Asthma

[Alliegid]

About 6 weeks ago I visited the dr because I had had a cough for 3 weeks and had also had 5 episodes of wheeziness.
I am learning to drive, at the age of 50! and thought that the breathing thing might just have been a panic attack as it had only happened when I was about to go out for a driving lesson.
Dr gave me a peak flow meter, which I managed to only ever puff 250 - 300 on and then said I was asthmatic.

I now have a brown inhaler for morning and night and blue for breathless attacks (needless to say I have not been wheezy or coughed since I visited dr)

Last week I went to the asthma Clinic and nurse did a spirometer (or something) test and said that I had lung capacity of an 80yr old. I am a fit, healthy person, who runs up stairs, walks for pleasure and just doesn't get breathless - I don't understand!!!

[furrypusscat]

I would go back to Gp and ask if he really thinks it is necessary to use the brown inhaler or whether the blue one (reliever) would suffice for wheezy/cough episodes given your asthma clinic results which sound good. You don't really want to be on a medication if it is not necessary.

[pixie373]

Normal peak flow for a 50 year old female is between 400-440, depending on your height. My 11 year son has asthma and if his drops to 250, he needs his blue inhaler, so yours is quite low. Quite possibly asthma or copd, but could have been brought on by an allergy or virus temporarily. I think it's worth going back to ask again, though.

[Sqad]

Peak flow meter and Spirometry are different tests, but both can diagnose asthma. Spirometry is more often used to assess the result of your asthma treatment as is the case in you situation which indicates a satisfactory response.

[Daffy6543]

Asthma clinic results don't sound good, why would anyone (furrypusscat) think that being told you have lung capacity of an 80 year old at age 50 is good?

Don't stop using the brown inhaler, it is this that has probably led to you not feeling so breathless, stopping it would possibly make you get the tightness in your chest and the wheezing again.

[Alliegid]

Thanks for replies guys - I don't feel any different at all whilst using brown inhaler - basically not breathless before ( except in the driving lesson panic scenario) and not breathless when using puffer - certainly don't feel any different at all. Shall continue with it until my next asthma clinic appt in June, when presumably they will compare spirometer reading with previous ones. I still feel that Dr is trying to 'cure' a non existant problem.

Maybe this is what has prevented my non opera or bag pipe career!