I've seen lots of examples of 'peak flow diaries' or charts etc on line, and I've started one of my own, in an Excel spreadsheet. One thing I noticed was that all the example ones that use a morning and evening reading each day have a lower AM reading and a higher PM reading. Mine are very noticeably the other way around. I try to be consistent and take the measurement the same way, and after my morning and evening inhalers. My personal best readings have all been morning ones, and my lowest ones are all, without exception, evening ones.
Am I unusual?
My 'normal' reading for my age, height, and sex, is 530, and my personal lowest is 200 and best is 450 so far (I have been taking readings since mid-July, when I first started using Spiriva Respimat; I'd been using Fostair for 6 years already). Diagnosed with asthma 2018, and COPD by a chest scan 2023. Readings have been steadily increasing. Gave up smoking one year ago.
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Sansovino1926
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Quick question. Are you more congested, or have more gunk in your throat, in the morning than in the evening? If you do it could throw off your readings. This used to happen to me.
I usually take my peak flow before I take my inhalers, then sometimes after taking my inhalers to see if there is very much difference. xx
Hi Collienut, thanks for replying! I wouldn't say so, not these days. When I smoked, I usually had something to cough up in the morning, but in the 12 months since I stopped that has more or less vanished. I just tried your method of before-and-after readings, and they went up from 200 to 350 after I had 2 x Spiriva Respimat 2.5 mcg, and 2 x Fostair 100/6. I will say the morning Fostair sometimes loosens things, which I think is why I started recording readings after the morning inhalers.
Hi there, my peak flow doesn't vary much but in general I get a slightly lower reading in the evenings. I think it's because I have allergic asthma. The pollen is usually most high during the afternoon/evening so affects my lungs more at that time of day.
That's a good point. I hadn't thought of that. I do react to pollen (as well as cold air from freezers, barbecue smoke, traffic fumes, biological or strongly scented laundry products, perfume, frying onions, etc. 😅 )
I am similar to you -- I get sicker by the end of the day. Other people (who are often allergic to dust mite) may feel sicker in the morning b.c. of spending several hours breathing in the mite dander from the pillow, mattress, sheets and blankets. I have the latter under control from sleeping in my HEPA-filtered plastic tent, but during the day things are harder to control (pollen, pollution, odors etc). Controlling one's breathing environment while one is immobile in sleep is much easier.
When I was last asked to monitor peak flow, I was asked to do it four times a day, and I found that my lowest reading was in the evening, followed by one first thing in the morning, then the mid morning and the highest was the afternoon.
I don't think it really matters as long as you work out what is normal for you
Hello, Mandevilla, I think you are right that I should not worry too much about the peak flow readings being higher in the mornings, in fact there is no reason I should be taking readings at all because nobody asked me to. When I first got Spiriva in July my local pharmacy didn't have it so I had to go to Boots and while I was waiting I saw peak flow meters on offer at £14.95 so I bought one. I suppose because I love gadgets and also I have time on my hands being retired so I can take readings make charts etc. My wife says it is typical of me!
It's definitely useful to be familiar with your own peak flow, because it can vary a lot from the 'average' and knowing that can be very helpful when talking to medical staff. Mine is much higher than average, so a reading that looks 'normal' according to the charts would be low for me.
It also helps you work out if peak flow is a good indicator of problems - you might find you can feel terrible while showing no change in peak flow - on the other hand, a drop from your normal peak flow could be the first warning sign that things are getting out of control.
I also tend to have a lower morning reading, and most of my asthma symptoms tend to be during the night or the evening before. So it sort of feels like my lungs are clearing and waking up in the morning!.... in general, my peak flows make no sense though. I finally slept a solid 8 hours last night for the first time in months and 6th time this year, but my peak flow was awful this morning. Its also been high when i've been having lots of asthma problems, so I really can't make sense of peak flow that doesnt seems to always match my symptoms.
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Recording Peak Flow Readings
