When to get help.

Lots of people have been asking when to call there GP or an ambulance.

So i thought i would post some GENERAL advice i got from a paramedic.

When your reliever is not taking away your asthma symptoms.

When your asthma attack is not getting better.

When you are struggling to cope with your asthma at home.

The above are just common sense but dont be afraid of getting help.

Ambulances are there to help asthmatics when they are having problems and most of the paramedics are really friendly and helpful. As are the out of hours doctors and nurses.

[Hidden]

I'd second the above, but also like to add, if in any doubt, get help, surely it's better to be told by someone in the know that you are going to be fine, or leaving it and well who knows.

I was always told if you have an attack anyway, that you should see your GP or Asthma nurse within 24 hours, even if you have recovered using your reliever medicine.

[Hidden]

Hi

I always have a fear of 'wasting' their time. I was told last week by my GP that instead of plodding down to the GP practice when I am not well I should call 999 because I'm brittle asthmatic and if not well once I get to the GP practice I always end up in a 999 ambulance anyway that they have called. The paramedics on Monday said that even if I call them to my home they can always give me their opinion as to whetther I go to hospital or not and can give me nebulisers etc and may not need to go to hosp. This is where I feel i would be wasting thier time because I already have nebs at home and self medicate with them that if I call them out they would think I was time wasting etc. But my Gp did say that my judgement when it comes to my asthma at times is not always the best one. I used to be, and sometimes still am, in denial when it comes to the severity of my asthma.

I was also told that I have to been seen by my GP and/or my asthma nurse the day after I have been discharged from hospital following an asthma admission. I am at present having weekly asthma checks anyway because i have been told I need to be kept an eye on lol.

[Hidden]

Ok, I'm a bit confused by this.

I get the general advice tips Plumie posted and know if anyone is concerned at all they should call their GP etc or dial 999 in an emergency. But the whole 24 hour GP visit rule has muddled me!

I don't think I've ever gone to my asthma nurse or GP if I managed to settle down a random/out of the blue attack myself with my reliever.

I go if the attacks start to be part of a pattern of several nights or days when things are getting worse, with PF's dropping etc. I do go to my surgery if I've ended up in A+E but if I manage to stay at home/work, with a few short lived blip's, then I just accept this as part of what asthma is and take it as it comes.

I realise everyone's asthma is unique but should I be doing something differently?

Hope everyone can stay well now it's a bit cooler - phew!!

[Hidden]

hey lee,

I think that it very much depends on how your asthma is to weather you need to see your GP after you have had an asthma attack of which you recovered by using your own reliever medication. For instance if you were a person with 'mild' asthma who normally took a brown inhaler and you had an attack in which you needed multiple doses of your blue inhaler and this was a very rare occurance for you, then yes going to your GP the next day would probably be very advisable as they may need to have their preventers changed or need a short course of prednisolone, but if your like me and use nebulisers and your blue reliver inhaler on a normal day then you would never leave the GP surgery if you went every time you needed a neb or a copuple of doses of your inhaler!

It is very important that individuals discuss this with there GP or asthma nurse so they know when to go to the GP, and this os one of the reasons that an asthma plan is very important as it holds such information.

I hope thats sort of cleared things up a little bit, ally x

[Hidden]

Thanks Ally - that makes complete sense now you've said it! I was thinking I would need to be going to my surgery a lot more than I do now, and that didn't seem to make sense as attacks happen most weeks but are mostly controllable, and those that aren't I do follow up- plus I've not been told off by my asthma nurse for quite a while I should sort myself out with an action plan thou!

Thank you! xx

[Hidden]

Hi

I am always at my GP practice ( weekly in fact), seeing my nurses as I have very unpredictable asthma, well I have brittle asthma, and it just goes off, and also because I am so steroid dependent that when reducing my sterioids i have to be watched very closely. My nurses are fantastic and wouldn't change them for the world, and for me it is agreed that I see my nurse ( push comes to shove I see a GP, they avoid my asthma with a barge pole i fthey can, lol, cos they say the nurses know me better) when I have to use a couple of extra nebs a day to my ususal 4 times a day, or if I feel unwell, or if i have had an attack and it is also planned that I see them the day after discharge from hospital.

I agree with Ally though that everyone is different and it should be discussed with you asthma nurse or GP when you should see them, it should be in the action plan, if not get them to write it down for you. I am in the process of have=ing an action plan made for me cos the usual ones don't reflect how I am etc etc so the nurses are creating their own for me.