"Fake" asthma

[shulou]

Hi everyone, totally new here but thought it might help after my last admission.

So a few days ago I had an asthma attack at work (I have coughing fits normally) luckily I work at a GP surgery but got the normal your chest sounds clear and your sats are fine. But in the end they did have to call an ambulance as nothing was working.

In the ambulance my sats were all over the place and when I got the hospital they could hear a slight weeze. They did a xray and found shadowing on my right lung. After so much steroids they finally sent me home with antibiotics and pred.

So after this is the third chest infection, and two hospital admissions I thought I should see my own GP. But all I got from the gp, your chest sounds clear, you have good colouring so your xray was clear? Erm no it wasn't and I want to know why this keeps happening?? Very anxious about it all now and even signed myself off sick for the week to recover as wasnt sure what else to do. Still having a tough time breathing, talking hurts and got the ocational pain in my right hand side of my chest. Seeing someone else but not till next Friday. Just so fed up with not taken seriously enough! Sorry if this is very long rant xx

[Beth_19]

I would see a different GP and ask to be referred to a Specialist Respiratory Physician or Asthma Nurse to either get better treatment or a definitive diagnosis.

I can sympathise with you as my last admission they pretty much focused on there being no wheeze and my o2 sats being okay, completely ignoring the whole body heaving just to get one breath, coughing so much someone joking said if i wasnt careful I would cough up a lung and my heart beat rocketing over 100 beats hitting 150 at times.

Its hard to be taken seriously as an asthmatic espeically if you don't present with classic textbook asthma, but persevere and ask to see people who specialise in this.

[shulou in reply to Beth_19]

Thanks for the advice. Glad there are others out there that are the same and I'm not alone as I've felt like that for a whlie. Seeing another gp next Friday who I'm hoping will listen this time.

[Frin9e]

my son has cough variant asthma, get the same problems as you no wheezing, sats normal even though he coughing his lungs up still they say it not asthma.😠 I've just come across a blog that was fantastic Breathinstephen take a look. By the way I rant it helps 😊

[shulou in reply to Frin9e]

Thanks I'll have a look and Def needed a rant just glad I've sound this page to do it on.

[emmasue]

I went through something similar several years ago. Every winter I would get chest infection after chest infection. The GP just gave me antibiotics and steroids and would send me home. I kept asking why I was so ill and they brushed it off. Three years ago, I ended up very poorly in hospital. When the consultant came to see me she said that because my asthma was not properly controlled, my lungs kept getting infected. She asked why I hadn't been referred to her sooner? I was very upset with my GP, but since then they seem to have improved. I now see the asthma nurse at the hospital. She has made a big difference in my care. I still have difficulty with A&E doctors telling me my stats are fine, but at least the asthma nurse is available for advice and support. I have even made a complaint about A&E on her advice. So I guess what I am saying is that you aren't alone. The best thing to do is request to see an asthma nurse through your GP. Good luck and I hope you get help soon.

[Hidden]

Hi there, I also suffer from asthma and I know exactly how you feel. My doctor did absolutely nothing for me and I was absolutely furious, I was clearly not very well yet they did nothing, so I went to see a nurse instead and she picked up by exactly the same information that I needed a different inhaler. I had the same symptoms as you, pain in my chest, talking hurt sometimes, however for me it went away after a couple of days. See what your new GP is like and see what they do, it may be a chest infection, you may need a different inhaler or it may just be the after effects of the asthma attack. I hope this helps and get well soon x

[Palmo]

Hi Shulou,

You seem to have had a very bad experience here. We're you not told what the "shadow" on your lung was?

My personal advice would be to ask your gp for a D-Dimer blood test, this will rule out any blood clotting, as I doubt very much you will be referred for another CT scan!

Never be afraid to ask med professionals questions and if you don't understand what they are saying (medical terminology), ask them to explain using everyday words!

Best wishes,

Paula