Spirometry and COPD/Emphysema.

I've recently had a Spirometry test after having to keep keeping on for one, following being told I have COPD/Emphysema over a year ago now, the previous years before I'd had to reduce the hours I work because of aches and pains and now I'm not working at all due to this and related health problems. Following Spirometry at hospital the Nurses there have told me that my first 3 breaths were good, but that every breath following is fatuging, I wasnt give any numbers or anything like that, neither did anybody explain what this could mean. I have now been asked by respiritory nurse to go in and do them again in a months time at the local doctors surgey for reversability. I have, for a while, had a constant burning sensation in my upper back, that began imediately after an aspestos fire in the neighbourhood aprox 2018/19, I also experiencing difficulty breathing/tight chested similar to asthma as a child only feeling more discomfort. The burning sensation in my upper back has seemed to increase more after Spirometry, I'm waiting for this to settle or at least become milder, has anyone else experienxced this? A nurse has told me that the results from Spirometry seems to suggest the diagnosis is correct for COPD/Emphysema, or she said it could be asthma. For me this is a pretty wide gap, and is a bit distressing as I saw my Gradfather pass away from this/Emphysema. Clarity is nessesary, Ive had asthma since I was 11/12 but in adult life it hasnt bothered me to much. I tend to feel what I am experienceing + extreme tiredness and fatigue, Isn't solely Asthma, as it feels a bit different, even when Ive had it bad Ive still had a degree of energy. Im also a bit frustrated that I have to retake this. Does anybody know about reversability tests?

Much respect and kindest regards.

Sea

[Troilus]

Sorry they have thrown you into confusion sea, but at least they are working towards sorting things out for you. Reversibility testing is a test for asthma. You do spirometry-full lung function tests aren’t necessary - then you take your blue inhaler - I had two but I think the gold standard is 4 puffs. Then you wait 20 mins and redo the test. In adults, an improvement in FEV1 of 12% or more, together with an increase in volume of at least 200 is regarded as a positive result. An improvement of greater than 400 mL in FEV1 is strongly suggestive of asthma.

[Hidden in reply to Troilus]

Thank you for your reply. I have Asthma since I was 11/12. I'm not sure why they cant just give me a clear diagnosis for COPD-Emphysema (after Spirometry tests I did 2 weeks or so ago), which is what they have been telling me I have for over a year now after X rays. Hopefully at somepoint I will have some clarity. Though my trust after a number of bad experiences with the UK health service is declining every day. I'm heading back to my guitar to cheer me up. Thank you for the infomation. A pleasent day to you.

[Patk1]

In your position,I would be taking salbutamol inhaler more often.do let us know how u get on x

[Hidden]

Cheers, yes I'm taking it quite a lot at the moment, Theyve taken me off of all the steroids they've tried to experiment with because I was having reactions to them. Since then just taking inhailer alot day and night. Pretty tired all the time, tight chest and feeing low, The constant burning sensation in my upper back disturbs me most, and the decline in my physically ability over the last few years or so. I'll keep pushing on, and hopefully in time I will have better clarity and understanding of the situation. It just trys my patience in moments. Thanks for the reply. I let you know how things go in a couple of weeks. Bless.

[Lee_Scoresby]

Hello Sea132. Apologies for only just having seen your question, but I have Emphysema and, earlier on, also experienced that pain in the upper back (left side, in my case) but what was confirmed to me was that a CT scan was essential for the final diagnosis to be made by a specialist consultant. Your tests may indeed show that you have asthma but that doesn’t rule out any other lung condition.

When I was tested, I couldn’t really understand the nurse’s explanation of it but the results she got didn’t indicate asthma. But spirometry + x-rays + CT scan (especially the scan) ordered by the consultant showed graphically that I do have emphysema. If you can access a respiratory consultant, that will help.

