I have just got back from an emergency doctors appointment. I started with a sore throat on Sunday (today is Thursday) which has triggered my asthma. My asthma never affects me unless I get a cold then it kicks in with a vengeance. I put off going to the doctors as I knew what was going to happen but after 4 sleepless nights it was getting unbearable. i am 27 years old and have had asthma since I was born. My 3 siblings all have asthma too and none of us wheeze. I went to the emergency appointment I told them that it is only prednisalone that gets rid of this attack. I told her i have never wheezed and neither has any of my siblings (her reply was less then satisfying... "we're not talking about your family, we're talking about you". On no sleep you dont want a rude nurse!!!) Anyway, she said I couldn't have the drugs because I'm not wheezing. I KNOW IM NOT WHEEZING! I NEVER WHEEZE! My cougb is getting worse and my insides wre in pain from coughing so much. I have been coughing up green mucus. Over the years I know what my body needs. My really bad attacks happen 2/3 times a year, so it's not like I'm going to ask for these steroids every other week.
How do i get across to these unbearable health care professionals that not all asthmatics wheeze. As with any condition it is just ONE symptom.
Any advice or similar stories would be great.
Thankkssss
Written by
Amandabee123
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Did she check your peak flow? Did she check your oxygen sats, take your temperature etc?
Seven years ago I ended up at my local surgery with an infection which was causing all sorts of problems. By the time I got to see my GP (on an emergency appointment) my peak flow was dropping, but was not seriously low, but my oxygen sats were close to the point where the surgery would send a patient immediately to A&E. I also had a rocketing temperature (at 10 o'clock in the morning). The thing that confused her was that when she listened to my chest she could hear nothing: my chest was, apparently, clear.
My GP has known me a long time. I knew I was losing the fight - it's not often that I feel so bad that I wonder when I go to bed whether I'm going to wake up in the morning, but I did with that infection. She could see from the moment I walked through the door that things were not good and she acted quickly. At the end of all her checks she admitted that though she could hear nothing on my chest something had to be causing all the symptoms (basically it was clear that things were out of control). She put me straight on to a hefty course of antibiotics and a short course of oral steroids.
I suggest you call the AsthmaUK helpline and see what advice one of the nurses there can give you.
You are right Aunt Sally I think we see many such posts because of budget cuts, the NHS on a shoe string and it doesn't only affect the surgery's budget but also the training. Training staff is very costly and so is keeping up with new developments. Communication between specialists department and surgery cost time and money as well and think about it, there are many more chronic disease they have to monitor, like Diabetes, all on the increase. Not mentioning Cancer..
I had a chat with my GP about it. I always come out of there feeling sorry for him he's one of the good guys and always look like he 's suffering from burn-out!!
Have a good day Aunt Sally :)))
Yes they have this obsession with wheezing some of them.
go to the A&E if you need to. I know the wait can be awful but I found them useful in the past. They have more experience of critical asthma I would say.
then change surgery >))))
I am supposed to take 40mg pred if my peak flow drops between 60 and 80% of my top score and I carry a pred rescue pack.
You are not alone, I don't wheeze either! If you're coughing up green mucus now though, you have a chest infection and you need antibiotics as well as 'roids. Make an appointment with your GP and don't take no for an answer. Good luck.
Hi. I rang asthma uk. The nurse was lovely and very informative. She said I need to sort an asthma action plan which I will do once I'm better. She said I should definitely have a rescue pack of prednisalone. She insisted that I go back to the doctors and tell them that she knows that I need the steroids. She said its not an infection if i havent got a high temp and if I'm feeling ok (other then cough and being tired), as the inflammation in my lungs will cause green mucus.
I have rung my doctors and explained all this. I have an appointment 2.20. Fingers crossed I get these bloomin tablets!
I do think its a waste of the doctors time, they could we that appointment for some one who really needs to be seen. Not to mention an absolute effort for me to get out and about after no sleep.
