Fluctuating pef, asthma questioned

[Salunja]

I am a newbie, please excuse me if anything wrong....

Pef fluctuating between 350-380 (best is 390, should be 487 according NHS), when it drops to 330 starting to feel a bit tight chest ant sats drops to 86-92%. Started trial of clenil (brown inhaler) 3 week ago, readings were constantly around 350-370, but once temperature outside dropped to 0 readings became jumping from 330 to 380 again. As I don't have an official diagnose of asthma and I am on trial of meds should I consider preventer as not working or as I don't have an asthma? Serious attacks (spasms, wheezjng, coughing) were about once a month or less. I am at a loss honestly. Spyromethry gave normal results, predicted were more than 86%, nothing changed after salbutamol (waited about 20mins), so considered as non reversible. Asthma nurse said spyromethry results might not be accurate if you don't have an attack at the time. As far as I read online if PEF difference is less than 20% it is not considered to be an asthma? (Mine are 330-380) Back to nurse end of February and have no idea what to expect. Thanks for your time and replies

[DeanSamson]

It's a hard one to tell really. You sound a little like my son he only has trouble in the winter months and uses a brown inhaler over winter. I have asthma and get slightly worse when it's cold but nothing too bad. My main triggers dust and animals etc. Salbutamol should worm for anyone who's airways are inflamed. As This is given to people who sometimes don't have asthma like my son. My spiro came back only slightly elevated and if had asthma since birth. I'd speak to your doctor? How long were you on the clenil? Merry Christmas

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador]

Hi

Asthma is a difficult one to diagnose cause as Dean said if you’re not symptomatic during your spiro you’ll get a false read. I have severe asthma and yet I have had 2 lung function tests come back basically negative, but when repeated when I was symptomatic it ‘obviously’ showed asthma. Asthma is also very variable, with lots of triggers so if it is asthma cold is probably one of your triggers. If your ventolin helps remove the wheeze when you’re ill, and increases you PF then it is Morley likely to be reversible you just have bad timing for spiro!

On the other hand there are a lot of conditions that mimic asthma, which ventolin won’t help. Usually my sats only drop when I’m very bad, however I went through a period when they dropped all the time because I had picked up a breathing dysfunction.

Don’t worry about your PF best compared to national average... personally I have a very high PF yet I know people with no resp disease at all who can’t hit their predicted... it’s an average! Yes there’s a PF range change of 20% expected for asthma yet there are asthmatics where their PFs only drop when seriously bad so it’s only 1 identifier. It you’ve been identified by a medic as having a wheeze in your lungs (ie they hear it not just you) then that’s an identifier for asthma

The best thing to do is to keep going back to AN/GP and telling them what’s going on. They’ll be able to see if you need something else or something different! Hope that helps explain a few things

[Salunja]

Basically main triggers are cold air and exercises as far as I understood. Sometimes attack comes out of the blue. I am on clenil for 3 weeks now, 2 weeks there were almost same readings, 350-370, sometimes 380 and since the temperature outside dropped to 0 readings started to jump from 330 to 370-380. I did not done exercise test yet (it was enough for me to go to the gym and have an intensive session, I had an attack last time when started coughing, tight chest, sats were 93 15 mins after attack started). Ventolin helps with wheeze, altho it is not often present. However sometimes I lay on the bed ant hear myself whistling and crackling and need to cough to stop that sound, so the cough is almost constant. 4 years ago I was taken to a&e with a really tight chest, dropped sats (I was ill at the time, bronchitis it was I think),SOB,l, I couldn't speak as usually as needed to catch my breath, they gave me adrenaline in an ambulance and brought to a&e. That was the first time asthma has been mentioned. I had difficulties since my childhood (inability to run or do any intensive exercises as was SOB, had a pain in the chest, even 5mins rylun aggravated condition), also I am allergic to dust, mould and pets hair. My asthma nurse was really surprised I wasn't diagnosed having asthma at my childhood.

Merry Christmas to you, Emma and Dean, thanks for your replies!

[Sonique58]

My Dear Salunha, the Blue One Ventolin Inhaler is for Immediate Relief, The Brown One, The Preventer, Only Builds Up Your Resistance Over Time, So Give it a Chance. But Even the Blue One, If You’ve Been Battling for a Long Time, Which You Seem To Have, May Take Longer to Kick In, You Also, May Need a Short Spell In Hospital on a Nebuliser & Nebules with Oxygen & Red Prednisolone Tabs, To Help Strengthen Your Lungs, Control Your Asthma Better, & Bring Up Your Peak Flo Back Up To Normal, I Hope This Helps!