Need advice please

[Polesworth1940]

Hi to all you COPD sufferercarers. Could anyone advise me where to get information please?

My lovely 83 years old wife was diagnosed as having COPD in January 2022 when in hospital with double pneumonia. At that time she recovered and discharged with 2 inhalers and no advice on how to cope with this horrible illness. Since then she has gradualy become less active and now out of breath and panic stricken doing anything that involves her being on her feet. She isnot sleeping at night and then needing to sleep most of the day.

I am trying my best to care for her but it is very frustrating that it is very difficult to find quality information on how I can help her. Just 2 days ago I had to phone for an ambulance because she was very confused and had difficulty breathing due to coughing up rubbish from her lungs. She has had chest xrays and all kinds of tests, now on antibiotics and steroids for a week.Told to control her breathing and do excercise but she is frightened all the time She has regular GP visits for check ups but when i ask how I can help her they say that it will be obvious at the time but I do not know what to do when she is very confused etc.

Any advice you kind people can offer on how I can help her I would be very grateful please after 63years of being married I owe her all the help I can give to her.

[Annscottie]

Hi Polesworth. So sorry to hear what you and your wife are going through. The Asthma and Lung helpline phone number is 0300 222 5800. They will listen and offer advice.

I think your GP needs to realise that you need support too.

There are many people on here who are about the same age as your wife and I'm sure they will be able to give some suggestions.

Take care and hope you get some help soon.

[Polesworth1940 in reply to Annscottie]

Thank you to all of the advice offered by you kind people. I wll phone the surgery today and press them for getting her more help and also telephone the asthma number offered. Once again. Thank you for all your advice. Take care all.

[Polesworth1940 in reply to Annscottie]

Good morning all.

Once again, thank you for all your replies and advice. To update you all. Last Wednesday I had to call111 who arranged an ambulance visit. After checking my wife over, all her stats were OK but said to contact her doctor first thing in the morning and their report would show the details of their findings. Doctor put her on Prednisolone and antibiotics for 7 days which seem to be working.

I also telephoned the asthma help line as suggested by you and found the nurse there to be fantastic. She answered my queries and pointed me in the right direction to finally get help and the questions I should ask our doctor, also requesting a face to face appointment with the COPD nurse to arrange for my wife to have a Spirometry test to determine what stage her COPD is.

Thanks to you all that after 2 years I seem to be getting somewhere at last.Thank you so much. Stay safe all.

[Annscottie in reply to Polesworth1940]

Oh that is good news. So pleased that you and your wife are at last getting the help needed.

( I'm going to try to copy and paste your message so that everyone can see it. Some may miss it as it came to me and I got the alert. Fingers crossed.)

[Polesworth1940 in reply to Annscottie]

Hi Annscottie,

Sorry I thought everyone would have access to my message. If you have trouble copying please let me know and I will try to se-send so all can see it. Take care, stay safe.

[Annscottie in reply to Polesworth1940]

Yes you're right - they would all see it if they scrolled back to your first message.

No problem. Copied, pasted and explained why I was posting. Think you should be able to see it too. 🙂

[Mellywelly]

Hi chook, I have copd and feel for you and your wife. It is scary. You should have a pulmonary nurse where you are registered to help with this. I know you can get things to make the phlegm thinner and easier to cough up but to be honest with you it sounds like her inhalers aren't working properly for her. Also drinking fluids will help with the phlegm. She sounds scared witless. I'm currently in between inhalers looking for the one that works as they don't suit everyone. What works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another. But it sounds to me like you have both been left in the air. Depending where you live the NHS has a good website for copd. It has breathing exercises and loads of advice. Seriously though I would go back to your surgery and be forceful about them helping her. Some gp surgeries aren't as good as others. But it does sound like she may be on the wrong inhaler. Good luck chook and let us know how you get on. This is a wonderful site and there are plenty of people to offer help and advice 😉

[leo60]

What an awful situation for you and your wife. I too have COPD, and the bouts of breathlessness are frightening, very frightening. I hope the antibiotics an steroids help and she can move about again as this is important.

Do call the Asthma and Lung helpline and your GP too. As others have said she may benefit from a different inhaler. And you need caring for too. Sending you both hugs, Laurie xx

[Alberta56]

Welcome to the forum. Your wife should not be in this state. She needs advice on how to use inhalers. Has she got a spacer? and, if so, has she been shown how to use it? Has she been referred to a consultant or to a respiratory nurse? Ask your GP to refer her for Pulmonary Rehab- the physios who run these courses are very good. If they don't do it in your area, or if there will be a long wait, there are some decent videos on the Asthmalung web site.

Good luck. It is still possible to lead a reasonably active life at 83 with lung disease. (I am 83, but with bronchiectasis not COPD.) I hope the friendly people on this site will help to show her it is possible to make a considerable improvement in one's life.

[Donniebrasco]

Hello, i suffer from COPD Emphysema and anxiety , used to not be able to feel 'trapped' anywhere, Buses, cars, Dentists, etc and my breathing would become muchworse, i was given Valium ,2mg tablets.

It takes the edge of the anxiety and may help your wife.

All the very best to you.x

[Bingo88]

This post has left me in tears for the disgusting position these people have been left in due to the inadequate service of the NHS. That person who said he would know how to help her when the time comes is a disgrace and wants sorting out. What on earth is this country coming to.I really do feel for this gentleman trying to care for his wife. It's heartbreaking for them both. I hope they get the help and care they deserve. Brian

[Kate124]

hello sorry to here your predicament. I think you really need to find out what’s causing the confusion with your wife. This is not normal with COPD, which I’ve had for 7 years. Maybe a chat with GP is needed.

[Patk1]

Get her gp back out.confusion can be caused by infection/ antibiotics & will hopefully soon pass.sounds like anxiety is a major problem which dr needs to address.sort that & breathing shld improve,along with mobility.id make a list so u don't get sidetracked.do make sure she drinks plenty,and if u can sit with her,breathe with her to help get quality breaths & ease anxiety. On aluk website,there's info on controlled pursed lips breathing technique x