COPD or not

[tommyi945]

About two years ago i was diagnosed as having COPD but seven months ago i had a specialist nurse come to see me and she said i didnt have COPD, wHAT I cant understand is im having to continusly having to take antibiotics for lung congestion, could my Odema of the legs be connected any advise welcome

[Hidden]

My advice to you tommi is that you'd be as well seeing your Doctor, especially if you have edema in your legs and continuous lung congestion.

Don't put it off either, the sooner all your symptoms are checked out the better! Then at least you can receive a proper and correct diagnosis and get the right treatment. It's not good practice for a Professional to say you haven't got COPD and leave you with no explanation or advice.

Best wishes to you, and let us know how you get on tommi

Bev

[Lolly2 in reply to Hidden]

Hi Tommi,

Don't hesitate to go to your doctor and ask for confirmation or denial of the COPD! At that point, you will learn what to do one way or another. Oedema in your legs could have other causes, but you should get a doctor to tell you what is causing it. Write out a list of questions for your doctor, and ask him for the answers. It has been my experience that doctors are happy when patients have such a list, as it saves time in the long run.

Good Luck!

Lolly.

[katieoxo60]

Hello Tommyi945, it's confusing isn't it?, when medics come up with different outcomes. I was diagnosed about six years ago and confirmed by a top Professor in writing in 2012 but on my routine annual check with the surgery nurse she said my readings were so good I could not possibly have COPD. I questioned this with my GP and he said the nurse could not possibly make such a statement maybe she did not mean it like that. So my advice to you would be to see the doctor about this and if you don't get answers then you may have to make a complaint. There are many different lung diseases with similar symptoms so it is easy for a mistake to happen.

[helingmic]

Hi Tommy,

Tests exist for just that purpose. As katie said, the nurse has no way of knowing whether you have COPD or not. spirometry, X-Ray or a scan would reveal what you have. Perhaps, you soulod ask your GP to refer you to a consultant.

Also ask about the ankle oedema. My suggestion is that this may very well be associated with weak lungs, as this makes the hert work harder and in the sort of weather we are having, the heart has also to work harder, so the veins in your legs cannot cope and the blood stagnates to form this swelling. I have asked a lung consultant, a haematology (blood) consultant) and they both say:"Mm! See your GP for that"!

My solution is to wear compression socks, The pulmonary nurse told me what I said above and advised me to put my legs up. I am not always able to do that at length!

Anyway, I hope this helps. What the others say is right, talk to doctor, he/she is the professional and try to have some test to determine which lung disease you have.

[Symes]

Hi Tommy,

I have Bronchiectasis, but just because my consultant put me on Tiotropium, the pharmacist, when I went to collect my prescription, said "so you have COPD then."

Always best to get the proper advice from your doctor, ask him to refer you to a consultant if necessary, get the lung function tests and a HRCT scan done, and they can look into it more for you.