Symptoms,types,doctors and everything!From a newbie.

I`m new here and having read as many of the postings in this forum as is possible in a limited time I`m amazed at the range of symptoms branded `Athsma` and as frustrated as the rest of you with doctors and medication that doesn`t do much for the presenting symptoms! My symptoms are coughing and mucus (I do get a tight chest but rarely so far).It amazes me that Athsma is diagnosed and monitored on Peak Flow-we all have such a variation of rates and it doesn`t seem to bear any relation to actual breathing!

Lack of information is appalling-if the doctors don`t know then why don`t they just tell us they don`t know instead of answering in stock phrases. Whatever I ask I seem to get more instructions on how to use my prescribed medication-usually NOT the question I`d asked.

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Hi Krista and welcome!

I feel your frustration with all of this! I've found the forum is a great place though as it shows you that asthma does come in a range of symptoms whereas many sites just go on the 'classic' ones. It was reading about people's triggers on here that made me think I must have asthma and gave me the confidence to push my GP for a diagnosis and not just give up and accept what the hospital said (though GP was also really good, I was lucky).

Feel free to PM me any time if you like, I have some experience with medications not doing much and PFs being unhelpful - and you might just want to rant.

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Hi Krista and welcome to the site. Yes, doctors have been fobbing me off for years! It seems that if you don't fit into the ""norm"" then they try and fob you off onto another doctor or make you feel as if you are just making things up! Hope you get better treatment in the future, good luck and take care x x

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I find this a big problem, especially when in places such as A & E or with GPs who dont know me. ""Well you dont have any wheeze so it sounds ok"", yes but I cant talk, and cant breathe or stop coughing so evidently Im not fine!

I wish they would teach in med school that asthma is not simply a wheeze and a low peak flow, Iv never had either of those.

[yaf_user681_4328]

yep also have the not whezing you must be ok , expecpt can't talk or breath

thing

and had home gp says yes to asthma, uni gp now says yes but sometimes says no, A and E didn't think it was asthma becase I wasn't whezzeing.

Here has been helpfull and made me see coughing can be asthma

good luck don't give up