Sob

[bgmy]

I was diagnosed in Feb 2015 with emphysema even though I quit smoking at the time it had been over 24 years I also have severe asthma I'm confused I'm on oxygen at nite as of July 1 2016 having a lot of shortness of breathe don't know why use my inhalers but they don't feel like the r going deep enough

[Hidden]

This loads factors that can effect our breathing .. When I use my inhalers I was told to hold it in a tad when I have puff of em so get chance to work.

But like I say air pressure co2 drives our breathing then you could have lazy injured stomach muscle.

Even mucus on chest and or severity of disease ... Guess 100 /1 things really and that's why I think doctors gps find it so hard to manage our lung conditions.

Wish I had answers could offer more

[Toci]

It may pay to check with your pharmacy or your nurse to ensure the inhalers are being used properly as I know there are different techniques for different inhalers. .

[peege in reply to Toci]

Good idea T. On PR I discovered I'd been using the Seretide wrongly for 3 years 😳

[Favourite62 in reply to peege]

Please can you enlighten me on how to use Seretide so l will know if I'm using it correctly. Thank you and God bless.

[peege in reply to Favourite62]

Sere tide comes in two types of inhaler. The wet, spray one and the powder dose (in a disc shaped inhaler).

The former can be used with a spacer which gives up to 50% better inhalation than not using one. I was using the seretide/spacer combination wrongly. For three whole years!

It's difficult to explain how to take inhalers correctly, i can best advise googling YouTube clips for demonstrations of each type so you can see for yourself.

I no longer take seretide 250, it was changed recently, 1st to Sirdupla which didn't work well for me and then, by a very knowledgable respiratory nurse to Fostair which I find brilliant. From her I also learnt that when taking two doses you have to wait 30 seconds before taking the second one. It takes that long for the medication to 'drop in'. If you don't wait then you're just inhaling the propellant - I was doing that as well 😕.

Hope this helps. Don't hesitate to tell me if it doesn't. The little demonstration clips on line are so very useful, there's much to learn. Peege

[Favourite62 in reply to peege]

Thank you so much for your reply. My was also changed to Sirdupula. Didn't work for me. So I got my doctor to change it back to Seretide which I'm currently using. I will check out on YouTube demonstration as advise by you. Very much appreciated. Thank you.

[WheezyAnne]

I have Severe Asthma with lung obstruction from all the chest infections. I think I can explain some things. First of all the Respiratory Nurses will tell you that the ventolin\salbutamol will not help with the shortness of breath. We, as Asthmatics have been used to taking our medication and getting better. Now though, we have obstruction, or put it another way, fixed lungs, so we will always be short of breath. Have you been on a Pulmonary Rehabilitation Course yet? Do you sleep propped up to help the fluid drain? Are you doing the 'Active Breathing' exercises regularly? Listen to the Respiratory Nurses. You have done the best thing by giving up smoking. June was a horrible month for a lot of us, being so humid and also the grass pollen was very high.All of that will have made your Asthma more difficult to control anyway. We will never get rid of the shortness of breath, but by stopping smoking, eating well (I find that the most tricky with all the side effects of the steroids,), exercising to our ability, and doing the 'Active Breathing' will help. Last year I had Severe COPD, now I have e managed to creep over the line to moderate. Oh, and I use fans a lot. I have a very gentle small fan, which is silent, and it helps with the stuffiness and shortness of breath. We have to try and do everything we can to keep the exacerbations to a minimum. I am not on oxygen, though there are many on here who are, and they will be able to help you. I hope I have helped a bit.

[Toci in reply to WheezyAnne]

Excellent response! x

[PollyP]

Hi there,

What a great response from WheezyAnne!

I concur with all she has advised, and perhaps I can add a couple of other things?

The BLF have a help line which is extraordinarily helpful....so do call them if you need to do so.

The other thing is perhaps to make/create a self care plan for yourself. Make a list of all the the things and activities which are needed to keep you well....and from that list make a plan including all that you need to do daily, weekly etc.

There is so much help and advice available these days.....we are so fortunate.

Wishing you health and happiness.

Polly

[pepparuby1]

I use a spacer when possible because i don't think i get the inhaler done properly x

[frank65]

ask your doc for an inhaler tube it works better than just the inhaler

[WheezyAnne]

I have just finished my second lot of Pulmonary Rehab, and the Nurse mentioned that we normally get about 12% of the medication down into our lungs, whereas this is increased to 24% when a Spacer is used. I was surprised that so little gets down into the lungs, though it was good to know that it is doubled with the Spacer. You have not mentioned what meds you are on. Are you under the Community Respiratory Team?

[Kdawn611]

I might suggest you have a pulmonary function test done to see exactly how much use you have in your lungs. You may need to update your meds, oxygen, etc. It's best to let the professionals diagnose you. I know I feel better afterseeing my pulmonologist. It helps me to better take care of myself.