Hi new joiner from the states.. love all the good stuff i read here so i joined... i.m a 54 year old male smoked now for 40 years... 2 seperate chest exrays were normal all blood work were normal. but a ct scan showed mild emphysema in centrlobal and u[pper out lungs and doctor said very mild markings......i had a rft done that week and the results are in my pic i uploaded... im very scared and trying to quit..... can this get worse if i quit? i now have this symptom were i have to take a deep breathe and i dont feel like im getting a good breathe everytime.
NEW TO EMPHYSEMA....... HELP PLEASE - Lung Conditions C...
NEW TO EMPHYSEMA....... HELP PLEASE
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DENNISAMERICA
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also my pft numbers are this fvc 105% .... fev1 98%......fev1/ fvc 93%...fef25 105%...fef75 50%.... fef25-75 75%dlco 112%... svc 98%... ic 106%....tgv 137%... rv 174%...tlc 122% rv/tlc 141%
I have COPD and still smoke....wisj i had stopped years ago as the COPD would not have got worse.....one thing is certain, if you stop smoking now it may not get better, but will definitely get worse.....so good luck and try hard.
all the best
mary
I have just been diagnosed with moderate copd, emphysema and have been told to stop smoking. I am going to try when I get back off holiday. How quickly did your copd decline whilst smoking.
Hi Dennis and welcome to the forum. I'm no expert on the numbers but the Fev1 looks very good to me, mine is 68%, which makes me moderate. So, it's not having too much of an effect on me, bar walking up hills. You've been diagnosed as very mild, that's great.
The posters with more knowledge of the other figures, will be along soon.
We're all scared when we're first diagnosed, it's natural. Just like you, I suddenly became aware of feeling I was not getting enough air in and I soon realised it was anxiety causing it because, when I thought about it, I had never experienced it before they diagnosed me.
I also, was afraid and stressed about stopping smoking and I found the stress was making the thought of being without my crutch, at a time like this, terrifying.
So, I focussed on taking my time, cutting right down. I already had bought an ecig because I was trying to stop, but, hadn't managed it in the 18 months since my diagnosis because I was so scared of the disease.
I actually didn't want to stop smoking, but, I knew I had to, so, I took the stress out of it by telling myself, not to worry, that if I got really worked up, I could have one if needed. It definately took the panic away.
I also bought some totally wicked eliquid in tobacco flavour and by using that more, to get used to the taste, I got down to three cigs a day, and then one, until one day, I realised the ecig eventually tasted exactly the same as a real one.
I was aiming to do it over 5 or 6 weeks but, surprised myself to have stopped in less than one. It really was, very easy.
Come on here, you'll get some great support and you'll soon see, that things are not as bad as they seem. xx
Hi Casper 99, I also quit smoking just over 2 years ago with the help of Totally Wicked. I've tried and failed so many times in the past but it was so easy with the ecig. My daughter bought my first one for me for Mother's Day and without trying I smoked 3 normal cigarettes for 3 days and then I forgot one and so went to 2 a day for and finally one. That's when I realised I didn't need, or even want, that one cigarette and stopped completely and haven't touched one since. I used the Golden Tobacco flavour (used to be Golden Virginia but the tobacco company got them on their trade name) I also now mix my own juice so can weaken each batch by only 1% at a time until I'm on 0% and that means I'm even off the ecigs. Tak care, Linda
Well done bookbaby on getting off the tobacco with the help of e cigs.
I have been vaping for 3 years now 6mg 40PG 60VG, and to be honest I don't want to give it up, I enjoy the different flavours and the 'hand to mouth' action which a lot of smokers would miss if they stopped smoking.
My Doctor is happy for me to continue vaping as I don't have the low esteem I had when smoking.
Well done to you too memah. I don't want to give up either and, like you, I asked my Dr's opinion and he told me it was far, far better to use ecigs than it was to use tobacco. While they may not be 'good' for you they are certainly nowhere near as bad as regular cigarettes. I don't use VG as I find it too gloopy, I use a PG/AG mix to get the right throat hit/vapour combo. Take care.
I have never known anyone use AG bookbaby, what is it?
The eliquid was the answer for me. those shop bought one's never tasted right and i didn't like the flavours. I'm hoping to cut down in strength to eventually get off it.
I had my spiro last week and it was still the same as the previous 2 years. She asked if I was still smoke free and I said but, I am on an ecig. She said "That's fine."
Hi Casper99,
That's great news.. both your reading being the same and the fact that your nurse said the ecig was fine. You have the same idea as me, gradually weaken the strength while at the same time not suffering horrible withdrawal symtoms and possibly a failure.
