Copd & Asthma.... I have Never smoked.

Hi all, having a rough few days health wise. I have been to the dr today for sinus/chest infection and she has put me back on a weeks course of Doxycycline and 8 prednisolone a day plus recommended that I take antihistamine until at least end of September when hay fever season should end.

Today is the first day I have had a straight answer, the reason I keep getting all the infections (now on course 11 of steroids/antibiotics since October) she said it should settle down once my Asthma symptoms are under control., she also informed me that the consultant has suggested I have COPD. I thought only smokers/older people got this?

I'm not sure if I am on the right discussion board but feeling shocked at the COPD suggestion.

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Hi Lisa, many people think that COPD is restricted to people who have smoked, but thats not the case. The consultant is suggesting that I also have more of a COPD picture than asthma, I can understand where they are coming from in my case, as I have severe issues and very little reversibility. The way Im trying to look at it, is my symptoms are what they are, regardless of what name they put on it.

This is information from the slides on the BTS website:

COPD is predominantly caused by smoking and is characterised by airflow obstruction that:

- is not fully reversible

- does not change markedly over several months

- is usually progressive in the long term

Exacerbations often occur, where there is a rapid and sustained worsening of symptoms beyond normal day-to-day variations requiring a change in treatment

Whilst it is predominantly caused by smoking, its not always caused by smoking. This description certainly fits me, unfortunately.

Is it worth having this discussion with your consultant? Im sorry the discussion has left you feeling horrid. In some ways for me it helped me make sense of why I have been struggling and deteriorating for so long.

Lynda x

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have you been checked for other things...? bronchiectasis results in frequent infections, as can aspiration of stomach contents. I had a couple of years of constant pneumonias until the new hospital figured out I was aspirating my stomach contents at night. Have you had investigations besides spirometry/LFT's? CT scan?

Lynda

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Thank you Lynda for your reply. I have had a barium swallow as at first the dr thought I had gastric reflux, the results were ok, I have also had a camera up my nose/down throat. I will certainly ask about Bronchiectasis when I go back to see the consultant next month. My step daughter did mention it, she's a nurse on a elderly ward and said lots of her patients have it but its usually caused by childhood infections. I have had no problems with infections or chest problems during childhood. I have pointed out lots to my GP and the consultant that I was born at 29 weeks but they seem to dismiss this idea that that could be anything to do with what is happening now.

Lisa

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I was initially diagnosed with bronchiectasis. The problem is if you are getting recurrent infections now you are also at risk of it even if it hasn't been the cause of initial infections. I recently had a third CT scan to check this wasn't the case, as I'm still prone to infection. Worth a mention if only to rule it out. Whilst general chest wards have plenty of elderly folk with it, at Papworth (specialist lung and heart hospital) there are a lot of young patients with it.

I hope you get some resolution soon x