Mild asthma sufferers, what’s your peak flow?

I’ve had very mild asthma for a while now and recently got myself a peak flow meter. My peak flow seems consistently low, around 570, however when I take a puff on the inhaler it rises to around 620, which is what it should be for a healthy 44 year-old.

Whilst 570 isn’t an issue, and presents no symptoms,I’m slightly concerned it’s constantly low which would perhaps indicate mild copd rather than asthma (and yes, i was a smoker until recently). I thought with asthma peak flow would be normal usually, only dropping down when having a reaction.

Can anyone with very mild asthma tell me what their day to day peak flow is when their condition is stable, and does it go up when you take a puff of salbutamol. Would be useful to know before I waste the doctors time.

Ta

I have chronic asthma which fell under the recommended shielding group on Asthma UK’s webpage, so maybe not ‘mild’.

I have always had consistently low peak flows – I’m always told it should be higher, even when fully controlled by medication. I often struggle to get over 500 but I don’t generally have day-to-day symptoms – the asthma nurse always tells me off for not trying hard enough.

Having spoken to a specialist they said that like many ‘average’ things, some people will just fall either side of the average peak flows, so provided there isn’t a wild change between ‘normal’ and low when suffering an attack, it shouldn’t be anything to worry about.

That said, I have struggled to get proper control for my asthma – the problems I had which got me referred to the specialist were basically that he said it wasn’t properly controlled by medication in the first place, so I may not be the ideal person to reply!

Is 500 after medication? That seems pretty high to be classed as ‘shielding’. I don’t even have symptoms when I exercise, unless I am suffering from hayfever.

680 ish

I can, however get it off the end of the scale by cheating.

I don’t actually use it very often at all these days but i’ve been doing it long enough that I can fairly accurately predict what the reading will be when i’m asked to provide a reading for medical staff.

i`ve been having annual peak flow checks for 35years – i have no idea what my average peak flow is…

my view is that if its not a problem day to day, why worry…

I always suffered with small lung capacity. It would take my mate 2 puffs to fill a baloon while I would need maybe 10!. Eventually after a period of breathing problems when I was in my early 40’s a new doctor immediately diagnosed me with asthma. I have never had a serious episode in my life but using the peak flow test for 3-4 weeks I was all over the place anywhere between 450 and 520, but never higher. I took the brown stabilizer for years then (still do when I remember) and have just tried a peak flow test and am now holding 600 on 3 consecutive tries. I would say that is the new norm now I have it under control.

In the interest of science I’ve just had a puff on the blue inhaler so here goes…..

wow… 640 (repeated so not a fluke)

640 (repeated so not a fluke

Assume that’s after a puff of the blue one. Are you saying it’s 600 normally when using the brown inhaler, and was around 500 when you weren’t using it?

680 ish

Is that with no medication? Surely if so you don’t have asthma?

Yep, was around 500 when first identified as the problem. Was 600 now on reading your post, after ca. 15 years of preventer (Qvar). And was then 640 straight after a puff on the blue to see if it made a difference ref. your post above.

Mine is EIB, is as good as 770 on a good day, any infections or attacks and it can go as low as 400 or so.   I had my lung capacity measured 8 years ago at +14% over average.   Thats before I started training properly although I’ve always done sports and have a pigeon chest shape torso.

Is that with no medication? Surely if so you don’t have asthma?

No, that’s with right combination of medication.

Over the last 48 years I’ve spent enough time in hospitals, on nebulisers, to convince me that I might have asthma.

Mine is EIB, is as good as 770 on a good day, any infections or attacks and it can go as low as 400

So yours only flares up with exercise but is otherwise high?

In non eib it sounds like it’s constantly low (without medication) judging by whst Welsh farmer says. Which mirrors my situation.

In non eib it sounds like it’s constantly low (without medication) judging by whst Welsh farmer says. Which mirrors my situation.

No the other way?   770 is very good when I’m healthy and fit e.g. now.   If I get a chest infection, hayfever or anything else that causes the EIB to flare up is very low.  The 400 – actually about 415 – was taken when I had a chest infection the morning after I had an actual asthma attack without exercise inducing it.  That was the day they told me I was going on record as Asthmatic cue a brown/blue inhaler.

Edit: I thought I mights as well have a go – just blown 700 twice.

No the other way?

Yours is eib which means it usually high…

Non eib (ie welsh farmer) it sounds like (without treatment) it’s usually low.

Yours is eib which means it usually high…

I see what you’re saying, yes thats right, I’m not constricted until something induces an irritation…  usually heavy breathing, cold air, and a bronchial infection/irritation or any combo thereof.

