I have had asthma since 1989. But it was under control till one year back. I was switched to Duoresp Spiromax inhaler because my GP explained it was a cheaper option my surgery was prescribing as a cost cutting procedure by the NHS.
Everything went down hill from last year. But it never crossed my mind that my new inhaler was the actual cause of my problem
My breathing became worse everytime I took Duoresp Spiromax.
I started getting heart palpitations and my chest got tighter.
I started getting bruising on my tummy, back and arms. The bruising appeared to look like small red clots just under the skin. These marks appeared after about a month of using Duoresp inhaler.
My asthma actually got worse and was not controlled properly. The asthma attacks were frequent. I started getting chest pains.
I had to be rushed from work by ambulance to hospital as it appeared I was getting a heart attack. The chest became tighter and instead of alleviating the symptoms of asthma my breathing got worse over the months.
I had to be given ointments for my chest pains and use a hot water bottle to try and lessen chest pains. I was also prescribed strong pain killers.
I was sent to hospital to do a stress test to check if Ihad any heart problems.
The tests came negative.
All throughout last year, I visited my surgery and explained the symptoms but everyone brushed my symptoms aside and none of the GP'S picked up on the fact that these could be side effects of the inhaler.
Although, I have had asthma since 1989 it was always controlled.
It was only since 2017 after my normal inhaler Symbicort was swapped for the cheaper Duoresp Spiromax inhaler, that my symptoms got worse each passing month.
From February 2018, I started getting cramps in my feet in the night. The frequency of the cramps was sbout once a week in February 2018.
I would wake up in the middle of the night with terrible cramps in my feet and the pain was terrible. I had to get out of bed and stand on my feet and massage them gently till the terrible pain subdided.
In March 2018 the cramps in the feet became more frequent. I visited my GP and explained the symptoms. I also asked her whether it could be a side effect of the asthma medication I was taking namely Duoresp Spiromax.
The GP didnt think so and she thought it may be vericose veins. I know for a fact that I don't have vericose veins.
The GP explained she could give me some medication for the cramps but I would have to take the treatment for life.
I explained to the GP that I was taking too many medications for my asthma and didnt want to take another medication for the rest of my life.
On 25th April 2018, was one of the scariest days of my life. At 1am in the morning I started passing blood in the urine. I had to visit the toilet every 10 minutes to pass urine and I would pass bright red blood and I was also passing blood clots in my urine.
It was agony and the pain was unbearable passing the blood clots. I almost fell faint.
I had to sit in the toilet from 1am to 3am that morning . Every 5 minutes or so I was passing blood in the urine and blood clots frequently.
I was petrified and drained of all energy.
I booked an appointment with the GP later that morning to explain what was happening to me.
I never had a urine infection before. And I never had that much of blood flowing in the urine. It was almost like a menstrual period.
Except that I have not been having periods for the last fifteen years. That what made it even more scarier.
Something told me that day to go and check the leaflet for side efeccts of the Duoresp Spiromax inhaler.
To my horror I read that some of the side effects were:
Common: May effect 1 in 10 people
Increased cough OR INCRESED BREATHING DIFFICULTIES.
Uncommon may effect 1 in 100 people
BRUISING OF THE SKIN
MUSCLE CRAMPS
Very Rare
AN EFFECT ON THE ADRENAL GLAND (A SMALL GLAND NEXT TO THE KIDNEY)
one would never suspect your inhaler that has been prescribed to you for asthma to actually make your breathing worse or give you chest pains .
Inhalers are prescribed to asthmatics to control and help to open out ones airways to help one breathe easier.
Duoresp was actually making my chest tighter .it was not effective at all in controlling my asthma. In fact everytime I took the inhaler my chest was so tight I thought I was getting a heart attack. Infact I was rushed to hospital with breathibg difficulties and a tight chest.
Presently I am being treated for urinary tract infection with antibiotics.
My bleeding has stopped but I am still experiencibg pain in the groin/lower abdomen and pain in the lower back which could mean a kidney infection.
It has been a fortnight and I am still experiencing pain. I have been signed off work and treatment is ongoing.
I have suffered immensely over the last one year because my Symbicort inhaler was swapped for the cheaper Duoresp inhaler.
Not only that, what is more surprising is that none of the General Practitioners picked up on any of the side effects I suffered for a whole year. This stress is still continuing with the present urine infection that I have.
I would not have to go through all this suffering. But I was forced to because of the cheaper inhaler prescribed.
I just thought I would make my fellow asthma sufferers be made aware of some of the side effects that are brushed aside even when the GPS were informed.
I explained my symptoms to three General Practitioners in the last two weeks. None of them made any comment. But all the GP"S were very eager to prescribe Symbicort if that was what I wanted.
I think this is sheer negligence and I pray that nobody else has to experience what I was put through for more than a year now.
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