When you get a chest cold with lots of coughing, does that make your breathing muscles weak?

When I would get a chest cold, I thought I was having asthma attacks because I wouldn't be able to breathe very well. (I have a history of childhood asthma, with occasional minor allergy-associated attacks as an adult.) My peak flow would drop from my normal 450 to about 150, and wasn't responding to albuterol. My SATS always seemed to be okay, though.

At first, medical personnel would say, "You're not having an asthma attack, you're not wheezing at all" and would not offer help. Nurses would check my peak flow, and would yell at me, "You're not trying!"

Later, others would say, "You're not wheezing, but you're not moving air, either." I would end up at urgent care, getting 2-3 breathing treatments, and when that didn't help they'd inject me with something (a steroid I think?) and after awhile I'd be breathing better and go home.

Now I'm wondering if this could be a sign of fatigueable weakness, and if it could be a clue for me in searching for answers.