Spiriva and asthma

i was prescribed spirva by a cardiologist about 3 years ago after finding out my asthma wasn't well controlled and was causing chest pain. He had also took me off asmacort and put me on flovent. He prescribed the spiriva because serevent dicreased my ability to swallow. My new pulm can't understand why i felt better with spirva. and I said, cuz it helps keep my airways open?  that was the first time i have heard that spiriva supposedly didn't help with asthma. i found it a life saver.  but he had made me doubt it, until i searched google and read different comments on it and plan to stay on it now.  He also said he didn't know how serevent would affect my ability to swallow. well in my mind, part of my airway is the same as part of my GI tract as far as swallowing is concerned... so it could have affected that.  maybe its just me.  Any comments on these meds?