Can't even afford a fucking inhaler

[GlitzAndGigglesx]

I'm in the UK. I have a monthly prescription for my inhaler. My inhaler has ran out as I've been poorly and needing it more than usual plus I'm asthmatic. I called my surgery today and got a telephone consultation to be told I can't have a new script for one for another week. I've looked on med express who could give me one but it costs about £12. I know it's not a lot of money in the grand scheme of things but it is for me at this point in time. I'm crying due to the fact I'm not yet eligible for one off the NHS and I have a chesty cough. Just gonna curl up in a ball and cough myself to sleep

The only answer I can think of is that OP hadn’t actually been diagnosed with asthma - a blue inhaler might be prescribed by itself if someone is a bit wheezy for a while following a chesty cough, but it should never have become a long-term thing.

Think you are right but tbh pretty lapse of a doctor to do that /not explain

it’s only as recently been for an asthma consult at hosp as dd is quite severe exp in winter and both gp/nurse at doctors and consultant at hospital said if using blue daily/getting through one a month - should be 1-3 a year / then the preventive is wrong and needs to be changed at once

luckily mini blondes is now on the right dose for the past 6/9mths and uses her blue one maybe 1/2 times a week usually after exercise

I was diagnosed with asthma at the age of 10 (after suffering dreadfully for years and my mum changing GP). I don't have a preventor inhaler prescribed.

Don’t you ?

do you use the blue one lots /use one a month ?

That is a very poor level of care, and really not safe. Asthma is a very dangerous condition. The NHS guidelines make it clear that a preventer is necessary as well as a reliever, together with regular monitoring.

I used to and there was a short period of time when an emergency Dr prescribed a short term course of oral steroids. I narrowly avoided hospitalisation and was absent from school for two full weeks one winter. (this was in the 1980's)

I was then given a preventor inhaler for a period of approx 3-4 years in my late teens (90's) during that time I was monitored regurlarly by the asthma nurse and kept peak flow records. But then my symptoms abated (& I moved away to uni) and my preventer prescription was not renewed. For approx 10 years now I have only needed to take my inhaler if I run for the train or if a bad cold/hayfever/dusty atmosphere triggers it. It did get noticable worse around the Spring of 2020 (in hindsight I think I had covid) but is much better again now.

It is worth noting that I was only ever diagnosed because we around the age of 9/10 I changed to a GP where you just turned up with no appointments. My previous GP had dismissed my parents (my dad is asthmatic and as a last resort had been giving me his inhaler). I would hope that asthma managment had improved since those days.

So glad you said this as I feel I’m the only one who thinks it’s strange /weird to not have preventers

30 years ago my dc had preventers, relievers, used spacers until they mastered inhaler technique. I had to monitor and record their peak flow. They had regular check ups with the asthma nurse. Surely things shouldn't be worse now?

My granddaughter a twin nine weeks premature had suffered since birth with lung function spent two months in an incubator. GP only prescribed the blue inhaler and steroids when she suffered in the winter. This winter aged 8 with a different GP was prescribed a preventorr. She can now run around and keep up with her sibling and friends this winter. Her daddy had it from a baby to age 10 and outgrew it. His grandmother had it in her thirties. I remember her in bed fighting to catch her breath. Then it went away.

Do you claim free prescriptions? If you do, you should be able to get one. But I’d seek out medical help as it may be an infection.

You shouldn't be using a preventer that much, do you not have a blue reliever inhaler?

The blue is a reliever

she didn’t have a preventer

I thought she said it was a brown preventer that she's been using a lot?

She said the blue preventer. So she was getting mixed up somewhere. It is much less likely to forget or mix up a colour so it’s more likely she has the blue reliever.

I always say the colour as can’t rem the names of them

Which is precisely why they come in different colours.