continuing low peek flow

[Gardener12]

hi been charting my peek flow for four weeks now and it has at the most gone to the 300 mark . i had a cough that went mow its back keeping me awake . had new blood tests and my cholesterol has gone up again after been on a downward trend i also have a elivates EBS level what can this mean i have not seen a specialist as yet and it seems like my docter is not trying to go down that rd feeling phhhha tired and anxiousness is not helping with this and my depresion and my ibs

thanks

[Minushabens]

Do you know what your maximum peak flow should be? And how does that compare? Is the cough productive & if so have you had sputum samples done?

[Gardener12 in reply to Minushabens]

hi my peek flow should be 400 and my cough vary s sometimes it is productive and sometimes dry no sputum samples done to date though

[Matman]

Hi

Without knowing your health history, meds you've tried or other factors concerning your condition it's almost impossible to offer any specific suggestions that are not simply hit-and-miss ideas.

Tracking your Peak Flow on a Daily Basis (like you're doing) is very important. Ideally twice a day to see if the score at different times of day varies. It can also be useful to see to what extent your score varies on different days / different months / different seasons.

The PF Record is most useful when coupled with keeping a Daily Journal of:

a) Your Respiratory State of Health (using a 1 to 10 scoring system)

b) What Meds you take (plus how many doses and times of day)

c) Everything that goes in your mouth - e.g. Types of Food, Kinds of Treats, Booze, Vitamin Tabs, Toothpaste, Mouthwash (any of which might be an allergic trigger that you won't be able to pinpoint unless you totally eliminate - one at a time - for a month or more)

d) Emotional State

e) General Physical Activity (e.g Gardening, Housework, Other Chores etc)

f) Exercise Activity (even if just walking Half a Mile)

g) Conscious Exposure to possible allergens - including Domestic Pets, Dust, Smoke from Tobacco / Open Fires including Wood Burners, Scented Candles, Room Fresheners etc (although it's quite possible you are not an allergic asthmatic - many asthmatics are not allergy prone as you're probably aware). Nb: If you haven't had a set of common allergy tests you might also want to push your GP to refer you to get some.

Keeping a meticulous Daily Record of all the stuff mentioned is a real drag and time drain but, once you have kept a disciplined Journal + PF Record for several months (sorry, it's a long process) you can then become a real Sherlock Holmes and look for correlations and patterns (for which - just a few weeks data - is generally not long enough for).

Alongside your PF Records you could also record results from a Finger Pulse Oximeter and Home Blood Pressure Monitor each of which can be purchased through Amazon). These, together with your Health / Life Journal will enable you to present the most accurate picture to your Medical Advisers (supported by facts and figures) which should accelerate identification of the most appropriate treatment regimes and / or life-style changes to get you where you need to be.

Emotional State can figure a lot in Asthma too, and often needs to be addressed with non drug treatments - drugs for emotional issues are in many cases inadequate, and provide little long-term relief accept, perhaps, to some whose emotional constitution is exacerbated by a specific hard-to-overcome physical or mental illness / handicap (e.g. House Bound due to Disability etc).

Physical Activity, even from a Baby-Steps Start (unless medically advised 'not to' engage in), is often very useful as - even though it usually has little direct impact on PF - can make your body more able to cope with strain on your heart that some Severe Asthma Suffers may encounter, plus it can improve mood, self-esteem, general well-being and confidence along with bolstering mental attitude towards one's condition and life in general.

Likewise, Weight Management, if an issue, is very important via Dieting (exercise does almost nothing to reduce weight) as over-weight individuals tend to suffer from more inflammation than others and ( as you know) Asthma is considered an Inflammatory Disease. (There are numerous good diets to suit all types, the 5/2 and 16/8 are among my personal favourites).

Lack of Social Engagement, for some, is an issue which, if successfully tackled, can improve emotional well-being which might help eliminate emotion as a possible Asthma Trigger. (I find Meditation, lots of Sleep and numerous Brief Naps help keep my emotions in tact).

At the end of the day, getting a referral to a decent Hospital Based Asthma Clinic may well be the best step (note, typically clinic investigations involve 'questionnaire assessments' of all the kind of stuff touched on above, as well as numerous Respiratory Tests).

Finally, regularly checking, researching and keeping up-to-date with ideas on Asthma is also very useful. (I just enter 'Asthma' in Google, then select the 'News' Tag then, Tools (and choose the 'Last Month Only' Option).

Due to pressures on the NHS most of us now have to take a greater share of the ownership and responsibility for studying and tackling our condition rather than relying mainly on GPs and Consultants to invest lots of time in us (which probably aint gonna happen). I'm not suggesting that you're not already 'well aware' of this, it's just worth putting out there for anyone reading this Comment.

[ChrissieMons]

All that seems rather a lot for a person who is already anxious. While all Matman says is true, it may be that you are tackling this from the wrong end. You have a real issue with anxiety, so the best place to start is with that. Try to see the person who is treating you for depression - and feeling physically ill is bound to make that depression worse - to see what you can do to take time out to calm yourself. You may find acupuncture or yoga helpful, or anything which gives you a time to be quiet and feel supported. You're in a whirl right now, and it is making you worse, so do try to find a way to slow down. All good wishes coming your way.

[Gardener12 in reply to ChrissieMons]

already managed to get on a relaxation coarse but not sure i will be able to attend as have a fit to work interview next week evan through my doctor has already signed me off for another month .i am also on a stress control course thank you for your imput i am already recording peek flow twice a day and reliver use

[Hidden]

My peak flow is 275-300 everyday I have to use my inhalers 5-6 times a day next appointment that is available to is the nurse is 12 April!!!!

Hope you get the nhelp you need.