Chest Infection...again

14

Hey I dunno if anyone remembers the post I made a while back, but anyway I was ill again this week and I've got another chest infection :frown:

I've got to take steroids tablets too this time (6 in one go :eek:

scary) so I was just wondering how to prevent getting chest infections or is it just one of those things? Just its only been 6/7 weeks since my last one, and I can't afford to take time off Uni as its my final year! I mean I cover up with my scarf and stuff, and I always put my hand over my mouth when I cough (so as not to give anyone esle the pleasure of a chest infection!) so I wondered if there was anything esle that would help prevent it? I've got a weak immune system to (apparently) which also doesn't help with these things so anything I can do to strengthen that? I take Vitamin C and eat loads of fruit and veg.

Thanks for any answers :smile:

Reply 1

qwerty_st/n

11

i think your already doing all the right things, what with taking vit c, eating healthy, etc
see if the steroids make you feel any better, if they dont work then you should go to your doctor again cos it may well be that the chest infections are a symptom of something else
have you ever had any other chest problems, or do you smoke or anything else you can think of that might be causing it?

Reply 2

x kat x

13

get better soon chick

Reply 3

Gem

OP

14

qwerty_st/n

i think your already doing all the right things, what with taking vit c, eating healthy, etc
see if the steroids make you feel any better, if they dont work then you should go to your doctor again cos it may well be that the chest infections are a symptom of something else
have you ever had any other chest problems, or do you smoke or anything else you can think of that might be causing it?

Symptom of something else? Like what? :eek:

Aww thats scary! No I don't smoke, never have. My only other problem is asthma, which seems to bet getting worse, it always does in the winter but this year its particularly bad :frown:

Thanks for your advice :hugs:

I'll keep doing what I'm doing and see how it goes! Thanks catryn for saying get well too! :smile:

Reply 4

qwerty_st/n

11

* gemchicken

Symptom of something else? Like what? :eek:

Aww thats scary! No I don't smoke, never have. My only other problem is asthma, which seems to bet getting worse, it always does in the winter but this year its particularly bad :frown:

Thanks for your advice :hugs:

I'll keep doing what I'm doing and see how it goes! Thanks catryn for saying get well too! :smile:

aww sorry, dont mean to be scaremongering, theres just the possibilty that something else could be the cause of ur chest infection, hence why you keep getting them. i hope its not tho, get well soon :smile:

Reply 5

Leisure17

8

If you have asthma then that is the reason the doc gave you the steroids. To try and calm down the inflammation. You could discuss with him if it is an option to take local steroids (Cortisone Asthma Spray) throughout the winter, because usually asthma gets worse in the cold (cold can trigger). People with asthma are prone to chest infections so I guess living healthily is a good option. Try keeping out of smoky places as that does not help.
I would also be a good idea to go to the doc's at the first symptoms (nip the infection in the bud) and not wait till it is really bad. Then you might need antibiotics etc.

Reply 6

glitter_bug

Hey! I have exactly the same problem! I get loads of chest infections and I have asthma which is getting worse as I get older and is at its worst in autumn, winter.

I usually take a course of steriods that sound similar...the 6 a day ones. When I got really bad and I started getting this constant pain in my chest my doctor referred me to the hospital and he gave me these tablets called Montelucast - maybe you could ask your doctor. I still get frequent chest infections and need a course of steriods but it calms my asthma down so that the infection doesn't feel as bad.

I dunno if it will have the same affect on you. Also do you have a flu jab? It might help you in the winter.

Reply 7

Gem

OP

14

That does sound very similar Rosie0204, sorry to hear you get problems too :frown:

My asthma is worse in the winter too, and the course of steroid sound familiar. My GP told me to book in for a flu jab, so I did and the earliest I could get was...12th November :eek:

Whcih by then I'd probably already have had the flu! Oh well, never mind!

Leisure17, thanks for your reply! I have been going to the doctors these last few times as soon as I felt the symptoms, but they've said its not bad enough for antibiotics, just to take my inhalers and come back if it gets any worse, which inevitably it does :frown:

and I end up going back! I dunno, its probably best to wait til I feel its bad enough for anti biotics, so as not to waste and appointment that someone else could have, if that makes sense?

Oh well thanks for all your help people :hugs:

Reply 8

Fruit-cake

9

how can you tell if you have a chest infection? i think i have one but im not sure...

Reply 9

John7060

Leisure17

If you have asthma then that is the reason the doc gave you the steroids. To try and calm down the inflammation. You could discuss with him if it is an option to take local steroids (Cortisone Asthma Spray) throughout the winter, because usually asthma gets worse in the cold (cold can trigger). People with asthma are prone to chest infections so I guess living healthily is a good option. Try keeping out of smoky places as that does not help.
I would also be a good idea to go to the doc's at the first symptoms (nip the infection in the bud) and not wait till it is really bad. Then you might need antibiotics etc.

no right minded doctor would give prednisolone if budesonide alone were not sufficient/more apt.

Reply 10

John7060

rosie0204

Hey! I have exactly the same problem! I get loads of chest infections and I have asthma which is getting worse as I get older and is at its worst in autumn, winter.

I usually take a course of steriods that sound similar...the 6 a day ones. When I got really bad and I started getting this constant pain in my chest my doctor referred me to the hospital and he gave me these tablets called Montelucast - maybe you could ask your doctor. I still get frequent chest infections and need a course of steriods but it calms my asthma down so that the infection doesn't feel as bad.

I dunno if it will have the same affect on you. Also do you have a flu jab? It might help you in the winter.

montelukast is just another drug to help open up your airways and reduce inflammation i think. its particularly effective/only really effective in a certain subset of asthmatics (those in whom it is a allergic thing i think)

Reply 11

glitter_bug

John7060

montelukast is just another drug to help open up your airways and reduce inflammation i think. its particularly effective/only really effective in a certain subset of asthmatics (those in whom it is a allergic thing i think)

Well that may be so officially (duno where you got the information) but I don't have allergic asthma (well not partic anyway) and that is not the reason the doctor atb the hospital gave it me. He gave it me because the amount of chest infections I was having was hurting my chest and making my asthma much worse. And it worked to some extent. I still get chest infections but they do not seem so bad. I just thought it was worth *gemchicken* looking into because her symptoms sound very similar to mine. Besides...there is no harm in asking is there??!

Reply 12

Leisure17

8

John7060

no right minded doctor would give prednisolone if budesonide alone were not sufficient/more apt.

Well it is a bit difficult to judge via internet isn't it. It is obiviously an individual decision each time. Meaning the same patient will not neccessarily get the same treatment each time.
If you're nearing a status (asthmaticus) then I think you'll be very glad if someone gives you Prednisolon on top of a few other things.

Reply 13

Leisure17

8

John7060

no right minded doctor would give prednisolone if budesonide alone were not sufficient/more apt.

I guess I misunderstood you, same as you did me. What I mean is: when the infection has gone taking a topic steroid on a regular basis can prevent future infections from getting out of hand.

And - as I might say- a good many docs do give prednisolone (when it is needed) because it works fast and the patient's compliance is higher. Prevention often doesn't work because patients don't comply well ("Why should I take that terrible stuff if I am feeling well?")

Reply 14

SilverClaws

5

Are you sure your not asmatic?
That can lead to chest infections, and have you had a TB jab?

Chest Infection...again

Related discussions

Articles for you

How The Student Room is moderated