Hi I am new to this site and have recently been diagnosed with COPD

[Jivaro]

Hi there, this is my first post, and would appreciate any help to learn more about this condition, at this moment, I know very little about COPD .

I was diagnosed 10 weeks ago, and I am 62 yo male, worked all my life in a dusty environment until 3 months ago, I did smoke but stopped 30 years ago.

This disease came to me as a bit of a shock, as I have been fit for most of my life holding down a heavy manual job, my first symptoms was when the slight wheezing started@ 2 years ago, at the same time I also had a Spirometry and other breathing tests done, the test lasted around 45 mins, and this was done through the Workplace Pulmonary Function Testing as a normal 2 yearly procedure, and I passed all tests.

Soon after the breathing tests I would notice if I had a bit of a cold and I would sneeze or cough my airways would tighten up for a couple of minutes, then they would go back to normal, with this and the wheezing I decided to get it checked out at the Doctors and was told its a virus, as the months went on the wheezing got slowly worse mostly in the mornings, but the airways stayed the same, so I went back to the Doctors and asked about the wheezing and airways, and once again I was told its just a virus and as I had the pulmonary tests, that lasts 2 years I had nothing to worry about and I was giving the blue Ventolin inhaler to use if needed, I did not need it that much possibly a couple of days a month

This takes me to @ 7 months ago when I got a throat infection and lost a bit of my voice for a week or so, I got the throat infection, the wheezing and he examined my lungs and give me a 5 day course of Prednisone steroids, and antibiotics this seemed to clear everything up for 1 month. the throat infection had gone but the wheezing and tightening of airways after a cough would stay, but return to normal after a few minutes

This takes me to the game changer @ 4 months ago I seemed to get a very slight chest infection, and from that day my wheezing got much worse making awful noises then came the cough, and my airways went from going back to normal after a cough to needing my blue inhaler every 4/5 hours if I went over 5 hours I was gasping for breath,and a kind of crackling noise at the back of my throat, went back to the doctors and was told it was a virus again and as I was with in the 2 years of my breathing tests I had nothing to worry about , I explained one of my main problems was flem in the back of my throat that i could not bring up, I was told to double up on my steriod nasil spray that I used as a repeat for pol lops of the sinus from a few years back, together with 2 new blue Ventolin inhalers, and drink to plenty of water. a couple of weeks later went to a different doctor as my chest infection got much worse and I took a recording of the wheezing of my airways and crackling at the back of my throat, and he got me in for the breathing test with in a couple of days.

9 weeks ago and after being diagnosed with mild COPD I was giving another 5 day course of prednisone steriods, Bralltus 10 micro 24 hour powder inhaler and a blue Ventolin inhaler if needed, the for the first 4 weeks I felt really good although still getting out of breath easily, but the last 4 weeks has gone down hill and all the same symptoms have come back, but nowhere near as bad as they where 10 weeks ago, but i still need my blue inhaler every 5 hours, been back to doctors and have started another course of prednisone 8x5mg per day and will soon have a change of medication next week when I see the nurse, the prednisone has only took 2 days to work and i feel much better now

I am reading as much as i can about COPD but I cannot seem to find the problem I feel I have, first I seem to have very little flem to cough up from the chest, but i am constantly trying to clear my throat, then every morning my throat seems totally blocked I cannot get it up although i feel if I huff it I can get about 1/5th up and the rest I can feel slipping back, next I read about flare ups /exacerbation, is this what they call an infection?

I really dont think I could last more than 24 hours without medication, as the vicious circle starts as in the wheezing then the cough then my airways go really tight and squeeze , do other people classed as mild have similar problems?

Thanks for reading this, and any views welcome

Jivaro

[hypercat54]

Hi nice to meet you and welcome to the site. I have mild copd as well but I think my wheeze is caused more by asthma and I wonder if you have that as well? It could have been asthma at first which then changed into copd. It also sounds like you need a preventer inhaler as well as the ventolin which is just a reliever. A preventer one is usually taken twice a day and opens your airways up. The ventolin shouldn't be needed much then.

The good news is mild copd if you lead as healthy lifestyle as possible might stay at that stage for many years to come. I was diagnosed mild 10 years ago and still am. I would go back to your doctor/nurse and discuss having a preventer inhaler. Also ask about PR (Pulmonary Rehabilitation) which you can attend once/twice a week for a couple of months. You can learn a lot more about the disease and also do exercises specially tailored for lung issues.

