Re: Asthma

I know what it is but who do they think will look after smokers ? not every one has family so at some point smokers will need care.

Re: Asthma

Well there you have the classic difference Curmudgeon, as I've mentioned a few times before on here and on other forums; as far as I am concerned, treatment by GPs varies wildly from one 'postcode' area to the next.

My quack as you put it, (An untrained person who pretends to be a physician and dispenses medical advice and treatment- source: Online Dictionary), is currently the best I've had at this practise but, as I said, advising me that the job I do is basically bad for my health, as he did this time last year, is unhelpful to say the least but then, all we seem to get these days is unhelpful advise isn't it?

As we've all seen recently, the wind howls and the rain hammers down so they tell us not to go out in these conditions if we don't have to yet thousands upon thousands are like me - hourly paid - so not turning up for work isn't really an option!

As for my asthma, I know now when I'm likely to be more at risk from attacks so I try to prepare for it as much as is possible.

My attempts at self-help aren't assisted much though by doctors' administrative staff who then see an upward 'blip' in my Ventolin demand and decide that I need to see the doctor about this - but then fail to tell me until I go to collect a repeat prescription.

Telling me at that time that there are no appointments available unless it's an emergency isn't what I'd prefer either, but it happens.

Locally it's well known that our A&E is swamped at weekends by people turning up there when a GP could easily handle the majority of those cases instead but people around here often cannot get access to a doctor at weekends.

Every time this subject in this form appears on national news our local A&E usually say "what planet do these people live on?" because it's the norm here and I suspect that it's the norm in many other areas. stevmk2

Re: Asthma

I have late onset asthma and another chest condition.
My asthma is well under control with medication and I am having a good winter with only minor respiratory tract infections unlike the last few winters where I seemed to be continuously ill and had a really nasty bacterial chest infection which was difficult to get rid of .

My only bad episode so far this winter was taking my grandchildren to the pantomime and having a reaction to the dry ice and smoke from the indoor fireworks. I am very sensitive to smoke of any kind.

I hope you are better soon Steve maybe a change of medication may help, it did for me (from Qvar to Seratide).

Re: Asthma

Smokers are cared for Julie, smokers also have a responsibility towards those care workers entering their homes to care for them.

Care works both ways.

Re: Asthma

I thought we had established care was not forthcoming because there was a smoker in the home ? If I read it wrong apologies.

Re: Asthma

Stevmk2.

Don't you think that the doctor is being open and honest when he says that your working conditions aren't helping your Asthma?

It is the same as a doctor saying that a certain climate is not helping a condition, its factual and not the doctor's fault either that you cant just give up the job or move, he is being truthful by saying that some situations exacerbate certain conditions.

Re: Asthma

I'm on Seratide Meg - my latest doctor changed that immediately when he took me on from another partner.

I don't mean to knock GPs in general but in this practise there are two that have dealt with me in the past that I wouldn't wish on anyone and this 'new' doctor seems well aware of that, which is rather ironic because his father-in-law was my original, designated GP.

I know he had a row about my statin medication with his FIL too because he actually told me that he disagreed with his "colleague" on that but I didn't immediately realise that he meant his FIL at that time! stevmk2

Re: Asthma

Is your doctor following the guidelines shown ? http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/mana...f-adult-asthma, If not print off a copy and go and give him grief

Re: Asthma

To be frank, No Curmudgeon, I'm not getting that kind of support and, looking at The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) '3 Questions' chart, I rate 2 Yes answers in a month but I've not been in touch with the surgery or even tried to get an appointment because I'm actually doing the best I can to manage my asthma myself.

My concern was a chest infection, which brought me down last year with the worst attack I've had in many years so, this year I thought it best to follow up what the doctor's been saying for some time now and given up smoking - then I got a stinking cold!

That's what's been giving me stick for about a month now and of course it aggravates my asthma considerably.

Going back to guidelines though, I've found that the administrative staff at the practise seem to make decisions on my medications, (and I assume they run past my doctor beforehand), which is all well and good, but when I request a new prescription and it's been decided that I need to see the doctor first, they do not think to let me know until I go to pick up my prescription, even after I've given them 4 working days notice, which I always do.

The problem with this system of theirs is that trying to get an appointment quickly at my practise is extremely difficult and the only way that I seem to get any action at all is by them putting me down as at risk, so it's an emergency.

The last time I had to wait 2 hours that evening just to get him to rubber-stamp the prescription but they had to give me a Ventolin inhaler in the surgery while I waited because I'd run out by late morning.

Considering that I try to manage my Asthma as best I can and monitor my use of medications myself, I find that back-up surprisingly casual. stevmk2