I had my repeat spirometry test today after 6 weeks of taking Spiriva & fosair.
My Fev1 is now 103% (was 93%) my fvc is 134% (was 128%) fev1/fvc now 66% was (62%.
The nurse says this still means there is a mild obstruction. I am.just trying to get it straight in my mind. Is it it worth taking the meds if the overall fev1/fvc is not much different?
They have also introduced an antihistamine tablet. Muko something. 😩
Hi well you can't have copd with a lung function of 103%. That is the good news. I don't know what if anything is wrong so what have you been told? x
You do have Copd based on the fact your fev1/fvc is below the 70%. You are therefore regarded as obstructive!!! GOLD 2015/NICE Guidelines state this. Yes there is ranking based on fev1 but say your lung capacity is 160% your fev1 can be above the 80% as per Gold 2015 eg 81% this would mean you have an fev1/fvc of 50% (I can tell you you will be struggling lots) which is well under the 70%. Reason for this most normal people can evacuate 82% of there lungs in 1 second if you can only evacuate 50% that's almost a 1/3 less.
Hope this helps, any questions please ask.
Mikey
Sorry an fev1/fvc ratio of 67% means a person does have Copd. GOLD 2015/NICE Guideines state this. You can also have a fev1 greater than 80% AND a ratio greater than 70% and still be diagnosed with copd (again Gold 2015 and NICE Guidelines).
Any questions a please ask
Regards
Mikey
I am afaid we will have to differ on this as I don't see where you get a fev/fvc ratio of 67% out of these figures. The nurse said it was mild so this would be between 80% and 89% anyway.
If your fev1 is 103% you haven't got emphysema or copd.
You seem to have misunderstood the table on the NICE document, Mikey. As hypercat54 explains it is the FEV1 which is measured as a percentage when checked against the predicted level. The FEV1/FVC ratio is a different measurement and is usually expressed as a decimal number. Check out wikipedia where you will find:
"In obstructive lung disease, the FEV1 is reduced due to an obstruction of air escaping from the lungs. Thus, the FEV1/FVC ratio will be reduced. More specifically, according to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, the diagnosis of COPD is made when the FEV1/FVC ratio is less than 0.7 and the FEV1 is less than 80% of predicted". en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FEV1/...
Thank you for clarifying it mrsmummy I appreciate that. x
Thank you. My predicted min fev1/fvc is 70% my actual is 66%
The lady Karen said her fev1/fvc ratio is 66%(was 62%), 2nd paragraph down.
My fev1 is near 100% (of predicted) and I have COPD, described as "serve obstruction", I am on triple inhaled therapy and have rescue packs of antibiotics and steroids. This is because I have a high fvc, like Karen does at 134%, my fev1/fvc ratio is 50% to 60%.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) state if you have a fev1/fvc ratio of less than 70% (Karen said hers was 66%/62%) and an fev1 greater than or equal to 80% then you have mild COPD (this is what the ladies nurse has said too, I'm very sorry I agree with her nurse. This is also what the GOLD 2015 guidelines state, these guidelines are used all over the world.
These are the guide lines medical professionals in the UK use.
nice.org.uk/guidance/CG101/...
1.1.6.1 has a table which says this.
Hope this helps, any questions please ask.
Mikey
Thanks Mikey. It's all very new to me. I guess it means my fev1/fvc hs improved since beingnon meditation. The nurse still feels that this could be backlash from a nasty infection I had in Nov that didn't resolve until Christmas. I am interested to know how symptomatic my readings would make me. After an hour of the spirometry test yesterday i felt shattered. I always feel shattered the days I work and am busy.
Mikey's reply is not entirely accurate. Why not give the BLF helpline a call and ask them to explain the figures to you? 03000 030 555 during office hours. 
Thank you I will 😊
Number one thing have the inhalers helped?
I was really struggling, I had a chest infection November 2016 and didn't get rid off it until July 2017 (other things where happening too), now feeling a bit more normal, as my fev1 and fev1/fvc ratio increased.
I still use all my inhalers as I feel they are helping still, i'm pretty much on the same as you.
If you think they still help and the benefits out way the side affects keep taking them is what id say.
Ask about asthma too, lots of people including myself have Asthma COPD crossover (they didn't tell me about this either).
Most importantly hope you start feeling better soon dude!!!
Take care Mikey
Yes I do have the Astma cross over apparently.
Hi Mikey
That nice guidance i think was published 2010 and i think there is a more up to date one.
but not sure if it were much diferent to the 2010 one you have.
I was only looking at it about 2 weeks ago but cant remember how i found it
Music
Hi Karen,
I think your nurse may have got her maths wrong. I calculated your fev1 figure to be closer to 77%. My mother, an x Maths teacher often has to tell her nurse to recalculate her readings.
I hope I'm right, as it's not a bad reading.
Take care
Sorry I was looking at the %pred Colin. My fev1 is 2.62 and the fvc is 4 making a ratio of 66%..
So is 66% bad?
No 66% isn't that bad, i was 54% last June, getting up near 60% now with the help of the inhalers and less stress.
Hi. I note you are on Spiriva and Fostair. My consultant increased my fostair to 250 mg per inhalation but recentky ztopped my Spiriva after being on it since Nov 2016. Reason was it tends to cause any mucus in lungs to be bit sticky he says and can make you cough more. I stopped it early Jan this year, I am coughing lot less and sleeping more. Also takimg Azithromycin since Nov 2016 and have not had chest infection since, I was plagued with infections before that. Dont have my various breathing tests but last ones in Dec 2018 had me listed as borderline COPD, be interested to see what next tests show.
Hi Mikey since I've been on these meds I don't have any mucous anymore. It was a bad infection I had which took ages to clear it. In general I don't suffer with mucous apart from in the winter if I get a cold. I've just been put on montelukast for allergies now.
Spirometry Results.
spirometry results