Interesting. I don’t have asthma but my wife does and measures her peak flow most days.

Whenever I’ve tried, I struggle to get to 400. Is that bad?

Whenever I’ve tried, I struggle to get to 400. Is that bad?

It’s not a competition.

It’s all about monitoring what is normal for you and noting any changes.

You could be a peak athlete and blow 400 every day but the day you blow 320 that’s when you know something is going awry.

Conversely, you could be an overweight, unfit, lifelong, chronic asthmatic with extremely well managed medication and blow 680 every day.

It’s about the pattern, not the score

I vary between 250 and 350 on a good day. Doesn’t really effect me too much. I take a spray twice daily.

620 sounds reasonable for 44-year-old who has smoked until recently.

I have more severe asthma, and blow 550 when clear (50 year old) , but I’d consider that ‘reasonably’ well managed. However, the dosage of drugs I take places me in the ‘extremely vulnerable’ shielding category.

To be honest, the number means very little compared to the actual symptoms you experience – if you are having asthma attacks, wheezing at night or in the morning, or you feel constricted and limited in your activity, that would be more of an issue.

Just pulled the PFM off the shelf to check. Feeling a tad congested, no riding for a few days – 500.

EDIT: Just for you, took a couple of blasts of salbutamol and had a hack – up to 550 again.

I’m slightly concerned it’s constantly low which would perhaps indicate mild copd

COPD is a loose definition for a bundle of chronic respiratory problems – persistent wheeze/breathlessness plus perhaps a phlegmy cough, and a tendency to get chest infections. This doesn’t seem to fit your description of ‘no symptoms’, but if you are worried that some aspect of your asthma is not well-controlled, go see your GP and see if a different drug might improve things. There are quite a few options these days.

Been classed as a mild asthmatic most of my life. Peak flow is usually around the 500 mark, can get up to 570 if I hit the inhaler on a good day. The docs were a little worried about 15-odd years ago that I couldn’t get above 450 even with full medication that they put me forward for a study of lung shape and volume in asthmatics which meant I got got go in a full-body scanner after having to inhale on a mask that put a coloured dye all over the lung lining. The resulting 3D model showed I had massive lungs but in a shape that meant I couldn’t contract the muscles fast enough to get a high flow rate. I think the figure was 36% larger than normal!

Still crap at blowing up balloons, struggle to get them going.

Do those that have mild asthma ever have proper attacks? I’ve never had an attack as such but sometime I feel I’m not breathing as efficiently as I should be. That about as bad as it gets usually

I have mild asthma and at the start I didn’t take my preventer as regularly as I should because I felt fine most of the time. But then I would have the odd attack that knocked me for six. I learnt my lesson though and since then have taken my medication every day even if I feel fine I’ve had no issues.
Oh flow is over 600.

Asthmatic since a kid and on Ventolin when I need with 2x500mg fostair x2 per day and Mine varies between 500-600. just blew 600 then did a session on my Airofit that took it up to 630.

after a good ride it can go up to 650 but never higher.

ive also started taking Turmeric shots as well recently. They haven’t improved my PF but i no longer get that burning agony when I climb.

Suffered with Asthma all my life, as youngster took up running when the Asthma was better controlled. Ran competitively for 40 years and medicated twice a day. Unless I was having a mild episode which happened frequently I could blow the old meter pretty much to the top. Now at 55 its about 600.

Had a asthma attack in my early 20s & was put ‘on the programme’ Fast forward 30ish years & I’ve been effectively off any meds for most of that time but have a ventolin inhaler just in case. Fit/ active – no issues but have never been able to get over 450ish on those stupid peak flow things – so as reluctantjumper said, it’s not necessarily the best measure, just what’s ‘relative’ for you.

I’ve just been moved over to Fostair, its made a big difference to my breathing especially in the morning, where I was like an old diesel van.

I had pneumonia again in February, (suspected Covid) and was down to 300, after being on brown and blue I got it back upto 450 and after being on Fostair for a few weeks I’m up at 560 again.

Not good when before my first bout of pneumonia I could go off the end of the scale.

How long is a piece of string? I had asthma as a kid which pretty much disappeared at 16. I raced traithlon for over 20 years with no medication only retiring once with asthma symptoms. However, it’s come back to haunt me with age and last year I was carted off in an ambulance from lying on the pavement when doing sod all apart from breathe too much tree pollen.

