hello out there 😊 just interested to know what other asthmatics out there normal average peak flow is , mine used to be 380/ 400 and I was well controlled 👍👍 after the asthma nurse changed my morning and night dose to a spray that is in the bin mines dropped to 300 ish and I can’t get it back up …..I’m back using fluitorm and occasional ventolin , any ideas ?
Ps I’m 70 , active , a bit overweight, can’t walk up a hill to save my life but fine on the flat …sounds like a dating site 😂😂😂😂
I would certainly speak to your asthma nurse if this had only happened after changing your medication. How long have you been on new medication? There are lots of factors that can influence peak flow and are individual to each asthmatic but it would be worth checking after your previous flow had been well-maintained.
That said, there are many helpful people on here who can advise!
Good luck
To be honest the new inhaler gave me the worst coughing fit I’ve ever had , made my sinuses burn, made my mouth unbelievably sore etc so I went back to my previous inhaler that I was fine on but four weeks later I’m still trying exercise etc to get back to where I was 😊.
After a nasty asthma attack it can take a month or so for me to get my peak flow back up.
I do this by a very slow increase in exercise levels.
Have you tried do breathing exercises as well.
I would also worry that something might be trigerring your asthma a little. For me at this time of year, this would be dust.
Hi my best is 380
This is always such a dodgy time to switch inhalers, I cannot understand why they do it if everything is already under control. It does take time for the new one to take effect, check the leaflet for time scale. If its already 4 or five weeks I'd see nurse or gp. If it's been some time perhaps its something else triggering your drop in PF (mines usually around 350, less if something's going on. I use Fostair100/6 mdi MART so rarely need ventolin/ Salamol).
At this time of year I can't be blasé with my asthma not only does the damp/mould affect me changes in air temperature is a pain & cold air is a killer. I keep my mouth firmly closed when I go out so air warms a little via nose before it hits my lungs. When it's really cold I pull up my Buff to cover both nose & mouth. I've several Buffs, preferably fine wool & get a child size (small head)!
I know we're all different though
Know the feeling about the cold air , I was one of the few that liked wearing the masks 👍👍
It's a very individual thing. Mine's about 200, but I manage on it!
It’s crazy init , I was happy with mine and then the nurse was well we need to improve this and bless her she messed me up but I’m sure it will sort out 👍
As others have said, peak flow is individual so you need to compare it to your own values, not someone else's. One person might be really well at 300, another might be struggling a bit, and a third might be in hospital. If yours has dropped relative to what it used to be when you were controlled though, it may suggest your control isn't as good as it was. It can decline with age but that's gradual - dropping 100 soon after your inhaler was changed sounds more like it's an asthma control issue.
There are predicted values you can calculate based on your age, sex and height but you should always use your recent best if you know it, not predicted - those are literally just average values and some people will always be lower or higher naturally. Your own best also might be higher or lower, related to things like whether you've ever smoked or had lung surgery, or even if you were really sporty or played a woodwind or brass instrument at school (former oboist and regular choir singer here and my best peak flow is nearly 200 more than my predicted. And I have severe asthma).
This post is quite long but may be useful: healthunlocked.com/asthmauk...
Thanks for the reply 👍 yeah I know everyone is different I just wondered what others were up to , I’ve always been fine between 320 to 380 it was the nurse that freaked out and changed my inhalers which messed me up , she thought she was helping 😊
Seems like she needs the post I linked to - she seems to think asthma control is about pursuing a wonderful peak flow. I'd confuse her massively I think. Mine is 630 and it's like my lungs are a big flashy car with a rubbish engine - yes it's really big and looks good on paper, but doesn't work very well. 😅
I hope you can get back the control you had!
Comparing others’ peak flows is not very helpful because, as others have said, there are too many variables. The most important one for you is to determine why yours dropped suddenly and to get that rectified if possible. Sounds like the new inhaler might well have been to blame, but it might take some weeks/months for the old one to produce a recovery.
In the meantime, I’ve attached a peak flow chart which seems to show that your PF isn’t bad at all; in fact, if it’s any consolation, my peak flow is the same as yours, and I’m a man!
lol according to this, I'm a man too! (I'm actually a 5'8" woman in my late 30s).
I once had an aggressive triage nurse insist that my best peak flow COULD NOT be what I told him it was because I wasn't a man. 😂🤦
Fancy a lung swap!?
Oh you're more than welcome to these lungs if you want them! The peak flow number doesn't actually help much, they're pretty badly behaved and it just means I get ignored more when I'm struggling. I can be sitting in resus with a severe attack and my peak flow is still 400, so I don't have much faith in the numbers for me.
Hi, mine has never gone above 300, it usually sits at 250 now x
I'd talk to the nurse that changed Yr meds to maker her aware of the impact x
Good morning Hazel 1010. I was put on Trelegy inhaler 18 months ago and my peak flow has improved from 330 to 400. So I am happy with my inhaler at present. Tried me on Trimbow but my morning coughing became a full time cough after 2 weeks of trying it. So went back to my Trelegy. I can't get up steep hills either and there's no way I can run after you 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣Brian
Mine is normally 550. 570 on a really good day. Which has caused endless problems, because according to the charts, I should be around 420.
As PPs have said, the important thing is to know your own 'normal' so you can spot when something goes wrong with it - which in your case, seems to be linked to the nurse messing with your medication.
I take my peak flow at least once a week - more if I remember. I've had problems before with medics telling me my peak flow is 'a bit low but not too bad' because they are going off the charts. My thinking is that if I can tell them I've hit 550 every week for the past 6 months, they might listen and ignore the charts!
Peak flow is a crazy thing 🤷🏻♀️ my daughter has COPD her average p/ flow is 450 and she’s huffing and puffing like a steam train mines around 300 and apart from hills I’m fine , I was fine until the asthma nurse went into overdrive 😂😂
HiLike most people have said peak flow is a pretty individual thing. Your asthma plan should have your best peak flow and what to do with it drops ie emergency pack or emergency treatment..
At first when I read what other peoples peak flow was it really confused me, however it is only mine I focus on now.
Our bodies/lungs are funny old thing it just trying to figure them out.
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