Peak Flow

[Hell...Hath...No...Fury..]

I was looking to see if there was any info on here about peak flow home testing but the CPET pages just seemed to pop up.

I borrowed someones piko-1 device the other day and was stunned to see i can't blow properly!

I can't remember the readings yesterday but i was in the amber zone.

This morning i was also in the amber zone with readings like:

FEV: 1.41
PEF: 266

But just done it now when i'm really exhausted and i'm stuck in the red zone with very low readings.

FEV: 0.62
PEF: 100

FEV: 0.49
PEF: 85

FEV: 0.25
PEF: 62

I can't try anymore but the machine is constantly giving me the exclamation marks telling me i've either got a cough or doing it wrong but i don't have the strength to blow any harder.

I've asked to borrow the device so i can try it over the next 7 days.

Has anyone else got one of these devices? Theyre usually used to manage asthma and COPD.

 

[Little Bluestem]

Anyone?

 

[physicsstudent13]

wow are you ok? I would run to the pulmonologist and ER if you are having an asthma attack. I take dulera singulair+combivent sometimes and prednisone or prednisolone

 

[Hell...Hath...No...Fury..]

I dont have asthma. My lungs have always been very good as far as lungs go. This is me all the time now. Which was why i wanted to know if anyone has experimented with this device with regard to ME.

My results are directly proportionate to how ill i am. When ill i'm in the bottom of the red zone and on a good day, i'm amber and i get worse with every try.

I'm guessing if people dont have asthma then its unlikely they'll have experimented with this at home, it was just by chance i borrowed one.

Just thought it would be interesting to compare but no one seems to be doing it.

 

[physicsstudent13]

You should go to the ER, with breathing problems your oxygen is probably dangerously low and damaging all of your organs. You should also get a finger oximeter if you can to measure your O2.

 

[Hell...Hath...No...Fury..]

I don't have breathing problems and oxygen levels are fine (been using one of those for a couple of years)

 

[Little Bluestem]

Years ago, and only a few years into my then undiagnosed ME, I attended a 'health fair' on allergies and asthma because I have allergies. On person had a device to blow into and measure your lung capacity. Is that the sort of device you are talking about?

My lung capacity tested low the first time I tried. This surprised the person doing the testing, after all, I "looked healthy". She suggested I try again. I did and the result was the same. She said I was at risk to develop adult-onset asthma. I have not. I wonder if it is an ME thing.

 

[Hell...Hath...No...Fury..]

@Little Bluestem yes thats the device. That's interesting! I'm starting to think it could be an ME thing. Or a POTS thing but maybe not many have experimented with this.

I've always had a problem with having the strength to talk or laugh when very ill. Even explaining the problem in detail to a speech therapist had her stumped as it was something she hadn't come across before but when energy is low its hard to speak because of the strength it takes to breathe out to project the words or laughter and this can potentially be measured with this device.

The readings definitely seem to match my state of energy at any given time and correlates with times when i dont have the energy to speak or can only speak quietly without the power to project the voice.

I really made an effort to really blow hard the other day and it caused a huge pain in the back of my skull and made me really dizzy. It was still only in the amber section though

 

[Little Bluestem]

I don't have POTS, so I would say an ME/energy production thing. I don't have any problems with normal day-to-day breathing.

 

[Hell...Hath...No...Fury..]

I was thinking of asking Julia Newton about it when i next see her to see if she has an theories about it as i can't get any info anywhere relating to it.
I'm thinking of buying a device now just to do more experimenting

 

[physicsstudent13]

I really hate PFTs!!!!
they are terrible for me because the mask the exhalation problems I have and fogginess
I guess some doc can just assign a number to me and rob me of time and money while I'm left suffering and still brain damaged and that is facilitated by a PFT

 

[Sea]

I have a peak flow monitor because my daughter has asthma. Her peak flow varies from 260 to 350. My peak flow is 430 L/min.

Have you had someone show you how to use the monitor? To measure the peak flow you have to take a big breath in and blow it out as quickly and forcefully as you can which is somewhat different to just blowing hard.

 

[Hell...Hath...No...Fury..]

Yeah i have. Its the forceful bit thats the issue that isnt do-able.

 

[physicsstudent13]

I think I had a stroke, I woke up confused and extremely foggy and couldn't pronounce or speak and couldn't understand what people were saying. It was really scary.
My asthma kills me in my sleep. my life has been destroyed by these diseases. I think asthma reduces oxygen to all your organs and damages blood gas exchange. I wonder how much brain function I've lost.

I'm not sure antibiotics make things worse or better. I started 50mg of prednisone with solumedrol and I felt much better. But I still cannot EXHALE. The ER said I have bronchitis.

I don't think PFT is a good test and the peak flow is just very basic. They have new tests at Columbia. I was just so poor and disabled that I couldn't think to switch my medicaid and try to limp and hobble there by train. I wrote to doctors at Columbia but they didn't reply. My neurologist said I have complex asthma.

Those numbers are terrible, I would guess you should aim for 700 or 600. Exercise can make your muscles more oxygen efficient, it is used in COPD patients.

I have a peak flow monitor because my daughter has asthma. Her peak flow varies from 260 to 350. My peak flow is 430 L/min.

Have you had someone show you how to use the monitor? To measure the peak flow you have to take a big breath in and blow it out as quickly and forcefully as you can which is somewhat different to just blowing hard.