Recently diagnosed needing help xx

[Pinkangel31]

Hello All x. Ive just been told today that i have mild COPD diagnosed by a respiritory consultant in october and sent by letter to my gp.

The only 2 results on the letter say

Fev1 2.57 (jan 16 was 2.88). 84% normal range

FVC down to 67% which gives her a diagnosis of mild copd

I was at my gps today as ive had quite a bad cough and lots of mucus, ive had the mucus daily for about 2 years i might add, anything from green yellow and white to clear. It was supposed to be new allergies id developed - although no one could tell me what they were, only that i had chronic rhinosinusitis.

My gp listened to my chest and said my lungs sounded terrible and that i now had copd. I was in a bit of shock and due other health problems, ive not had so much as a paracetamol in just over 2 years. I have a complete phobia to any medication and im terrified i'll die if i dont take the antibiotics shes prescribed.

Im only 38. I smoke about 10-20 cigs a day depending on my stress levels.

Are my readings ok? Could i get over this infection if its just viral without taking the antibiotics? Or do you need to take them with viral infections also with copd?

I sound like a massive crackle on the breath out, but tbh ive sounded like that quite alot over the past couple of years & it usually stops when i cough up my jelly balls

Any advice would be greatly appreciated because im totally clueless and my gp said she wasnt totally sure of my results either. Im laying here wheezing away sounding like i have a death rattle and wondering what the hell is next if this is me at 38 :(.

Thanks for reading x

[Jessy11]

A very warm welcome, Pinkangel. I'm sure you'll get lots of advice from the knowledgeable members on our forum.

I would say your Fev1 is mild but my advice would be to stop smoking or it will worsen.

If your GP has prescribed antibiotics you must need them. It's up to you entirely, but your infection could get worse if you ignore it.

Have you not been prescribed inhalers? Either preventers or relievers? Usually with a diagnosis of COPD you would be given them.

Your GP can give you advice & help to stop smoking. Along with a healthy diet & exercise, your condition might not worsen so quickly if you take his advice.

I wish you luck 💐

[mmzetor]

it is important with copd that if you have a chest infection you do take the antibiotics I have been to gp in the passed and he said im not sure if its an infection or not but to take a corse of antibiotics just to be on safe side , I now have antibiotics and steroid tablets at home all the time so if I get an infection I can start them straight away , the best thing you can do to help yourself is to try give up the fags I know its very hard to do but would really help a lot , I was 36 when first diagnosed with copd so know where your coming from is a bit of a shock at our age ,

[Hidden]

Is rhinosinusitis that nasil drip stuff .. Results sound ok really but if coughing up jelly balls might be bronchitiasas.

If you doctor gives you antibiitics defo should take em as dont want pneumonea.

We all crackle and pop on here so ad not worry to much.

If you stop smoking am sure you will start feeling betrer SMOKING effects nose upper part of lung inflamation = fluied + infections.

Last thing you want to do is tottaly cooking beanzs and getting breathless.

Try not to worry take meds stop smoking

[Caspiana]

Hello and welcome. I always take the antibiotics when I have an infection. I am pretty sure I wouldn't be here if I didn't. I'm not a smoker but I've seen how difficult it seems for people to quit however, they are in better health after. I hope you do what's best for you.

Best wishes,

Cas xx❤

[stone-UK]

Hi

Good advice as been given. Must emphasise the smoking as well as being a cause of COPD. Will also increase the risk and frequency of infections.

Seek help to stop smoking, even try e-cigs, with reducing levels of nicotine content. The nicotine will help with your stress levels, but again speak to your GP for alternative treatment.

If you get it right now you will dramatically slow the progression of COPD, and have a fairly normal life with less worry and stress.

Get your flu jab. Start a exercise regime and eat a sensible diet, if excessive mucus is normal for you, look at cutting out, or using in moderation dairy products

[cofdrop-UK]

A very warm welcome to you.

cx

[Nanaeal]

Welcome Pinkangel. I live that name. You've had lots of sound advise so the only thing I would add is congratulations on seeking help & support, this us a wonderful community keep in touch. Nan

[Pinkangel31]

Thank you all for your replies xx. My notifications for all just came through! So apologies for not replying sooner.

The consultant asked if i used my ventolin or steroid inhalers for previous diagnosis of asthma and i said id stopped using them last year as i was told it wasnt actually asthma (after 12 years of being treated for it). I stopped aswell as i was getting really bad heart pals with them so go agreed at the time to stop taking them. The consultant didnt say anything about starting again but on the letter to my gp he mentioned that i had reactions to inhalers in the past and therefore probably wont be any use for me? My gp thought that was odd, but she admitted to not knowing a whole lot about copd. Im reluctant to take the anti bs as i was miss prescribed 7 different kinds over a constant 2.5 year period and i developed immunity to them all. This very gp told me about 6 months ago that i had pneumonia on a visit and sent me straight up to hospital onto the ward, the doctors ran all the tests & couldnt find a thing! And sent me home again! So im a little wary of her judgment.

I am confused about my test results as it looks like its my fvc thats given me the diagnosis, i had a chest xray and they ruled out broncheastitis (wrong spelling sorry) as they though the mucus might initially be from that. But i cant seem to find any information on how important the fvc count is? Everything talks about fev1 being the significant one? Since my overuse of antibs, ive developed allergies to absolutely everything - food, perfumes, personal hygene products. I was told by my neurologist that my central nervous system has basically crashed and trying to re set itself, so im very wary of taking anything else to upset the balance again. I definatly need to stop smoking, and do it cold turkey. Im not looking forward to the extra mucus coming though as it terrifies me the amount i get just now and i cant breath until i manage to hack it up. Ive cracked 3 ribs in the past 2 years from the coughing and i had 6 months of mucus clearing physio to help show me how to get it up safely, but it doesnt always work x

[fedupfreda]

Hi I am new here too, recently diagnosed with copd. I stopped smoking six years ago because I was like you, constantly coughing up gunk, wheezing especially in bed at night. I had to sleep on four pillows or the wheezing and coughing would keep me awake. Climbing a flight of stairs left me breathless and gasping for breath.

The good news is I stopped smoking with champix prescribed by my doctor, and all the wheezy, breathless, gunk totally stopped. I thought I had stopped in time to avoid lung disease but apparently not.

However I still wheeze less now than I did when smoking and cough up less gunk.

[Pinkangel31 in reply to fedupfreda]

So sorry your going through this fedupfreda x. Ive been sleeping on a wedge pillow for 2 years, anytime i lie flat, forget it! I cant breathe! I long for the days when my spine and neck wont ache from lying like this lol. Ive been told it will need to be cold turkey for me, as i had an allergic reaction to the patches previously, and due to other reasons, i have a super restrictive diet for the past 4 years - 5 food items and thats it. I havent had a veg, fruit, sugar of any form, red meat or cheeses in 4 years. I eat chicken, brown bread, potatoes and bacon. day in day out every single day. So no meds, sprays, or gum for me :(. I need to suck it up and stop acting like a wounded duck! Lol xx

[Jaynair]

Welcome to the site Pinkangel you've had lots of good advice from others and I can't add to it so just want to say that I hope things improve for you soon. Good luck with stopping smoking, it'll be the best thing you ever did for yourself, take care x