Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Arthritis / February 2006
Questions about peak flow and Denise
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Squirrely - 04 Feb 2006 07:38 GMT Denise has had the flu for some time now. Went to drs. She has asthma problems too from mold allergy.
Her peak flow was 350 on Mon. Dr gave her advair and 5 day Z pak.
She had to go back in on Thurs. Her peak flow was 250..
Now to me this is saying the meds are not working and she needs more. She is diabetic so I can see the drs reluctance to put her on pred. But to me the 250 is at a dangerous level and she should be getting help here.
I usually get treatment at 450. I usually do anywhere from 500-650 if breathing is ok.
I am really worried about her. I will read the answers to her on the phone. I keep in contact with her.
Thanks for any input on this.
 Signature Hugs, prayers, good thoughts, Warm fuzzies, TLC, and Love Squirrely Jo
Smokie Darling (Annie) - 04 Feb 2006 15:12 GMT > Denise has had the flu for some time now. Went to drs. She has asthma > problems too from mold allergy. [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > Warm fuzzies, TLC, and Love > Squirrely Jo Okay, I'm no doctor (obviously), but I do know my Z-packs. I was always told that with Zithromax, you won't begin to feel (or even be) better until after you've taken the last one.
That being said, I went to see my doc and he did my peak flow (I guess that's what it was called, since the numbers are interesting). Before anything, I was at 190 then again at 99 (scared the crap outta my doc anyway). Then had x-rays (clear except for some "fuzzy" spots, whatever the heck that is), then got Albuterol (which I hate, but that's another letter).
They were so freakin' happy I was reading at 290 to 320 after the inhaler that I got to go home (with an Rx for Levaquin - he didn't want me using a Z-pack with my respiratory problem). The doc also doubled my hydrocortisone (8 20 mg tabs per day for 5 days). Maybe she could be put on that rather than pred? Just a thought anyway.
Hope things improve dramatically (and drastically and soonest) for her.
Sending "purrs", Prayers, and songs up.
Smokie Darling (Annie)
Newsgroup Spambuster - 04 Feb 2006 21:19 GMT Hi SJ!
Sorry to hear that Denise is having such a rough time of it. Those breathing problems are never any fun and can sure take a lot out of you!
As far as her peak flows go, you don't say what her normal peak flows are, so it is hard to comment on the peakflow of 250.
Is Denise on any type of bronchodialater inhaler at all, such as albuterol? This is what she needs for the acute/immediate flare to keep her lungs open more. Also, perhaps her doctor might consider a very short burst of steroids, even with the diabetes, just to get her opened up more and over the hump. Does Denise have a nebulizer at home? Is she using it???
Zithromax is a good first line antibiotic for respiratory infections, but if it is not working for her, she may need to be changed over to Levequin or something a little more stronger.
You don't say what types of symptoms Denise is having, but I can tell you from my own experience, sometimes when I have a really bad respiratory infection and am coughing a LOT, I often can't get a good read on the peak flow because I am coughing too hard to get a really good deep breath in to do the peak flow so my peak flow will show lower than it should for a while. Something that might be going on with Denise, especially if she has a lot of coughing going on. Also sometimes you can cough so hard that you end up making everything so sore, that it also can cause you to have trouble taking in a deep enough breath to get a good reading on the peak flow.
Denise should be able to tell whether or not her breathing is feeling better or worse after being on the antibiotic for several days.
It is good that her doctor is keeping tabs on her every few days.
Sure hope she gets to feeling much better real soon!!!
Hugs,
Donna G
Squirrely - 07 Feb 2006 23:32 GMT Sorry I didn't get back to this sooner. Haven't been feeling up to answering posts and emails till today.
I talked with Denise and read your post to her Annie and Donna G. She thanks you both for responding to the post.
I forgot when I posted to mention she was on Albuterol. But they did up her the last time she was in to 4 times a day.
She had taken the Z pack from Thurs when she first saw the dr till it was done the 5 days. She didn't really see any difference except she was getting colored stuff up and then it went clear for a couple of days and now the colored stuff is back.
She doesn't know her recent peak flow reading before this all started. But she did tell me she got a 550 in 1991. She is a singer. She had pnemonia when she got the 550. So this is really low for her.
