inhalers + chest tightness

I'm not asking for urgent medical help

sometimes (not often at all, had it happen 5-6 times in all the time I've been caring for my asthma which is about 5-6 years now), I get tightness which makes taking my inhalers difficult as I can't physically breathe in enough. I have it now, but my PF isn't bad (370 from 480 - will get help if it gets worse), I saw my cons on the 28th + completely forgot to ask about it. what to do in this situation?

if anyone has any advice or could answer my questions, I'd appreciate it.

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Hi,

Tricky one, but I wouldn't wait for PF to drop! I hate it when you forget to ask the cons something, am always doing it!

Even though your plan (think you said you had one from cons) won't include this as they don't know about it, think you should get help without waiting if you're not managing to get your inhalers in. Because if that's what you have ie no home nebs or anything, then it seems to me you're basically having to manage your asthma with no effective medication, and you therefore need to go somewhere they can get the stuff into you effectively! I'd go to that stage of your plan without waiting for PF.

Hope this helps...I haven't been in your position but best to be safe I think especially with a symptom you're not sure how to deal with. (What did you do last time it happened, or was PF lower then so you knew to get help anyway?)

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Hi!

I do get to this point (but my pf has normally dropped massively too) even with using my spacer (meant to be as good as a neb apparently but I don't get the same result as I do with q neb.

Do you use a spacer? If you do and you still can't get meds in to you I'd be calling my gp for an urgent appointment or if your pf drops call for an ambulance.

It may be worth giving the lovely asthm uk nurses a call on the freephone number and qsk them, they are all knowing!!

X

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whenever its happened before, it's usually dropped to the point of needing bluelighting to A&E fairly fast after it'd started, not a few hours later still in the same boat with no change either way, somewhat considering ringing NHS direct as I have tightness as well? I hate this, I've been fairly stable with it for a while. I use a spacer otherwise my mouth gets really sore, I've doubled my seretide already but according to my asthma plan, my PF isn't low enough to need pred, not I'm not sure what GP would be able to do. I'm gonna get an appointment tomorrow unless anything changes tonight, then I'll ring OOH or A&E if it gets to that point.

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If you ring NHS Direct, you may as well just go straight for the ambo/OOH! In my experience they tend to be cautious and will therefore definitely pass you onto one of those if you say inhalers not working/you can't get them in!

Sounds like you have a good plan in place. I was going to suggest the AUK helpline (I always do it seems!) but it seemed like you wanted to know what to do tonight and they close at 5pm. If you still have it tomorrow and didn't end up in OOH/A&E think it would be worth asking them about it as they'll prob know more than GP and might be able to advise before your appt about what to ask for.

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ah right. I'll book myself a doctors appointment for later on and try ring the AUK thing before I go to see if they can suggest anything to help.

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I've got a doctors appointment for 2pm, here's to hoping they can help. I woke up around 6 times with tightness + I feel to be getting worse instead of better.