Asthma inhaler issue
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Discussion

Wildfire

Original Poster:

9,948 posts

282 months

Monday 17th October 2005
quotequote all
Like an idiot I have ventured out without my inhaler today. Not that I'm in need of it, but if I was to need on what would be my best course of action? I'm a good way away from home and have an engagement tonight.

jeremyc

28,177 posts

314 months

Monday 17th October 2005
quotequote all
You can often get a pharmacist to issue one in urgent cases: you may need to sign a disclaimer to absolve them of any responsibility though.

scoobz

6,578 posts

278 months

Monday 17th October 2005
quotequote all
ok...

first thing - I swear this is true, don't worry about it.

Whenever I leave without mine if I think about it i'll start wheezing. If I get home after a night out and realise I never took it I will never have needed it.

I believe thats called sod's law.

However, water seems to help, as does the brown bag thing. Lots of people carry inhalers, more than you'd think - ask.

Avoid alchohol, brings on the wheezes for me. Especially hard liquor.

Otherwise normal behaviour should you need it is wheeze like mad until eventually you cant get enough air inside your lungs, then passout and wait for a friend to call an ambulance.

cheers.

>> Edited by scoobz on Monday 17th October 18:12

Wildfire

Original Poster:

9,948 posts

282 months

Monday 17th October 2005
quotequote all
Cheers scoobz, I know what you mean. I should have nothing to worry about, I took my preventative and I know it's a sort of a placeabo/saftey blanket effect having one. I'm going to lay off the drink to night. I don't think I'll catch a pharmacy in time now though.

nonegreen

7,803 posts

300 months

Monday 17th October 2005
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If you are anywhere near the city centre in Manchester there is a 24 hr pharmacy on Wilmslow RD in Rusholme (the curry mile).

968

12,439 posts

278 months

Monday 17th October 2005
quotequote all
Wildfire said:
Like an idiot I have ventured out without my inhaler today. Not that I'm in need of it, but if I was to need on what would be my best course of action? I'm a good way away from home and have an engagement tonight.


You can buy some ventolin in an emergency, but if all else fails, you can go to your local GP drop in centre or A&E dept and ask if they can supply you an emergency prescription.

yertis

19,715 posts

296 months

Monday 17th October 2005
quotequote all
scoobz said:
ok...

first thing - I swear this is true, don't worry about it.

Whenever I leave without mine if I think about it i'll start wheezing. If I get home after a night out and realise I never took it I will never have needed it.

I believe thats called sod's law.


I believe it's also to do with asthma being psychsomatic in some people. I honestly think (and you can try this yourself, but with your inhaler handy if it doesn't work ) that you can think your airways open again, by relaxing and putting yourself into asemi-trance while imagining them open up.

You probably think I'm talking crap but no word of a lie on several occasions in the past when I forgot mine I used this technique and it worked.

NikB

1,835 posts

295 months

Monday 17th October 2005
quotequote all
^^^^ What they said.

Just try and forget about it, the more relaxed you are the less chance there is that you will need it. Have a few jars

There is a course you can go on to teach you how to control your breathing which is meant to be very good. I have heard that it means you will never need to use Ventolin again. Anyone remember the name of it? It was on the TV a few years back.

It's good to try and keep of it as the long term effects are NOT very good.

>> Edited by NikB on Monday 17th October 19:01

scoobz

6,578 posts

278 months

Monday 17th October 2005
quotequote all
yertis said:

scoobz said:
ok...

first thing - I swear this is true, don't worry about it.

Whenever I leave without mine if I think about it i'll start wheezing. If I get home after a night out and realise I never took it I will never have needed it.

I believe thats called sod's law.



I believe it's also to do with asthma being psychsomatic in some people. I honestly think (and you can try this yourself, but with your inhaler handy if it doesn't work ) that you can think your airways open again, by relaxing and putting yourself into asemi-trance while imagining them open up.

You probably think I'm talking crap but no word of a lie on several occasions in the past when I forgot mine I used this technique and it worked.


Well I never, I'll give it a whirl.

Mine is dust related i'm sure.... I get it a lot at night too - it wakes me up.

Excerise also, but that doesn't happen much...

If I die you're in big trouble though I tell you...

turbobloke

117,235 posts

290 months

Monday 17th October 2005
quotequote all
Yes there's a lot of psychosomatic stuff in breathing conditions. I get allergic asthma and if it's bad the symptoms kick off hyperventilation as well which is an 'interesting' combination. If I can keep the thing under wraps and start to let relaxation get to work then the whole lot can subside without the need for any medication. Makes sense: mild panic your way into bother, mentally calm your way out of it. I reckon the power of the human mind to control symptoms is only part of the story, a lot more is possible.

yertis

19,715 posts

296 months

Monday 17th October 2005
quotequote all
[quote=NikBThere is a course you can go on to teach you how to control your breathing which is meant to be very good. I have heard that it means you will never need to use Ventolin again. Anyone remember the name of it? It was on the TV a few years back.

It's good to try and keep of it as the long term effects are NOT very good.[/quote]

I got bossed along to an asthma clinic the other day and the (not bad ) nurse-girl seemed not too concerned about the long term effects of the inhalers, but I do hardly ever need them and I'm on the smallest doses they do.

The breathing technique is called the "Buteyko Method" - the book I read was called Freedom from Asthma by Alexander Stalmatski, published by Hale Clinic Health Library.

vario-rob

3,034 posts

278 months

Monday 17th October 2005
quotequote all
I’ve had Asthma all my life and suggest the following based on all those years experience

1) Ask the group you’re with, its so common somebody else might already have one on them

2) As 968 has already stated, A&E will issue you with one and have done to me on a few occasions where I’ve been caught

3) Purely by accident I’ve got one from the lost and found at my gym before. I thought I’d left it at the gym (it was under the car seat) I gone back in and ask and the girl goes and gets one out of the box. I ended up with two inhalers when I found the other one weeks later. Again they are so common and easy-ish to loose it’s worth asking where ever it is your staying at.

4) Late night pharmacy, only ever did this once when I lived in London but did manage to get hold of one over the counter with a bit of form filling. I suggest a quick internet search for one in your location and a call to them would help calm the old nerves down about not having one.

5) Our own are has this doctors on call service for after hours where you call them and a doctor phones you back. Again a bit of Googling should find the relevant information

Let us know how you get on

Size Nine Elm

5,167 posts

314 months

Monday 17th October 2005
quotequote all
[rant on]
How could you be so stupid as to forget your inhaler!
[/rant off]

... and breathe...

() in case anyone takes offence

Paul Dishman

5,411 posts

267 months

Monday 17th October 2005
quotequote all
Any pharmacy should issue one as an "Emergency Supply"
you will have to answer a few questions and you will have to pay the full cost as this is outside of the NHS

Wildfire

Original Poster:

9,948 posts

282 months

Tuesday 18th October 2005
quotequote all
Cheers guys, got one from the pharmacy. Just had to provide doctor's details. Why did I go out without one? Came back from Manchester yesterday and put it in my jeans pocket rather than my bag. Changed my jeans, forgot to put inhaler back in.