That my friend is annoyed that an ambulance was called for me...

[ClothesHangingOnTheFloor]

I had a bad asthma attack in the middle of the night - lasted over an hour, my partner dialled 111 but they immediately issued an ambulance that arrived within five minutes. (Friday night).

I had low oxygen (blue lips), high heart rate, high BP and I couldn't speak a word, just continuous panicky cough and loud wheeze in between coughing . I was put on the nebuliser, and within 20 minutes I was coming out of it, could speak and was extremely grateful that I didn't have to go to the hospital (unless I wanted to ...I didn't). The only lasting effects were sore back muscles and raw throat from coughing, and advice to see GP to review meds.

The paramedics were excellent, and even said that if my symptoms returned then to call 999 again.

The last attack I had this bad was over four years ago, and I didn't call an ambulance, my friend/neighbour drove me and her husband stayed with my kids.

So...I was telling my friend this, and she implied I was a time waster because I never even ended up in hospital..."ambulances are for people who need to go to hospital". No amount of telling her that I didn't call the ambulance will convince her.

So... Am I being unreasonable to think that if you can be treated at home successfully by a paramedic, in an emergency situation, then what is the issue?

A friend's DH died in bed next to her whilst having an asthma attack in a country without proper emergency services. Your DH absolutely did the right thing calling an ambulance.

erm she does know not everyone ends up being taken in

id rather they go to anyone and maybe they can give meds on the scene or maybe they have to go in-as long as they help what does it matter

You were absolutely right to call an ambulance. People can and do die from these things.

Do you have a nebuliser at home (and if not, why not)? Not sure if you were in this state why you were not already on one prior to and while waiting for the ambulance, especially if your partner was there with you?

Studies have been done that show there is no difference between a nebuliser and spacer in regards to rescue meds but in practice it does seem the nebuliser is better in these situations.

Not sure if you already have already arranged but if not you should have a review to ensure your asthma management plan is optimal.

Your "friend" is an idiot.

The ambulance crew very probably saved your life - you were in a dangerous situation - and the fact that the help they gave you offset the need for you to go to hospital just shows what great skills paramedics have these days (and the right equipment of course).

Would she rather you had died? Or been so near death that you did have to go to hospital? Because those were also options, if the ambulance hadn't arrived when it did, and used timely interventions. Would she have considered that you were "wasting NHS hospital" resources if you actually had gone to hospital?

Sounds like she's no friend of yours, actually - anyone who would rather see you suffer and potentially die than receive life-saving assistance isn't a friend at all.

Glad you're ok now - asthma is far more dangerous than many people who don't have experience of it know.

Your friend does understand that being able to breathe is kinda important right?

Asthma is dangerous, you absolutely needed that ambulance!

I’m afraid I think your friend is a bitch.

3 people a day die from asthma in the UK. People don't take it seriously enough. I'm glad you're ok but you're definitely NBU to be angry at her for saying that. People say funny things but perhaps you could use this opportunity to educate her..

Tbh I would be more annoyed at the fact that you didn’t call 999 first! You couldn’t breathe and lips were blue, that’s an emergency alright. Don’t delay your care by phoning 111

Would the idiot have preferred it the other way around. You didn't call the Ambulance and the unthinkable happened.

Things can go downhill rapidly with asthma and become life threatening. You did the right thing.

Your so-called friend sounds an absolute delight and if I was you, we would not be socialising again! So glad you are ok, and the amazing NHS team were there for you

I have had to watch a loved one’s life support be switched off following an asthma attack which left them brain dead! Tell your friend to fottfsofatfosm! They are no friend to you OP!

YANBU and your friend IS being U!

FFS, it's not like you called the ambulance out because you were drunk! (Now THAT pisses me off!)

Not much of a friend is she?!

So your friend is more knowledgeable than the highly trained staff on the 111 helpline? . Your partner did the right thing.

Do you have a nebuliser at home (and if not, why not)?

I don't know about where the OP lives but my daughter has regular visits from paramedics for her asthma, sometimes she is taken in, sometimes they can sort her out but she doesn't have a nebulizer at home. Her consultant won't prescribe one and her GP won't give her the ampules without the say so of her consultant. The argument is if she is sick enough for a neb she needs access to O2 and she doesn't have that at home so she is to call an ambulance in the event of a big attack.

The paramedics were probably thinking as they left you, that this was a good use of their first contact skills, to be honest.

Ambulance dispatcher here: 👋

As pretty much everyone else has said, your friend is an idiot.

(Though I would strongly disagree with 'if 111 think you need an ambulance, then you do')

With your symptoms, low sats/inability to speak/cyanosis, you absolutely needed emergency treatment, whether they transported your or not is irrelevant.

If it happens again with those or similar symptoms, please bypass 111 and call 999.

Hope you're feeling better now

Re the steroids, OP, my doctor is happy for me to have a prescription'worth at home to head off attacks if a cold and weather starts affecting me. Once I use them, I just get a new prescription to replace them.

Her consultant won't prescribe one and her GP won't give her the ampules without the say so of her consultant. The argument is if she is sick enough for a neb she needs access to O2 and she doesn't have that at home so she is to call an ambulance in the event of a big attack.

So what does your consultant do for young children under the age requirement for spacers for routine asthma meds (both maintanence and rescue used on a routine basis not only in the case of an acute attack)?

I would also really dispute the ‘if sick enough for a nebuliser then you require oxygen’ theory. If you get in early enough with a nebuliser you could well avoid the ‘big attack’. Also very handy to have on hand in the event of a severe acute attack while waiting for an ambulance.

I used to have the opposite problem, patients that just could not be arsed. When you asked them why not the answer was always ‘can’t be bothered with that, easier to get the ambo’s to do it’ then they would complain about the length of time it took ambo’s to arrive. Never had this from parents, they were great with nebuliser use, always middle aged or older people, too hard to understand so I gave up trying. Even more infuriating were the ones that came in absolutely fine after the ambo’s had rocked up, given nebuliser, advised patient to see their GP and also take their pred for the next few days but they ‘wanted to come in anyway - oh, and by the way I’m now hungry, can I have something to eat’. Yep, righto.

I don't know because she is an adult now but even when she was under paeds they said the same thing. Her asthma is very brittle, she is under the complex asthma team at a large renowned teaching hospital who she, and I, have great respect for.

Your friend is a horrible, ignorant bitch. She should talk to my cousin, who at the age of 14 watched her best friend die from an asthma attack whilst sleeping over her friends house when the parents were out to dinner. My cousin and this poor girl's parents would give anything to turn back the clock and have paramedics there to save her life.

FFS. I would LOVE to punch your "friend" right in the throat. Thank goodness you are ok.

YANBU! As PP said - people don't take asthma seriously enough. And your friend clearly doesn't understand the role of ambulance staff - they're not just emergency taxis.

Think of it this way - if you call the AA because your car broke down and they manage to fix it at the roadside it doesn't mean it didn't need a mechanic.

Your friend is an idiot. Ambulances can take people to hospital but if that were their only purpose they would be called the NHS Taxi Service. Granted, many people use them in that way but it is not their primary purpose. The paramedics were able to stabilize you at home. They saved your life and saved your local hospital a few thousand pounds.

You got treated at home? In which case much more efficient for all involved.
Your friend is unhelpful. I hope she keeps her stupid gob shut in future. Tsk

Hope you are ok
I know how terryfiing it is when u are having a attack