Flying for the first time since my asthma diagnosis

[Peachesmcbasketball]

I’m newly asthmatic (started treatment end of January - currently on Ventolin and clenil modulite inhalers) I’m relatively well controlled but it is all still very new to me. I’m due to travel on a plane next week for 10 hours and I have no idea how my asthma will be while on the flight. Has anyone got any guidance?

[Troilus]

I have flown many times, but mostly short haul. I have never experienced any problems, but I always have my blue inhaler to hand, just in case.

[teddyd]

I have done long haul flights and never had any issues. Just make sure you have your inhaler. I alway have a copy of my repeat prescription with me as well.

[Bevvy]

Flying shouldn’t be an issue but as well as keeping blue inhaler with you, I strongly recommend you keep preventative inhaler plus any other medication with you in hand luggage. This is to ensure that should your luggage be delayed or even lost you will still have your vital medications with you.

[Birthday60]

I’ve had full time asthma since I was a baby and am on a number of meds - I travelled widely and often including long haul before covid for work and returned to short haul in September. Have never had any problems but a couple of tips - if you have an iwatch which measures you’d O2 don’t panic when it dips - I made my super fit husband wear mine on our Christmas flight as my O2 dropped to 85% but then found his normal 99% had dropped to 91% which was reassuring! Tip 2 buy a small portable battery operated nebuliser and ask for ventolin capsules - ax a back up in case of any problems / rarely used but great for peace of mind. Enjoy

[Bevvy in reply to Birthday60]

Interesting info re O2 levels. However if poster lives in UK it is highly unlikely they will be able to access a nebuliser. GPs rarely agree to prescribe nebules for it here due to concerns that people who need nebuliser treatment should attend A&E rather than home administrator. This is because of concerns about people having an asthma attack may wait too long before seeking help which could be dangerous.

Also she is a newly diagnosed asthmatic so even more unlikely it would be agreed to prescribe medications for nebuliser. If her blue inhaler wasn’t sufficient she should seek medical assistance as a matter of urgency.

She says is well controlled so shouldn’t be any issues that blue/rescue inhaler can’t deal with.

If she purchases a nebuliser without discussion with gp she could well waste her money.

[Birthday60 in reply to Bevvy]

I have no problem with my GP and my having a nebuliser - in fact it was at their suggestion to a void unnecessary trips to hospital if the GP nebulizers were already out with patients!! I guess as someone who was often on business trips in UK and abroad they were keen fir me to ve self sufficient. GP's vary in their approach across the UK and treat patients differently depending on their capabilities of course. I was seen as someone who recorded and measured and knew when to go to A&E but maybe was not able to due to my location

[Bevvy in reply to Birthday60]

Yes I am in same situation and have nebuliser at home via gp support. However I know from this and other sites that this isn’t common. Wouldn’t want poster to purchase nebuliser and then ask gp for nebules because then she has wasted money.Also am still doubtful that a gp would agree to this for a newly diagnosed, stable asthmatic.

[Birthday60 in reply to Bevvy]

Am interested as to why the concern - stable mild asthma should prevent anyone totally worry free life compared with unstable severe asthma which needs proper management. GP's and asthma nurses need to work harder to reassure when they diagnose new asthmatics.

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador in reply to Birthday60]

All asthma needs proper management - that's how you keep mild well controlled asthma that way. Unstable severe asthma is of course harder to control and manage, and not everyone with that should have a nebuliser at home either.

I agree with Bevvy on this. I'm aware in some countries they give home nebs out more freely, but that doesn't mean they necessarily should. With someone who is normally well controlled, they're not going to be in and out of hospital, or needing nebs regularly - they shouldn't even be needing Ventolin inhaler very often. They're also not likely to be as familiar with attacks and how theirs go if they have one (which is the goal, but it does mean they have less experience of attacks than someone with unstable severe asthma who has them often).

The risk with a home neb is that someone keeps using it until it stops working, everything goes south and the person is not in hospital where they can handle that. You can and should make rules for their use, but to be honest someone who almost never gets attacks needs to be getting urgent medical care if their Ventolin inhaler isn't working. Not pulling out the neb, using it, and potentially getting help too late or avoiding letting anyone know they got to that point, even if the neb is enough on that occasion.

Using it as part of a sensible plan when someone is under specialist care, maxed out on medication, and can only do so much to control things is totally different and can be appropriate for some people.

I'm also very much aware that there are doctors who encourage abuse of home nebs eg sending people home from A&E, or discharging them from hospital too early, and telling them not to come back because they have a home neb, or telling them to use nebs multiple times a day and not to get help until a dangerous point. In a perfect world this wouldn't be an issue, but asthma care in the UK is very far from perfect.

GPs and nurses should certainly provide good education when they diagnose asthma - that includes use of preventer and the reasons for it, when to take reliever inhaler, and when to get help. It also includes reassurance that you can live a normal life with well managed asthma, yes, but also a reminder that asthma remains dangerous if it is not controlled or managed properly, and when to stop thinking you can handle things at home if they get worse.

In terms of flying, most people seem to manage that ok as they would on the ground and in most cases Ventolin inhaler should work, just as it would on the ground (10 puffs through a spacer or makeshift spacer has been successfully used on a plane when a couple of puffs wasn't enough). Perhaps the solution is for the airline to have a nebuliser, not for patients who are unlikely to use it have nebules sitting at home that go out of date.

[rachelmi]

I have flown many many times short and long haul with no problems whatsoever. I always ensure my inhalers are with me in the cabin.

I also have travel insurance listing my asthma as a condition.

Good luck ☺️

[Hidden]

As a lifetime sufferer from asthma I've never had any problem flying. The problem with flying is breathing everybody's recycled air and therefore catching their bugs....particularly relevant in covid times.

[Dogruff]

As long as you have your inhalers with you and take them as prescribed there is no reason to think you will have any difficulty.

I flew a few days post discharge from hospital after a serious attack, on high dose oral steroids and not the most mobile and was fine. I’m fact the nurse and consultant encouraged me to stick to my plans to go away and get some sun. While away I just had to be mindful I wasn’t as able for activity as usual but luckily two of my friends with me were super understanding and one was physically banjaxxed too.

[MindfulBreathing]

Hi, I always take my inhalers everywhere with me and have spent years travelling non-stop all over the world for work - I have never needed my ventolin more on a flight than at any other time. The flight itself is not an issue. At the moment, I wouldn't enjoy flying because of covid.