First nebuliser last night and I need some advice

I'm seventeen, and I've lived with asthma for about 10 years. I'm on Ventolin and Qvar 100.

Okay so since Monday to today (Thursday) I've been away on a residential. And last night I had a pretty bad asthma episode; the staff called an ambulance and they treated me with salbutomol and oxygen and discharged me at scene.

I have three questions that I'd quite like advice to:

1) After the neb was finished, the paramedic listened to my chest again and said he couldn't hear any wheeze at all whereas beforehand I was really bad. He didn't seem to think that was weird or anything but I was just wondering, is that normal?

2) Since yesterday, my heart beat has been going really quickly and thumping hard and then going back to normal for a while. When the medics were measuring my vitals my heart rate went up to 130 and I think it's done the same since. As well as this, I've been getting infrequent but awful chest pain, worse than I've ever had it before. As I said, the medic listened to my chest and didn't seem concerned, so should I not be worried?

3) The person in charge of the residential phoned my parents but they seem really unconcerned... I guess this is more of a moan than a question, it's just upset me a lot that they don't worry about the fact that I was quite poorly last night and not feeling great tonight either.

Any advice would be great and much appreciated

Thanks

Ely

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Awww! Poor you! I take it this is your first episode like this! That must have been scary. Every asthmatic will have different attacks, the fact that you responded well to a nebuliser is a good sign, it means you were probably managing to move a lot of air and so getting the salbutamol in. I have lots of attacks where I can be really severly wheezy for a long time and then get one treatment (for me its usually IV magnesium) and my chest will be completely clear for a good few hours, its not weird that you responded to treatment, don't forget that normally your chest would be clear after two puffs of ventolin, and you'll have had much more than that!

With the HR, I'm not an expert, you should discuss it with your GP (or OOH if you feel its an emergency) a HR of 130 if quite normal for me on salbutamol, and my body is probably more used to nebs than yours so its not surprising that your HR was that high. If you are continuing to use more ventolin than usual you would probs expect a continuing high HR, but i know that personally whenever my breathing is bad I have a fast heart, and I get chest pain from sore rib muscles and air trapping. Did the paremedics do an ecg? (Did they put sticky tabs on you and print a pink sheet of paper?) I wouldnrt worry about it, stress can elevate your HR, but only you can judge what help you need, better safe than sorry, I'm just giving you my experience and understanding to reassure you that what you are experiencing *can* be normal, but obvs I can't see you

Are you back with your parents now? How have they been with you? Maybe they were just trying to sound calm so as not to worry you? My parents were initially very unsympathetic as they thought my friends were just panicking, until tjey saw my attacks and realised was a different story! Its worth talking to them about it when you get home, and let them know you felt they were not as supportive as they could have been, and maybe let them know how you feel about the whole thing!

Make sure you get an appt with your GP soonish, it may be that you need some oral steroids, or a change in preventer meds to stop this happening again! Chances are you'll feel a bit rubbish for a few days, asthma attacks really take it out of you! Sending hugs and get well soons x

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Thank you soph! Can always count on you for good advice (: The paramedics didn't do an ECG and I haven't had palpitations for a while now so I expect you're right in saying it's just the salbutomal.

My parents have just not really mentioned it, and I told my mum that I had really bad chest pain last night and she said 'oh, have you?' and went back to watching TV. I guess I just expected more of a reaction :L

Thanks!

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sadly parents can be surreal and incomprehensible beings, and i'm sure they find us just as odd! my mum ranges from vague disinterest at me being in resus, to managing to find my consultants home phone number to ring him in the evening and make him book me into his next clinic! cant understand the logic but there we go. Are you gonna go back and see your doc tues? You can sound out all your worries then - and when he/she takes it seriously it might show your parents how to react a bit more normally How are your lungs feeling now?

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Hey Ely!!

Hope ur feeling a little better now!?

A wheeze to go after a nebuliser is a good thing as it means you have responded well to the medication that they gave you. sadly however a raised heart rate is very common and untill ur heart and regulate without the salbutamol in ur system it will sadly continue but it should be anything to worry about. Definatly go to ur family doctor if it continues though just incase. And with regards to ur parents, mine were the same at the start untill i made them see that there was something wrong. Stick with it, they will soon pay attention and realise u r being serious. If it happens whilst shes watching tv again. Have u thought about turning off the telly and sitting infront of her so she has no choice but to listen. I realise this could seem a harsh way of doing this but im pretty sure she will see its really concerning u.

Keep us posted and i hope ur well!!

Xxx

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Feeling better now, still a bit fragile and work is a bit of a pain but has to be done!

Thanks for all the kind words guys (: xx