long post sorry ..new to all this

[sammie70]

I have been going through this for over a year..xray(flat lungs doctor said)..bloods test extremely low iron and red blood cells..last test, red blood cells up ,iron still low(iron tablets given..salbutamol inhaler til April then given enora ellipta,doctors took me off list in april due to moving home(no longer in catchment),had 3 chest infections( all 3 treated with antibiocs and steroids twice) in the last 3 months..now at new doctors who have no access to my records yet....given antibiotics and steroids 17/07/2020).and flixotide inhaler...request sent forappointment to hospital last October for lung function test I've still not heard..so no formal diagnosis..my mom has end stage Copd had a small heart attack last year ..i am 49 2 young children at home get terribly out of breath even going up stairs,am supposed to return to work September to a dep cook position in a primary school and atm don't feel I'm up to it...sorry for the long post..i know covid 19 has delayed things this year but feel I've not got much help from any doctor to date,

[23september]

Covid has caused so much mayhem. A lot of appointments have been cancelled. I feel for you. Awaiting an appointment too an it is taking a while too. Hope you get your appointment soon. Just be positive. 🙏

[sammie70 in reply to 23september]

thankyou..

[23september in reply to 23september]

Hi

How are you feeling today?

[sammie70 in reply to 23september]

hi still very wheezy and tight chest..out of breath with only small amount of walking..2 full days of antibiotics and steroids so hopefully start to feel a bit better tomorrow..thankyou for enquiring x

[Tia4209]

Hello, you have had such a horrid time with having had 3 chest infections close together, has the GP suggested a sputum sample to check you are on the right antibiotics? It takes time to recover from chest infections so you may feel less breathless and better once you have been clear of infection for a few weeks.

If you smoke try to give it up as it will only make things worse. Maybe ask your GP if you can take some Vit C , Zinc and Vit D as they all help boost the immune system. Until you have your lung function test you won’t know if you have COPD or just had a bad year with chest infections. I hope you feel better and get some answers soon. xx

[sammie70 in reply to Tia4209]

hi thankyou for replying..my old doctor and asthma nurse in April both agreed it is copd ,their reason for prescribing the enora inhaler ,I just feel it is getting worse I'm a very active person (up until a year ago)..i gave up smoking 6 years ago having been a quite heavy smoker for over 25 years(reason being my mom's health from copd and watching her struggling to breathe) , everything I do now is around my getting out of breath,and I'm younger than when my mom was diagnosed.

[Tia4209 in reply to sammie70]

Sorry I did not realise you had already been told it was COPD.

[sammie70 in reply to Tia4209]

hi it's ok my post was a bit rambling..just feel a bit lost atm with it all x

[Hidden]

In your situation I would be pushing for a referral to a lung specialist and I would also be asking my doctor for an ongoing sick note.

In addition you can request a CT scan on the grounds you are on your 3rd /4th lot of ABs and steroids and not responding to treatment.

Request also the blood test to rule out Alpha1 antitrypsin.

The above 2 test will help clarify things a little more for when you see the specialist

Best wishes and hope things run smoothly for you from here on.

[sammie70 in reply to Hidden]

thankyou I think I will ring my doctors next week for a referral as my mind is working overtime with it all..no sooner do I think it's under control I get another infection..thankyou for you advice and help

[Crystaltears in reply to sammie70]

If you keep getting chest infections you have not been given the right antibiotics if you can ask your doc for a different one what country are you in because in the uk the doc surgery will do the lung test with a sporomiter that you blow in never heard of anyone having to go to hospital just for a lung test good luck

[sammie70 in reply to Crystaltears]

hi UK..did spiromiter test last year at my previous doctors...think the test at the hospital are lung function tests?..still waiting for that appointment since last October..i am going to phone my doctors tomorrow to possibly send sputum sample off as could possibly be wrong antibiotics..thanks for reply

[Crystaltears in reply to sammie70]

The spriromiter is a lung function test so I dont know what they are sending you to the hospital for

[sammie70 in reply to Crystaltears]

more detailed lung function test? not sure tbh as I've not even had the appointment yet

[Crystaltears in reply to sammie70]

Good luck with it all hope things work out ok for you

[sammie70 in reply to Crystaltears]

hi my doctors didn't have the test in surgery that's why I was referred to the hospital...but I have changed doctors so I will ask if they do it at their surgery

[sammie70 in reply to Crystaltears]

hi it was peak flow that was done at my old doctors(sorry )

[Deno88 in reply to Crystaltears]

i went to hospital for my lung function tes

[sammie70 in reply to Deno88]

I don't think all doctors surgery have the facilities/room..thats why some go to the hospital x

[Hidden in reply to sammie70]

Lung function testing at a hospital can be purely because the GP is unable to offer spirometry, but can also be a more formal test in a lab where you blow into a mouth piece connected to a proper computer rather than a portable machine. These are usually considered the most accurate tests: it’s fully accepted and understood that portable spirometers can vary anywhere up to 5% in accuracy, particularly comparatively between different brands.

For a GP to offer spirometry, they have to have a suitable member of staff that can be trained both to carry out the tests properly, including issues around technique and validation, and also to fully interpret the results. That’s in addition to being able to appropriately maintain and calibrate the equipment. The gear can be expensive - a decent pneumatic spirometer will set a surgery back anything up to £15000 if they get something like a vitalograph. But even at the cheaper end, the microlab that our old GP used for their COPD patients will set you back about £2500. Some surgeries just don’t have the staffing, time, money or even the need to offer spirometry in house.

