Conflicting medical advice

There's more than one kind of Sudafed on the shelves. I have found one that contains the same decongestant ingredient as Lemsip, without the paracetamol: phenylephrine hydrochloride. This is also available as Tesco's own brand 'blocked nose capsules' and our local pharmacy has its own version too. It's a fairly mild decongestant but this suits me as more potent ones tend to raise my heartbeat. I wouldn't contemplate using any tablet containing ibuprofen as NSAIDs have caused me enough problems already.

DJ, she's an ex-NHS employee, apart from leaving me with virtually none of the complaint that's admissible, she was also trying to defend the complaints system. When I pointed out that the Ombudsman rejects 98% of complaints without even investigating, and only upholds half the remainder, she tried to tell me that that's because the system is so good that all the valid complaints have already been resolved.

That doesn't fit very well with the Patients Assoc. report, (summary here) which uses language like “not fit for purpose, distressing, unhelpful, poorly handled, and stressful”. They found that nearly half of patients are dissatisfied, with dishonesty the issue mentioned most.

Kate, I mentioned the BBC, at which point she threatened me with having my private life smeared through the media.

Not yet Crun, been out most of the day but I'll chase it up tomorrow. I once complained to our local trust regarding issues I'd had whilst receiving treatment for a broken shoulder. They tried to give me the runaround but I got my own back when I sent pics to local paper of 4ft high overhead signage outside A&E which contained the grocer's apostrophe. I got answers very quickly. There's always more than one way.......!

That happened with my husband, crun. It was when the independent advocate said she would ask the surgeon we were complaining about when she saw him on the golf course that afternoon that we decided to go to see a lawyer.
That was when we got to see the file and go through it, and found out my husband was right.

Kate, that's ok, I'd probably have seen it like that too if it wasn't for the circumstances in which it had been said. He was sniping at me just after they'd been backed into a corner and forced to stop lying about my heart.

It remains to be seen what happens with the complaint, but I suspect it's going to get thrown out. I saw the 'independent' advocate last Friday, and she was picking it apart: 'can't say this, can't complain about that'.

Did you find your asthma meds on the Medscape page?

Crun, posted this on wrong thread. I didn't mean to belittle any issues you had/have, I took your post in a different way than you intended, I'm sorry for that. This is where print lets us down, sometimes we need to hear the tone of voice as well. I hope you reached a satisfactory conclusion with your complaint.

The NHS advice does state that Sudafed contains ibuprofen bags so possibly that's the source of the conflicting advice - that one of the doctors meant that formulation, and the other was referring to the formulation you use.

It's good to be aware that there may be problems if you are asthmatic but I think it's worth bearing in mind that the risk is low, and act accordingly.

Three different GPs diagnosed me as asthmatic. I'm not though I have had a couple of asthmatic episodes. I take aspiriin quite often. One of the GPs and a practice nurse told me that only a minority of asthmatics are badly affected by ibuprofen or aspirin. I think the nurse quoted 94% are not badly affected.

Active ingredient is pseudoephedrine hydrochloride. You have to ask for it in a pharmacy. Stuff you can buy in supermarkets is not the same and not as effective.

Sorry, ibuprofen.

The Sudafed I take does not contain paracetamol.

Tegans advice is spot on. The doctors need to know if patients are receiving conflicting advice.
Sudafed contains ibuprofen which is not recommended for people with asthma.
www.nhs.uk/medicine-guides/pages/MedicineOverview.aspx?medicine=Sudafed+Sinus+Pressure+And+Pain+Tablets
I suspect the doctors had different opinions as to the severity of your asthma, and how likely it would be that taking something with ibuprofen in it would make it worse.

Katek I frequently have sinus congestion, and decongestants certainly help in the short term. However, long term use of them is counter-productive. Certainly it is advised on the notes included with the medicine (altho' things may be different here in France).
My doc. prescribed a course of nasal wash-out. An rather yukky procedure, but not in itself unpleasant. It certainly worked in my case, and if I have sinus problems again, I would go that route first.
Hope you get it sorted and are feeling better soon.

"Lol Crun!"

It doesn't feel quite so funny when you have doctors denying that you have ever been taken to A&E, or diagnosed with a heart arrhythmia, or ever had an abnormal ECG. The stress of sitting at the computer for hours trying to draft a complaint isn't very funny either.

There's no wonder that dishonesty is the biggest issue cited in the Patients Association review of the complaint system.

My OH suffers from very painful ears when we fly - although he is asthmatic the doctor told him to take Sudafed - but a particular one the day before and while flying and there should be no adverse effect. So far that strategy has worked with no problems with Asthma or painful ears.

Katek, I've had a bad chest infection for 3 weeks, on 3rd lot on antibiotics and only just feeling I don't need to be in bed most of the time. I've had to come off all the stuff I take for RA because they lower the immune system. One of the side effects of one of them is to cause catarrh and sinus problems and I've been very bunged up. The thing that's helped most has been inhaling steam a few times a day - worth a try.

If I were you I'd take some decongestant and see how it affected me. If it made me feel better I'd carry on taking it within proscribed guidelines until I didn't need ot any more. If it made me feel worse, I'd stop.

Lol Crun! Not an engineer but married to one plus I'm a very logical thinker....maybe that's what's wrong! (The logic, not the husband!)

You're not an engineer are you, Katek? One of the doctors at the hospital told me that engineers are all neurotics who can't cope with conflicting information.

Is this any help?

DH has mild asthma and Benelyn makes him wheezy; he avoids it and similar products now.

Sudafed can be a problem for asthmatics but tbh you won't know unless you try it. Both DDs have asthma and both also take sudafed when required with no adverse side affects.

You can google to see whether the drugs are compatible - that's what I would do.

You should tell the doctor which doctor told you not to take it because they need to resolve it. The older doctor might be wrong anyway; either way the computer should tell both of them.