Hi everyone, so I was with my consultant the other week and he allowed me to take a screenshot of my results, trouble is no matter how much I try I cannot work out what they mean. He did tell me I don't have enough oxygen getting into my blood.
I'm taking a low dose morphine to help with my breathlessness and it is helping.
I've had a pain in lower left front of my chest for the last 7 months, my gp has had me on naproxen for the last 3 months to help with the pain, consultant wasn't happy about that, he said they are ok short term but can be dangerous for long term use, so he's told me to use paracetamol, but I still feel the pain with any pain meds I take. He's asked for me to have a ctpa due to reduced diffusion with preserved spirometry (what does that mean?)
He also wants me to have a bone density scan as back in May 2024 I sneezed and heard a crack (it was in the same place as the pain that's ongoing in chest) my GP suggested I went to urgent treatment centre and they suggested it was a rib fracture.
I'll try and stop waffling now but I'd just like to know if anyone else has had this pain or what it could be (I know it's going to be months before the scan and results). And I'd also like to know what the results on the spirometry test all mean please if anyone could help with that.
Thank you in advance for any help or advice.
Hope you all have a lovely day (at least it's not raining! Well it's not where I am at the moment) 🧡
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Breathe-73
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Hi there, I'm just replying as no-one else has yet. Sorry I cannot help with you readings at all (good photo though so someone will help translate it). In the meantime you could give the helpline a call 0300 222 5800, from 09.15 to 5pm Mon to Friday. They're very knowledgeable. Good luck. P
Thank you so much for your reply. I'm really hoping someone can help on here as I really struggle speaking on the phone to people I don't know (my anxiety goes through the roof unfortunately).
Fingers crossed someone will see my post and be able to help. That said, I really appreciate you trying to help me 😊
The chart above shows previouse a Z Score of - 1.13 is 95% probably normal according to Google, but I am not able to give that as an answer to Breathe-73 as I did not see Z Scores on mine.
I have COPD and it was easy, my FEV 1 % FVC 48% Predicted was 5 years ago. and probably means moderate COPD - I am not allowed a spiro witheye inections so probably my scores are lower.
Thank you for replying. Yes I've been told by consultant around 4 years ago that I have mild copd, emphysema, he showed me the ct scan I had done a couple of years ago and I could see the holes in my lungs (he pointed them out as I had no clue what I was looking for 😄) what I don't understand with being mild is why I'm so breathless, I'm dreading it getting worse. He prescribed me a low dose morphine to help with this breathlessness and it does seem to be helping, I'm guessing it must be something to do with the oxygen transfer that maybe causing me the issues. So frustrating all the waiting for the tests and then the follow up appointments to find out what the test results are, but I guess we're all in the same boat for that. I 100% appreciate the NHS but just wish I could a afford private health care, although I'd still want the same consultant I have now, he's fantastic 😊
I’m notoriously bad at explaining stuff but will have a go! You don’t say what your lung condition is but, based purely on this printout, these results look great to me. The first column shows the predicted reading for a person of your gender, age & height with normal lungs. The second column is your own result, and the third shows how your result compares with the predicted result (first column), in percentage terms.
You can see that nearly all your results exceed, or are close to, 80% of the predicted range. Don’t worry about the 4 lines in the second box ie MFEF75/25-FEF 25 - these represent the tiniest airways and are commonly lower in all lung conditions.
The only area in which you’re a bit out of range, but not by much, is the DLCO section at the bottom. This represents how efficiently the alveoli transfer oxygen from your lungs to your bloodstream. Presumably this, combined with the pain you’ve been having, is why you’re going to have the CTPA (CT pulmonary angiogram). That’s just a CT scan which looks for blood clots in the lungs by taking pictures of the blood vessels that run from the heart to the lungs (the pulmonary arteries).
I really wouldn’t worry about these results, and your consultant is obviously doing all he can so you know you’re in good hands.
Fantastic help, thank you so much 😊 very helpful, very well written and definitely underestimate your explaining abilities, I'd say you're superb at it 👌I agree I'm in good hands, he's a fantastic consultant, he's been taking care of me for the last approx 4 years, and although he explains things to me I have a tendency to forget some things, with what you have written I can always have a look back, so again, thank you so very much. X
Great response. The only thing I’d add is that recently Iv been told that alot of emerging research suggests that the MFEF75/25-FEF 25 scores (which as you point refer the small distal airways) are actually a very good predictor of air flow obstruction. I read afterwards that small airways disease is the hallmark of COPD, even through its not talked about much. Breathlessness is cause by air trapping, so the more the small airway are damaged the less air that can come out.
