Is anyone else on 2 puffs of duo resp twice a day?

[Celie1]

I was diagnosed ŵith asthma about 18 years ago after a bout of wheezy bronchitis. I was left with a cough. I was given various treatment and am now on duo resp. steroid inhaler. I always feel like I’ve been misdiagnosed though, because whenever I need to see a doctor when I feel breathless, my peak flow isn’t a good indication of how bad I feel. I don’t understand how I can feel so breathless as soon as I start to walk or talk and still be able to blow 380 (my best being 400). whenever I have a virus and I need to take steroid tablets usually I need 2 courses because the symptoms come back after one course. It takes me weeks to get over an infection and I cough every morning for ages after. I feel that my problem is to do with mucus and not bronchial spasm. Does anyone else feel like this?

[Chip_y2kuk]

Yes it take 2 puffs twice a day and sometimes more im also on other stuff for asthma

And i was told I wasn't asthmatic by loads of doctors wheezing/peak flow isn't always a good indicator of condition and sometimes you need to fight your corner and doctors need to learn to go off what they are being told and not what they are listening too

[Celie1 in reply to Chip_y2kuk]

Thanks Chip,

That’s not helpful is it? ! To be told that you’re not asthmatic by a doctor, when it’s a doctor who’s diagnosed you in the first place!

The doctors I’ve seen have been pretty good and always go by what they can see, ie breathlessness. I always come away with pred and often anti biotics too. So it’s not that they don’t believe me, I just feel that my symptoms are weird and I don’t understand why my peak flow is almost normal when I feel like I can’t breathe. I thought peak flow was the measure of how well you were able to breathe 😏

[Chip_y2kuk in reply to Celie1]

No its not helpful at all but does mean I've had the 'works' after two respiratory consultants and an endocrine team got involved at the local hospital here....... there's more about me on paper than I know

Peak flow only monitors / works for the larger airways so the smaller ones can be completely stuffed and your peak flow won't drop much if at all

[Celie1 in reply to Chip_y2kuk]

Oh that’s useful to know, so that’s what must be happening to me. Thank you for the info. 😊

[Chip_y2kuk in reply to Celie1]

The other thing is pulse oximeters that GPS like to stick on your finger and tell you your oxygen is OK... asthmatics are *normally* fantastic oxygen compensators and sometimes its a build up of carbon monoxide because it can't escape... which the pulse oximeters dont/can't monitor

[Celie1 in reply to Chip_y2kuk]

That’s another thing explained, because my SAT’s are always ok too 😆

[Chip_y2kuk in reply to Celie1]

Yes I measure mine by percents... 98-99% I'm OK

97% or below somethings up (never been below 96%)

I've had the mother of chest infections before and the doctor went white as he couldn't hear any air in the bottom of my lung ..... my oxygen saturation was 97% .... poor bloke didn't really know what to do

The actual measures the doctors use are:

Above 92-94% your fine

Below 92% you have a problem

Chip

[Celie1 in reply to Chip_y2kuk]

Good to know 👍