COPD\ hi I'm new

[ser1946]

I have COPD which I am struggling with at the moment especially in the morning cant stop coughing for about a half-hour good luck,

[Thepainterswife]

Hi ser1946, I’m not actually a sufferer but a carer for my 74 year old husband who has emphysema. There will definitely be plenty of people more qualified than me along soon to give you better advice but here’s my contribution Firstly if you smoke stop immediately, Geoff smoked for 50 plus years and always had a terrible cough now he never coughs at all . Secondly do you have medication to help with mucus production? Geoff has tablets which thin the mucus and make it easier to cough up he also has steroid and saline nebulisers apparently the saline is particularly good at shifting muck from the lungs . There are also breathing exercises that should help, someone will no doubt be able to give you a link to access them on line before long . Keep checking back , I promise plenty people will be able to give more advice soon Val😊

[CDPO16]

Hi and welcome. If you cough to clear phlegm in a morning this isn't unusual as it tends to build up overnight. I don't have a problem with phlegm but often have a dry cough for a while in a morning which gradually eases.

If this is a new cough it may be worth letting your doctor know, it could be a sign of a flare up. It may also be worth considering doing a covid test. My nurse recently suggested I did one to be sure although I had no other symptoms. My test was negative which was reassuring.

[MoyB]

Hi!CDPO16 has mentioned the possibility of a flare up and it is worth considering it.

When I was diagnosed I was given a few printouts from the computer and told to go away and read them and I would be recalled for a review in 12 months.

The information was worse than useless and led me to believe that the cough I had was 'normal' for the condition. However, by the time I got to my review, the nurse I saw was really concerned that I had allowed it to go on for so long and immediately arranged an appointment with my GP. Antibiotics followed but didn't do the trick and before I knew it I was in hospital! Since then I have also been diagnosed with Bronchiectasis.

Please don't neglect anything you are unsure about! Sometimes the medics assume we know more than we actually do and they forget to tell us some of the important factors.

The BLF has a good fact sheet about COPD flare- ups with a flow chart to point you in the right direction. I have found it excellent to refer to.

Also, if you haven't been given th Active Cycle of Breathing exercises, check them out online. Again, I think they are on the BLF website but there are also YouTube videos you can watch to help you get your technique right.

The morning cough can be awful but can also often be managed.

Hope this helps. Good luck! xx Moy

[stamford1234]

I have COPD, serious. Mornings are bad for me especially when it is foggy and damp outside. A hot drink helps a bit, or at a push nebulising some saline. I wonder if you are on the verge of an exacerbation. Exacerbations progress the disease and should be avoided. Do you have emergency packs of Pred. and Antibiotics? Best to speak to Dr if you can, maybe you need a change of inhaler

You don't say what inhalers or other meds you take. I can't get going in the morning without a dose of Braitus (Tioproprium).

Hope you get over it soon, all the best

[Dedalus]

Hello and welcome to this lovely forum

[Alberta56]

Welcome to the forum. You do need to speak to someone to get advice about the coughing. There are various techniques and devices available to help with this. You shouldn't be struggling alone.