Very basic question

[Wheezycat]

I am wondering how you decide your personal best with peakflow - within what time period. I am better in summer than winters, and my best pf is set to a level I achieved a couple of years ago in summer. In reviews this never, ever comes up (not normally something I remember either). So is it your best in one 12 month period? Or less? or more? I am asking as I am wondering if mine is set too high, which means I more easily am seen to go into a lower zone.

[Mandevilla]

If you haven't reached your previous best for two years then I think it's time for a new one! I think I was told 6 months by the nurse. And you need to hit it more than once over the space of a few days.

Although I guess it's better having it set too high than the other way round!

[Homely2 Administrator]

My hospital asthma nurse when asking this question, asks me when I last reached my peak flow and expects it to be in the last few months.

My peakflow is still slowly rising as they improve my drug regime, just gone up to 672. I get into serious trouble around the 290 mark, when my system stops reacting to my inhalers.

[Wheezycat in reply to Homely2]

While a few months theoretically makes sense, for me (and others) that may be misleading as my asthma is milder in summer than in winter. But helpful to know. Thank you to you and Mandevilla.

[Mandevilla in reply to Wheezycat]

Do you find the level at which you need intervention varies from winter to summer? My peak flow is usually better in summer than winter, but I find that the point at which I need help stays the same - it's just that in summer, I have more of a 'buffer' between my best peak flow and the danger zone than I do in winter. So if the level at which you experience difficulty remains the same, then you could just stick with your 'summer best' (but you should make sure it's a recent score, not one from a couple of years ago)

Maybe call the helpline and see what they advise?

[Wheezycat in reply to Mandevilla]

Yeah, I also stick with my summer best.

[Poshcards]

my peak flow has never gone above 300, generally it sits at 250, all of yours seem much higher!

[Wheezycat in reply to Poshcards]

My current personal best is indicated as 350, but it is some time since I last reached that. It is on the high side probably.

[Misscrisps in reply to Poshcards]

Mine is only 360.

[Wheezycat]

I am sorry, but as far as I understand we need to find our personal best, not a standardised graph. Some are far higher than it indicates, but still can have severe problems, some never reach the indicated measures. So my questions was purely about how frequently we should establish our personal best as a starting point.

[Mandevilla in reply to Wheezycat]

Definitely important to know your own personal best - it doesn't really matter how it compares to anyone else. Mine is much higher than the average for my age/height, which meant that whenever I went to A&E pre-diagnosis, asthma was always discounted as a reason for my breathing difficulties, because according to the charts, my peak flow was ok.

[Wheezycat in reply to Mandevilla]

I am sorry to hear. It is a story I have heard again and again on this forum.