Mary from Kansas asks Mark, “I have pushed myself on the tread- mill for months, walking over a mile at speeds up to 2.2 mph, using oxygen at 6LPM. When I check my O2 saturation, the readings have gone down to 86%. Lately, I have become increasingly short of breath and have to stop. Is…
Elaine B. of New Mexico asks about long-term effects of Coumadin. Although not a drug used primarily for breathing disorders, Coumadin (Warfarin) is prescribed for many patients for a variety of reasons. Coumadin is a “blood thinner,” or anticoagulant, which prevents blood from clotting as it should. Normally, our blood clots only when…
Ask Mark Laura from New Mexico writes, “I use Albuterol/Ipratropium Bromide in my nebulizer upon awakening and then within 15 minutes I use the Advair Discus. Is this the proper thing to do or should I wait at least two hours before using the Advair?” Jana from Louisiana also asks about proper spacing…
Ask Mark…… Julie from EFFORTS asks Mark why her oxygen saturation drops, even though she turns the flow up on her Helios liquid portable. Mark replies “It is apparent that Helios is not the system for you. While it is small and light weight, the setting of 4 on the pulse dose Helios is equivalent…
Ask Mark Jean Rommes of Osceola, IA, writes, “In the last issue, an article noted WebMd.com and their guide- line for exercise being if you can’t walk and talk at the same time, you’re working too hard. My personal experience, as a COPD patient, is that if I can walk and talk at the same…
Maxine from NC tells Mark she ended up in the emergency room and had to be put on BiPAP. Maxine asks how she got to that point! Mark explains, “COPD can advance to the point that you lose the ability to ventilate the lungs – the ‘mechanical’ act of moving air into and…
Ask Mark … We would like to congratulate Mark on receiving the honor of becoming a Fellow of the American Association for Respiratory Care. A fellowship is conferred upon those who have met a standard of excel- lence in their practice. We thank Mark for his unending and uncon- ditional support of people with…
Alan from EFFORTS asks Mark, “What is the difference between the medications, Perforomist and Brovana?” Mark replies, “There is a distinct and consequential difference between Perforomist (Formoterol Fumarate) and Brovana (Aformoterol Tartrate). They are the same in that they are both long-acting, beta- agonist bronchodilators. They are also the same in that they are…
Ask Mark … Bette Hansen of Sun City West, AZ, writes, “I am fighting fear about losing liquid oxygen and, therefore, the use of my Helios. I am a terribly no longer has liquid oxygen at all! Each type of oxygen system has its pros and cons. No system is inher- ently “the best”…
Ask Mark … Mary Ann from Florida asks, I have heard Muscle Trainers are good for people with lung disease. Can you tell me about them? Mark says, Inspiratory Muscle Training (IMT) is a nice and sometimes useful adjunct breathing exercise for folks with COPD. Electrical muscle studies done about 15 years ago showed…