I don’t really understand the physiology of it but I have severe bronchiectasis and my “scores” for those small airways are pathetic. I associate air trapping with copd though 🤔
Spirometry would not suggest obstructive or restrictive lung disease, but there is an issue with oxygen transfer. He's ordered the CPTA to find out what the cause is.
Consultant told me I have mild copd, emphysema, I've seen the small holes on ct scan I had a couple of years back, trouble is with this mild copd I struggle a lot with breathlessness, I'm guessing the oxygen transfer may have something to do with it!Thank you for your reply 😊
Spirometry test - Google each one, i.e, KCOC relates to Carbon Monoxide, mmols is millimols, measurement as in Millimetres.
Pain Relief -
Naproxen, did it work ? If so
You could revert back to it, making sure it's an anti gastric type, or take anti gastric meds, i.e, Lanszoprosole. For gut protection, long term use without may cause ulcers.
I think pain management has to be what works for you !
Effective meds we take without too much side effect has to be worth it.
Ribs - l should imagine most here suffer rib pain . I struggle with this. The intensity and continued coughing, Poor Bones !
Interesting to hear others views regarding the chest and back area??? May help both of us.
My pain, around the bra line, dead centre, from back to front, is like a large bullet has gone through, irradiates round ribcage
Recently l experienced the back pain and it has moved to the left a little too. Right lung being diseased.
I tried leaving out regular pain relief for a few days, see where I was at.
Meds - Daily, Co-Codomol x 3
Oramorph, if required
Hope that helps, you must discuss with GP no need to suffer pain
Bless you, thank you so much for your reply, I will take a lot on bored with you have said. I was given another tablet to take with the naproxen something to do with looking after my stomach, can't remember the name of it. My consultant suggested using the naproxen on the really bad days and just use paracetamol 4x daily when not so bad. The low dose morphine x2 daily does help a little also alongside helping with my breathlessness.
I was on the aspirin style NSAID Naproxen for a long time, but ended up with bruising and mouth ulcers and had to stop taking it right away - because what you can see on the outside would be happening inside the body too - including stomach ulcers.
I now take a long term receptor specific NSAID called Etodolac which does not cause those problems.
You could try asking to be prescribed Etodolac too. It can be taken with paracetamol.
Thank you for your reply. My consultant did say the naproxen can cause ulcers in the stomach and he also mentioned they can cause kidney issues also. I wasn't aware I could take paracetamol alongside my low dose morphine but he has said that is fine and just to use the naproxen when the pain is really bad. They did give me a tablet to take with the naproxen to help protect the stomach, but I think I'll listen to my consultant as he seems far more confident/concerned in my treatment than any of the gp's I've seen.
When I had pain as you describe I worried about heart conditions. Doctor checked and said it was probably not heart, but gastric reflux. We can do more tests, but he suggested I try an antacid like Tums or Rolaids (I'm in the US) as a test. If it works, we could avoid more testing for heart. It worked! Heart's fine, and I'm no longer in pain.
Medications , it's all hit and miss, isn't it, all varying on us . Steroids, are a culprit. First month no appetite, now I can't stop eating... 🤣 Pain on top of the illness symptoms, We Do Not have to suffer... I'm s a lovely sunny day in Norfolk, hope you're all getting the same
The low DLCO and low MFEF75/25-FEF 25 are probably what’s causing the breathlessness. I have the exact same DLCO figure as you, even though I do not have emphysema on CT. Issues with the small airway are very hard to see on CT but this often accompanies emphysema. Maybe speak to your consultant about it.
Thank you so much for your reply, it's all very interesting how the body works, I just wish I could understand it all a lot more than I do, saying that everyone's help here has been amazing and I'm slowly getting my head around it all, with the power of Google and these responses it's been a lot easier to understand. Thank you and everyone else who has replied 😊
I see on your bio you previously had to stop work - have you been able to return? Also did the sertraline help? I’m in a similar boat at the moment, had to leave my job & all exercise is gone (bar the slowest of walks). I can see why they say depression is a co-morbidity of copd. Never know I could sink this low!
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Back again...
Well whats going on then???
76 fev 😂
Diagnosed with Emphysema 
