Day #5, inhaler holiday. While at work the last 4 days, I ran 5 flights of stairs, 5 times, 4 times a day. Hiked today, as high as I could get, fast as I could go. Plenty of PLB, but sometimes it is hard to regulate my breathing going up. Seem to recover ok, once I hit some flatter ground. I jogged home, maybe 1/2 mile if that. Always feel like I breath easier, deeper, once I am done. Then I shower and start collecting my stuff for work and I feel like an Asthmatic, or how I used to feel, before I would take a blast of Albuterol and then be right. Before all this BS began. I would never advocate stopping meds, but for me, at least for now, it works. Cause the meds really don't. Going to see if I can stop until I see the new Pulm on 12/18, and get his thoughts. When I exercise it's always for me, but I think of all of you too.
Inhaler holiday: Day #5, inhaler... - Lung Conditions C...
Inhaler holiday
Wow that is a pretty impressive workout. What stage is your COPD? Five flights of stairs 5 times is very impressive as I don't think I could have done that before COPD.
well I am considered mild, stage 1. My FEV is good. But I have a lot of trapped air in my lungs. So I have issues with hyperinflation.
Hi Patrick, well done you! Like Jackdup I would have struggled with that lot pre Copd! Out of interest, and if you don't mind me asking, what stage are you at? I am in danger of suicide by sofa these days lol. Have a good day xx
Well I am Stage 1. My FEV1, is above predicted for my age, but I have a lot of trapped air in my lungs. So I must overcome that. If I didn't, IMO, I would likely not have any symptoms.
Hi Patrick. . Yes it is very impressive. .most people couldn't do that even before COPD....I bet your happy you can do that...and don't it make you feel so much better..well done...
No use feeling sorry for ourselves when you can push yourself back in the mainstream of life again.
I don't know if you saw my post on the stone paving in my garden. ...I done it on my own...if we don't push ourselves we not going to get where we want to get...for me that's about 15 more years..not impossible. 😢
I saw my doctor on Monday and asked him if he thought it would be alright to come of medication as I was feeling stronger and more like my old self again. Best stay on them for a bit longer was his reply.
Anyway Patrick i am happy your feeling good.
It's just stop raining so am going back out in the garden to finsh my workout. Digging out a tree stump.
Take care.
Andy
I did see that and I was impressed. I have more trouble when moving slower, lifting things. Hope to work on that. I am feeling ok, sometimes good, sometimes not. Been a real shock to the system for me. I never smoked much, but I did and how it goes for me now.
Hi Patrick. ..yes a shock to the system is to put it mildly where am concerned...
But if you can do what you did today then you got a lot to look forward to...your not an old man you have so much to look forward to.
Remember fitness in body is fitness in mind...there's a lot of truth in that and keeping busy....
Take care.
Andy.
Very true. I hope to be able to stay where I am for awhile, tho in this past year since it all began I am worse in some ways. At the start it was very intense SOB, then it leveled out for awhile, then worse. I feel about the same off of the inhalers, so I will stick with that for now. The biggest thing for me is to do what I can, each day and avoid getting sick and fumes.
I hope you don't mind me asking but what stage are you Andy? It seems you have been undertaking some work that requires a significant amount of exertion and handled it well. You also mention stopping inhalers but your doctor advised to stay on them a while longer so are they to aid you in recovery from something or why would you be able to stop them in a bit longer?
Thank you
Hi jackdup...I have asthma and copd...fev1 is at 73%....I live in Thailand so here it is considered MILD. ..stage 1.
I asked the doctor. ..who is a proffer in this field about stopping as I feel that I would get on just as well without the medicine for COPD as I can't find any hard proof that it helps from it getting worse. ..
Exercise and eating good breathing freash air if you can find it....and keeping of smoking is about all you can do....the medicine for my asthma I feel is helping so I wouldn't want to stop that.
Asking the doctor about stoping the med was to get him to explain to me why I needed to stay on it...he didn't do that.
I have always pushed myself to win through in life and this time I have to push harder then ever before. .so lifting and moving over 10 tons of sand and stone in two days...
Is a bit disappointing as not long ago I would of done it in half a day. 😢
I've got a lot more to do but I might wait untill I've had the operation on my right shoulder. ...then I can have the use both arms.
Regards.
Andy.
