Good morning all, I'm Andy 43 years from Devon. Diagnosed copd 2 years ago.
Recently had my annual review and the figures were a bit shocking.
my first year 67% fev, second year 60% then last week 37% !
The nurse was as shocked as I was and has asked me to go back in two weeks to do the full spirometry test on the bigger machine and is hoping that it was just a malfunction .
I'm hoping so too as that would be a lot in one year. plus I'm still pretty active!
What does anyone else think?
Morning and welcome. Can you tell us a little more about your condition? You are young to have COPD. Who diagnosed it and what has caused it? Have you benn tested for Alpha1-Antitripsin-Deficiency? Simple blood test.
Anyway, you will find this forum very helpful and supportive.
All the best
Good morning Andy & welcome to the group. I'm not sure what to make of your stats. You could try the help line & there are some very knowledgeable people on here, who will probably be along latter best wishes Nan
thankyou for your replies. I've been a smoker since teenage years and also working in the motor trade ive been exposed to allsorts of pollutants etc.
it all started a few years ago I seemed to be getting a chest infection twice a year. then over one Christmas I had terrible chest pains and ended up in hospital with pleurisy and bronchitis. So after this I decided to try and get fit by cycling . I was struggling initially and the doctor recommended the spirometry test and that's when I was diagnosed. Chest xray also shows some deterioration.
tha alpha 1 test, is that the one to see if its hereditary? if so then yes I had that but it showed negative.
My biggest problem has been the smoking and constantly battling to stay off them. I am currently not smoking though.
The cycling got me vey fit last year and I managed to do a couple of day long 100 mile rides.
This year has not been so good and it seems like one infection after another.
HealthUnlocked have a couple of very good Quit sites. You can join it (and stay with us too) for help and support.
Welcome Andy and well done for not smoking. Hope your spirometry improves and do let us know. Take care xxxx
Hope things improve for you, there is lot of encouragement here! Keep cycling.
Good that you're not smoking 'at the moment' - make that permanent and its excellent! It's not easy packing up the cigs but - it's not impossible! I didn't manage it until I was 65, and that was at my fourth attempt but at your age you have a head start on me so, do yourself a favour lad......stop burning your cash and save it for something better. Cycling's good but stay away from busy roads as much as possible, (perhaps less of a problem in Devon) but you don't want to be inhaling traffic fumes. Good luck with your next spirometry test, hopefully all will be ok and the other machine will prove to have been faulty.
Yep, the ole diesel fumes haven't helped. That and the smoking.
Do yourself and your loved ones a favour and give up the ciggies for good in order to stay well for a very long time.
Hope this is just a blip you can use as a warning.
Stay as well as you can, some lifelong smokers here are really suffering now.
Good luck. P
I will certainly keep persevering with the stopping smoking.
I must admit on the week of the test I had not been feeling my best , feeling run down and back pains that the doctors can't explain . So there's a few elements as to why it may have been low.
I live in a seaside town so pollution shouldn't be so bad and when I cycle I try and use country lanes. I've just got over yet another chest infection so I'm hoping with a couple weeks of good exercise and fresh air my next appointment will prove to be a better and more true result
Hello and welcome to the forum.
Maybe your chest infection hadn't completely cleared up. That actually happened to me, just after diagnosis and the nurse scared the life out of me, so I know it does happen.
I know it's easy for me to say but, try not to worry to much, just wait until you get the new test. In the mean time, do whatever you need to stop smoking. I tried every single aid available and just couldn't do it. An ecig was the last resort and it stopped me in a few days.
Please keep us informed how it goes for you. xx
Hello and welcome Andy - hope the nurse is right & that its a malfunction. Please keep us updated.
Welcome, Beardycyclist, Let's hope your reading was a one-off. If not, then you'll deal with it ongoing. Good luck.
Hi Andy hope your feeling better sorry to hear about your copd my name is Debbie in the last 6 mths iv had 2 collapsed lungs a vats operation that failed then 4 wks after that i had to have a plurectomy and have had lung and chest problems since so understand where your coming from.Ialso live in Devon my home town is Tavistock but i live in Torquay.Keep up with the cycling i cheat iv got an exercise bike and stay off the fags all the best and fingers crossed for your next spiro test keep in touch.
Hi all , thankyou for your kind messages .
I've been off the dreaded cigarettes and been exercising when I can.
I had my repeat test today on a new spirometer .
62% Fev!!! I'm so happy. The nurse thinks my 37% previous reading was either faulty equipment or the fact I was getting over another chest infection. Anyway , I'm over the moon 😊 . Just wanted to let you all know as you'd been good enough to express concern and to give some great advice
I used to smoke and fell walk. Top of every hill/mountain I'd reward myself with another cig. Only problem was that my lungs were wide open from the effort so the smoke got much deeper into the lungs than if I'd been sitting around! I just wonder if the cycling and smoking has the same effect on you?
Guess it might need to be EITHER cigs or cycling (and cycling cheaper!)
Best wishes
Yes you may be right, I've been off them for 4 weeks now .
New here.
I am new here - Extreme Anxiety over my various health conditions and managing them
Morning wishing all a happy New year 
Hi there.