She does alot of diaphragm singing and breathing.
The advair, doesn't seem to be doing anything for her. It also kind of worries her, as she read the insert stuff. She should not be on it for several of her medical problems and meds she is taking. Neither one of us like her being on this one.
She did feel better after I read yours to her Annie. I didn't though, because I didn't like the 250 she has been getting.
They are going to try to move sometime soon. She knows they can't keep living there and her continue breathing with all that mold. It is on the windows and she keeps cleaning them with bleach and then lysol. But it still keeps coming back. Now she thinks it is in her carpeting.
I still think they should have her on a nebulizer and more meds to help the problem. but that is just my experience with the lung stuff. That is why I asked others that have the same thing going on and such. I can only go by my own experience.
Thank you all for answering.
She is coming back in town tonight and I will talk with her again.
 Signature Hugs, prayers, good thoughts, Warm fuzzies, TLC, and Love Squirrely Jo
> > Hi SJ! [quoted text clipped - 37 lines] > > Donna G Newsgroup Spambuster - 07 Feb 2006 23:48 GMT So, SJ,
What's the deal with Denise? Is she doing any better? We haven't heard any more from you on how she is doing and what her status is now.
Donna G
Squirrely - 08 Feb 2006 05:45 GMT Your post and mine must have missed each other in the ng. I did post earlier. Denise was suppose to call me tonight, but so far she has not. So I figure the trip back wore her out and I should hear from her tomorrow. If not I will call her and see what is going on.
 Signature Hugs, prayers, good thoughts, Warm fuzzies, TLC, and Love Squirrely Jo
> So, SJ, > > What's the deal with Denise? Is she doing any better? We haven't > heard any more from you on how she is doing and what her status is now. > > Donna G Squirrely - 12 Feb 2006 06:12 GMT She thanks all of you for your responses. I have read them to her and will be mailing them to her also.
Update on her now.
She was out of town for three days. Her peak flow went up above 450. She came back home and now below 300. She is not doing really good. She is having a reaction to the advair. She is having bad vision problems and weakness, pain, and tremors. She has tremors but these are much worse.
She doesn't think she can use pred because before when she was on it, she had bad water retention and swelling to the point that even her head hurt badly. They had to take her off the pred and give her meds to treat the reaction. It is sure the mold in the place they rent. They will be moving as soon as they can but she thinks it will be after March now.
She thanks you all for responding. I even read her the ones about the superbowl too. ;-)
She can sure use our prayers. She does not sound good at all. She said she is doing a bit better than yesterday though.
Sorry it took me so long getting this posted. I have doing things I shouldn't be doing and have been in pain by evening when I can get on here and post. Sorry.
 Signature Hugs, prayers, good thoughts, Warm fuzzies, TLC, and Love Squirrely Jo
> > So, SJ, [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Donna G Nann Bell - 12 Feb 2006 14:42 GMT > She was out of town for three days. Her peak flow went up above 450. She > came back home and now below 300. She is not doing really good. She is > having a reaction to the advair. She is having bad vision problems and > weakness, pain, and tremors. She has tremors but these are much worse. do they know why her pek flow dropped again when she returned home? is it the reaction to the advair doing it? i ask because my first thought when i read the changing numbers was to wonder if sshe's having an allergic response to something in her home or possibly to something in the area that wasn't present wherever she travelled. not being able to breathe well is so frightening.
 Signature Nann remove the Gator cheer to email me Simply the thing I am shall make me live --- William Shakespeare
Squirrely - 13 Feb 2006 22:39 GMT Nann,
there is a mold problem in their apt. That is what is causing this to be a problem for her. She is allergic to the mildew and mold problems.
I can't figure out why they don't have her on a nebulizer. I am sure that would help her out some.
She also has lots of allergies to that area anyways.
I sure hope something soon works for her. I am so worried.
 Signature Hugs, prayers, good thoughts, Warm fuzzies, TLC, and Love Squirrely Jo
> >> She was out of town for three days. Her peak flow went up above 450. She [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > present wherever she travelled. not being able to breathe well is so > frightening.
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