Good afternoon, I'm new here and apologies for my lack of knowledge with COPD and treatment plans.
My mum who is 64 years old has copd, I couldn't tell you what stage and neither could she. She has been hospitalised with pneumonia and bronchitis, the paramedics who took her in, were shocked with how underweight she was (4 stone) because her doctor didn't note any concerns and just put her on protein shakes and shots, which causes her flare ups, all other tests for thyroid have come back clear...hence no dr input.
My initial question, how often should she be seeing her Dr? Last time she saw him was December last year when she came out of hospital. My mum hates to fuss but I feel her condition is worsening and her anxiety getting her down. She's having regular flare ups with hot flushes. She's on so many inhalers and pills but no oxygen as yet because her chest is clear?
Hopefully someone can help me with what questions she should be asking or more help required.
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Copddaughter
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I see a respiratory nurse once a year for breathing test but that is all .Asks me how am and checks right medihaler but I don't feel I get checked out as I should really.
Never been advised about oxygen or retaining co2 .
I have no specialist like most on here have and only go to hosp when have pneumonia never to see a consultant just left to my own devises to be honest
Mostly what I have learned has been on here.
I would have no idea if I needed oxygen or not
Has your mum seen the R nurse at your surgery there should be one
Do you mean she is 4 stone under the weight she should be?
What is her actual weight?
I am pretty small too with a lot of muscle loss.
It's great that you are finding out for your mum maybe she could ask to go to pulmonary rehab for exercises and help with her breathing it's a good way to find out more about Copd and helps a lot to build you up.
Lots of clever people on here will advise you I'm sure .
I’ve got to see my respiratory nurse at least every 6 months,I saw her on Wednesday and she told me this,she’s getting me on board pulmonary rehab and I’ve got to have the pneumonia vaccine,although you don’t get as much time for appointments as you’d like I can’t complain as my surgery have been very commendable,I’ve only this past few months got diagnosed I’ve had really good support from my g.p and practice respiratory nurse,my respiratory consultant has also been great and I have to see him at least every 6 months,I’ve a nodule growing in my right lung so that needs monitoring at hospital respiratory clinic,I feel quite chuffed having good support like this we’re not always that lucky,I know of other people that have had a dreadful experience at g.p surgeries and got no support at all that like your mum have been left to deal with it themselves and have actually ended up registering at other g.p surgeries,maybe that would be a solution to get your mum the help she needs,has your mum lost 4 stone in weight,if she’s only 4 stone I’d be more than concerned as it’s dangerous and a big health risk,I lost nearly 5 stone in weight over a few months and had I dropped to 9 stone or below I was told I would have had to be hospitalise because of the health risks,if your mum is only 4 stone I’d be more than concerned about this,sometimes we have to really shout to be heard and be taken notice of,if this were my mum I wouldn’t leave the hospital/g.p surgery until they did something about this,I’m really sorry to hear you’re going through this I sincerely hope that things will improve and things get better for your mum...fenty.
Sorry kittykat2 I’m male I’m quite tall and weighed just over 14 stone,i had always been well built but not overly so,i was quite active,I did smoke but didn’t and still don’t drink alcohol at all,i was informed that i was around a stone overweight but was always up and down with it then due to malabsorption i lost weight dramatically it was quite clear there were problems and went down in weight to around 9 and half stone due to malabsorption and pancreatic insufficiency,this was i was told all due to damage caused and linked to b12 deficiency and pernicious anaemia,I can’t digest food now and have to take creon with all meals to digest food and break down any fat in foods that have fat content,that was around 6 years ago,it’s been a long difficult period and even now with b12 shots every 4 to 6 weeks,being on and off folic and iron tablets I’m now only at just under 11 stone I’m on fortisips indefinitely having to have 3 daily but at least I’ve gradually put weight back on,it’s cost me money on new sized clothes so it’s had a big impact over these past few years,the copd came after this due to smoking since I was 17,I’m only a few months diagnosed with emphysema but considering i kept getting regular chest infections then pneumonia and sepsis it was apparent my lungs were damaged through smoking,the day i was told that my X-ray results were showing lung disease it frightened me that much i quit there and then and haven’t had one since,it did take quite a while with tests and thing to get the diagnosis that i had copd(emphysema)but i expected that it was one of the forms of copd,after all these years of smoking i knew there was damage,but at least stopping smoking would be beneficial,I’ve had great care and treatment through these investigations and can’t commend my g.p surgery and respiratory clinic enough,sorry to ramble on,as my children say I do tend to go on.
I had to be put on daliresp because of so many hospital stays but probably wouldn't work for her fur to her weight problem but I haven't been to the hospital in almost four years because of it.
If a person loses 10% of their bodyweight unintentionally in 3 months they should be referred to a dietitian, as weight loss of that amount means probable loss of muscle mass from all muscle groups including heart, lungs and intestines, as well as loss from fat stores. If the supplements the doctor prescribed are not helping to improve your Mum's weight, she should be referred to a dietitian for assessment and guidance.
When I was concerned about my husband a couple of years and felt he needed help (and I needed support) I phoned the Community Rehab Team and asked for a Community respiratory nurse to come and visit him at home. She came and a physio came too and that's how he was referred by them for Pulmonary Rehab. I'm not sure if that's the accepted route but it worked. The nurse made a few visits then she stopped coming because things were stable but I know that if I need her I can call.
She is very low weight bless her, I think if she were my Mum I would be nagging at her Dr. In the meantime there are some shakes that you can get from the chemist to build her up, have a chat with them. There is a lot of advice from these lovely people on here. I will say this though, she is a very lucky Mum to have you looking out for her. Look after yourself too
Thank you for all your replies and time. When my mum was hospitalised she was only 4 stone!...she's never been a big lady but convincing the dr she needs help is a nightmare, I think she's only gained 1/2 a stone since she's been out of hospital and they are happy with this?? She does eat and the shots make her poorly, she gets very hot in the face.
She is also on the shakes and has been on the soups with very little results...if anything they make her go toilet which isn't the effect she needs...defeats the object.
She monitors her oxygen levels using a digital finger monitor which comes up in the normal range.
I've looked at her dr surgery and there is a supposed copd specialist there?
Both my parents have copd which is a double whammy but my dads seems different to my mums...where my mum has lossed the weight and muscle mass my dad seems more breathless.
I will nag at her dr and start going to appointments with her, she is a stubborn mule at times though.
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