Is it Asthma

Hi everyone, nice to meet you all.

I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice. for three weeks i have been having a problem with my breathing not being able to fully breathe in, also there hasbeen a throbbing and tightness feeling in my chest. At first i thought it was a bad case of indigestion and have tried my usual remedies with no effect. I finally plucked up the courage to go to the doctor who prescribed a blue reliever inhaler and told me to go back to her in two weeks. However since leaving the doctor the symptoms have dissappeared therefore having no need to use the inhaler. Do you think it could have been indigestion after all. Do i need to bother going back to the doctors

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Hi starfish,

Welcome to the AUK boards, although I'm sorry you've had problems and had to find your way to us. We are a friendly bunch so hopefully you will feel at home here. One thing to bear in mind, though, is that these fora do tend to attract the minority of asthmatics who have difficult asthma with poor control, so please don't think that some of the things that you might read on here represent the norm for asthma.

As far as your question goes, it isn't really possible, or wise, for any of us to try to diagnose you over the internet, and we certainly can't advise you not to take the medication that your doctor has suggested, or not to go back to your doctor. It can often be tricky to make a diagnosis of asthma initially, as the symptoms can come and go quite intermittently, so it may take a while to make a definitive diagnosis.

Do you have a peak flow meter? You can get your GP to prescribe you one, or you can buy one from a chemist. This will allow you to measure your respiratory function at home from day to day, and the results will help your GP to decide whether you do have asthma. Ideally you should measure it at least twice a day, and before and after using the blue reliever inhaler, if you have symptoms.

Sorry not to give you the definitive answers you are probably looking for, but I don't think any of us can advise you to go against the advice of your own doctor!

Take care

Em H