This is true. And that is not to say that the meds are not important, but if people can get on without them, well then there is no harm. The more severe the stage, the more important to take the meds. I think I notice a small difference on them, but not enough to keep taking.
Good that you are doing some heavy work. Not long ago I was the same, could just go on and on and on. The SOB has sort of robbed that from me and not sure Ill ever get used to it.
Good for you Patrick but please be sensible too and don't overdo things to the point that you make yourself ill. Moderation in all things is a fairly good mantra to follow and that goes for your inhalers as well.
Thanks. Well I try and keep an eye on how I feel. As long as I can regain my breath, I am ok. I have the inhalers with me most of the time, well the Albuterol, in case of need. I think the big thing is to do what I can each day, and avoid getting sick. Along with fumes, dust etc. I always had allergic asthma too, and I think that is worse now. Don't know sometimes.
I see you are in the Hospital and having a rough go of things. Sorry to hear. Not sure if you have Pneumonia on top of whatever preexisting lung disease you have.
Thanks ! Not Pneumonia, a severe infection that's proving hard to treat.
Are you sure you have COPD I couldn't get up a flight of stairs at stage 2
We are all very different OAM - I can do two flights, not running though 
and am on the lower side of severe (38% fev1). I do a huge amount of exercises though, the full PR workout 3 times a week, and in between a series of intensity exercises which i am slowly collecting from various sources on the web.
But i don't think it can just be down to exercising that we're all so different. I have big difficulty walking outdoors and need ambulatory O2 for that even when walking quite slowly, but not for the indoor stuff which gets me very puffed.
Yes this is true. We all do what we can. Andy can lay a bunch of rocks down, I would struggle with that. I hope to do more as I can tolerate. My previous Pulm said no restriction to activity from a Pulmonary standpoint. Guess it is what I can put up with at this point.
I have done all I can do. I don't smoke and avoid any fumes, smoke, dust, whatever. The meds don't work for me at this point, maybe a little.
The important thing is not to be frightened of getting breathless. In fact "Get breathless" was the BLF's slogan one year not so long ago. Keep on keeping on Patrick, you'll be ok 
Oh I get breathless alright. I am ok with it. Honestly, sitting and feeling SOB bothers me more. Or in bed at night. Il always do what I can.
You have a great outlook, always +. I am sure you have your moments though. For me, that is the tough part. The mental.
Oh yes indeed - i have my moments! Don't think any of us get out of that however positive we are. Take care Patrick.
I can't do any impact exercise because of my back that's why I go swimming and if I don't I put weight on this causes more back pain and my breathing is worse, dammed if you do dammed if you don't.
Oh I really feel for people like you who can't do much exercise due to pain etc. So hard . . .
Hi 02Trees this why I go swimming I get breathless my lungs get a good work out even when I'm getting dried and I have to say this is hard and often come out in winter without under where but under a coat who knows.
Yes and no. I have a mild obstruction, good FEV, but a lot of trapped air in my lungs. If not for that, I would not have any symptoms I bet.
My Pulm would not dx with COPD, he did check me for Alpha 1 and was MM, or normal. Anyway, whatever I have, label or not, is what I have, and how I feel.
Yes and no. I meet criteria for COPD stage 1 based on PFT's. So I have what I have. My last Pulm said minimal small airway disease and hyperinflation. My official dx is dyspnea of unknown etiology. I am seeing a new Pulm on 12/18. In the end, I am doing all I can. No smoking, good diet, and exercise. The meds are there if I need them.
Wow Patrick, that's very impressive!
I couldn't do that pre COPD never mind now!
Be careful though & still listen to your GP's advice when you go for your check up.
Keep well 😀
Ha. I know. compared to what I was doing it is not close, but my last Pulm said he saw no Pulmonary reason to restrict activity. I have the meds close by, and will use them if needed. I figure I don't smoke anymore and I avoid fumes, smoke. About all I can do.
wow thats good going i would like to be able to just run on the flat ground , been thinking that you said you get short of breath after showering I get short of breath while showering but couldn't do the stairs like you have or the jogging i take it when you shower you put deodorant on and aftershave I wonder if that is making you breathless after just a thought , I have teenage boy and he seem to put half a can on with his bedroom door shut you can smell it down stairs in the kitchen and that makes my breathing worse ,
Yeah, I don't get it sometimes. The meds don't seem to make a difference and most of us no longer smoke, and like you I try and avoid fumes. I am not sure what it is about certain activities, a few weeks ago, when I felt worse, I did get out of breath in the shower. Not now. It's more after, like drying off. Then other times I am fine.