Take care
TYVM FOR YOUR KIND WORDS AND RESPONSE..... im trying to quit with this quit smoking program over the next 90 days.. question is will my mild emphysema get worse over the next 90 days and can it keep progressing after i quit.. also the symptoms i have now were i sometimes feel like i am not getting a deep satisfying breathe but i know i am.. will get get worse or better thank you again
Hi I understand how you feel as I was diagnosed with mild copd when I was 55. It doesn't usually progress that quickly especially if you look after yourself. To put it into perspective my doctor said don't worry about it as something else will get me first ie old age! x
Hi DENNISAMERICA
I am in pretty much the same condition as you (but I am 58). I had/ have no symptoms though (long story). I couldn't see your lung function test results but I will comment on what happened to me so you can make your own mind up about quitting.
I stopped smoking 18 months ago and felt dizzy so I had several tests done at my GP. One of these was a chest X-ray and another a lung function test (which was indicating mild COPD). I was told that the chest X-ray showed fibrosis so I demanded to see a specialist and was very scared as you would imagine. Anyway, to cut a long story short, the CT scan showed no fibrosis but some emphysema.
I read that excercise was really important if I was going to remain 'mild' so I set about making sure I walked everyday, 10,000 steps and stayed off the cigs. I had another lung function test done 6 months later and my FEV1 had gone up from 85% to 94% and my FEV1/FVC was at 77% (up from 70%). My lung age had improved by 8 years. If I had those results when I first visited my GP, there would have been no mention of COPD.
My point is, stopping smoking is hard and makes you feel like crap. You will cough, splutter, your gums will bleed and you might even get some very embarrassing side effects (like wind) but for those of us lucky enough to be diagnosed early.......you can turn this around. There are many people on this site that would love to be in our position of 'mild'. We should thank our lucky stars and do everything we can to keep it that way. There is a Quit site on here that I used. Another lovely bunch of people that can help keep you on the straight and narrow if you decide that's what you want.
I am off on holiday to your lovely country on Sunday btw. Soooooo excited!
Very warmest wishes
Ann
Hello Dennis,at the moment you have very mild emphysema,if you don,t stop smoking it won,t be long until you end up like me.I have very severe emphysema ,my Fev1 is 19%.Everything I do is affected by my illness,it all takes so much effort and time everything takes soooo long it drives me mad.There are so many different ways of stopping smoking now there will be one which will help you even if you have to use Ecigs.You don,t want to end up like me so dump the smokes as soon as you can.Good luck! D.
Hi Dennis - whatever else you do, give up dragging tobacco smoke into your lungs - it will be the single most effective thing you can do for yourself and your condition (not to mention your wallet). I am well aware of the war on e-cigs going on in the States at the moment - this is purely money motivated, Ca. is in hock to the tobacco companies for billions - paying them back depends on smokers continuing to smoke so do the math. I can endorse all the positive posts re e-cigs, I switched 5 years ago and saw a dramatic improvement in asthma etc. Lots of research papers available and in U.K we have a lot of medics on-side, this applies in EU countries too. However you choose to do it, get off cigarettes please.
I don't know what to tell you. I quit smoking in 1992 because of very mild emphysema but now have developed severe COPD and severed Pulmonary Hypertension. I did however, use Nicorette gum for 3 years after quitting smoking & am now 65 years old. If you can stop smoking if would be best for your lungs. Also, I understand that exercise plays a big part in slowing the progression.
Wishing you all the very best.
Malinka
Welcome Dennis.
Like you, I also have emphysema and I gave up smoking 23 years ago. It won't get better if you stop smoking as the damage is already done .....but with care, it won't get any worse. You're young enough to control this and especially with all the help there is out there, you have a choice. When I was trying to quit, there was little help,only things like mouth sprays that made cigs taste funny - that didn't work. There were tablets - that didn't work. There was acupuncture - that didn't work and there was hypnosis and that didn't work either! I eventually did it with nicotine chewing gum, but it cost me more each week than the cigs, and I was addicted to that for a couple of years. I think you're more fortunate today to have Ecigs etc., The feeling of not being able to get your breath is definitely because of your diagnosis! Remember before you were told, ou never thought about your breathing then, did you??
You are "fortunate" that you only have this in a mild form and it can stay that way if you give up the cig.s asap. It won't be easy and it'll make you feel "odd" without your "habit", but the craving will decline and you'll be so proud of yourself for doing it. I used to try to remember how it felt before I began smoking - of course I couldn't, but I did recall how much more I used to do back then and I'd not even realised that I'd stopped!
Good luck, we're all with you. let us know how you get on. XX
Nikki
I smoked for over fifty years...., it's not a good thing for anyone to do, healthy or not and if you're sick it should go without saying, "Cut it the Hell out!!"
No promises about anything at this point but you sure as hell won't get better if you keep puffing those cancer sticks....
'Nuff said....
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