New highest peak flow is huge!

[GreatGateway]

771 with 3 puffs of blue inhaler-!! Now I'm really scared. Without blue my PF can be as low as 630 and only as high as 730. What does this mean for me? The local GP is not being helpful about it.

[Hidden]

What it means is very good. My PF is average 350 and I wish mine were more like yours. Your pf will go up once you use your blue inhaler as this shows it is helping your asthma.

I don't understand why you are so worried? 730 pf is very good. How high do you want it to be for goodness sake? I think you need to read up on asthma as you seem to know very little about it. Stick to recognised sites though.

Did you take my previous advice and make an appointment with your asthma nurse and make a list of all the questions you want to ask her/him?

Lastly I think this is your anxiety at work again. Are you tackling this?

[GreatGateway in reply to Hidden]

The problem is not how high the peak flow is: it's how preventers aren't working but I can still get a rise in peak flow after blue inhalers, and that blue inhalers are all that help relieve my chest tightness. The nurse and GP have pretty much written me off; they don't know why my chest tightness is 24/7 with no clear triggers, nor can they explain why only ventolin works after 2 years of different treatments. Specialists just say it's in my head but online says ventolin working = asthma.

No wonder I'm anxious: my body is a mystery. Unless ventolin can relieve chest tightness outside of asthma, which I doubt, I fear having an unresponsive asthma pinning me down all my life. I cannot keep taking ventolin every 2-3 hours; the one thing doctors have been clear on is that overusing rescue inhalers eventually cancels out their effects altogether.

[Suze4212]

Nothing to worry about with those numbers. I have never in my life had 600 and it is a miracle day if I hit 300.

Relax and keep doing whatever you are doing, it is obviously working for you.

[Arianasarah866]

630 without blue inhaler is great! What you need is an asthma action plan (this should be written with an asthma nurse at a review) in which it details your personal peak flows for green (no action needed) amber and red.

So my percentages are if I drop below 300 I need to be headed to A and E if I go below 250 call an ambulance. But that's because my asthma is brittle and drops so quickly plus my personal best isn't as high as yours.

When I had more typical asthma itt used to be more like under X then see the doctor for steroids or start using the rescue pack at home. Something like that might give you clarity

[Offcut in reply to Arianasarah866]

I do have more conditions than Asthma but if I went to A&E every time I drop below 300 I would be there a few times a week. My GP Surgery will not do rescue packs I do sort of understand why now.

One of the biggest issues with an asthma attack is panic breathing but with a lot of will power it can help so much in getting it under control by yourself. (Easier said than done I know!)

[Arianasarah866 in reply to Offcut]

That's the point though isn't it your levels for different things are personal to you rather than being some default statement for everyone. 300 for me is an indication things are about to go very badly whereas for others could be the normal okay reading

[Offcut in reply to Arianasarah866]

You are so right I do not seem to be even that lucky I can be good/fair then I can be struggling with a temp over 39 within hours. Funny thing is a gout flair up is a good indicator my lungs are sticky, even though gout has been proven to affect the lungs as well?

[Mark-f]

Wow..... my best ever is 500.... normallly 350 but have blown as low as 150!! Despite 4 different inhalers and 18 different tablets !! Lol

I'd be over the moon with them sort of figures, I certainly wouldn't be worrying !!!!!

[Minushabens]

In simple terms it means you have asthma that responds very well to treatment. Which, if you have to be lumbered with asthma, is very good news.

You need to take that high figure (for the time being only, as it does change with age; google 'peak flow chart' & you'll find what it should be for a healthy version of someone your age, height & gender) & think in terms of it as a benchmark. If your PF is getting a long way short of it, even after taking a reliever, then you need to see a doctor.

I'm also assuming from that number that you are male and fairly tall. If not, might I suggest you trial for the Olympics

Joking apart, it sounds like you have things in hand but do ask if there's anything you don't understand. You should be on a preventer inhaler as well - if not, ask for one.

[AnnieAnnieAnnie]

It means your blue inhaler is working to relax your airways. But perhaps you are not on the correct preventer to keep your airways open to reach that best peak flow reading. It also depends if you are having symptoms such as chest tightness wheeze etc when your peak flow is on the lower end ...

[Skigoddess]

Do you have sinusitis/post nasal drip because that can make me feel tight and like I need to use my blue inhaler. Since being prescribed avamys steroid nasal spray 3 weeks ago , I have only used inhaler X1 and have increased my exercise (even in very cold air) . Also use Fostair with a spacer though...might be the combination of both things. Anyway worth getting checked?

[GreatGateway in reply to Skigoddess]

According to 2 ENTs my nose and sinuses check out clear, and I don't have any allergies besides very mild hayfever either.

