British Lung Foundation

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Copd and working nights

Hi all. Am just wondering if anyone of you lovely people can help me. I've just started working nights plus I go Straight to another little cleaning job straight after in the morning. What I've found is that while I'm cleaning in the airport on nights my breathing seems fine but once I'm home and I've had my sleep I wake up feeling like I can't breathe properly. It's the same feeling as with a chest infection. It lasts for a couple of hours and then eases off. I have moderate copd. I don't want to quit my jobs as I need the money.

16 Replies

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It is possible you are affected by the cleaning products.

What products are you using is there a alternative.

Air freshener can also cause breathing problems.You will have to consider the long term affect.

The cleaning products are fine. I don't know if it's because I'm inside cleaning then have to do litter picking outside.

I work outside part time until 10 pm.There is more oxygen concentrated in the air at night due to the air being more dense ( I believe this to be true as I feel I can breathe better and cars run better ! )

I feel sluggish when I wake up in the morning. My PR chap says that strart moving about a bit and you'll gradually start breathing better. It works for me after about an hour.

Thanks. I do that but it is still taking me about two hours. Before I took this night job i only had my morning job and I never suffered with breathing proba after waking up. I've only been doing the night work for three nights and I've been like that every time. Can't afford to quit the job as I need to work like everyone else. But it's scary

Let's hope someone finds an answer.

I also am moderate copd. I do office cleaning at night. I was noticing a while back, when I woke up, I was very wheezy. Haven't really figured it out. It was in my throat and it was loose. I could cough it up. I was thinking acid reflux. Anyway, I don't use inhalers. But I do have qvar for times I'm wheezing.

So I started using that when I go to work and don't seem to be doing it anymore. Do you use inhalers? Your quite active as I am. I think that's a good thing, as the less you do, the less you'll be able to do. Let me know what you figure out. Appears to be something to do with your cleaning job. Is it humid there . That bothers me.

Rubyxx😊

Try not use inhalers stay away from air freshner perfume etc

could it be aircraft fumes thats doing it, would be more condenced at the airport , just a thought, if it's not the cleaning cemicals your using .

That

That's what I thought. It's still happening so I don't know whether to keep the job or what. I do need the money though and even though it's really hard work I do enjoy it.

Why don't you try using your rescue inhaler before you work there? See if that helps.

Rubyxx😊

My cat is same as yours and her name is also ruby xxx!!!

cleaning products are the worst things to be around when you have c.o.p.d

My doctor has prescribed an anti allergy spray to put up my nose. It helps.

I was told that my tiredness was due to a build up of co2 in the blood whilst we sleep as we do not breath well when we sleep. I find that it takes me at least a couple of hours to really get going in the morning.

Try and breath out gently as much as poss and that should help. You