[sammie70 in reply to Hidden]

mine was only a small practice so don't think they had the staff or room..hense being referred to the hospital for it..just think October to now is an awfully long time to wait for an appointment

[Deno88 in reply to sammie70]

my lung function test was done in december last year

[sammie70 in reply to Deno88]

was it ok?

[Deno88 in reply to sammie70]

the test showed i have moderate copd

[peege]

just a suggestion for while you're waiting for your referral. In my opinion I'd say that with the low bloods and iron it could have really compromised your immune system so you've nothing much left to fight infections. It may be an idea to do a bit of research on supplements and vitamins. Many of us take extra vitamin D3 for our general and lung health. Also, I know if I had my time over I'd beg, borrow (not steal) or use a 0% interest credit card to get a private CT scan as well as a consultation with a specialist for a diagnosis. The waiting and worrying are stressful so I do hope you see someone very soon. P

[sammie70 in reply to peege]

thankyou..i don't thinks it's helped that I've moved area in the middle off tests then being taken off the doctors register..now new doctors don't have access yet to my records so are going by what i say...my health is declining slowely ..i think I will ask my doctor for a referral for a ct scan first see what they say..

[peege in reply to sammie70]

You're right, it doesn't help. I was similar. With my last practice for 20 years. They showed and trusted me to manage my own conditions once diagnosed at St Georges. I've been with this one 5 years and getting anything is like getting blood out of a stone. Really important to build a good rapport with you new gp and practice. Good luck to you. P

[Hidden]

How long were the courses of antibiotics? Anything less than 2 weeks may not have been long enough to shift the lung infection, and in a high dose. My specialist has said take them for 3 or 4 weeks if you are not completely better at the end of two.

[sammie70 in reply to Hidden]

hi first 2 lots5 days..this new lot 7 days..i did mention a longer course but nope 7 days ,but she did say to ring if im no better or still unwell.

[Hidden in reply to sammie70]

I only know that in bronchiectasis its absolutely necessary to take the antibiotics for a minimum of 2 weeks and in a high daily dose.

I think from your post you say you are an asthmatic, and wonder how the diagnosis of COPD was made.

[sammie70 in reply to Hidden]

hi i had a chest xray which showed 'flat lungs thats how the doctor described it to me..this was after a horrendous chest infection last summer..bloods were taken and that showed very low iron and red blood cells....salbutamol inhaler was prescribed..and I had a gastroscopy(which was clear)..he then referred for a lung function test at the hospital..had asthma check up April and my nurse changed my inhaler via doctors approval after reviewing my history to enora..and said yes they agree it's copd but without the lung function test could not give it as a diagnosis..so I am in limbo until this year is done

[sammie70 in reply to sammie70]

test*

[Hidden in reply to sammie70]

I don't know about anyone else but I've never heard the description 'flat' lungs before.

This virus has not just messed up people's livelihoods and everyday lives, but those of us with chronic ailments that require monitoring, or diagnosing, are not getting medical care. So sorry for you.

[sammie70 in reply to Hidden]

yes i agree..i think maybe I had a part collapsed lung (from what I have read) also irregular shaped(doctors layman terms I assumed)...

[Jamesmum]

Good to sh you have had a bad time! My son has, CF and other diseases... and his spiro tests were stopped for Covid which was extremely worrying. He has had them now but only through insisting! I think you need to push your doctor now as most things back to "normal". Not sure about returning to work though...thats,quite a physical job and not sure you are up to it to be honest. Get checked out... Insist!!!! Good luck xx

[sammie70 in reply to Jamesmum]

hi i hope all has been well for your son through this pandemic..yes i think I am going to have to insist now ..thankyou xxx

[Jamesmum in reply to sammie70]

Yes you must... Its important they see to you.. And soon! Xx

[helen1946]

just a quick question do you by any chance drink a lot of tea every day sounds silly but I wonder if your iron deficiency is worse because of that tea strips iron out of your body every time you drink it a little at a time. had someone close to me who constantly has very low iron which means oxygen cannot be carried round the blood.just wondered.hope you feel better soon.x

[sammie70 in reply to helen1946]

hi no i have 1 cup in the morning..i have had heavy periods most of my life so could possibly account for a lowish iron level..my last doctor sent me for a gastroscopy to rule out any cancer..which thankfully came back neg..

[helen1946 in reply to sammie70]

So glad you ok hope you feel better soon

[Kimlu]

So sorry you're going through this. You've come to the right place on this site, they are lovely people and have helped me out of the confusion and despair we sometimes get. Keep safe and be kind to yourself. Hugs xxx

[sammie70 in reply to Kimlu]

thankyou x

[Ergendl]

Hope you start to feel better soon.

[sammie70 in reply to Ergendl]

thankyou x

[Gingerapple]

Hi Sammie,

Things are taking longer than usual because of Covid, usually only emergencies, however, if you have problems you should 'annoy' your GP as often as possible, or call the hospital to get an appointment. I've done this and got an appointment.

Please stay positive and have a good vibe day! Hug, Bev😊👍🏽❤