Meanwhile stay with us here as we are the ones who live with lung disease and we are a big BLF family who all help and support each other. x

[Jivaro in reply to hypercat54]

Thanks for the reply hypercat, my numbers pointed to COPD rather than asthma, and I dont really understand much about either, but my visit to the nurse for my new inhaler and meds is tomorrow, and I will put the asthma question back to her, I would also like to start PR the sooner the better, do I have a choice on this or is it by referral only? anyway Its really encouraging to know that mild COPD can last for many years, thanks again for the support.

[hypercat54 in reply to Jivaro]

You are more than welcome. You need to be referred to PR so ask your doctor or nurse to do that. Some areas might have a waiting list or might not refer unless you are more severe but do get on a course if you can.

There should be a Breatheasy group near you too which usually meets once a month and you can meet other people in the same boat. You don't need to be referred to that so have a google to find your nearest one. x

[CDPO16]

Hi & welcome. I was thinking much the same as hypercat with regard to asthma. I have copd which didn't respond well to various inhalers. Eventually extensive hospital based tests showed that I also have late onset asthma, a diagnosis that wasn't picked up on by my GP who was thinking purely along the lines of copd based on spirometry test results.

I hope that your GP is open to more discussion on your problems.

[Jivaro in reply to CDPO16]

Hi CDPO, what a great supportive site this is, I now have lots of questions to ask the nurse tomorrow, and I now feel much happier than I did last week when making my first post on this site, thanks again for your support.

[CDPO16 in reply to Jivaro]

You are very welcome. I hope that you make some progress when you see the nurse. Let us know how you get on.

[Bkin]

Hi Jivaro

Ask for a referral to a pulmonary rehabilitation course, its a lung education and exercise programme. Everything is covered, medicines, helping to avoid infections, tips to help manage and slow down the progress of COPD, you will learn a lot and meet others in a similar situation to yourself. (By GP or specialist referral)

Also check out BLFs information pages and don't hesitate to contact the helpline for further advice. blf.org.uk/

[Jivaro in reply to Bkin]

hi Bkin, yes this is really important to me to get on a PRC, as I need to learn as much as I can about COPD as I know very little about it at the moment, thanks for the support.

[Shaurene]

Hi Jivaro

Ye, sounds more like asma. This may help you, not sure but worth a go.

Get some fresh garlic and roast 8 cloves each day and eat them, every day. Garlic is a mirical natural cure for so many ailments. Be patient, 1-2 months keep it up.

[Jivaro in reply to Shaurene]

Hi Shaurene, I have recently started to add garlic to some of my meals, anything that might help is well worth a try, Think it looks like a trip to asda to get stocked up lol. thanks for your support

[Kristicats]

Hi I also have mild- mid COPD . Perhaps you could talk to your nurse next week about getting something to thin down the phlegm that’s blocking your throat and also check you out to see if you have a chest infection. Does your blockage seem to come from the back of your nose?

Perhaps you could let your GP know how worrisome your symptoms are and get him to refer you to a respiratory physician? Perhaps the bralltus inhaler is not right for you. I had to try a couple before I got the right ones.

Good luck keep in touch.

[Jivaro in reply to Kristicats]

Hi Chrisckho, I was at the Doctors 6 days ago and was given another 5 day course of steroids so as from today I feel well again , no wheezing and no tighting of my airways after every 5 hours, but still some flem on a morning and I think I feel well just because of the sharp shock of steroids that have now finished although I still get out of breath fairly easy.

I cannot feel any congestion from my chest, and my nose and sinus is always clear as I take a very weak steroid spray every day for sinus problems I had a few years back, yet the amount of flem that builds up in the back of my throat when i wake, I just dont know if its from, my nose or chest, or lungs, but this is a big problem because I cannot get rid of it, I have asked for something from the doctor for it, but she just said increase my water intake, I have been to the chemist and tried over the counter stuff 1 month ago but that did nothing. I am to see the nurse tomorrow to test new inhalers and get a different medicine.

Its worth a try to ask if i could see a respiratory physician, because I cannot find anything on the exact problem I have, once the steroids start to go out of my system, I start to cough with small bits of very sticky flem, then the cough irratets my throat then my breathing in the upper airways especially the right side of my airways becomes raspy and gets to the point I am gasping for air, it just gets worse until I use the blue reliever spray, the spray works within 30 seconds, and lasts 4/5 hours then everything repeats, the thing is everything i have read about asthma, is an asthma attack, how long does an attack last? I know in my case its on going, well will probably find out more tomorrow when i see the nurse,

thanks for your support Chriskho.

[Kristicats in reply to Jivaro]

Ok be sure to tell her everything that’s going on. Write a note for her to put in your case notes if you have to so it’s also there for the Gp/ lung doctor when you see one. Carbocisteine is often prescribed for thick phlegm but I buy NAC as it’s more natural. Good luck.