Any asthma sufferers?

mudcow007

magoo289 wrote:

Looking at this thread I'm starting to wonder if this is an age thing!?

I'm on Seretide too plus 2 other steroids! Diagnosed last year at the age of 40 with chronic asthma!? I was assessed as having 47% lung capacity and told I had the lungs of person who had smoked all their life. Needless to say I don't smoke nor does any of my family. Over 12 months I tried various inhalers and tablets before settling on the drugs I am now on. Side effect is that I lose my voice due to the strength of the inhalers. Lung capacity now up to 69%. However, now I notice when I am short of breath, which I never noticed before. I only went to the doctor because I was wheezing when I ate too much diary products.

i hope not, im 29

matt@theforce

I too am a long term asthma sufferer. I've had it ever since I can remember. It is better than when I was a child but now live on my brown preventer twice a day and have to carry my blue inhaler everywhere with me and sadly my inhalers never make it to their expiry dates.

However, I'm the fittest I've been in the last 18years since I was in my late teens and did alot of cycling and canoeing.

There is no need for asthma to ruin/run your life, get out there and enjoy it to the best of your abilities

Matthew

lostboysaint

And another. Clenil user and as long as I keep that up I don't need any "reliever" type inhalers. Never stopped me doing anything and it won't stop the OP as long as you get your meds sorted.

vermin

Seretide. Where have you been all my life? Amazing stuff.

Paul E

vermin wrote:

Seretide. Where have you been all my life? Amazing stuff.

Great isn't it, If I am clear of colds etc seretide is what keeps me breathing normally

The gp when I moved down here put me on something else (qvar) and I felt like cr@p and had to fight to be put back on it. I hardly use my blue inhaler if I am free of chest infections etc but I do before settling out on my bike 5 mins before as it stops excersize induced symptoms

vermin

Paul E wrote:

vermin wrote:

Seretide. Where have you been all my life? Amazing stuff.

Great isn't it, If I am clear of colds etc seretide is what keeps me breathing normally

The gp when I moved down here put me on something else (qvar) and I felt like cr@p and had to fight to be put back on it. I hardly use my blue inhaler if I am free of chest infections etc but I do before settling out on my bike 5 mins before as it stops excersize induced symptoms

I'm doing 35 miles per day at the moment, giving it all the beans in my suitcase, and not going near the blue.

For years, successive doctors have been pushing Becotide and for years I've been telling them it does nothing for me. Then, following comments on this thread, I saw another doctor and insisted on trying Seretide. Now my world is a completely different place.

I was told that doctors rarely prescribe it because it's so expensive. That may be true, but when the alternative is using the blue 20 times a day and still having difficulties, how can the NHS justify the saving?

Paul E

I have my original GP back in Sutton Coldfield to thank for putting me on seretide. Ahh thought it might come down to money, I know what you mean about Becotide not doing anything for you, I was the same on Qvar. Nothing beats breathing in without any of that weight on the chest feeling.

matt@theforce

For all those interested I'm raising money for Asthma UK & Action Medical Research for Children later in the year by doing a charity CycleRide. While it might not seem like much of a challenge to most people, those with Asthma and seasonal triggers will know how hard this will be.

Action Medical Research - http://www.action.org.uk/sponsor/matthewchilton
Asthma UK - https://www.justgiving.com/matthew-chilton

Both Charity's do great work for Asthma sufferers and any donations will be greatly appreciated.

Matthew

UndercoverElephant

vermin wrote:

I was told that doctors rarely prescribe it because it's so expensive. That may be true, but when the alternative is using the blue 20 times a day and still having difficulties, how can the NHS justify the saving?

They obviously didn't tell you that Ventolin et al cost roughly £2.99, and that Seretide is nearer £30

http://www.hartlepool.nhs.uk/includes/d ... y_2010.pdf

vermin

That's interesting, thanks.

So for a month on my new regime, Seretide costs £40.92 and Salbutmol costs, approximately, £0.

On my old regime, Beclametasone cost £9.43 per month and Salbutamol was around £3.00 (for two inhalers).

The maths is simple. Only problem was; the medication didn't work. That's not really the point though, is it?

Oh and don't get me started on why asthmatics have to pay prescription charges whilst patients with other chronic conditions don't.

Paul E

vermin wrote:

Oh and don't get me started on why asthmatics have to pay prescription charges whilst patients with other chronic conditions don't.

I agree with that, when I am bad it floors me, the worst was being able to walk about 10 metres and then coughing my lungs up for 5 mins. If that isn't chronic I don't know what is

UndercoverElephant

vermin wrote:

Oh and don't get me started on why asthmatics have to pay prescription charges whilst patients with other chronic conditions don't.

England is so backwards isn't it? Haven't paid for prescriptions for years up here.

mudcow007

just noticed an inhaler i used when i was a nipper is on the banned substances list for athletes

maybe thats why i was in the athletics team when i was younger but now that i use a different inhaler i cant run ?!

cornerblock

UndercoverElephant wrote:

vermin wrote:

Oh and don't get me started on why asthmatics have to pay prescription charges whilst patients with other chronic conditions don't.

