Cough and wheeze

[Kate2017]

Hi I'm new to this forum, I've currently got laryngitis with a chesty cough (aweek now) but the doctor changed my seritide to sirdupla on Tuesday and I'm wondering if this inhaler isn't helping me , been on seritide over 15 years and controlled my asthma well.. but I'm wheezing and the sirdupla doesn't feel like it's helping me at all. Taking a lot of ventolin which I don't normally .. ☹️

[Damon1864]

go back and see your GP xx

[Kate2017 in reply to Damon1864]

I was only there Friday but didn't realise it could be this new cheap inhaler until I googled it and saw this page.. I will make another though I'm not happy at all x

[Minushabens]

I think that occasionally doctors have an unfortunate habit of responding to asthmatics who have symptoms by changing the inhaler, rather than understanding that you might just have an attack going on that they need to treat.

I think you probably have two options. Either go straight back saying it doesn't work & you want the original back, or wait until your virus clears up & see what happens to your symptoms.

In any event, keep an eye on your peak flow & go back if it isn't moving.

[Kate2017 in reply to Minushabens]

Yes I will keep an eye on my peak flow (which they didn't check on Monday (at walk in centre) Tuesday or Friday at doctors !! Thank you for response . I'm on new pills for laryngitis so will see how they do as I have some infection and don't know which is doing what to me .

[Minushabens]

I think it's highly likely that the infection is triggering your asthma. Hopefully, the infection will settle down soon, then you'll be able to come to a better conclusion whether or not the new inhaler is right for you. I'm not familiar with it, but I have come across people saying that doctors are moving people away from seretide. Anyway, I hope you soon feel better. When you do, if you're still worried about the new inhaler then go back & explain how you feel.

[Kate2017 in reply to Minushabens]

Thank you , yes I think you maybe right .. I just need to see what the pills, inhalers/infection is all doing to me and hopefully rule them out but by bit ..

thanks again 👍

[Minushabens]

Well, welcome to the forum & please let us know how things progress for you. Even if you are under pressure to come off seretide there are all sorts of other options around as well, so hopefully you can find the right one

[Kate2017 in reply to Minushabens]

Thank you and will do .. . I feel if people are doing well on a certain inhaler and it's well controlled why change it .. don't fix what's not broken .. they moan enough about overcrowded hospitals!! And all for what doing it on the cheap , it beggars belief.

My next door neighbour is 73 and really bad asthmatic, they mess her about all the time she been in hospital several times,... but she's been fine on simbicort for a while but now taken her off it and is on a cheaper brand 😵

[Minushabens in reply to Kate2017]

Part of the problem is the guidelines that GPs work to. These state that GPs should prescribe the cheapest & lowest clinically necessary dose for effective management. If you haven't already done it, see if you can make an appointment with the practice nurse to talk about your treatment & how you feel. Positive relationships can really help get you past the bureaucracy.

[ZoeyLynn]

id go see your GP ( or try to see a practice nurse like minushabens said) lots of things can set off an asthma attack unfortunately i hope you get on something that works im here if you want (or need) to chat

[Kate2017 in reply to ZoeyLynn]

Thank you 😊..

I have a voice today (not had one since last Monday through illness) albeit it a very deep one at present .. finally my new pills are working , so I will try to get an appt with the asthma nurse this week to discuss.. you see they gave me the new inhaler whilst having a chest infection and laryngitis at the same time, (brilliant) so I'm unsure which is doing what.. when I take the sirdupla it doesn't feel like it's got anything in it .. 😳

[ZoeyLynn in reply to Kate2017]

well im Not a doctor.... but the throat infection is probably triggering the asthma... at least thats how it Usually works.. id ask you GP to put you back on the seritide since the other asthma medicine isnt working, but again im not a doctor, im just going off of what you said what works for you and what doesnt :/ i hope this tidbit helped

[johnsmith]

Are you having withdrawal effects from the seritide?

[Kate2017]

What are the withdrawal symptoms?

[JGreen42]

i found seretide gave me a terrible throat. I moved onto fostair as it didn't hurt the throat as much.

GP's don't seem to be doing the sputem tests to establish the correct infection before prescribing. I will always insist on a sputem test and perhaps go with one in a pot (gross I know) ever since a 6 month long chest infection with three different antibiotics prescribed. GP's shouldnt play Russian roulette with antibiotics. But equally patients need to provide the sputum and that's very hard to do in a five minute GP appt (despite there being loads of it at all other times).

[Kate2017 in reply to JGreen42]

Hi I asked for a sputern test but she said not needed .. I do wonder about doctors I have a load at our practice and I'm sure they all have different opinions on our diagnosis.. one says one thing the other says different .. whose right whose wrong.. different asthma nurses tell me different thing last each time I attend .. it's crazy

[JGreen42 in reply to Kate2017]

I totally empathise, I see the asthma nurse and then the GP disagree's with the advice given. Not badly, just they have different perceptions of guidelines, medicines or techniques.

I believe the sputum test is called antibiotic sensitivity testing and it is to identify the bacteria properly to know which antibiotic will be most effective.

I suppose many GPs that have been in this game a while dont feel the need to check first. I had a chest infection that lasted six months and each prescription of antiobiotics didn't touch it. The third cleared it quickly. There was no need to put my chest/body through it when a sputum test would have identified the correct bacteria.

I believe you can insist on having one. Be prepared and go with the sample in a pot though.