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@ devastated - Thanks - yes, I have cats too, and basically keep them out of the bedroom and the workroom (their favourite rooms as a result ) and don't make too much physical fuss of them - but have had cats for 26 years.

Yes, I will make a plan with GP, when hopefully everything back under control, although getting to see the GP frequently a problem on the NHS here.

@ Tushnurse - I have bad GERD, as a result possibly of terrible stress last year, and an endoscopy is booked for mid-June (booked prior to the asthma attacks). Am on lanzaprole, which is sort of effective. But am not aware of asthma issues at night - although am bad in the mornings. GERD is very likely implicated, but also have rhinitis and constantly bleeding nose, so some allergy is involved nasally. Am not on any anti- anxiety meds, but do have a supply of diazepam which I don't use except in a blue moon and which I could take (but doesn't feel like it touches the anxiety in this case at all); should I take it ? (I don't want to become dependent so have been trying other anti-anxiety approaches, obviously not very successfully).

REspiratory nurse at the hospital recommends me getting a referral for a formal lung test there, but that will take an age, even if the GP agrees to it.

Am on symbicort steriod inhaler and salbutomal reliever (I don't know generic names, I'm afraid).

When you say the next two weeks are going to be unfun....? Do you mean even more unfun than the last few?

Hey- I'm in the UK too so you'll probs go down the same route as me- I take symbicort, serevent, beclometasone and salbutamol of course

I must say, my asthma is worse at night- I'm a night cough sufferer.

On the NHS remember all GPs have to release daily emergency appointments and respiratory issues count as emergencies. Failing that, go to your nearest walk in centre- i have to stick up for the NHS- my Dad's a Consultant haha- he'd be proud!

Are you in with your asthma clinic? There'll be an asthma nurse linked with your surgery

Thanks I85 (I refuse to call you 'idiot') - no need to defend the NHS, I am a huge supporter. But my recent experience is that I don't 'feel' I have any kind of safety net: It takes several weeks to see my own GP, and the GP I referred to who refused to prescribe Prednisone is one who I have only met once before, and who by the time I get to see her as an emergency ' appointment I've got through the asthma attack of the moment and only the anxiety lingering. My neighbour, who is the local heart consultant (we're quite rural) says it will take 3 months to see the lung consultant. So I hope I wasn't giving the wrong impression of the NHS, but I always end up being quite apologetic when I am a patient at whatever point in the process because one (I) feel they are so hard pushed for time and resources.

HOw do you deal with the anxiety around an attack, or are you more of a veteran and able to be calmer?

I've had pretty bad asthma from being a child- think nebuliser kept at home and school!

It means I'm a bit calmer knowing what to expect but don't get me wrong- if I have an asthma attack I still keep thinking I'm going to die. I once was mid attack and a senior doctor said to a med student- "can you see how raised his shoulders are? What is most interesting is thatbpatients tend to die of exhaustion rather than the attack itself" - well I'm sure I don't need to tell you my reaction! It all went black- I passed out.

I don't say this to scare you but rather, it's so important to stay focussed during the attack- a lot of it is a reactive anxiety. Ideally have my Dad present- he's a surgeon so he has forgotten how to panic- he says "this will pass, it's temporary, you've had many before, worse than this, you know you'll be OK" so, when I have an attack, I repeat these things over an over in my head- keep still (i used to walk around in panic), and focus on relaxing my shoulders. I think to myself- he's a well respected very senior physician taking responsibilty for people's lives daily- hewouldn't syand there and watch his son die- even when he's not around I imagine he is- you can use him too! Although, I hope you never require his expertise- he's a neuro and spinal surgeon! My point is, he does sweet FA when I'm having an attack.

If you're pressed to get an appointment, go to a walk in centre for a GP. For a lung consultant it shouldn't take that long- providing your GP has done the referral properly. I'm in London so it might be quicker but then again, King's is always manic! I still get in alright.

I know I waffled a bit then but I hope you can take something from it.

Oh and don't forget what I said, I take predisone for 5 days every other month and I haven't noticed a side effect and my asthma is pretty much under control (touch wood)

Edited to add: When you get the referral form just ring your hospital's Respiratory Medicine department- you can make an appomtment yourself with them and try and get a cancellation. When I've rang King's Oupatients Appointments number they've always been so helpful.

[This message edited by idiot85 at 6:34 PM, May 17th (Friday)]

Personally, I only take prednisone as a last resort. I am also asthmatic, but I usually end up having to take it a couple of times a year (this spring has been really bad for me too). I usually end up a complete lunatic by the time I am done with it I get quite irritable and weepy, I also can't sleep and that aggravates it.

The side effects of the prednisone are indeed very nasty (sleeplessness, anxiety, suicide ideation, depression), but it's not clear if everybody suffers them or not.

I was on for 20 days back in 2011. I had none of those side effects. I'm sure it's different for everyone.

Thanks Mama and Heartbroken - and everybody else. Here an update: given everybody's responses here I decided to put myself on Pred, but having read the contra-indications on the leaflet which said I MUST contact my physician first if any of the following applied - two of which did (hypothyroid and family history - not me - of bipolar disorder). Via the out of hours telephone service for the GP i found myself on the phone to a doctor at the hospital who said that as I was talking in full sentences and did not sound wheezy he didn't think I was acute enough to go on Pred and suggested taking my steroid inhaler to max doses for now. and I'm going to go onto diazepam for the weekend to see if that can reduce the anxiety component, although I'm aware they don't touch the panic element accompanying an attack. But both might give me a much-needed rest this weekend, so that I can be more assertive on Monday in seeing my own personal GP sooner than the end of the month.

Thanks again.

Chronic conditions like asthma respond well to other approaches to medicine like naturopathy and acupuncture and nutrition. You can keep going to your regular allopathic (western) doc if you like and follow recommendations from a naturopath without contraindications. Here's an overview of what a naturopath would do:

http://www.naturopathic.org/content.asp?admin=y&contentid=495

I'm sorry so many suffer from asthma and have heard of many successes with integrative complimentary healthcare.

I took it for 2 weeks, starting with 4 pills a day and tapering to 1/2 a pill a day. (The length was due to tapering off slowly).

The side effects were warned of but other than have a little bit more energy on day one, i had none. Felt fine.

The issue I had was eczema, inflamed, so they needed to put a stop to it or I'd claw my legs to bleeding from the itch.

Much more under control now.

I hope this helps you hope for no symptoms, some of us get lucky there.