Confusion on %number with large/small airways

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planetx - 11 Jan 2006 00:51 GMT

This is my first time visiting this board. I am male(40yr old). I have
been using Adviar 250/50(twice) since it came out. Before then was
using flovent, serevent,qvar, etc.

I actually have not had an asthma attack since my early teens. However
I still have always been on asthma medication because my doctors say I
need it. My airways are %84(large) and %54(small). However accurate
those tests are.

I went to my asthma doctor asking to get off Advair completely and
instead he wants me to actually increase to Advair 500/50(twice) to try
to increase my small airways.

I cannot understand why I need medicine if I do not have any attacks?
Should I find another doctor? Are my small airways really that bad?

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00doc - 11 Jan 2006 03:34 GMT

> This is my first time visiting this board. I am male(40yr old). I have
> been using Adviar 250/50(twice) since it came out. Before then was
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> I cannot understand why I need medicine if I do not have any attacks?
> Should I find another doctor? Are my small airways really that bad?

I think you are referring to measures on spirometry. If that is the case
they each should be 100% - or at least about the same percentage. The fact
that your small airways number is >20% less than the large airways suggests
that you are still having some obstruction and that your doc was correct to
try increasing the inhaled steroid (the 250 and 500 in the Advair). I'm sure
he planns to repeat the testing to see if the change in meds helps. It would
also be beneficial to track peak flows paying special attention to whether
the numbers fluctuate.

People with asthma are notoriously bad at guaging their own symptoms so not
having attacks is not completely reassuring given spirometric evidence of
obstruction. If you want to reduce medications it may make sense to change
the Advair to just an inhaled steroid instead of a combination product.

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00doc

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planetx - 11 Jan 2006 04:11 GMT

> > This is my first time visiting this board. I am male(40yr old). I have
> > been using Adviar 250/50(twice) since it came out. Before then was
[quoted text clipped - 28 lines]
> --
> 00doc

Thankyou for the response. I am not sure what the test is: I basically
blow into a machine at the doctors office. It has a display with
candles on it(haha),,I have to blow into all the candles are out.

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