Anyone have a COPD diagnosis? If so, and you feel comfortable sharing information...I would like to know
-age now and age of diagnosis
-smoker/non smoker/how many years
-symptoms prior to diagnosis
-tests ran and how they determined diagnosis
-how you feel now, what helps/doesn't
Thanks!!!
Phats
50 yrs old and recently dx'd.
Smoked for 35 yrs but no longer smoke.
Had trouble breathing and went to GP.
X-ray.
Am on Spiriva which has helped a lot and oxygen 24/7 for now.
As soon as I can catch a moment from going to Dr's all of the time and recover from recent surgery I am going to see a Pulmonologist to find out if there is more I can do and to be sure the RA isn't involved in the COPD.
Take care!!!
I have and I also smoked for over 20 years. Have not smoked for almost 8 years.
Shortness of breath upon exertion.
Tightness around the chest wall/diaphragm.
Having to clear extra mucous from the lungs ( Not myself, my husband)
Constantly clearing your throat. (Not myself, husband)
Diminished Breathing capacity. (husband has 42% breathing capacity left)
Many bad respiratory infections and possible Pneumonias that require quick medical attention in the emergency rooms (husband)
I am fortunate that between my Lung Cancer operation and my COPD, they have left me with 73% of my breathing capacity and I only have to use a rescue inhaler once in a while.
I found out I had COPD 5 days before Lung Cancer surgery.
Never Never Smoke!!! It will get you one way or the other.
Well. I'm 79 years old and was diagnosed with COPD last December. Had four trips to Emergency, all life threatening and all related to COPD, specifically pneumonia.
Been a smoker for 60 years which makes it a hard habit to kick.
Lived alone for 10 years and didn't look after myself. So, some malnutrition involved.
Was on MTX and Avara, which the specialist believes, being immuno-suppressants left the door open for pneumonia.
Almost went back to Emergency last week but upped the puffer intake for a few days, had a couple of good meals, and some extra sleep. Feel pretty O.K. today.
A respiritory nurse has provided a set of exercises aimed at keeping the "tubes" open and mucus under control. Quite happy to pass on any other info. Cheers, Des.
Phats - I am very suspicious I have the beginnings of it - too many symptoms. But that was when I hadn't been dxed with my alphabet soup. It's not a good thing to have. Cathy PS Meet you behind the shed and I bet I can kick your butt ~~ j/k - we haven't had a good rumble in here in weeks. Hi PG, I was diagnosed with COPD a year after recovery from a pulmonary embolism. I was 60 years old and it's mild. I'm on no meds. I still can walk a mile, golf, but do get SOB on full exertion. Was diagnosed when I had pulmonary function test. I hope that it stays mild. I'm in the process of losing weight and hope that will help. I started smoking when I was 15 y.o. and quit when I was 38 y.o. LindyJSNM and that equals BORING!
PS: I can still take ya
To those who responded, thank you! To those who are on meds, are you still symptomatic? How many are overweight (not to be personal )?
The reason I'm asking....we are trying to R/O this dx for me. There is one thing that is drastically different with me than everyone else who has responded..AGE! I'm only 37. I'm really scared and don't want this to be true. I know in my heart that it is. Thanks to all who responded!
PhatsPhats~Are you a smoker?
I'm 37 also. I've been a smoker for 20 years. I've been trying to quit this month. Totally fell off the wagon this weekend....but start the process all over tomorrow.
Yes
asthma since age 10, never ever smoked.. not even once.
frequent bronchitis/pneumonia
born with collapsed lungs.
my lungs have always been my weak spot.
I take singulair/albuterol/advair/ spiriva
if I am not vigilant I end up gasping like a fish out of water. No O2 yet thank goodness.. They did tests for emphysema, including the genetic form, because my father and half brother have/had it ... it killed my father..
very hot weather makes my lung function drop like a rock, so does the worst cold wet weather..
I stay out of very humid places like greenhouses.. I dont exercize in cold or hot weather, I avoid allergen triggers..
its loads of fun.
Lovie~
I'm an x-smoker. I started at age 16, quit for 5 years (in my early 20's), started again and have been smoke free for 4 years now. So, I smoked about 15 years. I was a social, night time smoker. Dr. said it was unlikely that smoking caused this, but who knows???
