peak flow

[NLGA]

Does anyone have experience of a peak flow monitor . My GP is seemingly coming away from looking at reason why I’m breathless concerning my heart and looking at possibilities that there is a connection to my lungs .

I have had 3 x rays this summer as unfortunately I was down with Pneumonia although the breathing issue started in March/April amd the Pneumonia was diagnosed in July with one x Ray previous to this , one with Pneumonia and one to check it wax clear

I know this is a heart forum but the people on here are helpful and has a good understanding of many subject so I just thought someone my have some knowledge on this

My question is my peak flow hits 680-730 mostly 700-720 and I have had the above x rays done so I kind of wonder what my GP is looking for that misses the x rays and peak flow score doesn’t represent regarding any lung issues , but I am still breathless after walking say 800 yards not enough to stop but enough not to enjoy the walk

any views more than welcome

[Hidden]

Hello

I had pneumonia and it took me in intensive care after I was on inhalers

But you say you had pneumonia in July it take a while for our breathing to come back to normal

However and this is just me remember and maybe rare this happens but a year later after my pneumonia I was still complaining about my breathing I had a feeling it was not Asthma as they were saying and then about a year and a half later I had my first heart attack and I often wonder if my heart failure was there all that time the reason why after the pneumonia my breathing never improved but I shall never know and like I say because this is what happened to me I am not saying this will happen to someone else

Your peak flow readings are very good and it does give them a good idea how well are lungs are doing as when I could not breath with pneumonia I would not have been able to blow anything where now I can sometimes get it straight to the top !

I would ask if you could be referred to a cardiologist just to make sure your heart is alright explain you do not feel this is necessarily your lungs causing the breathlessness but it is something and you would like to make sure your heart is healthy as you feel concerned

But like I said it might be that you just need a little more time if it was this July to strengthen your lungs up again

I hope if you have time you will let us know how you get on x

[Manhattan1 in reply to Hidden]

hi i’m asthmatic.. not brittle thank goodness.. my best peak flow is 350.. about 15 years ago i was admittrd to resus with asthma attack..couldn’t register ANY reading on peak flow… your peak flow result is very very good👍

[Hidden in reply to Manhattan1]

Hello

I am sorry about what happened to you 15 years ago that must have been quite frightening

I wonder if you meant this reply for the poster as they gave their peak flow readings where as I said I just now and again manage to blow it to the top

I hope you are keeping well x

[Manhattan1 in reply to Hidden]

ohhh sorry.. lol.. i need to pay more attention to whom i’m replying lol.. hope you’re well too👍

[Hidden in reply to Manhattan1]

I do it to sometimes an easy mistake x

[NLGA in reply to Manhattan1]

Thank you it’s just strange the breathing issue I was a little embarrassed with it today

[NLGA in reply to Manhattan1]

Which makes me think it isn’t my lungs but I don’t know

[NLGA in reply to Hidden]

Yes good points to be honest although my echo was ok bNP 180 a little high EF 50 I still believe this isn’t asthma

[Hidden in reply to NLGA]

I hope you will get to the bottom of what is causing this x

[NLGA in reply to Hidden]

Thank you

[Goldenpaws in reply to Hidden]

Hi I had a heart attack 18 months ago and we thought it was my medication making me breathless. My new Dr says I have asthma and COPD and I am on inhalers daily my peak flow was 320 and now on inhaler upto 370. So yours seems really good to me x

[Hidden in reply to Goldenpaws]

Hello

Glad to hear your peak flow now on the right medication is getting better

I wonder did you mean this reply for me or the poster as they wrote what their peak flow was which I agree is good

Don't worry if you have replied to me instead of the poster I do it often to x

[Goldenpaws in reply to Hidden]

Oh gosh sorry you’re right it was for the poster xx

[Hidden in reply to Goldenpaws]

Don't be sorry

I do it as well x

[NLGA in reply to Goldenpaws]

Thanks the strange thing is I still get breathless

[Anon2023]

Hi. Your peak flow readings are very good. Is it possible that your pneumonia developed on the back of an earlier chest infection? I hope that you manage to get to the bottom of this.

[NLGA in reply to Anon2023]

I’m wondering how long I had it before it was detected can it be in your system 4 months ?