Golly it really does sound like you've done so well without your inhalers. But I m not sure as a general rule, everyone would be so lucky. Take care and don't over do it !!!
Yes, I don't advocate not using inhalers. Before all this began, I hardly used Albuterol. Then I found myself on two, then three, and not much difference. So I will ask the new Pulm what he thinks soon.
The thing is, stopping smoking and trying to be active it what counts. Well smoking is the biggest factor. I have done that, and I avoid fumes.
That's remarkable. I did a round of exercise at the fitness place Monday and then planted some pansies in the back yard. After that, I soaked in a hot bath. It went OK, but it seemed as if I coughed more during the night than usual.
Well we all do what we can. I would likely have trouble planting, but hope to have a home soon and a garden of my own.
HI Everybody this is my first post and I am not sure where to start as some of the points you are raising have no meaning to me.
I was diagnosed with COPD three years ago in Broadgreen Hospital (Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Trust) after having seen a Heart Specialist who said it was not my heart. It came on me almost instantly as I remember it. I was going to see my music teacher and had parked my car no more than thirty yards away from where he worked and after getting out of the car I only walked15 to 20 yds and I started Pulling for tugs (out of breath) and I just assumed it was a chest infection. I visited my Doctor and She said that she would send me to see a Specialist and I would get notification of the appointment and to wait for the letter to arrive. I have other health problems and as I was off work with these I asked my Doctor to refer me and that I would get in touch with My health Insurance provider and see if I could go Private. To this end I was able to be funded under the scheme I am in.
This is when I first saw the Heart Consultant and he then referred me on to the Chest Consultant. We met a couple of days later and he asked me questions and I then had to have all the Breathing tests. I was then wheel chaired b back to his Consulting rooms and I was then informed I had COPD which was to me Devastating news as my Mother and Father in law had COPD and both of them had died ten years earlier and My youngest was still at school and rightly or wrongly thought it was it for me and was quite upset. The Consultant reassured me and said that the treatment had changed and there had been advances since then. I was Provided with two Inhalers and 1 Reliever and was told that I must always have an emergency supply of Antibiotics and Steroids ( Prednisolone 5mg at a dosage of 6 tablets each morning and if it has nit cleared take the same again for another 7 days)
Since being diagnosed I have not been called back to see the Consultant and have only had the nurse from my Doctors review me once each year.
As I have not been back to see a Consultant I cannot grasp some of the Discussions as I have no Idea what stage 1 or 2 mean.
Am I missing out on something as I feel that you seem to know a lot more than me or have you all done research
I replied to all of you. We all do what we can, don't we? I think maybe, well I did, take my health for granted. I am paying a heavy price, I was quite active and a on/off again smoker. I always thought people who got lung disease were 60,70,80 and smoked like 2 pack or more a day. So it is still a bit of a shock to me, and I am still a bit in denial.
Denial would be worse if I still smoked, which I don't. I avoid fumes, smoke, whatever, like many of you. I have the inhalers with me and if I need, I will use. Otherwise I am doing all I can. It is not easy when I exercise. I wheeze more and I can feel the air trapping, but when done I breath easier for a bit.
Patrick, I think you're doing great. The fact that your lungs are capable of the exertion you've described, means you have the lung capacity. And as long as you have that capacity your chances of improving and stabilising your condition are very good. Good Luck !
I appreciate that. Of course I kick myself for even being in this position. I took health for granted............and I am paying for it. Even tho I am able to do those things, it comes with more wheezing, SOB and I am a bit limited BUT, how it goes. And I know many have it worse. I am doing all I can, short of meds for now, to stay healthy. I have not been sick all year, and hope to keep it that way as long as I can. I have some Levofloxacin and Azithromycin should I need it. No steroids but can get some if needed.
So no Pneumonia but some type of infection? I see they have done blood cultures and isolated the pathogen(s)?
Yes, all in hand but slow to shift. It happens like that sometimes and not a lot you can do other then put up with it.
Hi to everyone in the community
To all the ex-smokers and non-smokers and all those in the community who have lung and respiratory related diseases ask if you have blamed yourselves for smoking or blamed people who smoke for your problems, I know I did. My Mother died and she smoked to the very end aged 72 and my father in Law died at the age of 64 and he had smoked up to the age of 42 and he stopped.
