Can't face going to see the asthma nurse

I'm 33 and have been diagnosed with asthma about a month ago by a Respiratory Specialist. However, at best I have high peak values than I ought to have based on my age and height, but the Respiratory Specialist was not interested in this only based on how much the values went up as I started to use an inhaler and my symptoms improved. The asthma nurse couldn't understand how I've got an asthma diagnosis because my peak flows can be at what should be my normal values (but I can still be wheezy and short of breath) and wouldn't do a proper asthma review or go through how to use my inhalers - thankfully my pharmacist was a lot more helpful. I've been using symbicort 200/6 for a month, but increasingly I'm starting to use my preventer more, my peak flow is dropping about 100 below my best, and Im starting to become wheezy and short of breath especially when exercising. Is this bad enough to go and see someone, and do I have to see the asthma nurse or can I see my gp? I really can't face seeing the asthma nurse again.

[Chip_y2kuk]

If your asthma nurse is useless go and see a doctor or if your GP surgery has more than one asthma nurse request to go and see the other one

At the end of the day they are supposed to help you manage and understand your condition and keep you as healthy as can be.

[lakelover]

As I understand it if you are very fit or play a wind instrument your peak flows can be above the average predicted. They vary for different people so what is good for one person of a certain height & age can be poor for someone else of the same height & age. As you are wheezy & short of breath & also newly diagnosed I would go & see someone & by the sounds of it I would say see your doctor. I was prescribed Symbicort but that was after I'd been on another inhaler for a while. Symbicort is the next stage of treatment. You could also ring the asthma UK nurses up who I believe are very helpful. They may be able to advise you on what to say to your doctor.

[Hidden]

I would you be able to go to a drop in clinic? have you asked for a referral to a hospital?

[Topaz7]

I empathise with you Rach, it is so frustrating when a asthma nurse does not take on board the difficulties that your Asthma is presenting you with. I had a similar problem with my asthma nurse who told me you do not get a cough with asthma, and after trying me on two brown relever inhalers that she did not no what else to do with me, alarm bell's rang and I have not seen her since, that was several years ago. My advice would be to bypass your Asthma nurse and speak to your GP about your symptoms, mine is only to happy to help.

[Mark_in_Wales_CVA]

My diagnosis was based on diurnal fluctuation of my PF, i.e. it went down in the morning and up at night, but I can still blow the PF meter off the scale. We are all different and the chart is the 'average'. The nurse may be making an off-the-cuff remark, but if it seems she is being serious then as many say above, go back to the GP. P.S. beware Symbicort can give some people bad thoughts, I had it and it was not nice. Hoping you get some sense soon....

[Coastwalker]

Check out the side effects of your medication Rach262, symbicort was actually causing my husband more asthma symptoms. I read somewhere when researching that 'asthma' was actually a listed side effect of symbicort would you believe ? Do check this yourself, sorry I have no links to it.

Since being on vitamin D3 and vitamin A he is now off his inhalers daily and has used his rescue inhaler twice in around 5 months now, once recently 'cos he was in a room with a dog for a couple of hours. (yet he has had asthma and several near death misses since a boy.) Vitamin D is now known to help asthma sufferers, it is an anti inflammatory as is vitamin A.

Vitamin D3 and A has also lessened my Mum's COPD, COPD is another lung condition, Mum no longer has the awful heavy grunting breathless noises when she walks round holding onto the furniture. Doctor has now down graded her COPD to mild. (yet COPD is usually a progressive illness.)

[wiserlady]

Asthma can be caused by bad diet and so many other things, a good doctor would remember all that. They seem to just want to look at symptoms instead of preventing it continuing happening. Also medications you have taken can affect it and make it worse or better. Hence it can be temporary.