Asthma attack

Hi guys, was hoping for some advice.

I’ve been asthmatic from a young age. It was poorly controlled when I was a toddler but from childhood and through my teenage years I had very little trouble.

I’m now 24 and for the past two years or so I have been having trouble. Particularly at this time of year when the weather changes and colds set in. I had a head cold last week and it then went to my chest and on Saturday I had an asthma attack which was unbelievably frightening. I’m hoping to see my go on Monday but I really feel it might be time to change my inhalers. I’ve been on the same ones (symbicort and brycinal) for some years now.

Also want to point out how important knowing your own body is. I was extremely out of breath and went to a local urgent care centre for help who thought i just had a cold and wouldn’t even let me explain I was asthmatic and was SOB. They closed the window on me and referred me to the dr on call and as I was attempting to give the receptionist my details but failing due to not being able to speak in full sentences now the GP came out and gave me an eating for not making an appointment again not allowing me or my husband to explain. I left in tears feeling like a burden telling my husband I just wanted to go home which he wouldn’t allow. He took me to a&e and when we arrived I was not able to speak at all. I was not able to walk and was becoming hypoxic. The DRs took me straight through and we’re amazing. Within 30 minutes my spo2 was going back up to normal and I was able to speak again. The whole team were just amazing and I made sure to tell them as I was leaving. Asthma should always be taken seriously. We should not have to fight for this to be done. (Sorry for the rant!)

Happy reading, all suggestions and comments welcome

[Hidden]

Can I suggest you make a formal complaint against the local urgent care centre. That behaviour is not acceptable. Include in it details of what happened to you when you went there as well as details of what happened to you afterwards when you went to A&E. There is no excuse for behaviour like that. If you managed to get the names of the receptionist and the doctor concerned even better.

I suspect I'm not the only person on this forum who will not only be angry but profoundly shocked at the way you were treated. It's not that long ago that a child died of asthma after a GP refused to see her because she was a few minutes late for her appointment.

[Bluecat99]

I totally get where you are coming from, and echo MaggieHP's reply. It is essential that asthma is taken seriously, and not brushed off.

I had a not dissimilar experience on Friday. In the past three weeks, I have been in hospital twice and intensive care twice. After the first admission I went to see a locum gp, as recommended. She said there was nothing the matter, and to go away - two days later I was in intensive care with phenumonia. When I came home from this second stay, I managed to see my own GP who was lovely, listened, put me back on antibiotics and sent me for a second chest x-ray, with instruction to go back on two days later. I went back, and unfortunately saw the same locum again, with very similar result. She didn't even bother to take my peak flow into account, and register the fact that I could hardly catch my breath. I have not needed to return back to hospital this time, but I am certain I will not see her again, as I will always ask to see someone else. I don't think I could trust her again.

[Bridin in reply to Bluecat99]

Why are so many people /children with asthma not taken seriously.

Christina

[Hidden]

Hi Hidden

Sorry to hear you had an asthma attack recently and thanks for sharing your experience and encouraging people to seek help when you feel it in your body. There's a bit of information about the cold and flu season here: bit.ly/2y6A7p5 You mentioned you might want to change inhalers so it sounds like a good time to have a review after the attack with your doctor and reassess your medications for the winter season.

A few people on the thread have mentioned making a formal complaint and there's some information about how to do that here: bit.ly/2y90TPn

Hope that helps,

Dita

[emmasue]

This has happened to me on several occasions. I made a complaint one time and the A&E matron called me back to reassure me that they were taking it seriously. However, it happened a few more times so that the last time I went to a different hospital. This time, A&E were brilliant, but the consultant on the ward was horrible. I don't know why hospitals are so bad for asthma treatment at the moment. It didn't use to be like this.