) once every couple of years but my wife and daughter, who don't have diabetes, get ill a lot more than me.

With asthma, I can see the link, but I suspect the diabetes thing is just because the "free flu jab = high risk" thing was an easy definition.

If someone can give me a link, or an explanation, I'd be very happy to hear it.

(I'm not being flippant - I have been wfh all week, with minimal social contact with anyone. I'll probably get the c word and drop dead next week)

 

[weepiper]

Mr W has ulcerative colitis and had a second major bowel surgery eight weeks ago. He gets a flu jab and has had pretty delicate health for the last two years, although having been a pretty fit and healthy cyclist he has good strong lungs and heart, which I'm sort of clinging to to make myself slightly less terrified that we'll have battled through everything we've battled through just for him to die of pangolin flu because someone that walked past him in the street didn't wash their hands.

 

[moose]

View attachment 202498

I have the same drug, but in a more effective inhaler.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Does nobody have a red inhaler? I’ve got a blue one and a red one.

I've got two blue ones - I can't take steroid inhalers because my body doesn't seem to like them. So one of the blue ones is a long-acting beta agonist, and substitutes for the steroid one.

 

[nogojones]

Even though I have a underlying condition, I consider myself pretty healthy and fit. I've had no problems for 8 years and this year was the first time ever a flu jab was mentioned and that was just a throwaway comment from the specialist nurse.

Yesterday my consultant phoned me sounding frantic. "Do not come for your 6 monthly check up next week and stay isolated. YOU WILL NOT SURVIVE IT IF YOU CATCH IT!" (Caps cos he was almost screaming this part). He's normally really calm and easy going, so it was a bit of a shocker to hear him sounding so panicked. I guess he had a whole bunch of happy patients to phone.

 

[N_igma]

Kinda vaguely related...

I was telling a very dear friend about a guy at work who tested positive for Coronavirus.

'So he hadn't been feeling great for a few days then he went downhill on Saturday. Was really struggling to breathe. His partner called an ambulance, he was taken to the hospital and put straight onto a ventilator,' says I.

'Oh, that's terrible. I'm never sure when you're meant to call an ambulance. So does that mean it's okay to call one if you literally can't breathe?' says she, astounded.

'Aye, I think that'd be fair enough,' says I like .

That's why I love her dearly.

Similar thing happened to me. I never developed asthma until I was 30 so when I started having a really chest cough and was wheezing I put it down to the flu so took precautions for that. It never went away though, one morning I could barely breathe and went into the bathroom and my lips were pure blue so I went to the hospital and was rushed straight through, put on a nebuliser.

A doctor came over to me and said ‘how long have you had asthma?’ And I was like ‘I’ve never had it.’ And he said ‘well you do now’. It was a very scary time because I’m very reticent about going to doctors and never knew you could develop asthma in older life. I’m not sure how close I was to death but I’ll never be as complacent again.

 

[Dogsauce]

I get the flu jab because I’m on immunosuppressants for Crohns disease and have had it this winter, I was also told to have a pneumonia jab as I had a four month chest infection over the autumn (with suggestions it could be ILD, a rare side effect from my medication) but the doctor hasn’t had any in for ages. Not sure if I should push for getting this given they’re probably getting busy and it’s putting myself in a risky environment.

 

[two sheds]

I've had asthma since I was six, and have just seen specialist - doctor referred me because I've had it for so long that I've not had the tests you'd now normally have when referred. Because I didn't get symptoms for 30 years or so, I didn't take steroid/preventive inhaler (not sure they had them for the first few years of that anyway). Specialist says that I still had asthma but it wasn't being treated which wasn't doing me any good.

I've got an appointment with doctor end of month but wrote her a letter this week saying I'm socially distancing so can I have a phone appointment (their website in the meantime says they're not doing routine appointments). They've phoned me back and said yes. One thing I want to check is whether I can get a nebulizer - a friend (with brittle asthma) swears by it, makes a real difference to her when she gets an attack.

So I'm going to ask the doctor whether I can buy a nebulizer myself if she gives me a prescription for the refills (which is what my friend did).

