Breathing test

[Jobarton]

Hi, I have just been for my breathing test. I was told i didn't need a reversibility test as I had 'performed' well enough in the first half of the test. Does that mean i don't have asthma? I don't get my results until February. There is so much waiting 😔

[renetteoy]

Was this a spirometry in a nurses office? When i did it got my results the same day, so not sure why you have to wait so long. This happened to me, i did the test and the nurse said i didn't need the reversibility part because the results are normal. But yet im still having the 'typical' symptoms of asthma, or some sort of respiritory problem and its taking for ever to figure out if it is or not. But i also came on here to ask for help and basically the main thing is to not give up! Until you have a diagnosis of what could be the problem.

[Jobarton in reply to renetteoy]

This was at the hospital and in more depth than i had at the gp's with the nurse.

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador]

This approach drives me nuts. I really wish they would just do the whole test regardless of how you do in the first part. The values they use to compare your results to are average ones for your age, sex and height - many things can influence your own personal readings such as being very sporty or spending a lot of time playing a wind/brass instrument or singing. Even just natural variation between people. I used to have spirometry which was well above my predicted, up to 120%. Normal is considered 80% predicted or above - if you got that for me and stopped, you would never know I was actually performing below my best. Reversibility to bronchodilators like Ventolin actually shows whether there is still some obstruction which the Ventolin is addressing.

Even if you do have a normal spirometry reading and don't reverse much, it doesn't mean you don't have asthma. Asthma is variable and reversible airway obstruction and if you are OK when you do the test, you may well get normal results. I can't prove this but I have a suspicion that the spirometry test is often approached as though it's like COPD, where the obstruction is fixed so you wouldn't get a normal result at any point (though even then someone might still have obstruction if they actually used to have a much higher result - you just wouldn't know if they hadn't been tested while healthy.)

Seems a really long time to wait for your results I have to say. But maybe that's when your next appointment is? The hospital ones are more in depth but having done quite a few I don't think they are always done better. It depends who is doing them and how they're told to do them.

I hope this is helpful to you both jobarton and renetteoy - I have always found this really frustrating and I hope you both get answers soon and not just based on the tests.

[Jobarton in reply to Lysistrata]

The test was done at the hospital. My next appointment with the consultant is February as he wanted me to be on reflux tablets for 4 months before seeing me that's why it is so long. So far no change on the reflux tablet and still no further forward on a diagnosis. Thanks for your reply.

[Suzie1234 in reply to Lysistrata]

Hello my husband had a breathing test a few weeks ago and hospital said have to wait about 3 weeks for results still nothing

Even the doctor called him and said have you had your breathing test done yet he said yes a few weeks ago and even the doctors receptionist said it should take that long to come through so they were following it up x but still haven’t heard anything

[Jobarton in reply to Suzie1234]

I had my results by letter the other day and it says my results are normal. So I assuming I don't have asthma but no further forward on why I am always coug!

[Jobarton in reply to Jobarton]

Coughing even

[susannaylor in reply to Jobarton]

That'swhat you went for the coughing like my husband and just because the results come through clear they don't seem to look any further x have to keep onto them as they say on tv if you have a cough longer than 3 weeks you must get it checked out x

Good luck

[alfieno1]

well we have all joined the waiting game .last march due to breathlessness i started having test on my heart ,this was after 4 doctors appointments had my last test in September, l have been told so far one chamber has enlarged and three arteries are moderately blocked ,but still heard nothing,again today my chest is uncomfortable,do i bother going to the doctors or not,its hard to describe how it feels ,i am only 65 years old and a dog walker,i dont drink or smoke and have a good diet dont know what else i can do but WAIT

[alfieno1 in reply to alfieno1]

heart of the matterell we have all joined the waiting game .last march due to breathlessness i started having test on my heart ,this was after 4 doctors appointments had my last test in September, l have been told so far one chamber has enlarged and three arteries are moderately blocked ,but still heard nothing,again today my chest is uncomfortable,do i bother going to the doctors or not,its hard to describe how it feels ,i am only 65 years old and a dog walker,i dont drink or smoke and have a good diet dont know what else i can do but WAIT

Reply

[susannaylor in reply to alfieno1]

If you don't feel right don't wait to back to doctors x but I know what you mean x take care x

[Kjm83]

I had my spirometry in August and waited 2 months for results and that was me keep phoning for them. I had supra normal result so high % and not enough reversibility with ventolin neb but they still think I have asthma as have coughed all day since sept 2016 with chest brain and sob at times. Was also admitted to hospital in January. Now waiting on methacholine challenge to confirm diagnosis. Was told 1-2 weeks for a cancellation app but that was 8 weeks ago already and not heard yet. They are so behind in Scotland that my consultant is from England and only comes up to put on xtra clinics at weekends

[Suzie1234]

Yes I had reflux tablets as well but they made me feel worse than I was

[Suzie1234]

My husband got appointment to see doctor about his coughing and doctor gave him linctus said that will stop the coughing . We'e see