Cannot Get Enough Oxygen.

[david small]

I’ve had a chesty cough for well over a year. It’s progressively gotten worse. About six months ago I managed to speak by phone to the practice nurse regarding the chest infection. She prescribed a nasal spray saying she thought it was leakage from my sinuses causing the issue. I knew from long experience that I had a chest infection. Two weeks later she acquiesced and gave a prescription for general purpose antibiotics, a five day course. The effects were noticeable but insufficient. She adamantly refused to give me another, stronger, longer course of antibiotics.
Now I have gotten considerably worse. I have a long and severe hacking cough but worse, now I cannot breathe deeply. It’s as though I cannot get enough oxygen into my lungs. I am yawning constantly but am unable to complete the yawn enough to satisfy my need for air.
It is very alarming not to be able to breathe deeply. Also I get out of breath very easily. The slight effort of walking upstairs and I’m breathless. My local practice won’t let me speak to a doctor, they are in hiding still. This breathing issue is progressing at an alarming rate and I fear that my lungs may be permanently damaged.Last night I sat on the edge of the bed trying to get a decent breath of air until four in the morning. I’m a none smoker, none drinker, but disabled due to a catastrophically bodged hip operation twenty years ago. I’m seventy this month. Helpful suggestions appreciated.

[roopower]

Ring 111 as a matter of urgency, or get someone to take you to A&E. I do hope you can get help soon.

[dannyk13]

I have COPD and get regular chest infections.I have a stand by pack of Doxycycline and Prednisolone tablets which always gets rid of any chest infection.As your surgery won't take you seriously I would contact the NHS 111 line and explain your condition to them.

[roopower]

I think it might be worth putting a complaint in at the Drs too.

[calmck]

Call 111. When you have been diagnosed and treated I would suggest a strongly worded letter to your GP with copies to BMC and your local MP. Best wishes for a spwwdy recovery and please keep us informed

[Khandro]

Where are you David, are you in the US? (as you use the word 'gotton') any advice would have to be based primarily on your location.

[Theland]

I agree with all the above.
I have COPD, I'm 70, and also have my emergency pack to hand.
I bought a SATS meter, and my readings drop to 80 after just walking a few yards, best I ever get sitting still is 90.
Get yourself one, but first go to A&E immediately.
Best wishes.f

[anneasquith]

I echo the advice already given . Dont linger and hope you will improve . Good luck.

[bednobs]

Hi. You need to ring your surgery and ask for an urgent appr. If that doesn't work, sadly you need to turn up in a and e

[dannyk13]

Bednobs//. My local practice won’t let me speak to a doctor,//
I doubt that he can get an urgent appointment.

[Sqad]

I assume that you have had both Covid jabs.
You are not an AB moaner.
I would ring 111.

[margarettom]

What a dreadful situation to be in. Having breathing problems myself you have all my sympathy. I would suggest ringing the surgery and asking to speak to the practice manager. This sometimes gets things moving and I would ask for another doctor. Or take all the previous advice about 111, A&E or Urgent Care Centre.

[bednobs]

Sometimes it's all about the words you use, the way you ask. It shouldn't be but it is. In my experience older people in general dont add "urgency" quote haswell as younger people do. My parents wouldn't expect to see anyone unless their leg fell off, younger people today have higher expectations from their healthcare (and therefore tend to get those expectations filled). If people are saying things are manageable it's easy for a hcp to take them at face value.

[LadyCG]

Your GP Surgery sounds dreadful.

A few weeks ago I rang 111 because I had a dreadful cough, couldn't breathe properly and had pain in my left shoulder and back. They sent an ambulance with a crew of 3 who turned up and gave my a nebuliser which made no difference and they wanted to take me to hospital for antibiotics. I told them I'd get antibiotics from my GP. They insisted they make contact with my GP on my behalf (I'd never had any contact with this GP Surgery before as we'd not been registered with them long). GP called me backband in short she wasn't happy and sent another ambulance fearing I had a blood clot. Turned out to be pneumonia which developed from a cough / cold my son brought home.

The upshot is if I hadn't gone to hospital it could have got so much worse. Please call 111 or just attend AEC. You really need a chest x-ray and possibly IV antibiotics. It's not worth dicing around with your health.

[dannyk13]

//. It's not worth dicing around with your health.//
Totally agree.

[douglas9401]

And it's certainly not worth playing the power game that some 'professionals' like to play.

Bypass your local 'expert' via the phone lines available and sort out the other issues once your health improves.

[Prudie]

Gotten is a very traditional English word normally changed to got, I use it all the time.

[AuntPollyGrey]

Gotten is not English English. People in the United States and Canada use gotten for the past participle of got in most cases. People in English-speaking countries outside of the United States and Canada usually use got.

[Khandro]

By questioning the use of the word I'm merely trying to establish where David is, it's useless giving advice based on the actions of the NHS if he's in a different country than the UK.

[Prudie]

^ that I agree it's just as I use gotten regularly I didn't associate it with the US. It may be more common there now and we use got but it is still originally a past participle of 'get' in English English.

[dannyk13]

Don't hear it much nowadays but,when I was a lad, gotten was quite common e.g " the weather has gotten worse" etc.