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Dealing with colds on top of asthma and perennial allergic rhinitis

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libralady13
libralady13

Hello, I have both asthma and perennial allergic rhinitis.  I use inhalers for the asthma but Iam unable to use steroid nasal spray for the rhinitis as I also have glaucoma b

and the steroid sprays cause a rise in pressures.  I have been told that I am a steroid responder.  I am wondering how you deal with colds and flu  as  well.  I dread getting a cold as the symptoms are much worse and I usually get a choking cough which lasts for a long time.  My asthma is generally mild but it is the rhinitis that gets me down.  I have one sneezing fit aday which is always followed by postnasal drip and have to deal with loads of mucus in the throat which I have trouble clearing.  I can only take antihistamines for it and they don't really help that much.  I dobuse salt water spray which You can buy.  If anyone can tell me how they cope with a cold on top of rhinitis I would be grateful.  Any tips or things you do to help the cold go away.  Many thanks.

0 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • richard27197
    richard27197 libralady13

    Posted

    Hi, 

    This must the the Third or fourth blog I have replied to on this subject.  Go to mike 67926 and Lynda 98099 on the site to read the reply to save me writing it all again. Like you I very similar issues. 

    Sounds like it could be non allergic rhinitis and the worse treatment for this is antihistamines. I stopped taking them on advice following allergy tests and felt much  better but still had attacks. 

    Please try the red  pepper spray it works for all of us!!

    Since using this I have not needed the asthma spray and reduced my preventer to one puff a day of a lower dose until I can get it reviewed when I hope to stop?

    I think the asthma was brought on by the rhinitis as I had never suffered with it before and this can be a side effect of this rhinitis, I have seen some research that shows this can be the case.  

    I have now reduced my pepper spray to once in the morning and night and if I feel a PND event coming on one spray and it STOPS it.  It stops the PND and reduces the mucus in the throat to an occasional small amount which is liveable. 

    Let me know how you get on! 

    • libralady13
      libralady13 richard27197

      Posted

      Thank you so much Richard.  Firstly the diagnosis of perennial allergic rhinitis was made by a ENT consultant.  I actually asked my gp to refer me because I sing in a choir I kept finding that my voice would cut out on higher notes.  By the time I got the appointment it seemed to have cleared up by itself. He was a voice consultant and I had a camera down was told no problem and given the diagnosis.  Given the usual info about voice care like drinking water,limit caffeine no shouting etc.  I was given a antihistamine/steroid combined spray but did not use it because of the glaucoma problem.  At a later date I had a steroid nasal spray because my symptoms got bad.  It worked very well but when I went for my routine eye appointment the pressures had risen.  Decided to discontinue the spray and withing 6 weeks the pressures had returned to base level.  The antihistamine was given to me by my gp during the hayfever season and I have stopped now.  I will certainly look back at the posts you mention and look into buying the spray.  At the moment not feeling great hoping I will be ok by next week.  Trouble is when I get a cold from start to finish always last a month but I never need antibiotics.  Thanks again for taking the trouble to reply.
    • libralady13
      libralady13

      Posted

      Just realised this is the same thing only in cream form that my gp gave me for arthritis it does help a bit.  The only thing I worry about is that I read that the spray may causes a temporary burning sensation now although I like curry and spicy food I simple cannot eat anything unless it is very mild it makes me cough and my throat seems to close up.  Do you think this might cause a similiar reaction.  I am 71 and on various medications so don't want to make things worse. I also have gastritis,IBS and Diverticular so very spicy foods are a no.

  • richard27197
    richard27197 libralady13

    Posted

    Hi,

    It does give a slight burning sensation in the nose and up in the the sinuses  for a 3 or 4 seconds, I can only compare it to where you get a English mustard rush but its 90% less than that. 

    They do a mild formula but I have found that the more you use it the less the reaction. 

    The other thing I have noticed about reading and replying to these rhinitis blogs is that so many people also suffer from gastric issues, myself included heat burn everyday, starting to believe its a side effect of rhinitis? who knows?

    The pepper sprays had no effect on my gastric issues and I have now found a tablet which totally controls it without side effects. 

    I would suggest you use the spray maybe 3 puffs each side to start with then reduce it back to as and when you need it. The research showed some people do not need to use it for up to 36 days and still got relief. 

    Age is only a number and I am not that far behind you! 

    • libralady13
      libralady13 richard27197

      Posted

      Thank you Richard.  Yes you are it does seem that heartburn and other gastric problems are more common in those with rhinitis and asthma.  They all seem to make each other worse.  
  • libralady13
    libralady13

    Posted

    Update on my post. Cold has been awful. The cough horrendous. On antibiotics and although my cough has improved slightly not sure if this is to do antibiotics or just improving on its own. I still have spasmodic coughing loads of throat mucus, horrible taste in mouth and although I get mucus all the time my throat seems dry. Still got no singing voice after 3 weeks. Speaking has improved very slightly. Am used to my colds lasting a month or more but this seems a bit different. Beginning to think I might have LPR as I do suffer from gastritis and ibs. I had a ent throat scope in 2015 following a cold with voice loss but not as bad as this. Because the appointment took ages to come through I was recovered by then. I think that you maybe have to see the throat and voice box when its at its worse to get a definite diagnosis. They said the throat was find nothing remarkable and I got the diagnosis of Rhinitis.

    Lastly regarding symptoms of rhinitis. Do you get throat mucus and coughing or just sneezing and runny nose etc. I get those as well. My gp wont send me for ent tests until another 3 weeks have gone by. Feeling very frustrated and tired from the coughing. By the way the cold started with the throat and chest being tight with cough and mucus.

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