As I've posted before, right now I'm living a nightmare because of my asthma and I struggle most of the time. But I'm so used to having symptoms and sore chest that I don't know when I should call for ambulance. I know it is very difficult to tell when it is serious or not even for doctors sometimes. For example, sometimes I struggle so much and I feel like my airways are closing and at that moment I really feel like I'm going to die (and it lasts hours) but yet I often have good sats (though lately I've had 96). When my sats drop I only have to try to take a deep breath (which is really hard) and my sats go up to 98-99. My mother has been helping me with everything but she is convinced that the attacks are not severe and will eventually get better as usual.
I've read that when you're having a life threatening attack you can't talk anymore and you become blue. But should we really wait to reach that stage before doing something ? Because I don't think we can last very long without oxygen and sometimes, even when the doctors arrive there is nothing they can do. But apparently most doctors think that unless we have major signs of respiratory distress there is no need to go to hospital or call an ambulance. So, how do you usually tell the difference between a life threatening attack and one that you can treat at home ?
Thank you
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Hannah125
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Thank you! This afternoon I've used 16 puffs of ventolin but still feel the same with tight chest and inflammation. I just stopped my oral steroids course so I'm not sure if that's why my breathing is getting worse.
Hi Hannah, I agree with what junglechicken has said. If you’ve used 10 puffs of ventolin in one sitting (30s in between each puff) according to the AUK guidelines and it hasn’t helped then they advise to call an ambulance/go to some sort of urgent care. If you use the 10 puffs in one and it helps you need an urgent GP review.
I’m so sorry. This is a sad and scary post and I wish more doctors understood how frightening the liminal space between visits can feel for us severe asthmatics.
It is often a question of—how bad am I? Am I going to wait forever and they’re just going to give me a neb and send me home? If my oxygen and peak flow are normal(ish) is this attack really as bad as it feels?
The step up step down medical guides and home action plan guides are good but there is often a lot of grey area that patients and doctors are untrained on. I’m in a terrible flare also and have spent many nights gasping for breath on the couch this past week but I’ve seen a doctor, am on a steroid course, using my nebulizer and inhalers and trying to recover the best I can. But if the average person on the street suddenly felt like I do they’d rush into the Emergency Room ASAP.
It’s a hard way to exist and frightening to know that attacks can be fatal. I agree with the people above that going in to the clinic again can’t hurt if you are getting only limited relief from your ventolin.
I’m also tapering my steroids and my asthma is worsening again for what it’s worth-
My asthma comes from infections, normally via a common cold. But last year I had one totally dry asthma attack, not caused by infection but felt like my lungs were tightening up and not working.
Fortunately when it happened I was in a pharmacy close to a medical centre. The pharmacy assistant ran to the centre where an ambulance was called. I was admitted to hospital where I was given numerous nebuliser sessions.
I don't rest well in hospital due to background noise and overwarm wards, and the fact that I have to ask for the bed to be extended so I am comfortable (I'm 6'7", but all the hospital beds can be extended to take account of my height. Staff don't normally extend the bed unless asked. It takes about two minutes). I would rather have been at home with a course of steroids. I was kept in for 2 days
The dry attack was deemed to be a side effect of beta blockers which I no longer take. (I have permanent atrial fibrillation as well as asthma).
Hi, sorry to hear you are having such a rough time. As others have said it can be really difficult, knowing how to manage that next step because doctors and paramedics don't always treat people with kindness if their obs appear ok. I say appear because my sats will often seem ok for ages then just drop suddenly! As my previous consultant said sats machines are a tool but they shouldn't be used in place of your body telling you how you are feeling because it can take a while for them to catch up properly!
on a admission last year a doc was going to discharge me but fortunately a new consultant just came on and was doing the rounds and to my surprise came and said to me, right I know what the machines are saying but how are you honestly feeling? I said I still don't feel ok and she said, that's good enough for me, we'll keep you in then and within about an hour of that discussion my Sats had dropped and I had to go into resus as I was going into respiratory arrest.
Basically if in any doubt, always ring your gp if they are open and let them make the call on what to do. It is often what I have done, partly because I hate going into hospital so I try to do everything I can First to avoid it at all costs.
I'm disabled though so My reasons for not liking hospitals it's a little more complicated than a lot of asthmatics! I don't mean that in any disrespectful way!
If you haven't already got one, get an asthma management plan made up with the asthma nurse at the hospital if you are under their care or otherwise the gp asthma nurse. This can be reassuring and also then if you do feel you unable to cope at home with your breathing and ring an ambulance. If they query it, you can show them , your plan and say you are following advice given by a asthma specialist!
Also you said you have just come off steroids. Did you stop them suddenly, which may have been the case of you were only given a short course, or were you on a reducing doseage? The only reason I ask is that , your body may also be protesting at the sudden lack of steroids in it. It may be worth asking you doctor to check you out to see if you need any more.
I have brittle, hard to control asthma despite being On a lot of medication. I just have a dodgy body I think lol. Anyway whenever I came off steroids, as I was on them a lot, I always had another serious attack. It took a pharmacist to point that our bodies need something like 7.5 mg pred.( Don't quote me as this is an estimation, I can't remember if this was the exact figure she said) in our bodies to function, and it was whenever I went below this I had further serious attacks. Following this advice my consultant out me 10mg pres as maintenance dose which has helped a lot. I don't have as many hospitalizations which is good. Still more than I would like, but less than I did.
It is definitely worth talking to your doctor or nurse about your concerns, but I know all good doctors would say they would rather you get checked out if you are at all concerned rather than risk becoming another statistic.
I say this after having several near misses over the past 18 months. On occasion paramedics have not wanted to take me in because I seem to have recovered ok according to sats, I have an home neb so can take iprotroprium and ventolin, and it's only if I have people who have seen how ill I get it my daughter insists I go in because how quickly I can go downhill.The crews say things like we can't take people.in because of what might happen! You can always call us back, so we have to explain their might not be time then.It is frustrating.
Once I get into hospital and things change and they see my history it goes to the other extreme where I get itu medics telling me if I get worse they would only want to do a short resus attempt and wouldn't want to intubate as might never recover from it, so full of doom and gloom! I have to point out to them ,my kids have a different view as I'm only 43 , their not ready to finish me off just yet lol plus they always want to have these conversations with me at 3 in the morning when I am absolutely exhausted and don't have the energy to think! Why do they do that....
Sorry going of in another direction agsin , my brain wanders off sometimes lol
Anyway take care, but please, if you are struggling to breath, get help because it is horrible, and I've often been discharged from hospital and still been really struggling, for ages afterwards. It's exhausting.
Ring the asthma nurse line or go to your doc to ask. Stats are indicators ..you need proper advice. I suspect your mum is tring her best to understand and isn't a medical professional which is the advice you need to get.
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Calling an ambulance
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