In hospital, on a ward, having an asthma attack. They won't give me nebs as I'm not desatting and my wheeze isn't "low down" whatever that means. They basically don't think this is an asthma attack.
I know this is early on in the attack phase so I can compensate, but my peakflow is dropping and I'm getting progressively more symptomatic as time goes on. I don't know what to do.
Unfortunately we can't really help from the ether. I think you need to ask to speak to the nurse in charge and say you don't feel safe - eg they're being dismissive, not listening etc, whatever you feel. If they're saying it's not asthma, they need to say what they do think it is and how to help that
I had a similar thing when I was in hospital. Your oxygen levels are normal ( 96) so you must be ok and you don’t need a nebuliser.I knew I wasn’t right so I took my blue inhaler. A lot.
When the consultant came to see me the next day and asked how I was I told him how many puffs I had had to take. He mentioned having a nebuliser and I told him I had been refused.
After that I had one at my bedside and just had to ask the nurses when I felt I needed it.
If you feel you need your inhaler, take it and tell them after the event.
This happened to me recently. It was very scary. I had my blue inhaler with me and just took loads of that, nearly used a whole inhaler! My breathing eventually got better due to the amount I was taking. I begged for a neb but they told me I didn't need one as Sat's were fine.
I eventually discharged myself and came home and took my emergency steroids. I've still not fully recovered from it to be honest.
So sorry you feeling like this. Do you have cough variant asthma by any chance? No wheeze or desaturation with that at times many nurses and drs haven't even heard of it. Please ask to see a ward manager or matron and say you going to complain to PALS. You know your chest more than them stressing wont help at all. Probably not much help but to be honest the tales I hear about hospitals its scary. Hope you get sorted. Its against your human rights to withold vital medication say that to them. xx
Once again it appears to me that the wards are using the health carers to use their tick boxes and if we do not conform to them it is tough luck. I do not have a problem as I say to them just get my specialist consultant up to the ward now and see what they have to say. It is rather amusing how quick that they change their minds. It was only the other day when I was in A&E with a severe attack and on the change over shift I heard the doctor say to his colleague O bed 12 is only a bit of asthma. On hearing the doctor taking over my care said Do you know this patient at all. He replied its only a bit of asthma. The reply was check his notes and you will find that the bit of asthma you refer to is very critical as he has more than one severe lung problem. So my answer is to anyone dealing with now is have you read and understood all of my notes? I don't care if it upsets them anymore they are dealing with my life
How are you doing now?? Keep us posted for sure! This sounds very scary and frustrating.
Floating, how are you doing? Hope things have improved.
Hey, thanks all for the messages. Hope you're all well. I'm okay, thank you all for the concern. Just very tired. Ended up using a lot of Ventolin and they eventually gave me a nebuliser. But tbh I think the fact they left me so long was horrible. Had a nebuliser (think it was saline?????) last night as well along with a bunch of Ventolin (from my inhaler) and they're discharging me now with the approval of my asthma nurse (?). I dunno. Just feel very weird and confused about the whole situation tbh. They gave me some paper about who to contact in times of acute illness instead of 999. So maybe that'll work? I feel really confused I guess. Don't really want to waste people's time and I feel like I'm wasting their time.
I just don't get why they're messing with me like this. Still don't get why the position of the wheezes matters when it's in my chest and they also say things like "you've got reduced air entry", " it's silent" etc. I hope my normal doctor is the next person who treats me if I have to come in again, but again I don't want to be wasting time either, so hopefully Ventolin is fine?
Anyway, hope you're all okay.
I guess it depends when they're saying the things about air entry/movement or being silent - is it when they won't give a neb or is it at other times?
One would hope that if your AN approves (for want of a better word!) of discharge then it's ok....but it depends what she's been told (I'm often dubious of that!)
Do you have a contact for her? If so could you phone once home and try and explain how things have been from your point of view? It's hard if you're not on the resp ward (am assuming you weren't, I may be wrong!) or have "others" in charge who don't get the difficult presentations (not just asthma but all your bits combined).
Hopefully you're referral won't be too long because you definitely need it!
Sometimes happens when they refuse the nebs. But tbh if they're just gonna give me saline going forward then I dunno if there's any point in asking for a nebuliser lol.
She was standing there, but really I dunno. I'm worried about going home as I always struggle in the evening, but I don't want to keep wasting everyone's time so hopefully I'll be able to cope on my own at home with just my Ventolin.
Ironically, I am on a respiratory ward but my usual doctor I have as an inpatient is on annual leave and so he only saw me briefly on Saturday last week. Most others get confused and overwhelmed by my presentation imo. He (my consultant for the last few days) seemed more interested in my Ehlers-Danlos syndrome than my actual asthma, the reason I was admitted.
Hmm not helpful! I've been there with similar when my cons has been off but thankfully have a care plan from my cons and the AN team are very good. Awkward when they're not available either though.
I think you definitely need this tertiary referral because it's not classic/simple and they need to work out what's what with your asthma, anything else adding to it or joining in as well that might look like asthma, and also factor in everything else too. It's hard when they use other conditions as an excuse to ignore the complexities of another problem.
If you were managing on vent plus saline on hosp then presumably vent at home will be ok. Believe it will be anyway because being anxious, while difficult to switch off, will not help and may trigger asthma-like symptoms which could then set things off.
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