Asthma Suffers

My H2B is a fellow sufferer, he was diagnosed last year at the age of 27 after he had an attack at my house (Before we lived together and I kept rabbits in the house, turns out he's allergic). He went to the Doctors and they gave him the blue reliever without giving him the blow test or anything, which I thought was odd.

He was using the reliever inhaler about 5-6 times each day, sometimes more. I told him that wasn't normal and he should have a preventor but he carried on. I pestered him to go back to the Doctors but he never would, he's silly like that. Anyway, by Christmas last year we were living together and about 2 weeks before Xmas he ran out of his blue inhaler and as he used it every single day, he started needing it, could barely breathe within about 20 minutes. We live in the sticks, nearest hospital is 40 minutes away and doctors were out of the question as it was about 11pm. I stuck him in the car and thought I'd drive him there myself as an ambulance would take far too long. It was the longest 40 mins of my life, he couldn't breathe and couldn't talk, kept drifting in and out of conciousness while I'm doing 80mph down country roads thinking he was about to die!

Finally go to the hospital and ran into A&E to tell them what had happened etc, they rushed him to a bed in a wheelchair and got him hooked up to machines, oxygen, nebuliser etc and stabilised him. It was only when he was sat there covered in wires and a mask that I broke down. He was put on steroids for 4 days and I told the Doctor about the blue inhaler useage and they confirmed exactly what I said, he needed a preventor and couldn't believe his Doctor had never given him the 'blow test'. Next day I made him go to the Doctors and he was given a red preventor. Since then he hasn't had to use the blue reliever many times at all, just the red one everyday morning and night.

Wow that must have been scary, I know when I was bad in Jan they never checked my breathing straight away but I did start on just the blue inhaler and then had 2 lots of steriods which kicked it and they finally put me on the brown inhaler.

I know in June though I was scared because each step I took I could not get my breath and was taking my blue inhaler 8 or 10 times a day. But was still in work, but have told them now if ever that bad will not be in work

Hoped your h2b is managing better now with his.

I know I am but to be fair about take my reliever as a bit wheezey great!

I suffer mild asthma really. I do get attacks if I deal with too much dust - so if we have a big sort out at home then I always suffer for it and this is how I got diagnosed.

I have a brown preventer and a blue reliever.

My first doctor was awaful. He never did the blow test and he put me on the dose that people with COPD use. I did follow that initially but then stopped bothering because I didn't feel I need it. I moved doctors and saw the asthma nurse and she was horrified at what he'd put me on. She soon amended my inhaler and sorted me out. She got me my hayfever stuff on prescription because I don't pay for them that way, and hayfever is my other trigger. Since then I've been ok. I use my blue inhaler if I know I'm going to be around a lot of dust now....or if I stay a friends in there spare room that doesn't get used often because the dust mites tend to set me off too

I have quite bad asthma, I was diagnosed at 7 and was taking inhalers up until about a year ago when I moved into my flat. I was frequently in A&E on the nebuliser when I had asthma attacks and I was taking brown, blue and a disc-haler, my PF was 100 at the lowest and is nowadays usually about 300. I registered at my doctors surgery when I moved here and they told me I wouldn't be able to get anymore inhalers (even though they could see I had been on them for years) until I had an asthma review. Surprise, surprise, when I go and see the asthma nurse she says she doesn't think inhalers are necessary because I only suffer breathlessness occasionally when laughing, running, dusty areas. So I'm now stuck with an inhaler that goes out of date in a few months and don't know what to do! Everyday I suffer from tight chestedness and crackly chest but they don't seem to think it's important, I am panicking because once that inhaler runs out I won't have any at all and I'm scared incase I have an attack. Is it wrong for them to refuse me inhalers that I have been on for most of my life?

My sister has really bad asthma, don't think her peak flow has ever been above 300. They also realised after 7 years that she was allergic to the salbutamol (sp) inhaler (blue) and eventually put her on the purple one. So when she was taking her inhaler it was actually making her worse rather than better. She's been alot better since being on the purple inhaler (about 5 years) and hasn't ended up in hospital so many times but i still don't think her peak flow is any higher than 300.

He's absolutely fine now he has his preventer, felt good to say "I told you so!!" whilst he was sat there feeling sorry for himself in his hospital bed. He's never let his inhalers run out again lol.

My stepdad has really bad asthma, he's on allsorts of inhalers, inc those weird round ones. He has been off work for about 3 months now as it's gradually getting worse an worse, once he's got over one chest infection, another one appears. His work have given him disciplinaries for being off sick(!!) so I don't think he'll be going back. He works in cold temperatures which makes him worse, not really sure what they're gonna do for him, he gets put on alot of steroids but that's no good long term.

Funnily enough I've woken up all wheezy this morning....not good! Instantly made me think of this thread though

I think that is terriable and you should go back even to see another nurse. This is a website I have found for peak flow rates which may help to push them

http://www.swenurse.se/PageFiles/347/Peak%20flow%20Adult.pdf

I have the purple one and the blue one. It was diagnosed last year but have probably had it for years (know now I know what the symptoms were all that time). I get worse at winter, last year I was so bad when it was damp in the air and I remember in December going for the swine flu jab and could barely talk! Also when it's really humid.

H suffers quite badly from asthma and until last year didn't manage it very well either! Whenever he got a cold, it would end in a chest infection and meant time off work, which caused huge problems for him at work resulting last nov in a written warning to stay on his file for a year ☹️ But we moved house that month and our new place only has carpet in the living room and hall way, everywhere else is laminate and along with being outside in the garden so being a bit fitter etc he has been so well, it's remarkable and I'd highly recommend laminate flooring to anyone with asthma! It was fitted here by the previous owners who also had asthma and commented on the difference it made. He's been wheezy this past week or so, generally the change in the weather doesn't help but it's not got any worse whereas before he'd have been on antibiotics and steroids by now. He is also very good at using her preventor inhaler these days too.