Piko issues

So my new Piko arrived today. It's even smaller than I thought which is great.

Problem is, I can't get the damn thing to work properly!

1) I can't seem to set the FEV1 zone. Managed the PF but every time I do what the manual says all I can do is reset the max PF, not the FEV1, and it has some odd ideas about what my best is.

2) More importantly, I can't get consistent readings! I can't even work out whether it's consistent with the manual meter as the readings are all over the place - one moment I have giant horse lungs and the next I'm apparently having an asthma attack and ought to be on the floor, and I can't even work out whether the 'horse lungs' one might be close to correct (my readings may tend to be high but I really doubt that even I can do 800 PF and over 4 FEV1 with no reliever and a tight chest, esp judging by my last sets of 'official' FEV1 results).

This may well be due to my crappy technique (remembering the havoc I caused last time I did spirometry at the hospital, but even they were at least vaguely in line with what I could be expected to do at that point). But just wondering if it is all me or if anyone else has had this, and if so what you did.

3)Also, I can't work out if I'm doing something different but this evening it kept beeping at me to tell me my technique was wrong, but it was fine this morning...not sure what's changed!

Would it be worth asking the asthma nurse at my surgery to give me a lesson on how to use this thing? I don't want to waste her time but I do want to get to grips with this - don't know if she'd really be familiar with it though.

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Sorry to bump, but I'm having major issues with this thing - I actually can't do a 'proper' blow no matter what I do now. Would be good to know if it's me being rubbish (entirely possible) or if the device could be faulty - any experience/advice would be great!

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Sorry, I have not used one of these before but did wonder if there was a reset button you could press and start again. It might also be worth asking your asthma nurse as they may have one or set one up previously. Is there a phone number for the company who made Piko meter to ask about it?

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I have had a piko 1 for over a year now. The technique for blowing is slightly different in that you need to keep blowing slightly longer than with the mini wright. I have found that when the batteries are getting a bit low that I have had some spurious readings - an FEV1 of 5.3! on one occasion - and that the readings are pretty much as you describe. Most of the time it works very well and the readings are fairly comparable with my nhs mini wright. I do find that mine reads a bit high especially at the top end so I have adjusted my peak flow chart and noted on the bottom which peak flow meter I use. It might also be that you have a faulty one! Best wishes.

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Thanks guys! I thought I was getting somewhere but still no joy. I may have to pester the asthma nurse who will probably be truly horrified at my technique. I hope she doesn't mind me randomly ringing her and asking for a peak flow lesson but hey, I never see her usually as my lungs are too weird for her so I may as well remind her I'm there lol.

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Could you ask one of the spirometery lab technitions when you have the next appointment with them? They would be sure to know the answer...