Not a doctor, but what Mama_Zappa wrote above is my understanding of asthma maintenance. I haven’t had an asthma attack since early childhood, only get short of breath during heavy exercise, and don’t have to use budesonide any more, but I hear about my asthma treatment plan each year at my annual checkup. The doctor will say, “if you find yourself using a rescue inhaler more than once or twice a week, you’d better call and we can put you back on the maintenance inhaler. Otherwise you’ll find yourself puffing more and more and then you catch a little cold, a little sniffle, and before you know it you’re on the floor sucking for air, and they’ll have to send you to the hospital”. Then he writes a little blurb next to “asthma” on the treatment plan that he gives me on the way out.
I’m still surprised the facilities you’ve been in haven’t provided you with any asthma meds – at least, unless they’ve tried to and you’ve refused them? Situation still isn’t very clear to me – but, if they haven’t, insist on talking to a doctor about it. You definitely have the right to do that. If you get a brush off, demand to talk to a different doctor – you’ve got the right to do that, too.
I don’t understand what you mean. If they’re providing you with asthma meds, and you’re taking them, why did you start off this thread asking why you’re not being treated with any asthma meds?
And what do you mean about not separating them? Do you mean that they’re giving you a batch of stuff and not telling you what any of it is?
If you’ve got a list of meds, you can take it to your doctor and ask which ones are for asthma and what the instructions are. If the doc is busy right then you may be able to have the staff make a copy and call you back. Your pharmacist should also be able to help you out if you have the labels still, or if there are any refills left. Since asthma meds are usually inhaled rather than pills you might be able to read the label yourself.
I’m not sure what the process is in an assisted living or similar LTC facility, if you live in one. But there should be someone who can tell you which meds are for what ailment and when to take them.
Dropzone, it’s always possible that they took you off your asthma meds so they could see what your lung function was “really” like, but they should at least have gotten your permission first.
(It’s not uncommon for something similar to be done with people who have inpatient psychiatric admissions.)
OK. You’re definitely entitled to know what you’re taking.
You say you’ve got a list – is the problem that you didn’t have the list before, or is the problem that you don’t know what the items on the list are supposed to treat, and/or what their ingredients are?
Ask to review the list with your doctor and/or with a pharmacist; get an explanation for each. Also, apparently you’ve got internet access? You can look the medications up online – make sure you’re checking with a reliable site.
Sometimes people accidentally get prescribed things that don’t mix well together and that can lead to confusion – be sure to ask about possible interactions.
I’m happy to try to answer questions, but it’s a big topic. I care for a lot of patients with asthma and copd, and also a lot that have both conditions. Anybody got specific questions on the topic?
I have a question.
Do people in institutional settings (dropzone is in nursing home/rehab type place) know what their meds are and exactly what the treatment plan would be?
This falls into opinion / nonpersonal venting but in my experience, I suspect that the staff won’t be terribly forthcoming… and may not adhere to the plan anyway.
Example 1: Mother-in-law was in rehab after hip surgery. She was not getting the services she was supposed to. SIL read them the riot act. BIL, the following week, found that things had not improved. Threats were made. I’m not convinced he was joking.
Example 2: I was supposed to be on continuous pulse ox monitoring after surgery - the sole reason I stayed in the hospital. Staff did not do it - DESPITE MY REMINDING THEM. I later reviewed my file and yep, the doc HAD ordered it.
Example 3: I have never, EVER had them get my maintenance medications correct when hospitalized. In some cases the changes may have been warranted. In others… definitely not (e.g. don’t simply SKIP the patient’s BP medication; a friend had something similar happen).
You have to either be able to be your own advocate, or have a family member ride herd on the staff. That’s the sad reality of any care situation.
They certainly should know, and they do have the right to know. However, de facto there’s a lot that doesn’t go as it should in such institutional settings.
I agree about being/needing an advocate.
I stutter bad and often have stress induced inability to speak. If it weren’t for my advocates I’d be in big trouble.
