New and confused

[JHodder]

Hello all, I am new to this site.

A Locum GP has told me I have Lung Disease (have had Asthma for years) and I have had spirometry tests with reversibility which show that the current inhaler meds are not working. Thus far I have only seen Nurse/ Nure Practitioners and feel I am being fobbed off a bit.

My question is can I have both Asthma and IPF?

There is a very strong family history of IPF and 3 close family members have succumbed.

Any response or help would be much appreciated.

[sassy59]

Welcome JHodder, l cannot answer your question but l am sure someone will. This is a great site and you have come to the right place. Xxx

[Hidden]

As Sassy says somebody will along, probably tomorrow, who will be able to answer your questions. Kaye

[servewithmintsauce]

I don't know much about IPF but in short yes, one can have IPF and asthma, or any combination of lung diseases.

[JHodder]

Thanks very much for the advice. I have finally spoken to an informed GP which has resulted in an immediate referral!! Thankfully he listened to all I had to say and wasnt dismissive of an anxious middle aged woman!!

[Catnip]

Greetings. I'm glad to hear that your GP has referred you on to a specialist respiratory clinician, but please don't dismiss nurse practitioners as being of no value.

I see nurse practitioners all the time, both at my GP surgery and the brilliant respiratory unit which I attend is a nurse-led place. We rarely see the consultant there - he is at the local hospital. The nurse practitioners are usually very well qualified and are constantly taking courses in a variety of fields.

Hope all goes well for you.

Catnip

[JHodder in reply to Catnip]

Forgive me, I didnt mean to imply they were useless, but i wasnt confident we were exploring the right condition. I am sure they are great but having little experience of these things I was keen to see or at least speak to a GP for at least an action plan and not just keep repeating tests every 2 weeks with no forward plan depending on the results (which were not improving)

[Catnip]

Hiya - no problem. I'm at stage 4 with emphysema. Lung disease accounts for a huge lump of my GP's patients (in the once industrial North) so the practice nurses there are very well informed. I think you _are_lucky is your nurse admitted she didn't know... because then you could go to someone who does

I'd be dead by now, had it not been for the specialist respiratory unit we have in town. The staff there are all working for Masters' or PhD level qualifications, in their "spare" time. How .ucky can we patients be!!

Catnip

[Stuval]

You can have more than one lung problem. I have IPF and Emphysema.