anyone else question whether theyre actually asthmatic??

Taking seretide 250 twice morning & night,, using salbutamol [can't spell,, sorry] a load, [6 times every 4hrs, & when needed],, oral steroids & singulair. I don't really get wheezy, & my peak flow rarely drops but my sats do, tightness, shortness of breath, & really chesty cough. Been on steroids since back end of may & still having severe attacks often.. Apparently I'm on highest of everything GP can prescribe. Fed up with it & really questioning whether its actually asthma or not. >.< Can anyone relate? & if so, how do u deal with it?

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Can relate to that. Got so fed up being told nothing more they can offer, not even a cons appt, I changed to different GP practice. New Docs called for new spirometry tests and asthma nurse noted the wee gadgety thing showed not only asthma but possible blockage at base of lungs. (???)

GP I saw today, said I still have rattle from bronchitis couple of weeks ago. I mentioned walking up the road feeling about 90. Prescribed even more antibiotics I've never heard of, to keep taking the Symbicort as often as necessary and will see me in a fortnight. Bit of a nuisance but at least they're doing something.

Smiles,

Moira

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Have they not prescribed you anything else in ITU...? I am sure after being in there you will be followed up by a respiratory consultant. I am sure there are other things you can take, that may help you gain control. If you have had an infection that could be the cause of the cough they can take quite a while to clear. Can you describe the attacks to the doctors perhaps that may give them some insight.

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I'm meant to be seeing a consultant on tuesday but not sure what gonna happen with it now. :S got infection atm, but was like it before.. Hate being in ITU,, not enough to do,, too much time to think ect.. GP keeps saying there's nothing more he can do for me,, had someone speak to my doctor earlier on, doctor mentioned about possibly get on some tablets which are like salbutamol but in oral form. Heads too much of a fussy mess to make sense of anything at the minute... Nothings hitting in,, either flying straight over my head or not making enough sense to take in. I am wittering on at this point,, sorry.

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I have been on bricanyl continuous infusion via a pump for the last 5 years and the difference is night and day!! The pump delivers the bricanyl through a tube which is sited sub cut ( under skin) on my stomach and I refill it every 36 hours. An amazing invention!! Still get infections now and again but get over them quicker.

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I sometimes find myself wishing that there might be something that the doctors are missing. Preferably something straightforward and curable! Getting to the point of 'there's not much more we can do' with asthma is scary and horrible.

I don't know where you live, but I think it would be entirely reasonable to ask for a referral to one of the centres that specialise in difficult asthma - the Royal Brompton spend five days making sure that the diagnosis is right as the very first thing that they do, and then once they know the diagnosis (whether it's asthma on its own, asthma with something else as well, or something else entirely), then they come up with a cunning plan for treatment.

So sorry that you're finding ITU boring. I hope you can get out of there soon.

Hugs, Wishes