[sdan4]

I would say my asthma is well controlled by a preventer I've been on for some time, but the reliever still gives me the best immediate feeling. My typical healthy peak flow is around 450 but I'm sure if I was to take my reliever inhaler three times I would briefly get up to 500 or more. It's a powerful short-term steroid so it's always going to open your airways up more than any preventer could long-term. The question is do you often find yourself waking up in the night, wheezing, coughing, finding simple activity exhausting? Those questions, rather than your peak flow (as you have a great PF anyway) may be better ways for you to identify if your asthma is controlled or not and see the GP about your preventer if not.

[GreatGateway in reply to sdan4]

As far as I know I never wheeze. I never cough at all and my tightness isn't painful. I can still walk around the house but I do get worse in my sleep even with inhaler. The tightness is 24/7 constant unless I move (e.g. Turn over in bed) which relieves things for about 10 seconds, or unless I take Ventolin which isn't always a perfect fix.

[Hidden]

Oh to have your PF!!! I'm about 300 just now.....you have absolutely nothing to worry about, try to relax. Best wishes

[risabel59]

Peak Flow can be helpful and it can be very confusing. Also a peak flow variation is mostly but not always an indicator for asthma.

As everyone said it is personal. I am high functioning brittle, a normal peak flow for someone of my age would be around 420, but my average normal is 530 and my best is around 580. When I get really sick I can drop to around 200. (Or even lower). I have a written action plan and that is based on percentages of my very best peak flow.

When I am well I can run a half marathon, 10 days later when I was sick I struggled to walk upstairs.

Nobody should be using their rescue inhaler more than 4 times a week unless for exercise. If you are, you need to see your doctor. Not everyone responds to preventer inhalers, and there are other drugs that can be used. Using too much Salbutamol over a long period can affect your heart.

Preventer inhalers need to be used regularly over a period of time to work well. If you stop/ start them, they don't work. If you are not using a combination inhaler with a LABA, I would ask your GP to prescribe one to try.

Obviously you are very worried and are not getting the response that you hoped for from your doctors. My advice would be to chart your Peak Flow at different times during the day and night, always making a note of if you used an inhaler or not before hand. If you are getting 30% or more variation in numbers, that will be very useful for your doctor. If you wake up because of symptoms and can be bothered do a PF, it is very helpful for the doctors . Night time symptoms are classic with uncontrolled asthma.

It may be worth talking to your doctor about specialist physiotherapy for breathing. For some people learning to breath differently can be really helpful in alleviating symptoms. Your G/P may not know about this, but I would do some research and see if there is anywhere near you that offers this treatment.

Finally, Asthma can be triggered by emotions as well as allergies. It is worth trying to note when you feel worse. For instance for me, if my lungs are twitchy, Laughing can trigger a huge attack. Its sort of like the killer joke from Monty Python.

Good Luck

R

[GreatGateway in reply to risabel59]

Thank you; sorry can I please clarify about what the 30% variability part means? Is that how much we expect PF to rise after a dose of bronchodilator? (Mine only rose by 40 points )

[risabel59 in reply to GreatGateway]

so If your best peak Flow is 771, then a 30% reduction on that would be a peak flow around 541.

If your peak flow goes below 385 i.e. 50% reduction then you should be seeing a doctor asap.

If you have a written Asthma plan, all these numbers and what to do should be on the plan. If you don't have a written plan you should go to your asthma clinic and get one.

A 40 point variation is really neither here nor there. I often get daily variations of 100 pts or more.

its also about how your feel and other symptoms.

[GreatGateway in reply to risabel59]

Sorry forgot something else! Lying down makes readings drop; is that normal?

[Hidden in reply to GreatGateway]

Yes very. Try using more pillows if you are worried. Also make sure your bedding is washed at least 60 degrees to ensure dust mites are all killed. Get new pillows every 6 months as they harbour loads of mites too (or wash them).

Dust mites are a major trigger for most asthmatics!

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

nhs.uk/conditions/asthma/Pa...

Oh and take a look at the above.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

uhs.nhs.uk/Media/Controlled...

And this one.

[risabel59 in reply to GreatGateway]

You shouldn't do a peak flow reading lying down. Either sitting upright or standing. Also try and take readings at the same time everyday before medications. write them down with other symptoms and how much ventolin you are using. Individual readings are really not all that important, as everyone is different. Trends are what people look at.

I would also say that it seems as though you are too focused on your peak flow. Other symptoms are equally important. There is lots of great advice on the Asthma UK website.

[Hartington24]

Mine was 350 without any inhalers and GP said it was normal!

[elanaoali]

Mine should be 423 but I can below 480 that's on seretide 250 twice a day. , monkelaust 10mg. Every ones is right peak flow is based on see, age and height below 350 is my alarm bells ringing. I hope you get your answers from your GPs soon

[Erin001]

Well done to you that's really high

My highest I can get is 300 and that's normally a miracle for me

Congrats achieving that you should feel good with peek flows like that

[Davenpos]

I too dont inderstand why you are worried my average is 250 and this morning is 150 with a struggle ....

[Davenpos]

Apologies my last reply sounded extremely negative ...you should be happy with a peak flow of that level and enjoy your life to the fullest as this condition takes independance and things we enjoy doing from many sufferers ....