Super PF

[yaf_user681_3150]

I don't understand how at age nearly 75 I can have Peak Flows between 500 & 620 (620 tonight) before taking my Seretide.

If I blew a 400 ish I would have thought that was reasonable. It makes me wonder how can I be asthmatic, yet I am !

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Well according to my peak flows I am actually a 6 ft 3 man rather than a 5ft8 woman! Yet the last three days without half my preventer medication have let me know that I am definitely asthmatic...

Have you played a lot of sport? Done a lot of singing? Played in a brass band? Are you tall?

[yaf_user681_3150]

Hi Philomena.

Me, a sportsman, never! Chess was about as much as I exerted myself with. No, I was born to be idle and rich and so far I've only had half of the deal, and I'm not rich!

Actually, sports bore me to pieces, I am not a competitive person at all. I am 5 feet 8 and a bit, 13 stone (sorry about old fashioned details, not too conversant with this modern centipede numbering).

It might be down to have never been a smoker and no alcohol. Anyway, I'm glad to have such good puff, but it doesn't seem to make much sense in an asthma situation.

I am being referred for a chest xray, perhaps this will tell us something.

[yaf_user681_3150]

Hi Philomena.

Me, a sportsman, never! Chess was about as much as I exerted myself with. No, I was born to be idle and rich and so far I've only had half of the deal, and I'm not rich! I was in a church choir as a boy and more recently in our village church choir for a year or two.

Actually, sports bore me to pieces, I am not a competitive person at all. I am 5 feet 8 and a bit, 13 stone (sorry about old fashioned details, not too conversant with this modern centipede numbering).

It might be down to have never been a smoker and no alcohol. Anyway, I'm glad to have such good puff, but it doesn't seem to make much sense in an asthma situation.

I am being referred for a chest xray, perhaps this will tell us something.

[yaf_user681_4328]

Hi not relay sure on PF according to mine,

I am a 5ft 2 12-14 year old,

rather than 28 and female

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Philomena, always knew I should have had longer legs too as am 5'6"" but short length trousers ;). My best is 500. Consultant said not possible to have better than 100% of erm predicted! I am not into sports either but cycle to work (short distance) & was in a choir too at school.

Bry, see here for peak flow charts & calculator from the manufacturers, peakflow.com/top_nav/normal...

[yaf_user681_3150]

Thanks, TJ. Here's one I like: peakflow.com/top_nav/normal...

[yaf_user681_3150]

Thanks TJ. That link didn't work, but this one does to the same site I think: peakflow.com/top_nav/normal...

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TJ, your consultant doesn't understand basic stats!!!! Predicted is based on an average for height/age, so you would expect some people to be above and some below that. If you can't be above predicted, it's not a predicted score at all but a maximum (which I'm not sure you could calculate as there will always be outliers).

This is a good example of why, especially if you do use PF as an indicator of your asthma being good or not, to know your best PF. Every drop should be based on that and your action plan should be based on that, because we're all individuals. It's one of the really hard things to get through to A&E docs sometimes and why I'm so glad I have it now clearly written in my notes that accommpany me to Costa.

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Thanks Ratty, have replied to you on another post too. I know that but he doesn't seem to! I really hope I don't go down again this winter after having ENT op & now reflux meds helping as I have so far escaped A&E etc. He has basically said tests (done when ok?!) are normal & unlikely to be asthma despite symptoms & peak flow dips. Straight out the door & off to difficult asthma clinic for me if physio for 'breathing control loss' aka hyperventilation doesn't help either.

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Thanks for link Apparently I'm five foot tall, female and 80 years old. Gee whilikins. Its a wonder I'm still standing. In actual fact I'm five foot eight and 59 years old. At least the female bit was right. Also my asthma is generally quite mild. No A&E visits. Must be more to this PF thing.

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Ha ha ha at my best PF I'm a strapping 18 year old 6' Male!!! Maybe there is a reason the A&E docs sometimes question my best PF after all!

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Bry, one of the foibles of this forum is that it inserts a space in most links that you need to delete when copy & pasting

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im suprised im even alive, according to that website, for me im not even on the chart currently eeekkk 8I

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super pf

was amazed at your peak flow i cant get more than 340

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I acheived 520 on Monday with the GP, but it made me have a coughing fit! He's always perplexed that I have good readings when not well - I had a streaming cold at the time but have had flu and pneumoccal jabs recently and its clearing up now. It made me laugh when the surgery phoned to say the doc wanted to do my asthma review urgently having been on Seretide for a few months and just had a repeat prescription, and then said he couldn't see me until 5th December. After reminding them that THEY phoned me for the appointment I got in the same day! Ha ha. He admits that PF readings can be normal even when other symptoms are bad, eg chest infection, flu etc. So they aren't really to be relied on that much I think. Its got to be based on how you feel.

Karen

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I'm a newby asthmatic as of this year, and found my best to be just short of 400, (predicted 460 odd) but whenever ive been ill and have seen and blown the GP a peak flow - its been 350+ !!!... (i'd eventually put it to the overdoses of salbutamol i've taken just to get myself to see the GP)

no one ever seems to see or believe my middle of the night asthma problems, with peak flows to around 250 and overdoses of salbutamol..(but me not struggling bad enough to warrent the green men with blue flashy lights)

its incredibly frustrating!

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My PB was 650, I'm 5 foot 6 and age 30.

Typically my PF is 550 - I've only got to 650 on one day.

When I was religiously using my beclometasone & ventolin my PF was going from 450 in the morning to 550 in the evening. I stopped using the beclometasone to see what happened and my morning & evening PFs levelled out to 550-ish consistently!

I've got a stinking cold at the mo and I'm down to 400 in the morning, and about 500 once I've used some ventolin.