Great to hear that you seem to be getting somewhere.
Never think that you're wasting a doctor's time if you are having problems with your asthma and you don't have the means to sort it out or it is not responding to what you have got - you most definitely are not!! In this instance you need to sort out that action plan with your GP as well as getting those steroids, and you cannot do the former over the phone:-).
That said, at my surgery there is a mechanism in place to deal with similar situations. I'm not sure about oral steroids, those are a very rare occurrence with me and I don't think they'd let me have those without seeing me first, but there are other medications (not connected to asthma) I occasionally need which are not on a repeat basis (not required often enough), but which if I call in and ask for a message to be left with a doctor saying I need them they will get for me, or the doctor will call me back to discuss the situation if there is some doubt. I am aware that not all surgeries do this - which quite frankly I think is crazy, in my opinion all surgeries should. It might be an idea for you to discuss if a similar setup exists at your local surgery and if it doesn't could it be put in place.
He laughed at me when I told him what the asthma uk nurse had said as 'she hasn't examined me'.
He said I don't need prednisalone and that he can hear something on my chest so he was going to give me anti biotics. I told him I needed prednisalone, I know my own body and i know what treatment works. He didn't reply to me and just printed the prescription out so I didn't know if it was for antibiotics or prednisalone. I stood up whilst accepting the prescription saying thanks. I read it as I walked out and got a little bit excited and said thank you so so much!!
I have booked an appointment with the asthma nurse so hopefully we'll get an action plan sorted out. And I will definitely mention the setup that you have Maggie!
Glad to hear that you're feeling happier and more relaxed.
As I said my I'm not convinced my surgery would allow me to request pred. without seeing a doctor, it is after all a powerful drug, but my circumstances are different to yours. The other thing to remember is that my surgery does know me very well (I've been with them for over twenty years). But some system needs to be in place to help you out should this happen again.
One thing I always recommend to asthmatics is that you get to know all the doctors at your surgery, not just your own GP. If you need to see someone urgently there is no guarantee that you will get to see your own doctor, and I've certainly read of instances where that has caused problems.
Hope all goes well with the asthma nurse. Having an action plan should certainly help both you and the healthcare staff at your local practice to move forwards to a better understanding of your asthma.
All the best
• in reply to
Hi Maggie up,you need to put your foot down with your doc,s .I went to see mine last week not my usual one as i was told she w as on emergency call . This young chap didn't even say hello or look at me ,he asked what was wrong i told him he automatically printed a script for antibiotics , not the one i normally have i ended up telling him what i wanted . Let's just say he,s ears were ringing when I left.i,m now going to make an appointment with the practice nurse to get all my meds reveiwed as they seem to be quite content letting me just keep ordering repeat scripts , time for a change i think coz this infection is taking a while to shift
• in reply to
Katiewoo, I've never had a problem with my GPs as far as my asthma is concerned. As I said, my situation is different to that of Amandabee (my asthma being moderate and usually very well controlled) so I've never been in the position where I've had to ask for Prednisolone. The one time I've had it I was put on it by my GP.
As I said, my GPs do know me very well, and if a new doc joins the team (which has happened in the past couple of years) I make an effort to get to know them. Doing that means that if I end up seeing them on an emergency basis they will have encountered me before and know something of my history.
I know this was ages ago but would it help to have your doctor write a general note stating that your asthma is silent and not to rely on listening to your chest and not to dismiss you if they can't hear a wheeze. You could keep this in your bag to bring out whenever you need it. Hope everything worked out well.
That's odd my asthma has changed since I bad attack which led to a hospital trip
My asthma is no longer wheezing i am just breathless and coughing
I actually just been given a 12 pack because I had taken my inhaler 5 times yesterday and I just didn't feel right I still don't feel right even with prednisolone now in my system
I wish I could survive without them I need them a lot, I've had enough now
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he's one of the good guys and always look like he 's suffering from burn-out!! 
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