Any advice welcome

Hello - I'm wrting this to try and help my father in law. He has been diagnosied with asthma, aged 60 yrs and nothing seems to be working. The doctors have given inhalers, steroids and now want to try him on a new medication which, as a side effect, will scar his lungs and liver. Sorry i can't be specific about names of drugs but he is very ill and seems confused himself. He is, at present, unable to live a normal life and we don't seem to be getting very far gaining info from the hospital - nobody seems to be able to help us any further. Anybody out there with any ideas? All suggestions welcome. Thanks for taking the time to read this e mail - Helen.

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Helen I am no expert but my grandad has recently had problems and been very wheezy. His GP gave him inhalers but he really found it difficult to use even with the spacer. As i work in the NHS i asked at work and was told to ask for a mask to go on the end of the spacer which has made a difference.

Just a though that perhaps a change of method of using inhalers might help them work more effectivly. As i said am no expert but keep pestering the GP.

Good luck

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Hello Helen,

Sorry to hear about your father in law and his problems with asthma.I remember with my own father that when very ill he became confused so it was up to me to be very persistent with the docs.

As we all get older lung function does decline, -whether you have never suffered from breathing problems or do suffer.

If all the meds and use of spacers etc aren't working it could be worth asking for the use of a nebuliser, if only once, to see if that makes a difference. When the airways are very inflammed it can be extremely difficult to get the right sort of medication into the lungs to relieve tighness and inflammation.

Your father in law may well have tried this method, but if not, it's worth asking for, before trying other drugs.

Take care both of you and let us know how you get on

Mia

xxx