I was diagnosed with COPD/Emphysema mild to moderate with lung function of 70% last October 2011. I also suffer with chronic bronchitis. With the shock of it all I quit smoking on the spot, but by Xmas 2011 I was smoking again, not as heavy as before, but smoking nonetheless. My smoking at present is to stop for a few weeks, then I start again. I know the lungs cannot differentiate between light or heavy smoking, they just know they are being poisoned. I do keep trying to give up and somedays I may only smoke three in a day. But Xmas morning I woke at 5.30am(had only been asleep one hour) unable to breathe. I use Spiriva in the mornings and I have Ventolin for when necessary. I tried it to no avail and I was really scared. I ended up sitting in the bathroom with the door shut and the hot taps running to let the room fill with steam. I was in there and hour before I felt anything like relief. And then I tried the Ventolin again. But this morning I was coughing up dark brown mucus with blood in it and I am not sure what to do about it. Each time I go to the GP with a suspected chest infection he hands me a pot for a sample. Sometimes he goes ahead and give antibiotics and other times not until results are back. But this is the first time this has happened and I am wondering if it is possible that my COPD has got worse. I only saw my consultant twice last year and he discharged me back to the care of my GP. Any advice would be great from you guys and I thank you in advance for any advice given.
XXXXX
Lin
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Ozzygirl64
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Thankyou Evo. I know I can stop smoking and I have in the past. I am going to see my GP in the New Year IF I can get an appointment, very popular GP, hard to see him. Thanks for the reply and I wish you a Happy New Year
Not harsh at all, a kick up the backside yes, harsh, no, not in any way. It I wanted replies wrapped in cotton wool I would not have posted hun xxxxx
You can do it sweetie, it took me a few goes but in the end it's worth it, and it meant that I got to see my granddaughters, one is 19 the other is 5. Don't give up trying you will get plenty of support here. In the mean time go to your G.P and explain what is happening with the gunk. xx
I am going to post a new blog now, and I have give up and restarted so many times, but even my breathing clinic nurse said she has had patients that have tried 7 or 8 times before getting there xxxxx
Thanks stitch I am going to post a blog about the deal I have just made with my hubby & daughter xxxxxx
Hi ozzygirl. I believe its usually the smoking nurse at the surgery who deals with smokers looking to give up. You can also bypass them and use a smoking clinic instead. Its usually much quicker and they can give you a prescription via your sugery. There should be one near you.
Yeah my smoking nurse is also my breathing nurse so both covered. Back to see her in the New Year once I get my daugther sorted. 14 hours and 14 minutes, see I am counting lol xxxxx
Hi Ozzygirl, don't give up giving up, you will conquer it, it took me 2 years to give up completely, I only had 3 a day for 4 years thinking that won't hurt but I was wrong, I still couldn't breath properly most of the time and was getting worse, finally I won and after a while I began to feel better,my breathing improved and I could do alot more things, I never slept properly when I was smoking, always waking to use inhaler but now sleep is sound and I never wake out of breath, having a good nights sleep is heaven,the dark circles around my eyes have gone now, smoking is a poison although when we do it we don't realize the harm it does until we stop and see the benefits.Keep trying girl !!!!
Thankyou Teigy1. I was ometimes thinking 'oh just one won't hurt and then I would be choking and unable to breathe. You would think that would be enough to make me stop. But 14 hours and 16 minutes without, not long to hit 24 hours and then I can look forward xxxxx
Hi ozzygirl, i just wanted to say, i was a smoker for over 30 years!! i enjoyed smoking!! i never thought anything would happen to me! but how wrong was i i have managed to give up with no help from the nhs! its the hardest thing i have done, as the choice was taken out of my hands! it had to be done, if it wasnt for copd, i wouldve continued to smoke, how pathetic is that statement :/ you can do it, you really can
When first diagnosed it was enough to make me quit there and then and I found it easy at the time and my nurse was amazed, then she advised I take Champix anyway and I thought she new best. I was ten weeks into the Champix when I started again, I was so disappointed, Tried Champix again this year and it never made a blind bit of difference. So I want to do it myself if I can but may get some minis whenI go over, just in case. But then again I could but polos and tyr that xxxxx
Hi again Ozzygirl, at the end of the day its all down to willpower as well, I tried lots of different aids to stop but always went back on the dreaded weed, I finally did it alone because I couldn't stand the choking feeling and gasping for breath the whole time, be stong and after a couple of days you will start to breath better,when you feel that it will get easier. Its not easy though I agree.Good luck
Lit one at about 8am this morning, had a couple of puffs, choked a lot and put it out. It is like the brain keeps wanting to try but the lungs have other ideas. Plus I noticed today whilst out just how many people were smoking around me. Never normally notice. But I won't give up trying to give up. Once I get rid of the gremlins in my brain begging for a fix I hope I will be okay. xxxxx
Oh my bloody God !! You must be feeling like smashing either your head against a brick wall OR all the heads of the do-gooders ( unhelpful as they are ) that berate you into giving up smoking. Idiots. Shit oh dear. Well if it's any consolation honey I no EXACTLY what you're talking about. No one, by the way, in all their helpfulness, has bothered to give you kudos for atleast having the courage to disclose your smoking status. Nor have they commended you for atleast making a number of attempts to quit smoking. Again, idiots. So ... I was diagnosed with emphsema some 15-18 mths ago. I continued smoking my lungs out and hated myself every puff of the way BUT the difference between the "I did it and so can you's" is that they don't have an addictive personality which makes quitting not so easy. Being an addictions counsellor by profession I sorta know what I'm talking about here and I know the struggle involved. So back to the crux of the issue, given the similarities with your smoking struggle my advice is this - cold turkey, while great for some IS'NT an option I'm going to suggest. Have you considered 'vaping'? In desperation, having tried every pill, patch and potion known to man it was AND STILL IS the only thing that's worked.for me. You should definitely consider giving it a shot and although vaping still has its downside you can't deny the research and the fact that the detrimental effects are way less harmful than the deadly cigarette. It just may be the answer to weening yourself off the fags and getting everyone off your bloody back. I no my doctor doesn't even consider me a smoker any more ( although in all honesty he doesn't consider much of anything.... that's another issue and s different post haha ). Good luck luv !!!
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i have managed to give up with no help from the nhs! its the hardest thing i have done, as the choice was taken out of my hands! it had to be done, if it wasnt for copd, i wouldve continued to smoke, how pathetic is that statement :/ you can do it, you really can 
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