Lung crackles

[Liberty82]

Hi, since Feb last year I started noticed a crackling sound coming from my lungs. It's worsened when I take a diazipam or codeine which I understand are repristory depressants. I hear it when I'm lying down and when I'm inhaling not exhaling. I really ignored it for quite some time believing it was stomach related but recently I went to the doctors and they could hear the crackling with their stethoscope. After a course of antibiotics which didn't do anything I went back to the doctors and they couldn't hear the crackling this time but I was sent to the repristory clinic where I was diagnosed with suspected asthma and given the brown inhaler. It helped the wheezing but the crackles are still there. I'm due to go back to the repristory clinic in Sept, I'm not breathless so I suppose I'm not hugely concerned. It seemed to clear up immediately after I used the brown inhaler but I take codeine around 3 times a week for migraines and they are the only thing that helps but the crackles are always worse after taking it, usually the next day/ night when I lie down. I don't think they are every day but is this a usual symptom with asthma? I'm 36, I have smoked since the age of 11 to age 28 but it wouldn't have been heavily, the equivalent to around 3 a day over the years. I did also smoke for 6 months recently after a family tragedy around 15 a day but the crackles started before then so I never linked them. I stopped 3 months ago and stopped coughing up gunk in the morning but I do use an ecig now. When I was smoking I used to exhale loudly sometimes and and sound liked darth vader but I still thought it was stomach related and just getting worse however omebrizole didn't work so I was puzzled, I just assumed it was GERD as at the time I was heavily into the gym doing strenuous workouts and HIIT which left me breathless but it's intense so everyone else was in the same boat so my lungs weren't bothering me that way. I gave it up recently as advised by the repristory nurse. I'm a keen swimmer and my intention is to now get bad into that as its a lot less intense. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks x

[Caspiana]

Hi Liberty82 .

I have crackles too. It's one of the first things I noticed at the onset of my lung disease. I was told I had asthma at first but when the inhalers did not alleviate my breathlessness they researched more. I have a disease of the small airways. Have you had a spirometry test? If so what were your results? Were they explained to you? Please try not to panic. Keep active and eat sensibly. Keep talking with your doctors if you feel that you need more answers , keep asking. I'm sorry I'm not much help. Have a good weekend.

Cas xx 🙋🐕

[Liberty82 in reply to Caspiana]

Thanks for your reply Cas. I'm never breathless I just crackle, they were meant to do more testing at the repristory clinic but there was some kind of mix up. I'm back again in 2 months, they asked me to do the blow test and she said the results came back that it's seems like it's asthma. What is the spirometry test? I was doing intense work outs a few weeks ago with no bother so I'm just so puzzled with this crackling. I'm sorry about your lung condition do u mind me asking what kind it is? Thanks for your reply. Its much appreciated x

[Hidden in reply to Liberty82]

I have crackles too, which are worse when I have an exacerbation. I have Bronchiectasis.

[Liberty82 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks poems. Mine are only noticeable when I lie down. I'm just getting to the point now where I'd like to get to the bottom of it. It's certainly not as bad as it used to be, I used to cough stuff up in the morning when I smoked for those 6 months but I honestly thought it was stomach related. X

[Tricity125 in reply to Liberty82]

I awaiting lungTX. In the past I was in icu Critical care ward . 1 stay 2 months. With heart infection collapsed lung kidney faliour. I had bad crackles but. I could hear nothing it's air trapped in linin of lungs and ribs. It can leak though your skin How you s hear them Iam not sure. It a very serious. Sign. Usually when you very. ILL and is can be life threating maybe you s should get to a top cardiologist Well. Maybe. It's just. Gas. Good luck.

[Tricity125 in reply to Tricity125]

The condition is. Empysema in it rawest form.

[Caspiana in reply to Liberty82]

Hi again Liberty82 . 😊

I have Obliterative Bronchiolitis. It's very rare but I have found a handful of people on this forum who have it. The blow test you did was probably a spirometry test. You should have the lung consultant explain the results to you. Crackles in the lungs usually indicates that there is fluid or mucus in the lungs or the lungs are having trouble inflating normally . As Tricity mentioned , sometimes it indicates an issue with the heart. Have you been scheduled for an x-ray or arterial blood gas to check your blood oxygen levels? Don't worry too much. A step at a time. xx 👋