I quit smoking when I went to nursing school and saw first hand what it did to patients. It is a tough habit to kick.
PhatsYes, unfortunately I continue to get short of breath upon exertion and I am quite thin.
Smoking is a very tough habit to kick. I finally made it 8 months ago. For those that are trying to quit "good for you" and I will keep you in my prayers.
Some people are simply more susceptible to illnesses.
Hi Phat,
They diaginosed me with copd about 10 yrs ago I am 54 have had part of my right lung removed in 1981 with a large rheumatoid nodule they thought it was cancer it wasn't in 1994 the left lung came apart from using methotrate so they glued it back together.I know longer take anything for my rheumatoid I just deal with it I have also had 53 surgeries on top of it.I have no problems breathing only if it's humid out.I lost 45 pds and it helped alittle.I have over 15 nodules in my lungs now.And I do still smoked I know stupid but I have gave up everything else from this disease. I'm not ready yet maybe soon.
But I really wonder sometimes everyone I know that has Rheumatoid has the copd for some reason.MY MOTHER HAD IT AND NEVER SMOKED A DAY IN HER LIFE SO DID MY SISTER-IN-LAW SO THIS ONE CONFUSES ME ALITTLE.CAUSE I KNOW SO MANY PEOPLE WHO DOES HAVE IT AND NEVER SMOKED AT ALL. TAKE CARE SANDY
Mab, I'm not sure what you mean? Can you clarify?
Sandy,
Thanks for the reply. As I understand it, RA lung and COPD are different as they affect different parts of the lung. RA lung is a "tissue" issue whereas COPD is in the "tubes". Although COPD is generally known as a "smoker's" disease, you can have it if you carry a gene. I can't remember the name of it, but if anyone is interested, I'll look it up. It is alpha1-antripsyn? Something like that.
Thanks for all the great responses!!
Phats
I watch my husband often having to struggle to get his breath and I think to myself. "How utterly stupid we where to continue smoking even when we knew what terrible things could happen to our health".
Smoking is a very insidious and costly habit...in more ways than one. I pray I always will remember what it cost my husband and myself to light up.
Hope your day is a good day.
Phat, I too was surprised when I was diagnosed with COPD. I stopped smoking at about age 36 and wasn't diagnosed with COPD until age 60. Keep us posted. Lindy
Phatgirl2
Simply that people can have genetic, mental, or physical predispositions towards an illness. This can be exacerbated by how one lives, with a combination of all factors that will tip the scales.
I know someone who showed an illness in their early 30s that should not have been seen until much later. I asked the doctor who was treating her, and he said that there are always some people who have an illness earlier or later than the typical patient and it's rare for the physician to be able to determine exactly why.
What are you taking for your copd? I've had RA since I was four- I'm 44 now and I'm starting to have breathing problems. I have been on methotrexate for about 20 years which is starting to concern me.
G
I was on Spriva and Symbicort. BUT, I saw a pulmo dr and he thinks it is GI related, not lungs. So, I'm trying Prevacid right now. We'll see......
PhatsMine is mild and I'm not on meds. Was diagnosed 3 years ago and have noticed no difference. Lindybump
you know for someone who has lung disease, you sure do put out a lot of hot air. Phats~What's the status on the COPD issues? My father was dx'ed last year.
I'll be trying again to stop smoking in the coming weeks. I hate looking back at post that are years old and see what a failure I've been. I'm short of breath quite often. Scary stuff.
I have an elective surgery planned later this summer and if I want to have it I have to quit smoking for three weeks before.....and three weeks after. I'm praying that those 6 weeks will be the end of this for me. I've wanted this surgery far more than I've ever wanted to smoke.
Lovie, I wish you well with stopping smoking. It's the best present you can give yourself!! LindyGood luck, Lovie...you can do it!I really want to be a non-smoker....and I think that this surgery this summer will really be the insentive I need to kick it this time.
I've got a hell of a chest cold right now.....so I may end up stopping sooner than I'd planned.