Some days I can ride a col flat out and feel fine with no meds, on others I feel like I’m drowning trying to walk gently up hill even after the brown. I’ve learned to keep the blue in a pocket rather than keel over and use the brown when wheezy and coughing up crap for more than an few hours.

This year the tree pollen coincided with the first week of confinement and I felt dreadful – Madame is convinced she had Covid, I don’t know. Was it Covid + the pollen, just the pollen or mainly Covid? By August I’m usually fine and don’t need the meds but this year I’m still suffering with chest pains in addition to the usual soreness, cough and drowning sensations. I’m hoping it’s Covid taking a long time to get over because if not I’m not happy about my new level of asthma suffering.

As for using the meds if you can get by without, why? Beta-agonists (ventolin) **** up your heart long term and cortisone (the brown and the tablets) has well known side effects. The ambulance trip has reminded me to keep a blue in my pocket but I’d rather live with mild symtoms than use the meds all the time.

In answer to the original question, if I’m not having an asthma attack Salbutamol makes no difference to flow, if I am it makes a huge difference, no need to measure when the difference is being distressed when walking slowly or quite happily running.

My peak flow is normally around 700-750 Had a viral infection over Christmas that dropped it below 560 which made me wheezy as ****

Been on Fostair for quite a few years that really sorted out my asthma. One doc did try me on some other stuff but that sent me backwards and was soon put back on Fostair.

670-700 normally. 40 and 5’8″ and a half

650 ish, 700 occasionally but I think that’s as much about technique as lung capacity.
Drops to 400 ish is I have a cold or a chest infection.
I use a Beclometasone morning and night, a blue Salbutamol one very occasionally.

Pretty much the same as lunge although have dropped below 400 when my asthma has been triggered by an unexpected allergy. Because its something largely triggered by environmental triggers that are difficult to predict, I struggle to get the purple inhaler dose right so use the Salbutamol far more than is ideal.

New exercise for the lungs – Go buy a pack of balloons 😀 I think I’ll give that a go.

Can’t hurt. Well there is the trippy dizziness, but maybe it’s worth it for that 😆

600-700 using a Smart Peak flow meter which is on average -10% to 15% variance with the standard meter from the Doc. As others I look for the pattern and drops. 40+ not particularly CV fit right now.

Edit: Is the Airofit any good?

I had mild asthma for many years, but, once I stopped working, it seemed to go away. I had pneumomia 40 odd years ago which left some scarring on my lungs. My peak flow is about 550 which, according to the tables, is ok for a 5 foot 11, 65 year old man.

550 on a good day if I give it a good try, 600 if I’ve had a work workout before hand

Under 500 is not uncommon

I’m on seretide 250 2×2 daily

6ft, 49yrs

Do those that have mild asthma ever have proper attacks? I’ve never had an attack as such but sometime I feel I’m not breathing as efficiently as I should be. That about as bad as it gets usually

Yes, had a few over the years. They’re ridiculously scary when they happen! The same as choking in that your body desperately tries to get air in but can’t. And yes, I’ve done both to the point of passing out. The choking was as the ambulance arrived after a piece of chicken went down the wrong way and the asthma attack was in hospital while under observation.

The current heat is reducing my peak flow to 460, always struggle in high temps and/or humidity.

Nothing to add of value here (other than a passing interest in possible exercise induced asthma), but I hadn’t even opened this thread before ads for Bluetooth peak flow meters appeared on my Facebook feed…

My peak flow is 810.

It’s not a competition.

It is though, isn’t it?

Anyway, as I was saying, my measured PEFR is high despite (because of??) my very mild asthma. I’ve never tried improving it with Salbutamol but I doubt it’d make any difference.

But yes, the trend is more important that the peak. If you are regularly getting some change in PEFR after salbutamol it might be worth seeing if your preventer meds can be optimised.

At my annual review my asthma nurse places great emphasis on the trend rather than current peak flow reading.
Normally I blow around 550 – 600 and use Seretide daily to manage my situation.
I have had serious attacks several times over the years resulting in courses of steroids, these seem to be brought on by cold weather.

Although last November I had a bad attack which dropped my peak flow to around 300 ☹️ , which was apparently caused by a bad bronchial virus doing the rounds ( pre COVID ,symptoms were so similar but that’s a whole different thread ) and flow was down for ages

Just blown 570 which is good for me, but doing that also caused a little coughing fit :/
I’m usually around 550 day to day but can drop down to 500 if i feel a bit shit, and then up a bit over 600 when i take salbutamol for exercise
I never have attacks and have sport-induced asthma. When i’m ill or run down i might have a blast or two on the inhaler