Six Minute Walk Test

[Guest guest]

Today I had a six minute walk test as I often feel like my test is

tight. Fortunately, the NP suggested it when I complained about chronic

tightness and shortness of breath.

It's relatively simple - just walked down a hall and back, supposedly

for 6 minutes. Right after I hit 2 minutes and was feeling a bit loopy

and dizzy and like my stomach was pushing into my chest, the Pulmo

Therapist (something like that) told me to stop and sit down. It turns

out that just sitting in the chair, before starting to walk, my oxygen

was at 100% but it went down to 82% which she said was dangerous. She

advised me to walk slower and sit down often. Goodness, I've had this

for YEARS and haven't really had any help for it other than Advair,

Albuterol, Spriva, and at one time, Xolair. However, none of these

treatments (can't remember for sure though about Xolair) controlled that

feeling of tightness. I do believe the tightness and shortness of

breath are having a bad effect on my heart, strength, endurance, and

even thinking sometimes.

I'm waiting to hear the official result - had hoped the pulmo would call

me this afternoon but alas nothing. Is a 6 min walk test typical for

other asthma patients? From what I've read it's sometimes done before

progressing with a treatment plan.