Asthma Help Please...

Guys, respectfully it is completely inappropriate to go the the ER for an inhaler because your forgot it. The ER is not there for this reason. There are other ways to get another inhaler without missusing life saving resources. I have patients call me all the time and I call in refills. EVERY doctor has an emergency answering service that will either put you directly through or allow you to leave a message on the emergency voice mail. If you don't know how to find your doctor after hours, you should call today and get this information so it is handy next time you need it. If by some crazy coincidence you can't get through, which I would doubt, You can go to an urgent care clinic. If your doctor is off for the night, he/she will have someone covering for them. Even dermatologists and plastic surgeons have 24h coverage. The average wait in los angeles for a non-emergency ED visit like med refills and cold symptoms is 6-8 hours. It's a waste of your time, it's a waste of the ED physicians time, and it's not fair to the patients who truly need emergency care. There is a lot of good advice here, but I just can't condone this being passed along as a good idea because of my personal bias

Ottoluv,

I might have misunderstood the post, but I was under the impression the admonition was that if you didn't have your rescue inhaler and you were having an attack you should go to the ER. I think that is a fair assessment. If you are fortunate enough to have an urgent care clinic nearby, by all means use them - they triage, but otherwise I would second the sentiment not to mess with asthma.

Like I said; I might have missunderstood the post, but that was the impression I got.

Paula

I believe what she was saying was to just go because you don't have an inhaler. Not if you were having an attack and didn't have an inhaler. In my situation, Kale was not having an attack. We just did not have an inhaler for the night. I just wanted to be prepared incase he had one. We have never been turned away at the emerg during an attack. Most times we are rushed in since it is most definately an emergancy. But i don't think not having a rescue inhaler is necessarily an emergancy, until you actually have an attack.

I just read it again and it says just go for an inhaler. An acute asthma attack warrants a 911 call IMO or at very least rushing to the ED. Just wanted to make it clear that the ED is not to be used as a pharmacy.

Ottoluv, I don't see who wrote to go to the ER for an inhaler.

Huskymom wrote that her son's asthma was out of control. That sounds serious to me, like he's constantly laboring to breathe. That's not right and should be addressed ASAP.

I too have asthma, but normally not that severe, and wouldn't go to the ER just because I didn't have an inhaler, Ottoluv, although it may be a potential life threatening situation for some. 
I don't like to see people using the ER for things that aren't necessary either. I couldn't see where anyone mentioned it above though.  As far as being able to get a a script called in after hours....well you couldn't do that around here. First place, you can't get a hold of the Doctors and second place, there isn't a pharmacy open. You can call and you will get a message, but it just tells you the hours of the clinic and then tells you to call 911 if this is a life threatening situation. And we don't have Urgent Care Clinics. Don't forget, not every state, or every province, or even every city is the same.

Candace, I hope your boy is all right.  A little late, but if such a situation happens again, I would go to the ER.  My daughter has asthma and if she didn't have Albuterol (immediate) inhaler and she needed it, I would be very afraid.   Allergy season is definitely affecting her, also. 

Here is the post, #11 which was directed to candice the OP who's son was NOT having an acute attack.

Jean, by out of control, I mean that Kale has to use his inhaler more than once a day. When his asthma is controlled, he takes it once in the morning preceding his FloVent as per Dr's instructions. He doens't have laboured breathing all day or anything. However when it is out of control he will often wake up at night apparently because he's horizontal. That's apparently common according to my Doctor.

There have been a few times when his breathing is laboured for long periods of time, and then we go to the ER. Those times have usually proven to be the beginning of pneumonia or bronchitus. (sp?) We don't fool around and we work very hard to keep things under control. Last night was an isolated event, and not one I plan on going through again.

P.S. He hasn'thad to use his puffer once today! Things are looking good.

All asthma sufferers have you looked into pycnogenol? It has efficacy as an adjunt to an asthma regimen.  I have a few pdf files of articles if you would be interested. Just pm me and I'll send them.

Paula

Is it suitable for Children? My asthma is completely controlled, but I'm always looking into things to help Kale. Although we have been doing well for most of the year.

I think the big thing here is the dogs blowing coats and the backyard forfeiting grass in favour of dirt(dust). I'm back to running my vaccum 3x a day.

Yes, one of the articles was a study using pycnogenol with children with asthma. PM me and I'll attach the pdfs if you'd like.

Paula

Singulair is used to treat asthma.  And it is supposed to help prevent another attack for 1-3 hours better than inhalers.
 
 

I just want to say; realize that singulair will not stop an attack. Rescue inhalers will stop an attack. I just wanted to say this just in case any lurkers or otherwise decide that singulair works in that way. It does not. Singulair is used as part of a prevention protocol.

Paula

Singulair is also emerging as a preventative for exercise induced asthma and as smilee1079 noted for prevention of a second attack. It's also good for allergic rhinitis.

Here is the most recent study in regards to using it before excercise challenge. It's a really interesting medication with evergrowing indications for use.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=17454341&query_hl=6&itool=pubmed_docsum

It will not stop an attack. If you have an asthma attack do not rely on singulair to stop the attack. Use your rescue inhaler.

Paula