I think doses/puffs can be confusing as it depends on what strength we are discussing Ventolin /Salbutamol (blue inhaler).
I take a 200 microgram Salbutamol turbohaler.
Even having asthma in the family it took me 4 years from my first asthma attack at 15 until I was finally diagnosed at 19.
I have been lucky and never hospitalised when having an attack. I find staying calm and increasing my blue inhaler a life life.
Thankfully I haven't had many attacks when my health is ok but the scariest attacks happen when I have infections. I take serevent or seretide (fluticasone with Salmeterol - purple inhaler) my preventer twice a day. I ensure take blue inhaler 4 times a day more if needed. Paracetamol for pain from coughing and I have on repeat prescription rescue steroid tablets prednisolone (8 x 5mg tablets a day for 5 days).
It's scary when I have an infection as I live alone. In UK we have 111 service who can give out of hours advice and send a GP to your home if you are not well enough to drive go out. I rather call them than use the emergency services. I was ill with chest and sinus infection from 27/12/17 to 26/1/18 despite 12 days on steroid tablets and that's when put on my repeat I can take 5days before see Dr.
Had 3 sinus and ear infections this year and a respiratory staph aureus infection.
Been bringing up more phlegm for a few weeks now so increased reliever use. Then wed last week sore throat, Thurs started coughing blood in phlegm, Friday tickly cough, Saturday very wet phlegm cough, Sunday blocked nose and sneezing. Knew was seeing GP Monday night so when had bloods done Thurs asked nurse for test pot for phlegm because was bringing blood up. By Monday pot was full Dr gave me prednisolone and sent sputum sample of so if it comes back bacterial will end up getting antibiotics if viral will just have to put up with it and see how prednisolone goes.
Today was OK while sitting thi K tired of coughing when move talk I wheeze bad and struggle. My voice has been bad since Friday.
Even GP not given me definitive how much blue inhaler.
So I go by the attack 10 puffs wait 15mins take 10more puffs.
Rest of time probably don't use blue inhaler properly. I don't always notice I need it friends tell me so as I also have sleep apnoea as a precaution I take blue going to bed and getting up with my preventer inhaler and monteleukast.
I think having had asthma for 32 years and diagnosed properly for 28 years I have gotten used to it.
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Hi - and welcome to the site. I, too, use ventolin when needed. About ten years ago I quickly succumed to a viral infection and woke up in the middle of the night unable to breathe. The first puff only got in a minute amount but each puff opened more and more of my airways (I was also constantly coughing to try and get more phlegm/mucous up to open the airways) Eventually, after an hour of the medihaler and also the nebuliser, I finally felt like I wasn't going to die. I decided to ring the ambulance at that stage. (I was alone and too busy trying to breathe to ring earlier.) I got a fright when I rang the ambulance as I thought I was okay but could only speak one word at a time. However by the time the ambulance came I was speaking in sentences and although I still had the flu was feeling much better - probably on a high with the ventolin running through my system. I wasn't hospitalised but the next few weeks were very difficult trying to fight the flu and the asthma which was worse than it had ever been. I found some relief with intravenous Vitamin C. I can't say it cured anything but after I had it I could breathe easier for a day or two. I eventually got over it but it took months before my lungs got back to normal. Swine flu was going around at the time but I never discovered if that was what I had.
I tell you this because I felt that each puff opened a little bit more of my lungs and released a little bit more of the phlegm which was constricting them at the time. I also had been on ventolin for over 30 years at the time so maybe my body was more used to it as, even though my heart was going a little faster, I didn't really have too many side effects of taking so much - or maybe most of it didn't get into the lungs initially.
You seem to be coping quite well with the asthma so I just wish you all the best. I was looking up the medical/ pharmaceutical history of asthma and they seem to be trying new things. I'd love a cure!
Thanks Tugun, it's pretty scary so I know what you mean. I agree a cure would be great!