Fev1

[bryan45735]

I brought a peakflow that records fev1 just recently, when I had my last spirometry before lockdown my fev1 was 3 71 and now after using it yesterday it ranges from 2.71 to 3.44 thats a big drop and all along doctors have said there not worried I wouldn't even call it copd ect it's anxiety 😳 now you have given up smoking you have haulted it and your lungs will decline like a non smokers any thoughts welcome

[peege]

Believe the doctor who said your lungs will decline like a non-smoker. You dont have COPD/ emphysema.

If you really really want to put your mind to rest get a private CT scan as Skis suggested, there are plenty of other lung diseases.

[bryan45735 in reply to peege]

So why the decline that much in fev1 please can someone educated me because from were im looking my fev1 has gone to nearly moderate stage

[jackdup in reply to bryan45735]

The devices that are low cost for personal use are generally not as reliable or accurate as a professional one used in a doctor’s office or hospital. In addition a doctor, nurse or trained technician can spot it you are not putting in an adequate effort, or using the correct technique that would give you an accurate result. You are not going to blow a 3.44 if your lungs have detonated to where your FEV1 is 2.71, so it would seem pretty obvious that it is either your technique or effort or the device itself. As others have stated your FEV1 can fluctuate throughout the day and from day to day depending on numerous factors, temperature, humidity, pollution in the air or pollen etc.

[bryan45735 in reply to jackdup]

I am using alot of effort blowing the last few days and it doesn't seem to go over 3.44 it fluctuates from 2.20 2.45 3.34 ect I can help thinking the worst

[jackdup in reply to bryan45735]

If your lung function had declined to 2.20 or 2.45 you wouldn’t likely be able to blow a 3.34, so again could be related to poor technique or a device that isn’t very accurate. The fact that you can blow 3.44 and 3.34 should give some assurance that your lung function had not declined. I don’t know much about asthma but believe you lung function can vary dramatically depending on if you are having an asthma attack or not, but not so with COPD. if can vary with COPD as well depending on many factors as I mentioned in my first reply but will not vary as drastically as what you are describing. The FEV1 is what you exhale in the first second so if your initial part of your exhalation isn’t the proper technique you can get widely varying results. Someone performing a spirometry or PFT will observe your technique and can correct you if you are not doing it properly.

[Troilus]

Have they considered asthma Bryan? Fev1 fluctuates quite a lot in asthma, where I believe it is more consistent in copd.

[bryan45735 in reply to Troilus]

When they done my spirometry they tested me at the time and there was no asthma, maybe I do now I do wheeze only if I huff out really hard

[Troilus in reply to bryan45735]

A person with asthma can have Spirometry within the normal range if their asthma is under control.Do you record your peak flow?

[bryan45735 in reply to Troilus]

No but I will start recording it I will speak with doctor next week I keep thinking I've gone down to moderate copd thats what I think

[Troilus in reply to bryan45735]

The two illnesses can be confused Bryan, because the symptoms are very similar. One of the differences being that people with asthma can have normal spirometry which is not the case in copd. Another is that in asthma there is a big response to the blue inhaler - an increase of 12% or more in fev1 and/or 200 ml in volume. The response in copd is usually less than this. ( or so the guidance says.)If you go on to the asthma U.K. website you can print of a chart ( it’s free) to record your peak flow - Drs like graphs!

If you use a blue inhaler make a note of when you take it on the chart.

[ck101]

A lot influences PFT variability , time of the day, what you’ve eaten, how big a breath you’ve taken and your technique exhaling, the machine vs the original machine etc. Between 3 and 5% variability is expected anyway. So before lockdown you blew 3.71 and now you’re hitting 3.44. This is absolutely nothing to be concerned over.

[Troilus in reply to ck101]

Whilst I agree there are many factors which influence fev1, I think that a range of 2.71 to 3.44 is outside the parameters for normal deviation.

[bryan45735 in reply to Troilus]

I blew that 2.71 then I blew it again and it was 3.44

[Troilus]

That might have just been technique Bryan. They say best out of three, but I tend to redo and take the most common value. In one session, they will be roughly within 5% of each other. My first tends to be the lowest, improving when I realise I mustn’t have blown my hardest

[Bkin]

Hi Bryan I don't have Asthma but I had a friend (who did have Asthma) was told by her respiratory nurse if her numbers dropped below a certain point she should call emergency, perhaps check with your respiratory nurse what you need to do when your figures drop below a certain point.

My friend did have severe Asthma and COPD.

Check on Asthma UK board those with anxiety may be able to offer more info for you.

healthunlocked.com/asthmauk

Its worth noting that the peak flow measure is different to the spirometry measurements, one being PEF and the other FEV so not the same.

Check out BLFs page on peak flow;

blf.org.uk/support-for-you/...

[bryan45735 in reply to Bkin]

I blow 550 to 600 every day but its the fev1 marker that says different reading that's built into the device

[Bkin in reply to bryan45735]

550 and 600 are excellent, I'd say nothing to worry about. Could be the built in part that measures fev1 is not correct.

My experience of both peak flow and spirometry requires different breath / blow techniques. Again just check with your respiratory nurse if you have concerns.

Relax and enjoy the weekend.

[bryan45735 in reply to Bkin]

Thanks bkin I will try

[Dubba61]

Wouldn't worry about it Bryan. Lots of things can make it vary. If pollen is high mine drops quite a bit. As long as you've packed in Smoking, then you have done the best you can.