can anyone recommend an asthma specialist in Manchester

hi. I'm hoping someone can recommend a specialist in Manchester area. My asthma has been playing up for 4 weeks now. I've seen 6 different GP's or I will have by Tuesday. All with different ideas of treating me. It's effecting my life, as i'm off work, I can't do normal stuff, can't sleep, (or least I do but spend 1hour coughing first!)

I don't tend to wheeze, but my asthma has always been the cough that's the problem. So getting my breath while I cough, I feel my airways narrow. I'm taking ventolin for fun at moment which I don't normally do. I had a course of steroids with Antibiotics nearly four wks ago, then GP said it was viral, wouldn't give me anymore steroids or antib's. A week later went back as emergency appointment as i was struggling. Got 5 day course of steroids, which I felt improved things, i got that increased to 7 days Dr no 5. Who said was reluctant for me to take much more. So have on t taken any now for 4 days. I do have 3 days worth to take if needed. I think I need to. My symptoms still same.

I think I need another course me steroids with stronger antib's. But are they not the ones who are supposed to recommend treatment. Or for me to specialist like now.

Yours feeling a bit fed up. X

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Oh dear, sorry your having a bad time asthma wise at the mo. My GP was not very up on asthma so i found in the early stages of my diagnosis of asthma the Asthma UK Nurse helpline to be invaluable. You can contact them on the phone on 0800 121 62 44 or if you prefer you can e-mail them. I found their advice brilliant, it can be very confusing when different GP's give you different advice ant treatments.

The helpline kept me safe and sane! Sorry i don't know any asthma specialists in Manchester. In Leeds there is a brilliant consultant called Dr Mcloughlin but she is currently on maternity leave but her team are really lovely. I live in Hull but go to the Difficult ashtma clinic in Leeds, i have learnt to do what Leeds tell me now and disregard the advice given in Chest clinic in Hull. Hope someone comes along soon with a recommendation of a good consultant. I think there are some people on the boards who go to Wythanshaw hosp.

Hope you feel better soon, and get some sound advice for better control of your asthma, take real good care, Lois

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just to echo Lois, I think talking to one of the nurses on the Asthma UK adviceline could be a good first step. I have recommended it to a couple of people who were having problems with asthma control & they found the nurses very knowledgeable and helpful.

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Hey,

I know Rob Niven is the main consultant in Manchester, and alot of people off here see him. Maybe ask for a referral?

Hope this helps x

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Rob Niven is based in Manchester at the Wythenshaw and has an excellent reputation.

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Thank you

Thank you for your advice, I have spoken to one of the nurse on the advicelin, and she gave me some helpful advice and reassurance. So feel I am able to go to GP tomorrow with this knowledge.

I will certainly ask to be referred to Rob Niven. :o)

Cath

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good luck with referral tho I have to say I saw rob niven once and felt as tho I was a fraud with all his comments and wasn't impressed at all dispite what everyone says so I have never been back maybe some of it was to do with what previous con had written b4 I told them wasn't going any more and got referral to diff con. Hope yopu have better luck.

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Hi there

I've seen Rob for last 2 years now after referral from a different con who got fed up of not making any headway! Rob is great, though as Katharine says - he can be straight talking and takes a while to get used to this. However if you do he can be really helpful, especially as there are always different trials of sorts going on in the North West Lung Centre, and he does a lot of work with RBH in London too.

Definately see if you can get referral there. I was referred from my previous cons but your GP sohuld be able ot find out if you can get referred direct or if it has to come form your local hospital.

Good luck

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frustrated

thanks foradvice re: Rob. I'm a nurse working on baby unit so get used to dealing with different consultants shall we say.

Anyway had another frustrating visit to GP. The 6th one in 4weeks. Anyway having had advice from helpline i knew what I needed. A proper course of steroids, but because i wasn't wheezy he wouldn't give them. I told him my asthma was more the cough than wheeze. He did however give an add on inhaler. Atrovent.

I'm just hoping it will have effect. I want to get back to sleeping, work and normal life.

Cath

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hi

Hi Cath,

Really sorry to hear you're having such a bother with your asthma at the moment. Just a thought Prof Niven is a specialist in difficult asthma & usually sees patients referred by other consultants. He also has a very long wait. You might be better off being referred to a general respiratory physician to start with, hopefully you'll then be seen quickly & things started off or you.

Saying that prof Niven is my terriary consultant (I also see a local one closer to where I live) & I think he's amazing.

All the best,

Sx

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thanks ST. I'm being referred back to a consultant i've seen before. Then hopefully he'll write a plan for me, so that i'm not faced with GP's not knowing what to do with me. So that i get the right treatment for me without being messed around. I actually find it scary how mis-managed I feel I've been. That's even when I am a fellow professional and can be assertive. But reading other discussions i'm not alone getting frustrated by GP's. Thanks to all advice. This forum is a God send.