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Dacabeem profile image
12 Replies

Hello everyone, my apologies if I am posting in the wrong place but I am new here. I was suffering with shortness of breath and my GP's Practice Nurse gave me a spirometry test showing I had Restrictive lung disease. That was last Wednesday and I haven't heard from the GP since.I am presuming the results are being looked at and would hope for a chest Xray at least in the near future. I have suffered with allergic asthma for many years which I have looked up and found asthma would be classified as Obstructive lung disease not Restrictive. Of course I have been online and have worried myself silly as the prognosis seems to be poor and I am also confused as to whether my asthma could have caused these results as I was quite tight and wheezy at the time of the spirometry test. I am 54 years old and would really appreciate any advise or support. Thank you.

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Dacabeem
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12 Replies
Katinka46 profile image
Katinka46

Have you got an appointment to see your GP? I'm afraid sometimes these things can slide below the radar, fall behind a radiator, simple stay at the bottom of a heap of papers. It is often down to the patient to nudge things along. Make an appointment to see your GP, s/he should not take long to look at a spirometry result, it is not something that needs to be analysed by an expert like a CT scan. Or maybe you could phone the GP's secretary? There is a variety of disease and condition that come under the umbrella of restrictive disease. Ask for a referral to a respiratory consultant. They are the ones who know best how to continue the investigation and can decide whether you need an X-ray, CT scan and/or a full lung function test.

Good luck and keep us informed.

K

Dacabeem profile image
Dacabeem in reply to Katinka46

Thank you for your reply and support. I have made an appointment today and will get back to everyone as to what she has to say. I have to admit I have never been so frightened of what they may say I have. I know the GP can't diagnose specifically without scans and Xrays but for her to say yes you have a restrictive lung disease is going to floor me I know. I will check back later and thanks again :) XX

Caspiana profile image
Caspiana

Hello Dacabeem . Hello and welcome. I am glad you're here though of course not why. I second Katinka on getting hold of your GP. You need to get some tests done quickly. Also, although it is tempting , do try not to look too much on the internet. It's always the worse case scenarios and will do nothing much but worry you silly.

Please take it easy and let us know how everything goes.

Much love to you.

Cas xx 💐

Dacabeem profile image
Dacabeem in reply to Caspiana

Ohh my goodness Cas you are so right. I have been looking up every restrictive lung disease on the internet and got myself into such an emotional mess. :( I am seeing the GP today so will post what she says to me later. I am so aware of my breathing now I am sure the anxiety is making it worse. XX

Caspiana profile image
Caspiana in reply to Dacabeem

It will be okay. *BIG HUG*. (❤

btown profile image
btown

Good morning and welcome, I second the above posts, get onto your doctor to find out what is happening, you should have had a referral to your local hospital for lung function and chest x ray,as katinka says, sometimes you can slip of the docs radar so keep at them until you are satisfied, good luck and keep us posted👍👍

Dacabeem profile image
Dacabeem in reply to btown

Thanks for your advise :) I will get back to you all later today as I am seeing my GP. I can't thank you all enough as I have no one else to talk to. XX

clematis5932 profile image
clematis5932

I would suggest you contact the practise nurse who did you tests, ask her what she has done. In my practise she would have told you the , if you needed to see the doctor would have either gone into the doctor room and asked him to see you or asked you to make a further appointment. Only the doctor can refer you to see a specialist and he will only do that if he believes you would benefit from seeing one.

Dacabeem profile image
Dacabeem in reply to clematis5932

Thank you for your reply. Yes I had to see the GP after the practice nurse completed the test.I presumed as she asked me which GP I would like to follow through with this that she would instigate the appointment. Nope, I called this morning and nothing had been passed forward. :( At least I have an appointment today though. Keep fingers crossed for me please as I am worried sick. XX

Dacabeem profile image
Dacabeem

I would like to thank everyone for their comments and advise. You were all right of course here I am waiting for the phone to ring and it had slipped under the radar. So I have made an appointment today,in fact later this afternoon to speak to my GP. I will get back to you all after the visit. Thanks again everyone.XX

Dacabeem profile image
Dacabeem

Hello everyone I am back from my visit to the GP. I have to say if relief were measured in a cup my cup would be overflowing!!! Yes she said I had restriction but not enough to warrant investigation. She said the fact that I had a chest infection for weeks a few months ago which I had powered through without antibiotics plus I had given up smoking were she thought the reason why I was finding it more laboured to breathe. My asthma has always been allergic in response to colds, grasses etc but I have never had it like this so I am hoping she is right and my lungs are cleaning themselves out. She did say if anything I have a little COPD but not enough to warrant medication. So I have to have an asthma review of my medication and hopefully the shortness of breathe will sort itself out. I have to thank you all for being so wonderfully supportive and kind. Even though all of this is apparently all asthma at least I can attack with the correct approach. Also the worry has been enough to make that I do know this. I will never. ever smoke another cigarette!! Love and hugs to you all XX

Dacabeem profile image
Dacabeem

Thank you Hanne62 :) Although I am still left pretty SOB and my chest feels so tight I am relieved it is asthma. I don't quite believe I am like this because I gave up smoking. It has never felt like this or been as bad for over 25 years. I have already been on a course of steroids which had good effect until I came of them and then it was as bad as ever which was why I think they did a spectrometer test. I saw the results that came on the test screen that scared me to death as it basically said I was restricted and had a lung age of 84 years instead of my 54 !! I guess you really do need a GP to interpret the results and ignore the machine !! Hopefully I will get on a different asthma control regime that will sort out my SOB and other symptoms. Thank you again. XX

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