I smoked on average 20 a day up until I was 49 after trying and failing to quit on at least three occasions. It has been nearly ten years now and felt the benefit almost immediately. For reasons only a shrink could answer I decided not to concentrate on How I could help myself with this condition hence the reason why I do not know what stage 1 2 3 4 are in relation to COPD and not knowing that you had to be tested annually. I looked for the possible causes of this condition as my father in law died before my mother and the Doctors asked what industry he had worked in and for how long as his condition had deterreated so quickly.
Possible causes
The main threats to local air quality
Smog and particulate pollution from diesel engines henceforth VW having software to cheat tests
We live in countries where air pollution routinely reaches unhealthy levels and can therefore make people sick or exacerbate pre-existing health conditions.
Regardless of which kind of pipe pollution comes out of the end result is consistently bad air quality in the nation’s largest metropolitan areas and beyond.
Ozone develops in the atmosphere from gases that come out of exhaust pipes, smokestacks and many other sources,” “When these gases come in contact with sunlight, they react and form ozone smog.”
“Burning fossil fuels in factories, power plants, steel mills, smelters, diesel powered motor vehicles (cars and trucks) and equipment generates a large part of the raw material for fine particles,” “So does burning wood in residential fireplaces and wood stoves or burning agricultural fields or forests.” Chronic exposure to particulate pollution has been linked not only to cardiovascular issues but Diesel soot particles are very small, typically much less than 1μm in diameter, and when inhaled may deposit deep in the lung. These particles have a carbon core with many different organic chemicals on their surface, including carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The solid core is generally referred to as elemental carbon (EC) and the adsorbed hydrocarbons as organic carbon (OC). Individual diesel exhaust particles can stick together to form larger chain-like particles in the air, also to cancers and reproductive problems—and has been shown to contribute to premature death. Exposure to diesel engine exhaust can cause irritation of the eyes, throat and the upper respiratory tract. These effects are mostly due to the irritant gasses or UN burnt hydrocarbons in the exhaust. Acute exposure may also cause neurophysiological symptoms such as light-headedness and nausea, and respiratory symptoms such as cough or phlegm. People who already have asthma may find their symptoms are exacerbated if they are exposed to diesel exhaust.
The role of outdoor air pollution in the evolution of COPD is still controversial. Respiratory deaths in the UK reached a peak during the great smog’s of the 1950's. Following the passing of the Clean Air Acts of 1956 and 1968, which established “smokeless zones” in populated areas, and allowing only the use of smokeless fuels, the quality of British air has improved. The people that died during the smog’s were people at the greatest risk, i.e. the elderly and infirmed, and those with chronic respiratory and cardiac problems. The question of whether atmospheric pollution itself can cause or contribute to the development of COPD is still uncertain.
Outdoor air pollution is very heterogeneous and is different in different areas. It is mainly comprised of particulates and gases with some background radioactivity. The particulates mainly originate from the incomplete combustion of solid fuels and diesel, ash and fine dusts. The main gaseous components are the various oxides of sulphur, nitrogen and carbon, again from the combustion of fossil fuels; hydrocarbons and ozone. Studies from the UK have shown a relationship between levels of atmospheric pollution and respiratory problems (particularly cough and sputum production) in both adults and children, and similar studies from the USA have confirmed these findings. Some studies have reported lower levels of lung function in adults living in highly polluted areas and this seems too related to pollution by acidic gases and particulates. As with the problem of smoking, there will be individuals who are more susceptible to the effects of atmospheric pollution than others are.
Any occupation in which the local environment is polluted with the aforementioned gases and particulates increases the risk of developing of COPD. In addition, there is evidence that cadmium and silica also increase the risk of COPD. This is especially true if the subject smokes. Occupations at risk include coal miners, construction workers who handle cement, metalworkers, grain handlers, cotton workers and workers in paper mills. However, the effect of smoking far outweighs any influences from the work environment.
Just a little bit of what I have looked into and some of the reasons I now do not trust what we are being told as to what is actually happening.
I would like to ask who else is not convinced that it is not just down to smoking and have you got information for the community which would or could dispel my reasons for thinking this way
Alternatively has anybody got or researched which says that the increase of COPD
is more to do with air pollution than smoking.
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