Progression stage 2 emphysema

[ggeorgiou]

Hi,

I have recently been diagnosed with stage 2 emphysema with a 55% FEV1. I am a 35 year old male and at the moment I don't really feel the affects of it, other than getting slightly breathless when walking up 4 flights of stairs!

What I would like to know is, is there any research about the pace of the progression and how fast you decline? I know everyone is different but would like to know how fast it has affected people on this forum.

Basically I want to know how long it is going to be before I am struggling to walk for 5 minutes without needing to catch my breath.

Thanks,

George

[jackdup]

Have you had a second spirometry as I recall you mentioning in other posts your FEV1% is 60 and here you mention it is 55?

I read a post the other day where a person mentioned he/she is now 80 and has had COPD for 40 years. If I find the post I will post the link as I can't recall if he/she mentioned what stage they were at when diagnosed.

Here is the post I was referring to. Scroll down to see the post by garibaldon

healthunlocked.com/blf/post...

And here is another post by the same person.

healthunlocked.com/blf/post...

[ggeorgiou in reply to jackdup]

Thanks Jack. Awaiting my full lung function test still which takes place on 13th Feb.

I say I'm 55% FEV1 as I bought a home spirometry device which I am currently blowing a 55% FEV1 reading.

I was having a bad day when I wrote this post, mentally and was hoping for a miracle answer which I know nobody can give me.

[jackdup in reply to ggeorgiou]

Do you use it several times throughout the day and if so is it the same results/readings each time? I have one as well and I can do 10 throughout the day and can be 45% and later in the day be above 60% or anywhere in between so I would be cautious about relying to much on a home spirometer.

[ggeorgiou in reply to jackdup]

Yes, mornings I seem to get lower. 52%ish. I can get max 56% in the afternoons and/or evenings. I have a sore throat and cold at the moment so that's probably making the reading lower too.

That's a big range you have there. Why does it range so much for you?

[jackdup in reply to ggeorgiou]

I have no idea why the range is that large but do know the doctor I see said it can range throughout the day but did not by how much. I also don't think the home ones are near as accurate as the ones the doctors use. Also I doubt any doctor has ever done a spirometry several times throughout the day on the same patient so they likely have no idea how wide of a range the average person has.