new emphysema and very scared

[DENNISAMERICA]

Hi   My name is  dennis  and  1 year  ago  to  the  day  a  cat scan  showed mild  upper lung  marking of  emphysema... im  55  and have  smoked for  the past  42 years.. im  trying to  quit.. i  went to see  a pulmonologist  and he  perform a  pft  test  and listened  to my lungs..   he  also  tested me   for  the  alpha  1  and  it  was negative....  he  said  my  lungs   were  clear  and  dint here  any  wheezing or   crackling...  the  pft  numbers   are  as   follows ....fvc. 87%.... fev1 81%.... fev1/fvc 92%.....fef25%  83%.... fef 25%-75%  61%   fef max 93% ... what  does  this mean  because i  constantly   cough and have  tons  of  anxiety  everyday  from this

[diesel12]

Hi and welcome, I'm no expert but the FEV1 doesn't look too bad (mines 52) and I think it would be classed as mild but someone will come along soon who knows a lot more than me. The cough might be the cigs so keep up the good work with stopping. I use an ecig which helped me stop but others here have done it in different ways. That will have the greatest impact on slowing the illness down, exercise as much as you can and eat healthily. Don't worry too much (easier said than done) and enjoy your life, if you have any questions just ask someone will more than likely have the answer and they are a great bunch of guys on here

[DENNISAMERICA in reply to diesel12]

  only had a complete spirometry back on april 9th 2015 and a bunch of short form pfts done since 2004 . heres the dclo and other numbers from last year...fvc 105%...fev1 98%.... fev1/fvc 93% fef25%-75% 75%.... then the lung volumes were svc 98%.... ic 106%.... erv 77%.... tgv 137%.... rv 174%....tlc 122%..... rv/tlc 141%..... then the diffusion number were dlco 112%.... dl/va 106% va 105%... those number are from the c omplete spirmoetry test i had last year the past week they only did the basic short pft test and those numbers are ....fvc. 87%.... fev1 81%.... fev1/fvc 92%.....fef25% 83%.... fef 25%-75% 61% fef max 93% ... 

[hufferpuffer]

Hello Dennis, I think your numbers are good considering how long you smoked for. It can take a while before you feel the benefits of stopping. If I had your results I would be so pleased with myself! If you continue to stop smoking, eat a good nutritious diet and exercise you will be just fine, so perhaps if you could address your anxiety , which is debilitating then you will feel better.Good job not smoking!, huff x

[DENNISAMERICA]

 only had a complete spirometry back on april 9th 2015 and a bunch of short form pfts done since 2004 . heres the dclo and other numbers from last year...fvc 105%...fev1 98%.... fev1/fvc 93% fef25%-75% 75%.... then the lung volumes were svc 98%.... ic 106%.... erv 77%.... tgv 137%.... rv 174%....tlc 122%..... rv/tlc 141%..... then the diffusion number were dlco 112%.... dl/va 106% va 105%... those number are from the c omplete spirmoetry test i had last year the past week they only did the basic short pft test and those numbers are ....fvc. 87%.... fev1 81%.... fev1/fvc 92%.....fef25% 83%.... fef 25%-75% 61% fef max 93% ... 

[soulsaver]

Your numbers seem mostly within the normal range.. the ones that my guess giving you problems is fef25-75 61%  - which is the out flow rate in the middle of your blow. This is indicative of small airways affected. If this is early days in your diagnosis finding the right inhaler combination will improve how you feel a lot.

Are you getting the mucous up? At first signs people don't make a conscious effort to clear the lungs and results in a build up and mucous plugs which are uncomfortable, worrying, but in my experience not serious in the short term - get some pulmonary rehab - sooner the better.

Best wishes

[Brian8169]

Hi, Dennis, Within the last 2 months I turned 72, and was diagnosed with emphysema, way back in about 2003/4 after smoking  (then) for 45 years. I finally managed to give it up late in 2010, (having then smoked for 52 years). Although I'm sure the condition is aggravated by smoking, it can also be caused by dust. Never having worked in dusty conditions, and mainly in offices, I was however an ardent DIY fan and have spent a lot of my life cutting up MDF, without a mask, in which I couldn't breathe, possibly due to my knackered lungs, I didn't then know about. Also chiseling out damaged plaster coving from old houses, and once cutting out double doors in an internal brick wall, using a disc cutter. All creating huge amounts of dust. I finally gave up smoking about 6 moths before being diagnosed with lung cancer, and first, before removing the cancer, they had to remove 1/3 of my right lung, so it would expand and allow me to breath while they operated on the cancer in my left lung. Both operations being carried out in 2011. At first when they removed the 1/3 of my right lung, my breathing was considerably better. However, after having the cancer removed, my breathing returned to what it was before. The thing is not to worry about any of this and take life as it comes. There is nothing you can do about, it so why worry. That only makes things worse. You will have to accept that eventually your condition will get worse and live your life accordingly. As for your pft numbers, I'm afraid I cant help. However I would suggest you try to get on the Pulmonary Rehab course, which is a 6 weeks course of simple, mostly chair based exercises to improve you breathing and general well being. You will also learn breathing techniques and many other useful things, in a group of people with similar problems. You'll have to ask your doctor about this. As I say, learn to accept life as it comes and make the best of it. Sorry I can't help more, but take care and good luck. Never give up trying to stop smoking, you will eventually succeed, as I did.

[DENNISAMERICA]

I  WAS  ALSO  WONDERING  2 MORE  THINGS ...1)   DOES   THIS   EMPHYSEMA /COPD   CAUSE  YOU  TO FEEL  VERY LIGHT HEADED   ESPICIALLY  WHEN  IM  WALKING..  KINDA  LIKE IM  ON A BOAT?  2:  CAN  YOUR PFT NUMBER   DROP IN  1 YEAR  FROM  FVC105%  TO 87%   AND  FEV1  FROM 98%  TO  81%    and   fev1/fec 93%  to 92%  .. ???  

[Kristicats]

I was told by my GP that FEV1 results are the most important and over 80% is normal and not classed as COPD. ??

[DENNISAMERICA in reply to Kristicats]

WELL   MY  LAST  PFT  TEST  on  4/9/2016  a  few  weeks  ago SHOWED  81%  fev1  but  last   year on  4/09/2015   the   cat scan i  had   showed  some  markings  and  spots of   emphysema  in my upper lungs  and  outer  upper  lungs   ... no markings  in lower  lungs