That is very high, close to the normally accepted value of OBLA (4 mmol). I would seriously question the accuracy of the test if I were you. It should be nearer to 1.5 mmol.
Hmm - thanks for flagging this. I mentioned this to him, and he asked me to list what meds I'm on. I've started googling, and type B lactic acidosis looks possible - I'm on a load of the meds implicated. I've emailed a prof in pharmacy for advice, and have an appt with my respiratory consultant in mid feb. My treatment seems very aggressive to me (on 12 meds currently, and had to resist being put on a 13th, which is why he called me back - he's worried about my waking at night, constant heartburn, and subjective chest tightness). Colleagues have expressed concern about the amount of drugs I'm on, and I have said before that the answer always seems to be more drugs. I've asked for tests before and for physio for my lung condition. I must chase these up.
If this proves to be the case, I shall be very grateful for the early warning - by the sounds of it, you can get in to quite a spiral if you go down this path.
i'm of the opinion that human body tends to fix itself, given the right environment/conditions. what would happen if you stopped taking pills? (not that i would advise doing that)
I have a genetic condition that means my lungs scar when I get chest infections. The scars also increase the likelihood of infections, and over time, the lung can sag at these points and become pockets of infection that need to be removed surgically. You can end up losing half a lung. I already had mild scarring through both lungs when I was diagnosed.
I have asthma, and am highly atopic (snotty). These things also put me at risk. Before my boss at work got new scanned, I was having about 6 chest infections a year.
Since I've been treated aggressively, I've had one chest infection. That's in over two years. My lung function is really good (about 33% better than it should be for someone my age / height). The side effects and the burden of managing my treatment is a pain, but my uncle died of emphysema, and the last 10+ years of his life looked awful. I want to avoid that.
My current consultant seems to throw lots of drugs at me. However, he's kept my peak flow up, and I'm not having lung problems. Relative to his normal clients (old men who can barely walk across the room), I fear he wonders why I bug him about side effects so much.
