Spirometry completed!

[Ami40]

Hi All, I've had my spirometry! Received the good news that my issues are not smoking related COPD! So now have to work out of its Asthma or not and what's the next step, I thought the spirometry would have been able to tell me if it's Asthma or not too, but apparently not? What tests do they use for asthma please? If its not Asthma causing this breathlessness, then what could it be etc? Would lv to hear thoughts? I'm seeing a homeopathic nurse at the moment, but feel like these tablets are just making my breathing it bit worse, don't know if that's because it's helping in the long run but not sure?

[hypercat54]

Well that's good news anyway. Spirometry can be used to diagnose asthma but only if they do the reversibility test too. This would involve doing it with no inhalers, then doing it again after around 20 minutes when you have used the inhalers. If you have copd it won't affect the readings much but if you have asthma your lung function will then be near normal.

To just test for asthma they often use a peak and flow meter. Have they done one on you? If you blow below a certain level and the norm for your age group etc. then they could diagnose you with asthma. There is a bit more to it than that but those are the basics.

I had asthma for many years and the main symptoms were breathlessness especially on exertion, wheezing and coughing. And sometimes asthma attacks where your throat closes up for a few seconds or even as long as a minute, but it usually opens up again and after a short time your breathing is back to normal.

You can get some of the same symptoms with copd but not so much the wheezing, not generally as much coughing, and no asthma attacks. It can to be hard though to know coz symptoms overlap so much.

I hope this has helped a bit.

[Ami40 in reply to hypercat54]

Thank you hypercat, yes well this is rather annoying as the reversibility part of the test was not added first, then after I asked for specifically the consultant added it, however when I did the test... I was told you definitely don't need it, as the results which were received indicated it would make no difference? So it wasn't completed, I asked twice to make sure and was told no definitely don't need it? The consultant has ruled out smoking related COPD, and mentioned if I am getting a response from the inhalers then it may be asthma... but they don't sound too sure...

I have a peak flow meter which I've been doing and recording, the results are usually the same roughly (ranging from 450-575 on a good day) however, I have hit 600/650. The first one is usually the highest...

If I take ventolin it does improve slightly too, but I've not really needed it, as on the steroid inhaler clenil

Yes I have breathlessness on exertion and sometimes a slight wheeze, no cough or mucus etc. Tiredness has kicked in lately too

Please let me know your thoughts

Thanks

[hypercat54 in reply to Ami40]

You are welcome. I am getting a bit out of my depth here as my asthma is pretty mild and well controlled so can only add that if they can't find a cause for your problems they should be referring you for a CT scan. This should give more information.

I was going to suggest you ask the BLF but I see you already have. I hope you get more advice on there as there is very little they don't know about lung disease between them all.

BLF do have a tel no where you can call a BLF nurse. The number is on the site if you search for it. They work office hours Monday to Friday and they are very helpful.

[Itswonderful]

That’s good news then! I was just wondering why, if you feel the homeopathy may be making matters worse, you are continuing with it? I also wondered if your medical team are aware? Is homeopathy where the trigger is diluted over and over again until it is a thousand(s) of a fraction of its original form, or is that something else? I hope you get to the bottom of things soon. Best wishes.

[risabel59]

Hi Ami, Good news about your spirometry. As research progresses, it has become clear that there are many different types of asthma, that respond to different medication regimes.Breathlessness can be caused by all sorts of different things, including heart problems.

Nowadays a first line test for Asthma would be a FeNo test, which is dead easy to take. It finds out if you have inflammation in your lungs and can also be used to see if steroids are effective for you. As Hypercat says, a basic reversibility test is also a first line GP test to see if you have asthma. After that CT scans are very useful to check for Bronchiecstasis and airway remodelling. You may also be offered a Metacholine challenge test, which is a more advanced reversibility test. It is not very pleasant, but is considered a gold standard for diagnosing asthma as a reversible condition. I have been in a couple of drug trials and I have always had to have the Metacholine test to make sure I had asthma, as a requirement for entry to the trial.

Asthma is a tricky beast, different people react in very different ways, what works for one person doesn't for another. Hopefully now you have completed the spirometry your doctor will look at other tests, also Including Allergy tests and blood tests to check for different types of asthma.

Hope this is a bit helpful

R x