What is "normal" reading from peak flow meter?
Question:
Hi everyone: Been quite a while since I checked in…hope everyone is doing OK. I saw my doc for bronchitis a couple weeks ago. He gave me meds, but also wanted me to start using a peak flow meter, and keeping records of what I "blow" in the AM and PM. So here’s my question…what is "normal" for my age (36 this summer), height (5′4"), and weight (165ish)? I realize this may be difficult if not impossible to answer. I’m doing about 550-570, although I’ve been as low as 350 (this morning). As a side note, I’ve also started keeping track of when I use my "rescue inhaler" (Maxair), and it’s a LOT more often than I thought. Looks like I might need to get off Serevent and onto something else. Thanks for any advice/help/guidance anyone can give me… Jim
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hi everyone: > Been quite a while since I checked in…hope everyone is doing OK. > I saw my doc for bronchitis a couple weeks ago. He gave me meds, but > also wanted me to start using a peak flow meter, and keeping records > of what I "blow" in the AM and PM. > So here’s my question…what is "normal" for my age (36 this summer), > height (5′4"), and weight (165ish)? I realize this may be difficult > if not impossible to answer. I’m doing about 550-570, although I’ve > been as low as 350 (this morning). As a side note, I’ve also started > keeping track of when I use my "rescue inhaler" (Maxair), and it’s a > LOT more often than I thought. Looks like I might need to get off > Serevent and onto something else. > Thanks for any advice/help/guidance anyone can give me… > Jim
Here’s a couple of sites that give some predicted normal values. http://www.predictonline.com/azma4.htm http://www.shs.unc.edu/medservices/specialty_services/asthma/pflow.html Tom H
Response:
PC Gameplayer giggled madly while writing: > So here’s my question…what is "normal" for my age (36 this summer), > height (5′4"), and weight (165ish)? I realize this may be difficult > if not impossible to answer. I’m doing about 550-570, although I’ve > been as low as 350 (this morning). As a side note, I’ve also started > keeping track of when I use my "rescue inhaler" (Maxair), and it’s a > LOT more often than I thought. Looks like I might need to get off > Serevent and onto something else.
there are some charts that serve as a rough guide, but ‘normal’ really varies from person to person and meter to meter. normal for you should be the highest you can get consistantly on symptom-free days. it’s usually a sign that your asthma’s starting to go out of control if you can only get to under 80% of this, and it’s usually a sign that you should seek medical attention as quickly as possible if you can’t get over 50%. of course, these are just guidelines and sometimes vary from person to person. Paige — throw the baby out with the bathwater to reply by e-mail I love the absolution of all jocks and preps — Skate or die!!!
Response:
Jim, please excuse the extreme nature of this post. Maybe it doesn’t apply because of stuff you left out of your post. See the list of maybes down a few paragraphs. But just in case. If you made three good attempts this morning, and the highest was 350, CALL YOUR DOCTOR. Only the highest of three attempts counts, but this is (350/550 or 570) 61-63% of YOUR normal. Regular directions are something like this (more blunt than your doctor, but then I’m not a doctor): 100% — 75% of your normal Take regular medications 75% — 50% of your normal Take extra medications as discussed and call doctor in normal working hours 50% — 0% of your normal Call doctors emergency number on the way to the hospital If you’ve only started using the peak flow meter, maybe you aren’t using it correctly. Maybe you are using the worst of the three attempts. Maybe you didn’t make three attempts. Lots of maybes. So don’t panic. But if you are using your rescue inhaler more than you thought. If your are really reading 63% of your normal. If you are not already on increased medicines in reaction, You may not be reacting appropriately. [I've heard more stories from my sister, a paramedic in NYC, of asthmatics not calling for help until every last canister of albuterol etc in the house is empty. 9 out of 10, they are sitting at the kitchen table, pile of empty canisters on the table, tripod position (hands on knees, back straight) neck and rib muscles straining to get in air. When they can finally talk again, "I didn't think I was this bad."] For your direct question: "Normal" is almost impossible to answer in this case, and not very useful. I have heard of musicians (wind instruments of course) who had trouble getting treatment since they were at 150% of normal. Of course, they were at 60% of their normal. Normal for me is 550-600. It doesn’t vary much at all for me, but that’s just me. Liam
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hi everyone: > Been quite a while since I checked in…hope everyone is doing OK. > I saw my doc for bronchitis a couple weeks ago. He gave me meds, but > also wanted me to start using a peak flow meter, and keeping records > of what I "blow" in the AM and PM. > So here’s my question…what is "normal" for my age (36 this summer), > height (5′4"), and weight (165ish)? I realize this may be difficult > if not impossible to answer. I’m doing about 550-570, although I’ve > been as low as 350 (this morning). As a side note, I’ve also started > keeping track of when I use my "rescue inhaler" (Maxair), and it’s a > LOT more often than I thought. Looks like I might need to get off > Serevent and onto something else. > Thanks for any advice/help/guidance anyone can give me… > Jim
Response:
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