Hi everyone
Just looking for a bit of advice- I’ve got my first ever lung function tests and skin prick tests on the 27th but I have no ideas what is going to happen during these... can someone let me know what they involve?
I’m so nervous that they’ll be normal (despite having multiple flare ups and confirmed high IgE levels) my consultant said that these results will feed into my case to get Xolair injections!
Thanks
Xx
Hi AP92,
The lung function tests are nothing to worry about.
The first one I had was the full pulmonary function tests. Basically, there is a big machine with a mouth piece that you blow into. The clinician operating it gives very clear instructions. I can’t remember all of the things he asked me to do. I also had to blow into a different machine, to get readings of my breath, and then back onto the big machine where I breathed some gas or other and let them know my diffusion rate.
(I’ve just read that through and it is about as clear as mud.)
The second time I had it done was at the respiratory clinic in the same hospital, just to monitor. That one was much simpler. Simply blow as hard as you can into a tube and keep going until your lungs feel empty.
The first tests gives all kinds of readings, but the latter just gives Fev1 and FVC. From this they can calculate your fev1/ fvc ratio.
For the reversibility testing, if you are having that, you simply take Ventolin and repeat the blow hard and keep going manoeuvre.
Maybe for your purposes the simple test will suffice.
The skin prick test is simply that. They prick your skin to introduce allergens they want to test. You wait a while to see which ones you react to.
For that one you need to stop antihistamine before hand.
I know this isn’t the clearest explanation in the world, but I hope it does something to set your mind at rest until someone more eloquent comes along.
Hi,
What Troilus said is pretty accurate - basically you blow into various machines and will be given instructions. They can be a little hard to do technique wise but you should be coached through it by the person doing it.
It's important to make sure you stop meds as needed before the tests, because it will affect them (including preventers) - have you been given any instructions on this? I find even specialist centres can be pretty rubbish about that so if they haven't given any (or just vague ones), ask for specifics or look up (your own hospital's or any others - a lot put them online. I found this one for lung function which you may need to copy and paste into a browser; it explains about the tests and what you need to stop beforehand and when:
5048-3LungFunction(Breathing)Tests.pdf
If that doesn't work try googling something like preparation for lung function tests UK - the one above is from West Suffolk and seems helpful.
If you think you'll struggle to stop things, let them know. They should record what you have taken when you get to the test, but in case they don't, tell them anyway!
I sometimes struggle to do the tests correctly when off meds which can give weird results, but I am better at it after meds as well as having better numbers.
If they seem reluctant to do reversibility (taking Ventolin after the first set of tests, then waiting 15 mins and doing it again) because your initial numbers seem ok, try to politely insist they do it anyway. They should have planned to do it anyway so it's not as if you're putting them out, and it can still reveal useful information even if the initial results seem ok/don't show obstruction.
I say this because I can get amazing reversibility (up to above my predicted level) even after not showing what they're looking for or what asthma 'should be like' in the initial set of tests. However sometimes they can be a little 'computer says no' because (I think) they get trained to follow a protocol so you have to push them past 'you don't need to'. Hopefully you won't need to but it's one of the things I wish I had known before so thought I would mention!
Hope this helps.
your lung function test is you take 3 short quick breaths and take a the readings then you do 3 long one until your lungs are nearly empty.
You might feel a bit light headed but that just normal but do let the know if you do go dizzy just incase you faint or blackout which I don't think has happened yet.
I’ve just been accepted for xolair and I think they mainly go by your symptoms your ige levels and your medication to make sure you are on the maximum dose and still haven’t symptoms they also like do a lung function to check your fev1 (how much air you blow out in a second) just to see how obstructed your airways are to get an idea of how severely constricted they are they work this out by a percentage of how much air they predict you can blow out anything under 70% shows a constriction enough for xolair mine was 57% so not great but they mainly go by symptoms and your peakflow to forgot about that as lung functions are not very accurate as they can be fine if your not having an asthma attack
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