Not COPD

[Carnival567]

I have just been seen by a doctor I have never met before and I was surprised when she asked me when I had stopped smoking, as it is in my notes that I have never smoked. Then I realised that bronchiectasis and obliterative bronchiolitis often get put under the heading of COPD, which they are not. I know that others have had the same experience, but I am a pedant and like to be accurate. (Must be the maths teacher in me!)

[CDPO16]

It certainly isn't too much to expect to have accurate medical records. I would expect the same.

[Katinka46]

Maddening. My named GP mentioned COPD as one of my conditions. It was part of a rather tangled discussion about whether or not I should be classified as “frail”. Sloppy thinking by doctors.

Did anything good come out of the consultation?

Lots of love and gentle hugs

Kate xxx

[Carnival567 in reply to Katinka46]

I had an endoscopy early September on the rapid cancer referral as I have had some trouble swallowing, and once you are in the system you have to go through everything. They found some blood in the stool sample too so next test is a colonoscopy, I hope they don’t find anything nasty.

[Katinka46 in reply to Carnival567]

So sorry to hear about all this. There are too many Zebras in your rib cage and now they are cavorting in your gut. Not fair, not fair at all.Love

Kate xxx 🦓🦓🦓🦓🦓🦓🦓🦓🦓

[Carnival567 in reply to Katinka46]

Not fair at all, thoroughly fed up!

[Babyboy12 in reply to Carnival567]

Good morning carnival567 I am having the endoscopy tomorrow at good hope hospital as I to found it hard to swallow my doctor thinks it could be down to my bronchiectasis but have to wait and see. I hope you will be ok and they find nothing wrong. Maybe it is all down to having bronchiectasis. Good luck

[Carnival567 in reply to Babyboy12]

Thank you. I’m so fed up that my whole life seems to revolve around medical appointments. I know I need them, but it doesn’t leave much time for anything else! They are all so kind though so I mustn’t complain and glad that my GP is so conscientious, unlike some.

[Babyboy12 in reply to Carnival567]

I do know how you feel nothing but hospital and drs appointment. I had my first covid injection in January after few weeks I got covid and was bad with it I thing having that made my bronchiectasis worse.

[Babyboy12 in reply to Carnival567]

And sorry to hear your going through a lot x

[Maximonkey in reply to Carnival567]

Hi Carnival, I have had 3 colonoscopy's this last year so do not worry. You will be fine. The only tip I will say is make sure you follow the diet and take all the medication they send you. If you have a problem with constipation tell them and they will up the dosage. If I had pressed this point on colonoscopy one I would not have had to have 3 (only 2). I found the diet and the medication part of the whole ordeal the worst. The colonoscopy itself was fine. The doctors and nursing staff are so lovely and any embarrassment I might have felt was quickly gone as they were all so friendly and made me laugh. Thankfully the results were all good. Good luck, Maximonkey

[Carnival567 in reply to Maximonkey]

I have had one colonoscopy already, I’m more bothered about what they might find.

[Maximonkey in reply to Carnival567]

Hi Carnival567, Yes, it is a worry. I do hope you are lucky like me and that all is well. Take care and good luck, Maximonkey

[Canabeans in reply to Carnival567]

Hubby had blood in his stools too but only polyps so hopefully the same for you xx

[Carnival567 in reply to Canabeans]

I hope so too, but I am also having difficulty swallowing.

[Hidden]

No you aren't a pedant, just correct. So many people including medics wrongly call bronch as copd. We are a complex and very individual condition of our own!

[wheezyof]

I have bronchiectasis and bronchiolitis obliterans. Just a few days ago a doctor said I had COPD. I said no and started to say what I have, She over talked me saying It's all under 1 umbrella.I would have argued but as it had taken me a lot of phone calls to get help I decided to save the fights for another day,

[CDPO16 in reply to wheezyof]

Hope you win next time. Ignorance in medical professionals in this day and age is still hard to believe.

[Katinka46 in reply to wheezyof]

That is appalling. They do not come under the same umbrella.

[Carnival567 in reply to wheezyof]

I’m afraid that seems to happen all the time.

[BreatheasyBe]

Thanks for your interesting post snd feedback. I’ve always been told my condition comes under umbrella of COPD. But more recently the consultant and my gp have been mentioning Bronchiectasis and not COPD in any communication.

[Rattle]

I live in the UK and have Bronchiectasis too. I am Swedish and when I tried to explain what’s wrong with my lungs to friends and family over there I found that they have no recognition of Bronchiectasis as a lung condition in itself. It seems bronx is covered by ”COPD” there too, very confusing and annoying.

[Patf1]

I had the same experience at my annual bronchiectasis and asthma review with a practice nurse and she had been awarded the Queen's award for nursing! A shame that she didn't know the difference between bronchiectasis and COPD.

[Buzzytruk]

There are many of us in this position. My final diagnosis came from my scans being seen atPapworth ,. So for 10 years I was listed as COPD. Which this isn't . It was only in recent memory certain conditions were moved into other categories but unfortunately an

awful lot of books and lecturer s have not been updated and treatments are almost the same ........I was told my condition started when I was in infancy ........

Just a tad young for COPD. don't you think .......🤔

Jo. ☺️

[Babyboy12]

My doctors were treating me for asthma for over 20 years and I started to get coughs and chest infections and when I went back to mine doctor she said she thinks I have copd but will sent me to hospital and when I got seen by a nice doctor in heartlands hospital name Dr Turner she said you not got copd it's bronchiectasis but need to do a ct scan and see from there this was last August and it came back I have mild bronchiectasis but since than nothing but chest infections. And with the cold weather coming not good for any of us. Copd and bronchiectasis are different not the same but all still all to do with our lungs

[Izb1]

You are right for wanting the correct information on your file , it beggars belief that a gp doesnt know the difference x

[Alberta56]

Takes me back to a session with a GP when the staff at my then surgery were just beginning to think I might have some sort of lung disease. He looked me straight in the eye and said 'You are a smoker.' I wish I had felt well enough to give him a mouthful.

[Carnival567]

It’s so accusing isn’t it.

[Dizzart]

I’m no use at maths but I’m still miffed by the utter rubbish in my notes as I think some docs. Just make up anything and/ or assume we’re all to stupid to know what we’re talking about 🙄🙄