How long before u get an attack if stop preventer?

[Caroline-1]

Hi,

For the last year my doctors couldn't decide if I had asthma or not, have now been officially diagnosed with vocal cord dysfunction (yay!) which mimics asthma.

I could still have asthma and vcd.

I think the inhalers ( seretide and ventolin) have been aggravating the vcd as I'm hyper sensitive to irritants, and as doctors not convinced if asthma, I decided to do a test, so I stoped the seretide. It's been 7 days so far and no attacks, although some chestyness.

My throat has improved.

I wonder how long without the preventer I would expect to have an attack if it was also asthma??

[Hidden]

Hi how long is a piece of string? You might never have an attack but you do need to keep your ventolin handy for if you do. Asthma attacks can occur whether you are on meds or not and I will have one every couple of months or so but fortunately not severe ones and with hammering the ventolin I usually recover quickly.

Others here with more severe asthma can have life threatening attacks so a lot depends on the severity and whether or not it is under control.

As you are aware we can't give medical advice on here so the best thing to do is see either your asthma nurse or your doctor. Maybe you don't need the sereretide (not everyone needs a preventer) or a change would work better.

[Hidden]

I suspect this varies from person to person, just as the condition of asthma does, and even for one individual it could vary depending on a number of factors, such as weather, exposure to possible triggers etc. I know weather would play an important part with me - and my asthma is usually very well controlled. In summer I might, if I'm lucky, go twenty four hours before I began to feel my chest tighten, but that is very dependent on other circumstances. There was one summer (2012) I managed on one dose of preventer a day for six weeks - I've never been that good since. In winter, I doubt I would manage twelve hours - less than that if I had an infection brewing. My grown up asthmatic son, however, has been able to cope without his preventer inhaler most of the time for a few years, but he still has one, and he always keeps his ventolin to hand, just in case.

As lilaclil has said, you really need to consult with you doctor or asthma nurse on this matter. Keep your inhalers with you though.

[Caroline-1]

Thanks....yes seeing my doctor today and will of course keep inhalers close by.

I just don't think it is asthma, and my lung function test seems to support that ( my problem is breathing in, not out) Which is why I feel more confident to stop the preventer...rather than keep using it when I know it causes my vcd to get worse.

Fingers crossed

Thanks again