CONFUSION

Yes I get deeply confused and do the strangest of things thinking they will somehow make me better. It is usually when my gases are going off.

Bex

I get really angry, and if i can i yell at people, if i cant then i just run off and hide. Pretty bad, i know, but I cant help it.

I get all stupid too and try to do housework because i dont want paramedics to think my house is a mess. Then i get told off by them for leaving it too long!

During one attack my daughter called an ambulance and just as they arrived i suddenly jumped up and went upstairs saying i needed a wee leaving my daughter and paramedics wondering wot on earth i was up to only to collapse at the top of the stairs unable to breathe!!

Needless to say i have no memory of it.

I also switch off and am completely unaware of wot or who is around me.

(mind you i am blonde!!)

I too do very stupid things like insisting i am absolutely fine when i actually am not and refusing to get into ambulances without correct shoes clothes etc despite not being able to speak to tell anyone what the correct shoes are fortunately everybody know this is a sign my brain has not quite enough oxygen and just ignores me!

I often do the ""i'm fine, nothing is wrong thing."" when i am obviouly having a lot of difficulty breathing which is why i wory that people don't take me seriously. I just want to know why i do it so i can try and stop it.

I am sure though that paramedics etc are used to people being like that. I actually think though i am forming a phobia to ambulances which ain't good!!!

xxx

I dont mean to sound picky but if you are going to tell people you are fine nothing is wrong then of course people wont take it very seriously as they wont know anything wrong.....

When Sean goes off big time he has been known to try and sort out a decent outfit at 3am or even better starts gelling his hair!!! He has also said stop the car inbetween coughing cos he thinks he getting out to get gameboy I guess the reason people do these things are when gases are not good or hypoxic

Laurenjayne maybe it would be safer for you to make sure those closest to you know you are prone to being confused and ignore your im fine comments and get the help you need.

Hi Laurenjayne and everyone,

I think it's pretty common to get a bit flustered and panicky during an attack, especially if you are not particularly used to having bad attacks, and often wanting to avoid a fuss makes us play down our symptoms. I'm sure we've most of us been in that situation.

However, if you are confused, disorientated or drowsy, that can be a sign that your blood gases are deteriorating, as other people have said - either that your oxygen levels (and sats) are too low (hypoxia), or that your carbon dioxide levels are increasing, or both. This is a VERY SERIOUS SIGN, and if you experience this you should get yourself to hospital as soon as possible, via 999 and an ambulance. If you have a tendency to experience this sort of thing and you find that when you are in this situation you tend to underestimate your own symptoms and will be reluctant to go to hospital, make sure that family/friends are aware of this and that it is included on your consultant letter/protocol.

I know that when I am having a bad attack my gases can deteriorate very rapidly, and that can render me incapable of deciding whether I need to go to hospital. For that reason, if I have an attack when I am on my own, I tend to play things very safe and call an ambulance much earlier than I perhaps would if my husband was with me to make that judgement. I also make sure that nebs, oxygen etc are all set up and ready to use, so that in an emergency I don't have to think about what to do at all, otherwise I find that I tend to spend a while staring dumbly at the nebuliser wondering what to do with it!

Basically I think it's just about being sensible and staying as safe as possible.

Take care all

Em H

Those closest to me know hen i need help etc, i jut worry at places like my work as i don't like causing a drama when my asthma is playing up. However i then have the problem that when it is really bad and I ask for help they are happy to let me leave and try to make my own way to A&E when they can see i'm really struggling, am asking for help, almost collapsing etc so for me its a no win situation. I'd rather say i'm fine when i am ealing with it and then tell them i need help rather than getting into a situation etc like i did on friday.

I get relly confused when my breathing is bad and being in the middle of a large supermarket the mojority of the time it is quite difficult as i need to say i'm okay so i can get to my office for my spacers etc.

Hi EmH,

Thanks for that long and detailed explanation. It made sense, thank you. I think my phobia of ambulances and hospitals makes me worse as well as i'm known to get panicky telling people i am dealing with it and don't need an ambulance which worries people even more but i'm like that with broken bones as well!! Its just finding out how to explain to managers etc at my work and known how to let them understand when they do need to get me help and when they can just leave me to it but doing so in a way that people don;t get all annoyed with me for being paranoid by telling them this.

Does that make sense?

xxx

I have been confused at times - though often pointed out after the event as I have forgoten that I was confused! I call 999 but then forget to phone ward for direct admission etc.

Was told by a Dr to pop the O2 back on as my sats were very low but I kept taking it off saying I was OK. He threatened to tape it round my head LOL!

I once belted a Policeman when confused - oooops!

Kate

I now what you mean Kate, i think myself that i am being sensible and talking sensible but looking back i'm not at all but i never know till after!!

Poor Policeman!! Hope he understood!!

Lauren x

I now what you mean Kate, i think myself that i am being sensible and talking sensible but looking back i'm not at all but i never know till after!!

Poor Policeman!! Hope he understood!!

Lauren x