 

[Big Bertha]

I'm type two diabetic - free flu jab (I don't bother) and free pneumonia jab (I did), so apparently I'm high risk. I haven't found anything that explains why I'm high risk (other than the free flu jab definition), apart from something I found about diabetics having impaired immune systems. Thing is, my immune system is pretty good. I get a bad cold (man flu) once every couple of years but my wife and daughter, who don't have diabetes, get ill a lot more than me.

With asthma, I can see the link, but I suspect the diabetes thing is just because the "free flu jab = high risk" thing was an easy definition.

If someone can give me a link, or an explanation, I'd be very happy to hear it.

(I'm not being flippant - I have been wfh all week, with minimal social contact with anyone. I'll probably get the c word and drop dead next week)

I’ve never heard of the pneumonia jab!

 

[farmerbarleymow]

I’ve never heard of the pneumonia jab!

If you've got chronic lung conditions it's worth speaking to your doctor about. I had it a few years ago as I'd rather not get pneumonia.

 

[Big Bertha]

If you've got chronic lung conditions it's worth speaking to your doctor about. I had it a few years ago as I'd rather not get pneumonia.

It doesn’t appeal tbh.

 

[rubbershoes]

My asthma is mild. Used ventolin for years but moved to seretide a few years ago and my ventolin now gathers dust

I had a pneumonia vaccination this week, at Mrs Shoes insistence. I had the PCV13 rather than the PPV23. The nurse recommended that one as the PPV is normally for people over 65, and if I had it now, it may be less effective when I have it in the future

I was speaking to a doctor friend today who agreed that it was sensible to get the vaccination as me having CV and pneumonia at the same time would not be pretty.

 

[two sheds]

Never had pneumonia vaccine but have added that to questions for my GP - ta

 

[rubbershoes]

Never had pneumonia vaccine but have added that to questions for my GP - ta

My GP didn't have any in stock and said they wouldn't till mid April. Boots and Superdrug do it privately

 

[StoneRoad]

I'm confused ...

Chap I work with has poorly controlled atrial fibrillation (he's had several cardioversions over the past couple / three years, and since the last one "failed" after a few days, the hospital have offered a pacemaker (not that the op will be anytime soon).
I think he should stay at home as his risk from Covid-19 is higher than normal ...

I've tried to find out some definite information, but even the BHF is unclear, other than the "raised risk"

He's been advised to "wfh" but is still coming in (almost 40 mile drive one way) and the job is pretty physical.
Sometimes he has to sit down to get his breath back / calm his pulse rate ...

 

[Smangus]

I have asthma and get the flu jab every year, had the pneumonia jab a few years back. IIRC the pneumonia needs redoing after 10 years.

 

[two sheds]

Asthma UK gives advice on asthma, including whether you should consider yourself very high risk or high risk - doesn't actually mention flu jab, but lower down on page gives the drug dosage you're on (Fostair etc) that determines whether you're high risk.

 

[hash tag]

1.5 million letters will be out by next Sunday apparently.

 

[wiskey]

I admit I've not read the thread but this site has been useful to me today

COVID-19: information for the respiratory community | British Thoracic Society | Better lung health for all

The British Thoracic Society exists to improve standards of care for people who have respiratory diseases and to support and develop those who provide that care.

www.brit-thoracic.org.uk

 

[two sheds]

Bookmarked, ta

 

[Big Bertha]

That’s great cheers

 

[Pingety Pong]

Asthma UK gives advice on asthma, including whether you should consider yourself very high risk or high risk - doesn't actually mention flu jab, but lower down on page gives the drug dosage you're on (Fostair etc) that determines whether you're high risk.

According to that site, I am very high risk because I am on Fostair. I would say my asthma is usually mild (I use the brown inhalor twice a day and am absolutely fine) but during the February half term I felt quite fluey and got a really bad cough and could hardly breathe at night, so I was put on Fostair for now. I don't particularly want to be the on the list of severely ill people when or if triaging comes in Do you reckon it's worth talking to my GP to be put back on the brown inhalor?