Bedside spirometry is not as accurate as full pulmonary function tests in a "booth" in the pulmonology unit. And if they don't actually run an arterial blood gas, there's no way they can tell what is going on by doing a "venous" one.

Also, Prednisone can make you temporarily worse before making you better. What is usually done is IV Solu-Medrol instead of tablets. It doesn't make you "choke" when you take it either.

You have the right to take your Mestinon as often as your prescribing doctor has said you can. If he says you can take it more often, you can. You also have the right to take your OWN medications while in a hospital or ER. The doctors often don't like that but it's your right. They tried to tell me I couldn't have my brand name Mestinon syrup during my crisis and were going to offer up the generic version - which my neuro said no way to - but I insisted on taking what my body was used to.

And even 2 points away from an abnormal NIF is significant. Good grief. Are you even on oxygen? BTW, you shouldn't be on oxygen if they do an arterial blood gas because it skews the results. It would be like eating a hot fudge sundae before a blood glucose was taken.

I hope you will, like Alice said, have a good conversation with a real doctor. Hang in there.

Annie