can someone clarify please

[scaife1]

hi everyone the last breathing test I had done I blew 185 I was told I was stage 2 bordering stage 3 I had one today I'm now 143 can some clarify is this is infact the start of stage 3 many thanks denise

sorry ive missed out I have emphazemia and I'm also alpha 1 antitrypsin deficient

[mrsmummy]

Hello and welcome to the forum. Emphysema is usually checked via spirometry to determine the FEV1% which would tell you what 'stage' you are at. Asthma is usually checked via a peak flow meter. I am not sure what figures you are quoting here?

[scaife1 in reply to mrsmummy]

Nor am I really I don't have asthma I have emphazimia I was diagnosed 2 yrs ago after a bout of phnumonia I've been going to the copd nurse ever since today I blew into a flat looking machine with a graph on it she said I had gone down to 143 which she said was a fairly fast decline but now they know I have alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency she said I'm now going to have to be seen more often as people with this it tends to worsen the lungs a bit faster I was wondering if in fact I'm now stage 3 I didn't ask today

[Hidden in reply to scaife1]

Hi like mrsmummy said the figures you are quoting sound like asthma ones rather than copd. A peak and flow meter is a small portable device where a spirometry machine is a lot bigger. This is used to measure your lung function ie FEV1 and other levels ie gas transfer etc.

The stage you are at is determined mainly by your FEV1 which is measured either in decimals or percentages. For example if your lung function was 65% you would be moderate. The decimal figure would be between 1 and 3. This would be in litres.

Figures for asthma would be in the hundreds like yours. I would ring up and ask your nurse/doctor for clarification or make another appointment for see someone.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

If you are in the UK why not ring the BLF nurses on 03000 030 555 and have a word with them? They work office hours.

[scaife1]

Thankyou I will I'm under the crisis team for doing something silly I'm really struggling with this copd my husband died of the same thing in 2010 some days I just struggle with being here I'm so not a strong person I still smoke so deserve no sympathy I just don't know which way to turn as I no what's coming I watched my husband for 15 years with this disease then wham phnumonia got him he was only 57 I'm 53 and still struggle without him on top of the copd I am waiting for 3 new discs in my spine and next week have the mri ready for them to remove my hip replacement and redo it as it's metal to metal now I'm just a mess daily I don't have oxygen but use a nebuliser 4 times a day this is me in a nutshell x

[Duchess-82]

Hi,

I know what you mean by the Lung Function Tests - I have only been able to blow a 250 since the pneumonia (usually less) - yet some assessments have stated that I blew over 400! - What a joke - I could not do that before I was ill - never mind now!!

I do hope things improve for you - Wishing you well

D