Not wheezing with attacks - does anyone else have this?

Hello, I'm wondering if any body has had similar experiences to me?

I don't wheeze when I get an asthma attack, I only wheeze when I have a chest infection...

I've had asthma all my life and as I child I was accused as ""using it as an excuse to get out of school"" because when I went to the doctors with shortness of breath and tight chest, they thought I was fibbing because when they listened to my chest it was relatively clear.

I'm asking this now because I had an attack (first one in ages) on Wednesday and I've just had too days of trying to convince the doctor that I need predisalone. I've seen two doctors and a nurse, all of them treated me very suspiciously and were reluctant to prescribe. It's only after my friend, who is a GP, demanded that they listen to me did they actually prescribe them.

Does anyone else experience this? Thanks

Cat

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YES!!!! (and if you do a search I think you'll find some other similar posts)

I've been discharged from A&E previously as I ""clearly don't have asthma"" because I haven't been wheezing, only to be back a few hours later in a very bad way. I don't have the same problem (luckily) with my GP as I have a fantastic GP who listens to me. Now if I have to go to the hospital from the GPs she writes me a letter which explains my symptoms as I've been left terrified of being chucked out of A&E and unable to get the help I need.

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Thank you

Thank you Ratty, I did a search and found very useful comments.

There really should be more awareness of this issue, it can be very serious! There should be more doctors like your one, who are willing to belive us.

Thanks again

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I've never had the wheeze, but tight chest, and shortness of breath are the only sysmptoms i get, occasional cough. If I get a chest infection, my lungs can sound clear as well, doc did give me pred and anti B's 1st time, the when I returned a month later, all clear again but a reduced peak flow, he gave me a repeat, but told me not to take any of them unless the peak flow dropped further, luckily for me it didn't and I still have the pred and anti b's at home. If you can show the doc that you can record an accurate peakflow chart then this may help you in the future, but sometimes and you may be one such person, who will get some symptoms and no drop in peak flow, then it just trying to talk him into trusting yo know your body and the way you feel, this can be tricky, but also very usefull if you can get that trust from him/her.

Good luck, and hope you are fine at the moment.

Chris

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I used to have that problem, and was often told I was fine when I wasn't, PFs would sometimes drop as low as 180 l/min and would need pred for a while. My cons said I was fine and even reduced my meds to see what would happen and what happened? My asthma declined as I got older. Now I wheeze quite frequently and believe that if more doctors were better educated in asthma and its consequences, this wouldn't have happened.

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Hi,

I also experience this...was in A and E this morning because the past few days I have been struggling, but was sent home after a couple of nebs (had home nebs for the past few days) but the doctor said he could hear no wheezing. I tried to explain to him that I don't wheeze - but my chest was tight (like someone was sitting on it!). Luckily my consultant is brilliant, bt I think people need to realise that wheezing is not always present during an asthma attack.

Hope you are feeling better now x x x

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Hey there,

i only seem to wheeze when i have a chest infection, dont wheeze much but tight chest, grasping for air and dizziness.... kel xx

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Thanks everyone

Thanks for your comments and encouragement everyone

It's SO frustrating not being listened to! I spent yesterday in hospital, apparently I'm ""fine because my chest is clear and everything is normal"" despite the fact I couldn't breathe properly! Plus they started by giving me oxygen, which helped, but then took it away because my oxygen levels were ""fine"" too.

Sarah, sorry you're having it rough - best wishes to you! and you can message me if you need someone to vent

Lets hope awarness is raised soon...

x x x