Breathless, but good peak flow? - Asthma Message Board

lindsalou · 11-03-2005, 05:16 AM

I have mild asthma, the last few days ive been feeling quite breathless but my peak flow is circa 500/550.
Could this be excaberation of asthma? Or could be in in my head (i suffer with anxiety)
Any input greatly appreciated

zippy_mouse · 11-03-2005, 06:45 AM

Hi, I went through the same thing.
Peak flow meter measures the openness of large airways.
When you feel breathless but your peak flow is relatively high,
only your small airways could be getting narrower.
To confirm this, you want to take a pulmonary function test when you have the feeling, which objectively shows whether your small airways are obstructed.

Also, I personally think that worsening asthma and mood swings, such as anxiety and irritability, go hand in hand. My doc says that changing hormonal balances in my body can cause mood swings, particularly when my asthma is getting worse. To deal with this, I'm trying to relax myself by drinking herb tea, taking nutritional supplements, doing Yoga and doing GSR biofeedback etc. In addition to these things, I often read books on psychology to deal with stress and anxiety.

Anyway, I think that you can use your feeling as an early warning signal of worsening asthma. Or if it's just an imagination, relaxation techniques I mentioned above might help. Hope this would help.

Howitt44 · 11-03-2005, 08:03 AM

My asthma is exactly the same! I have had PFTs and my small airways are my only problem! Does this sound like asthma? I am always worried that it is something else. My peak flow is always at least 450 unless I am sick. And on the doctors charts that is like 110%. But my small airways are like 50%!! I don't really have very any symptoms, just an occasional tightness when I go up stairs or run. I take Advair which helps a lot. I almost never have symptoms when I use the Advair daily. My doctors insist that it is asthma. I just think its odd that that one number on my pft could be so low and the others relatively good. Does anyone else have numbers like mine? Where the small airways are so bad but the large airways are on the normal range?
Cindy

MandyPandy · 11-03-2005, 10:23 AM

My peak flows normally are above 500, even when I am sick they will be in the 450s...I can be weezing like i have a band in my chest but my peek flows are OK...I contribute this to playing saxaphone for many years and learning how to blow out good. I have gone to the ER several times and my o2 levels are always good as well...they look at me like you seem OK but you are weezing like crazy. For me I feel like I can get air in (my lungs expand) but I can't seem to get it out (my lungs contracting). It's almost like my lungs are wrapped in plastic wrap or something. My peek flows are OK because if I put the power behind blowing out I force the air but when breathing normally it is hard to get air out. Have you tried using your fast acting inhailer? does it help at all?

Take care,
Amanda