England is so backwards isn't it? Haven't paid for prescriptions for years up here.

I actually don't see why we need a prescription for an inhaler at all. A few years ago I was out with some friends when I started to have a rather bad asthma attack but had no inhaler with me. It just so happened there was a chemist just opposite, I went in, it was obvious that I was struggling to breathe, and asked the pharmacist if he could let me have some ventolin. No he wouldn't! "What? Not even a couple of blasts and I'll return tomorrow with a prescription and take the same inhaler from you", I suggested, well begged more like. Nope no can do! So he watched me gasping for a breath all because I didn't have a piece of paper. I had to make my way to a hospital to be put on a nebulizer instead. Seems crazy to me when you consider I can go on holiday to Greece, Turkey, Thailand and just buy inhalers over the counter.

mudcow007

Cornerblock wrote:

UndercoverElephant wrote:

vermin wrote:

Oh and don't get me started on why asthmatics have to pay prescription charges whilst patients with other chronic conditions don't.

England is so backwards isn't it? Haven't paid for prescriptions for years up here.

I actually don't see why we need a prescription for an inhaler at all. A few years ago I was out with some friends when I started to have a rather bad asthma attack but had no inhaler with me. It just so happened there was a chemist just opposite, I went in, it was obvious that I was struggling to breathe, and asked the pharmacist if he could let me have some ventolin. No he wouldn't! "What? Not even a couple of blasts and I'll return tomorrow with a prescription and take the same inhaler from you", I suggested, well begged more like. Nope no can do! So he watched me gasping for a breath all because I didn't have a piece of paper. I had to make my way to a hospital to be put on a nebulizer instead. Seems crazy to me when you consider I can go on holiday to Greece, Turkey, Thailand and just buy inhalers over the counter.

to be honest to a degree i can understand their reluctance to give you an inhaler with a script.

what would happen if you had an adverse reaction to the inhaler....i know you wouldn't but - what if?

cornerblock

mudcow007 wrote:

Cornerblock wrote:

UndercoverElephant wrote:

vermin wrote:

Oh and don't get me started on why asthmatics have to pay prescription charges whilst patients with other chronic conditions don't.

England is so backwards isn't it? Haven't paid for prescriptions for years up here.

I actually don't see why we need a prescription for an inhaler at all. A few years ago I was out with some friends when I started to have a rather bad asthma attack but had no inhaler with me. It just so happened there was a chemist just opposite, I went in, it was obvious that I was struggling to breathe, and asked the pharmacist if he could let me have some ventolin. No he wouldn't! "What? Not even a couple of blasts and I'll return tomorrow with a prescription and take the same inhaler from you", I suggested, well begged more like. Nope no can do! So he watched me gasping for a breath all because I didn't have a piece of paper. I had to make my way to a hospital to be put on a nebulizer instead. Seems crazy to me when you consider I can go on holiday to Greece, Turkey, Thailand and just buy inhalers over the counter.

to be honest to a degree i can understand their reluctance to give you an inhaler with a script.

what would happen if you had an adverse reaction to the inhaler....i know you wouldn't but - what if?

I understand why he couldn't or wouldn't let me have any, but what sort of rules are they when a person could potentially drop dead in front of you with the medicine just feet away.

mudcow007

aye, gotta admit that is a pretty poor show

PedalPedant

Cornerblock wrote:

I actually don't see why we need a prescription for an inhaler at all. A few years ago I was out with some friends when I started to have a rather bad asthma attack but had no inhaler with me. It just so happened there was a chemist just opposite, I went in, it was obvious that I was struggling to breathe, and asked the pharmacist if he could let me have some ventolin. No he wouldn't! "What? Not even a couple of blasts and I'll return tomorrow with a prescription and take the same inhaler from you", I suggested, well begged more like. Nope no can do! So he watched me gasping for a breath all because I didn't have a piece of paper. I had to make my way to a hospital to be put on a nebulizer instead. Seems crazy to me when you consider I can go on holiday to Greece, Turkey, Thailand and just buy inhalers over the counter.

Sounds like an over cautious pharmacist to me. I've managed to run out of salbutamol a couple of times when on holiday (in England) and both times I just walked into Boots and asked for one. They asked for the name and address of my doctor and let me have one for the standard prescription fee.

I don't whether they actually bothered to notify my doctor but nothing was ever said to me about it.

PP

theslowone

Mildly asthmatic here. Cycling is ok as long as its not too cold. I tend to take a puff of blue about once a ride. Worst I find is when you are gasping for breath and use blue only to inhale a wad of pocket fluff!

UndercoverElephant

theslowone wrote:

Mildly asthmatic here. Cycling is ok as long as its not too cold. I tend to take a puff of blue about once a ride. Worst I find is when you are gasping for breath and use blue only to inhale a wad of pocket fluff!

Pocket fluff is a picnic, once (when I was a student) I picked up a blue inhaler and inhaled an earwig.

mudcow007

UndercoverElephant wrote:

Pocket fluff is a picnic, once (when I was a student) I picked up a blue inhaler and inhaled an earwig.

im not squeamish in the slightest, but that would have made me squeal like a girl

ewwwwwwwww