Asthma newbie diagnosis

[rassoire]

Hi guys,

I am Paula and I am 26 years old.

So it looks like my GP is going to try to diagnose because he suspects I might have asthma. I had quite some respiratory issues during my life, but at 18 (I am 26 now) I started smoking and it seemed to help until two years ago, when I started to feel worse. I normally experience shortness of breath on a daily basis, but since it's a year since I quit smoking, almost zero coughing or wheezing.

But I have a lot of coughing and wheezing if I laugh too much or if I run in the cold outside, actually I stopped running for that reason. Shortness of breath gets much worse in the cold too.

I didn't feel it at the doctor today, but after I got peak flow meter and Fostair inhaler and somehow I got scared. I feel like I don't want to be diagnosed with asthma, although of course it's not up to me, but it makes me anxious and I am afraid of having some negative effects from inhaler like heart palpitations. So I was wondering if you could offer some support and knowledge

[elanaoali]

The support is right here and I sure they are people simpler experiences. Please ring asthma UK helpline for all the lots of questions which are swimming in your head. Helpline is open 9am-5pm Mon-friday number on asthma UK website asthma UK.org.uk

I can understand where you are coming from with the I don't want to be different, wondering why I don't like this ... We all had those feelings when we first got diagnosis. Nobody are friends with asthma but we deal with it if reculantly sometimes It is treatable and manageable. You need to create a partnership with you, your doctor and asthma nurse.

It will get better and I know it can be overwhelming at first.

[rassoire in reply to elanaoali]

Thank you for your response I am definitely glad I am not alone. I feel short of breath even while talking so I know that getting diagnosed is a good thing, but I feel like I would prefer not to have any illness at all (wouldn't we all? ;). Thanks and when I have questions, helpline is definitely a great thing

[Hidden]

Hi rassoire

Welcome to the forum. Just to add that the Asthma UK specialist nurse team are available on 0300 222 5800 (M-F, 9-5).

It sounds like your GP or asthma nurse has probably prescribed a 'trial of treatment'.

This is when you're given one or more asthma medicines to see if they help your symptoms. A trial of treatment usually lasts six to eight weeks depending on what medicines you're given. If you’re given an inhaler to use, you should be shown how to use it correctly. Even if you don’t have asthma, the benefits of taking the medicines to see whether or not you have asthma outweigh any potential side effects.

If your symptoms start to get better, it's a very good indication you could have asthma. Your treatment may be continued and you'll be monitored to make sure you’re being prescribed the lowest dose possible to manage your symptoms effectively.

There's more information about common concerns about taking inhalers here: bit.ly/2AFJ78H

Hope that helps,

Dita

[rassoire in reply to Hidden]

Thank you, Dita! I had phoned an asthma nurse and I am reassured. I asked some questions and it clarified quite a bit.

Yes, it seems it's a two weeks trial and then I have a GP appointment.

I will go to the pharmacy nearby to see how to use the inhaler correctly, as it seems more difficult than... well, it seems It turns out that I used asthma inhaler as a child but I think most of it ended up in my throat as I vaguely remember