Peak flow meters

[Wheezycat]

Hi! I have a standard peakflow meter, which i don't want to be without. However, i will be flying to Dublin in May and i am aware that some airlines don't want you to pack it in hand luggage. To book luggage into hold will more that double my cost. I will contact Ryanair's customer service, but in the meantime does anyone know if there are any smaller reliable peakflow meters, other than the usual Wright's? Something I can pack in hand luggage.

[Lyngal]

Hi I went to Dublin twice last year and took all medication including peak flow meter, spacers with no problem. Have a good time Dublin is. Fantastic city you will love it 🍀

[Wheezycat in reply to Lyngal]

That sounds reassuring! Did you have a doctor's note? Was it with Ryanair?

I am not off to Dublin, but to a place a short distance outside Newry. It is easiest to get there via Dublin.

[Lyngal in reply to Wheezycat]

Yes Ryanair and no I didn't get a Drs note.ive never had any problems putting my meds in hand luggage when going on holiday, I thought I would when I went to Mexico but it was fine

[Wheezycat in reply to Lyngal]

That sounds great! As I have been warned, I did contact Scandinavian Airlines about it (I go to Sweden from time to time), and they said it was fine provided I had a doctor's note. My plan is to get one of those, and have it packed with my asthma action plan and my latest prescription list. Just for safety's sake. I think I will still contact Ryanair tomorrow, on their chatline, to see what they have to say. I will report back.

Last summer travelling though Manchester, and being well prepared for security (I usually am) we were suddenly told we had to display inhalers. I had never been asked before, and the guy admitted it was something they normally forgot about. I had come out of hospital very recently before, so I had loads of inhalers (I was away for three-four weeks). They were very nice and helped me load up two small plastic bags with them. I panicked when one didn't come through, but it was just a tad delayed. All was fine, but it felt like a kerfuffle.

[Hidden]

Hi Wheezycat,

I've recently been given a new PFM which is not a Wright. This one is a Medi, just over 6 ins (15.5cm) long inclusive of mouthpiece, not cylindrical, neat and looks and feels quite sturdy. My old one was a mini wright, 8ins (20.3 cm) long inclusive of mouth piece. Warning: unless your Wright is relatively new you may have to calibrate any new PFM to check if there's a difference in readings between that and your old one. There's a difference of about 20 between my two.

Hope this helps.

[Wheezycat in reply to Hidden]

I will have a look at it.

[Wheezycat in reply to Hidden]

I have just looked for it. There is a medi with no picture. And quite a few sold by companies starting with the word med. no sizes description. Any chance of a colour? I am not sure I am looking at the right one.

[Hidden in reply to Wheezycat]

Mine has a pale grey body with medium blue mouth piece and base. The box reads 'Peak flow meter Standard Range'.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Try clicking on 'images' after googling 'Medi Peak flow meter'.

[Wheezycat in reply to Hidden]

Sensible! I think I have found it, though they seem now to have changed their standard range to a black and white version, judging from the picture.

[Hidden in reply to Wheezycat]

That's very recent then. I was prescribed mine in late October last year:-).

You could check with your GP or asthma nurse. There might be a reason for the different colours (the image I found showed a red version as well as the blue one) - other than giving the patient choice, of course:-).

[Wheezycat]

Yes, these are black/White for standard range and purple white fir low. I did see pics of blue/grey and red/grey ones.

And yes, I will check it out with asthma nurse, but I have time. I am not going until May.

[Wheezycat]

Sounds great! But wouldn't work with my current phone, it seems. I look forward to hearing more.m

[Wheezycat]

I have stopped keeping a record for now. I did from April until just before Christmas, I think. So, I have a pretty good idea of my best and my range. Now I check from time to time, especially if my chest feels 'wrong' in some way. So far, generally, it has been fine (I am on a pretty good level of symbicort, which works for me). Still, at present I have no idea how I would react if I got a cold, and I am still unsure about other triggers.

When I started peakflowing I set up my own recording system online, using a spreadsheet. Then as I needed to show nurses, I got back into paper recordings. I have sheaves of filled in graphs. I would love to do it with my phone. I probably will need to replace my current one very soon. This kind of gadget could sway me from Microsoft to Android. Even though I love my current ring tone!........

[risabel59]

I have traveled with my Wright PF meter for 15 years in hand luggage only once did I have a problem and that was in Toronto. They were fine in the end and just said it should be screened on its own. However I make around 15 longhaul flights a year. So I wouldn't worry. I do now use an electronic meter which connects to my smart phone. It's Italian and called MIR . When I started using it I used both the Wright and the MIR. It's really small and easy to use, but did cost about 70 pounds. I will try and post a link for you

R

[Wheezycat]

Thank you. That's is useful to know.

I seem generally to get a message back, from airlines, that to have something in writing about it, a doctor's note or something, can be a good idea. Or on your prescription list. And, perhaps, a printout for airline security what a miniwrigt actually is and does.

[Wheezycat]

Is that the one you sent a link to? It sounds interesting. My current phone (which I may need to change) is a Microsoft one, so it wouldn't work with that. But I like the idea.

[Wheezycat]

Generally, it seems a good idea to have something in writing to confirm need for it. I am aiming to get one to add to my stash ofof asthma plan and prescription list.