asthma info needed please, peak test

[lissy21]

hey, im 22 years old and ive had asthma all my life, when i was young it was quite bad and on nebulizers, inhalors etc but for the last about 10years its not being that bad, only needed inhalor when had flu/cold, but for about the last 5/6months its got worse again, i can only go up and down the stairs and ive lost my breath, had a annoying cough aswell for a while too, my problem is i was supposed to have my 3rd op for excision of endometriosis and ovarian cysts however they wasnt happy with how my asthma is atm so cancelled it and have sent me for 2 asthma tests, i had the peak flow done and it came back at 350, is that good or not and if not how do i improve this problem, ive being ill for 2years now with endo cysts etc problems and waited along time for this op as my lifestyle atm has just gone upsidedown and for it to be cancelled has devastated me

[caregiver222]

I do not agree that the cancelation of your surgery was necessary.

In surgery, the patient is endotracheally intubated. The tube remains in place until breathing has been restored. Since you are on a ventilator, your asthmatic status is irrelevant. In the case of an asthmatic this may take a while. A tube can remain in place for fourteen days without causing tissue damage, but this is extremely expensive for the hospital (normally the endotracheal tube is removed shortly after the procedure), so basically, they deferred the procedure to save them medical expenses.

[lissy21]

thank you so much for your reply, i will buy a peak flow test kit and keep a diary, thanks for the good idea, the only thing i can think that i changed in the last 6months is the pill im on, i changed from marvalon to cilest, wether thats a issue im not sure but ive booked in with my doctor for the 6th july to talk over all the meds im on, other than that tablet being changed ive being on co-codamols 30/500, naproxen, tetralysal and fluoxetine, i know the pollen count is very high this year so i have started taking hayfever tablets about 3days ago, maybe they may help, my diets not changed as im a coeliac and being on gluten free food m whole life, ill also have a look into GERD, really do need to find a way to get it under control as the surgery for cysts and endo will really help with my pain issues it causes therefore can stop taking the co-codamols and naproxen, the only thing i know im allergic to is tramadol, hopefully my doctor will have some answers and can help me next week, thanx again for respondng

[geminigirl1963]

I'm sorry you're having so much trouble with your asthma and the cysts.  While it's frustrating for you to have them cancel your surgery due to the asthma, I feel it was a wise choice.  Anesthesia can be risky for anyone, but especially someone with breathing problems and you certainly don't want to end up having more problems than you already do.

It's a bit difficult to say if your peak flow of 350 is "good" or not - "good" readings on a peak flow go somewhat by your age, height, weight.  However, they are more what is "good" for YOU.  Meaning, if your peak flow reading when you are having NO symptoms - no cough, no wheeze, no shortness of breath, etc. - is, say 400, then a reading of 350 is down from what is your good reading.  However, if your readings are normally in the 300-350 range on a good day, then it's perfectly "normal".  Really to get an accurate measure of your peak flows, you need to do the peak flow test every day, at least once a day to get an average reading.  That way you can get a better idea of what is a good reading for you, when your readings are in the 'not so good" range and when they fall to the "call the doctor" range.

You say you've been having more troubles in the past 5-6 months - do you have allergies and if so, have you noticed that your allergies have been worse during this time also?  Can you pinpoint certain things that have triggered your asthma symptoms - food, activities, illnesses, etc?

Are you currently using any inhalers and if so, are you using them daily or only when needed?  You may benefit from a daily inhaler (perhaps even one containing an inhaled steroid) - at least for a short time to reduce your asthma problems so you can have your surgery and while you recover from the surgery.

If you can attribute your recent asthma problems to allergies, I would suggest talking to your doctor about some type of allergy medication - if you reduce the allergies, it very well could also reduce the asthma problems.

You may also benefit from seeking a consult with an ENT (ear, nose and throat) doctor.  If you've got some underlying throat or sinus issues, that could also very well be causing your asthma symptoms to flare.  And finally, another thing to consider and check into is the possibility of GERD (gastric reflux) - that can definitely cause coughing and asthma like symptoms, including shortness of breath.  You don't necessarily have to have heartburn to have GERD, so don't count it out if you don't suffer from heartburn.

I hope you're able to find the answers to what's causing your asthma to worsen and you can get your surgery soon!  Please keep me posted on how you're doing and what you find out.

A fellow asthma sufferer....