Confused!

Hi,

I'm hoping someone might be able to explain my lungs' weird behaviour!

I expected them to object to me having a major cleaning session last night but my symptoms have left me really confused. I went out with the dog for some clean (& thankfully mild!) air once I started to feel the effects of dust/cleaning products. While I was out I started getting stabbing pains in my lungs (not all in the same place), some of which were literally doubling me up with pain. I was struggling for breath when the pain was there but seemed relatively ok in between. I took my Ventolin (3 puffs, but my tongue got most of one!), which did help a bit. I took my peak flow when I got in about 20 minutes later, as I was quite worried (I was still getting the stabbing pains) & I was really shocked that it was 450, which is the higher end of normal for me at the moment (aiming to get back to my pre-cold PF of 490). I still felt pretty awful, didn't want to go to bed as I felt I needed to be vertical, so forced myself to have some tea & sit quitely for an hour. Still wasn't feeling that great before bed, although much better than I had been, did peak flow & it was 510!!!! It's never, ever been that high! This morning it was back to 450 & I have the tiredness & the feeling someone's given my chest a good kicking that I'd expect.

Has anyone got any ideas what's going on?

PS Please excuse the essay!

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Can't give you any explinations, but have at times coped with wierd pains in chest

one time I was going to supervision with my Boss, he mentioned he'd spent the day in a farm

shed, shifting straw bales with some of the lads

I'm glad he gave me this info, as it helped me just 'place' a reason for the following sharp pains all over my chest

It was agony, and alarming, but I tried my best to give myself a good light for the supervision.

though by the time my Boss reached his question ""Is there anything you can think of that would be a good idea for the company"". I just looked blank

he gave me some quizzical looks during the supervision, and I know my head was fuzzy.

sadly I chucked this job, sad because i quite like working as a support worker for adults with learning disabilities, I just couldn't cope with the teaming up with other (chain smoking) support workers, and waiting for the bus in the cold.

my boss was baffeled when I resigned, I just said I was tired

and my chest is better off without coming into contact with the 'fuzz' from straw and those chain smokers

goiing back to cleaning, I like my little steam cleaner - my breathing feels better for using it, and it does a great job on the kitchen floor, sadly still need a hover. (make sure you have a window open)

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hi am new to forum as well, but had asthma, for the last 14 years

up until last july , my asthma had been realy mild, but it has got a lot worse, with the last month being constanly on pred tablets and have to be put on new inhalers, one time i got bad chest pains and felt short of breath, i saw my doctor as i had been neb, the pervious night, he said that i had pull alot of my chest muscles and i did a peak flow and it was 500, it was the best i had done for ages.

i do not know if this help.

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i sometimes find no matter how bad my asthma feels, my pak flow can be completely normal and in the ok zone. the nurse once said to me though that i must consider how i am feeling as well as my peak flow as well as how i feel. she explained if it was low and i felt ok i should still be aware and do what i can to get it to normal but if it is fine yet i am not feeling too great that i should act. i know this doesn't explain it but hope it makes some sense.

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I wonder

I'm no expert, but I wonder if your peak flow was nice and high because you took a couple of good lungfuls of reliever and then you gave your body time to let the drug have an effect. You sat quietly and carefully, and although your chest had some odd pains in it, your airways had opened out nicely. This probably happens anyway, but because you were still paying attention, due to the odd pains, you took your peak flow again - and caught your lungs behaving themselves properly!

Without those pains, would you have checked your peak flow again later?

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Thanks for the replies.

I think it's possible that the ventolin could have accounted for the pf of 450, but I check my pf twice a day at the moment & I've certainly taken ventolin at a similar time (for more ""normal"" symptoms!) without the dramatic increase in pf later on. The reading certainly looks odd on my pf chart!