[Lezzers in reply to NLGA]

My sister has had pneumonia 3 times & has been hospitalised each time. The last time she had it, she was kept in isolation with barrier nursing (they now think she was one of the first people to have the C word!) These bouts of pneumonia have left scars on her lungs so her breathing has been affected since her first bout of it nearly 40 years ago. The last bout in November/December 2019 not only made her breathing worse but it also affected her heart and liver, it took about 3/4 months for her breathing to improve and for her heart & liver function to return to normal

[NLGA in reply to Lezzers]

Blimey poor lady . I was really ill Christmas I missed 3 days in a hot sweating mess yet tested negative for Covid only to get covid in late February and not really notice it just did a random test

[Tempo57 in reply to Lezzers]

I was exactly the same after having had Covid the first time round in the early days. So breathless, particularly upon any kind exertion, even walking on the flat. Again, Covid is a respiratory virus like pneumonia….albeit man made of course.

[Anon2023]

Obviously I’m not a doctor but as I understand it you could have had a lingering chest infection in April which developed into pneumonia but it would be impossible to tell now unless you had blood tests in that period. A blood test during any infection would probably show a raised crp (c reactive protein) level. This would have been part of any standard blood test if your doctor suspected an infection. It could be that your lungs are still recovering from your bout of pneumonia but I completely understand your need to be sure that this is what is causing your breathlessness. I hope that you manage to get to the bottom of it.

[Buddybeamer24]

Hi,Don't want to frighten you but this just how I started, becoming breathless on walks, I had to Insist on an angiogram as the symptoms were pointing to heart.

Just aswell I did get the angiogram as turned out I had a blocked LAD which meant bypass surgery.

It may be nothing so dramatic, but please be assertive with your gp as in my experience if I had left to them, who knows what would have happened.

[NLGA in reply to Buddybeamer24]

Had your echo missed this ?

[NLGA in reply to NLGA]

Looking at google the echo doesn’t pick up on this was echo good in other ways oxygen levels ok ecg ok

[VelvetSky]

Hi, your peak flow is excellent, I am a life long chronic asthmatic, on a good day I can manage no more than 350, bad day considerably less. Have they checked your oxygen levels?

[NLGA in reply to VelvetSky]

Yes oxygen levels are all fine

[Afibflipper]

Your peak flow expectations are based on height and weight - if they have a baseline from previous then they can see improvement or deterioration of the lungs ability.I’m 5ft 0 and usually on a good day get 430-450

So at a guess you’re doing ok.

I just had 5 weeks of asthma with 2 courses of steroids and antibiotics and albeit the attack has subsided I’m still breathless quickly and can’t walk as far as I could before the attack

[Shellac]

Hi I was really breathless and doctors discovered my B12 was very low plus iron have you had your bloods done? Just a possibility ❤

[NLGA in reply to Shellac]

Yes but thank you B12 was fine

[LSCE]

Hello, your peak flow is normal and it's variance is within a normal range. Is it purely exertional breathlessness?

[NLGA in reply to LSCE]

Some days I have asthma and feel that like I had from a child . I have never been a great runner since my terms I would get breathless but this is is different as I can’t walk without feeling breathless and that was never the case up to say 15 months ago a walk to the shops a 4 mile round trip was be er a issue now 800-1000 yards I start to feel breathless no chest pains just that I could do with stopping. We had about 4 ECG 1 echo 3 heart X-rays 2 BBP blood tests and no serious issues so the attention goes to my lungs I had 3 x rays that picked up Pneumonia but clear on the first x Ray but I was breathless then my peak flow is good . So I’m at a lose to know what it is and you hear problems as a result of covid but I’m just not sure

[LSCE]

Can take 6+ months to recover from pneumonia. Did you have Cov' Infection?

[NLGA in reply to LSCE]

I had the breathing issue in Early December covid that didn’t feel as bad as a cold in February Pneumonia in June /July

[Hidden]

Looking at the standard peak flow chart which I occasionally refer to, vol rate vs. age by gender, your readings are exceptional. However on their own they only give an instantaneous indication of your lung capability. There are other tests that will give a more general and better insight into the condition of your lungs, and these are easily carried out by someone in primary care. For example I have an annual check on my mild asthma/COPD conditions carried out by a nurse at my GP surgery. It seems to me if you are becoming breathless after exercise it is not lung capacity that is the issue it is the ability of your body to utilise the oxygen you breathe in when under load, and that could be down to any number of things including heart capacity, blood health, as well as lungs, all of which your GP must be well aware. So I hope that your ongoing investigations soon identify what is going on and therefore hopefully identify a remedy.

[NLGA in reply to Hidden]

Hi yes I agree but the echo was fairly ok the BNP 180 tje heart X-rays both ok . The cardio nurse 1 doctor and 2 GP have said it’s not HF but want me to make a few life styles changes due to my weight being a bit high which is fine