[Hidden in reply to Lee_Scoresby]

Thank for for your reply Lee. So far I've only spoken with Nurses from the hospital, and more regularly with Respiratory Nurse, and A GP at my surgery. Ive had no direct contact with any consultants at present. Ive asked for an MRI the last week, also would like them to exlpore a previous abdominal operation Ive had that gives me problems from time to time, as consultant for this said I should be having regular yearly monitoring of bowel stomach, and bladder, but I have pushed an pushed for this only to be sidelined with other tests for over 10 years now. Sorry to sound like I am moaning a bit, it's just these processes and having to keep pushng and almost demanding for tests is really disempowering, and not making stress and anxiety any better. To be honest this is really depressing me for over a year now. I've had CT scans befor for a previous health problem but the ink they injected me with left me feeling pretty weak and cold for 2 weeks or 3 afterwards. I am very sensitive to medications, espeacially more since I've experinced Anaphlaxsis after they wrongly proscibed antibiotics for a kidney infection that didn't exist, though the doctor at the time was sure, the blood tests that came back showed nothing was wrong with my kidneys, thouhg the doctor asked me to take them befor any results and despite me insisting that I didnt think I had a kidney infection. Thank you for the info about the symptoms you experience, it sounds pretty much the same as what I am feeling. When I have asked about these pains, I just get a blank expression from the people at my surgery. Though I understand they are overworked and maybe not getting the best training for this, though I keep being told they are experts in this field. Since 2019 my physically ability, health & breathing feels like it has been in rapid decline. With heavy fatigue and needing to sleep at points in the day. The pains in the upper back started after a Asbestos fire in old factory in the area I live, before this I was able to ride my mountain bike on and off road, walk my dog for 2 hours a day, plus work and do everything I needed to do for myself with out family support, with only slight fatigue after an opperation in 2011 (Im in my early 40's and have always exercised alot in my adult life, though I have smoked previously, but not excesively). Thanks again. Hope you have a good day. Bless.

[Lee_Scoresby in reply to Hidden]

Hello Sea132 and thanks for your reply.

I can't really speak to your other operation and condition, but I've got a few observations from my own experience and how Emphysema affected me. I'm hoping they might be useful.

One thing seems clear: with everything else going on, it's very easy to have an unexplained pain and, because getting anyone to listen - let alone explain - it's so easy to imagine what you'd really rather not think about. My upper back pains have now just melted away over the past couple of years but, at the time, I wondered whether they were being caused by a cancer in the lung. No-one would really address the problem (it was peak Covid) and so I just worried in silence. But more recent X-rays have showed absolutely nothing untoward - no mass, as they put it helpfully. Also, other key indications (e.g. sustained weight loss) were absent so that set my mind more at rest. Then, magically, the pains receded so that they hardly ever recur. The moral: we worry a lot about what we don't know. When we stop worrying without foundation, life gets better. I hope that's the way it goes with you too.

You also mentioned about pains occurring directly after that asbestos factory fire. It might lessen your worry that asbestosis takes many years to develop and show itself, so it probably is simply that the two occurrences are simply coincidental. Asbestos processes and disposals are, these days, extremely well regulated.

I do like that you were a mountain biker; it speaks to the sort of person you are. I took up really active on and off-road hybrid biking when I was 68, back at the end of 2017. I'd had a knee operation, and then my emphysema diagnosis just a week later, and so I used theses events as an excuse to buy myself a hybrid e-bike. Like you, I was a smoker for a long time but a heavy one too. Luckily, I always tried to keep active, which stood me in good stead. Even if you normally tire quickly, or get breathy, the electrical assistance picks up as much of the strain as you want it to. It makes it a dream to take on daunting hills and the bike I got is rugged enough to take on even red downhill trails. It gave me a new lease of life just when I needed it and that continues today (80 miles in the last 4 days). Inevitably you get fitter, and this has led me to buy and use another 'ordinary' bike to going to the shops. So if you enjoyed that life before, you might find it again with just a bit of "e-assistance". I do hope so.