Been tryin' to quit, too. Was on Chantix with awesome results, from about a pack a day down to maybe 2-3 cigs a day tops.
But before my actual quit day came, a pre-op liver function test came back funky. The only thing I was on at the time was the Chantix, and an occassional lortab. So, I've stopped it until I get retested next month.
That was the beginning of April, and I've managed to slowly work back up to my pack a day habit. Damnit.
I really do feel like a huge dumbass for keeping this crap up for over 20 years, but getting off the stupid things is a real drag. I don't know which is worse, the physical craving, the mental craving, or missing the mechanical aspect of lighting up.
Kudos to all you quitters!!!
keep trying all!! I quit in October.. and I feel so much better... My RD said that I would never see remission as long as I smoked!
good bump I don't believe that. I've had what many here consider remission on and off during my 15 years with this disease. I know it's not good for you......but to say you'll never see remission just isn't true. just repeated what he told me, Lovie.. IDK the statement truths or not.....
but it will be helpful to your over all health to quit *(hugs)*
no doubt about that!
I'm sort of a closet smoker anyway. I hate for people to see me smoking. I'm embarrashed by it.
Lovie, just don't give up! I was a closet smoker and a night time smoker. Quit more times than I can remember before my mind and body finally came together and the heavens aligned. If you are using aids and one does not work, have a back up and keep hacking at it! Even one less and you are better off!
Mark Twain said "It's easy to quit smoking. I've done it hundreds of times."
You can do it, (((Lovie)))!!!
Mr. Lovie got me a new car (new to me anyway) for Valentines Day and I haven't smoked in it even once. I now work 30 minutes from home so that's at least 4 a day (just back and forth to work) that I've got in the habit of dropping. The car was always the hardest for me and since I've already kicked that habit it should be a little easier this time around. I hope anyway!none of you should be smoking...period!I do not have COPD. I did want to say I am sorry to hear about this. I know someone that has COPD it just doesn't look like a fun thing to have. It is truly bad news.my mother was diagnosed with COPD at age 44...during her autopsy. She was at a party and started coughing and aspirated food into her lungs...because of the COPD she didn't have enough open bronchial tubes to keep her alive. She was a long time smoker.OMG Buck; that's horrible. So very sad. I'm sorry to hear that. thanks...she died 30 years ago when I was 16. I tell the story because its a more unusual way smoking can get youI smoked from the time I was 12 or 13. I started in the boys room in middle school. Mom found out after she found a burned spot in my shirt pocket. I guess i have copd. I smoked up until a couple of years ago. I started coughing up white stuff. And then green stuff. And then grey stuff. And then black stuff. I started coughing and couldn't stop. The Urgent care Doctor said he had good news and bad news. He said that the good news is that i didn't have pneumonia and the bad news is that 30% of my left lung had died. I said, what do you mean died and he said, you know dead, not living. Before i left, he said to me, remember how you felt before you lost a part of your lung? I said of course and he said quit smoking and you'll feel that good again. I went home and smoked on it and instead of smoking my before sleep cigarette, I just went to sleep and never smoked again. Was smoking 2-3 packs a day, ooo loved it. I still enjoy some second hand smoke every now and then. I don't miss the coughing. Doctors wanted to cut out my "bleb" but i nixed that. I don't really know about smoking. It may be what got me through over 50 years. That tobacco smoke may very well have kept me from some deadly disease at 30 or 40 years old, ya never know.
LEV
LOVIE.. Don't quit quitting......
buckeye... I am so sorry ... you were so young.
lev... I too smoked from age 12/13 ..... except during my pregnancy years..... and I quit last October when my RD said I'd never see remission as long as I smoked.. Who knows what it saved us from.. but sadly.. it could have contributed to our developing RA.. I have 5 kids... three smoke..... it breaks my heart...
Wow, very interesting and sad stories! I *don't* have COPD. In fact, it was directly related to my Enbrel. As soon as I stopped Enbrel, I stopped having lung problems. I haven't had a single problem since then. Thanks for all the good wishes.
For those who are trying to quit smoking...keep trying. I quit several times, once for 5 years. I quit this last time for almost 5 years. It is worth it to keep trying. I feel so much better since I quit smoking!
Phats
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