New to COPD

[Z-52]

I am 52 years old and been diagnosed with COPD, have smoked for 38 years and have stopped for 2 weeks now, not sure what stage I’m at yet but any advice would be welcome as this is new to me being out of breath and especially being a carpenter.

Thanks

Z-52

[betmaxbaby]

Hi z-52, Glad to hear u dumped the smoking. Ive been off them 10 years. It does NO good for the COPD. What can i tell you except we all respond different to the treatments they have for us. There are alot of (inhalers) to try, if one dont work try another. Abuterol rescue inhaler is what keeps me moving.Maybe you are not even on that yet but just to let u know you can buy it in Mexico for 3 for $5 bucks and my copay here is $34 bucks for 1. You will be fine, just follow the rules. The not smoking will improve the breathing also. Buy some gum. lol

judy

[Z-52 in reply to betmaxbaby]

Thanks Judy

I’ve only had it for a month and I’m on 3 inhalers and steroids, so haven’t had a check up or spirometry test to see what grade I’m at but thanks again for your support.

Zeddy

[Boab in reply to Z-52]

Mate get off the inhalers until they tell you for definite, COPD and asthma is the same until confirmed.

[Saramana in reply to betmaxbaby]

Hi betmaxbaby, just felt I had to reply. I, too, smoked for 35 years and gave it up at 51. The health results; two years after I gave it up I was diagnosed with bladder cancer but it had not metastasized so they were able to cut it out but it has recurred every few years but they have been able to zap it out and at age 89 I was diagnosed with COPD-Emphysema and I'm now 91 and getting along fine on oxygen 24/7, two inhalers, a nebulizer machine and going for 100. Always a good thing to stop. Congratulations. Saramana.

[Newfie1]

Hi, I am also a carpentercof sorts , rustic furniture, have smoked forever, was diagnosed with TB, about 4 years ago, dont know where that came from, so I have alot of damage. I did the steriod/inhaler thing while in hospital with pneumonia. I decided at that point that I was not going to blindly accept the diagnosis of doom and dependance on medications. I went in search of natural remedies, and I feel like a broken record, as I have posted many times on this site , to urge others to look into these, before succumbing to All the drugs and side effects, the drs want to give you, which treat only the symptom, no healing. Please look into medicinal mushrooms, cordyceps, reishi, chaga. Try NAC , Magnesium supplements. In place of inhaler and immune support, I make a tea of fresh ginger, tumeric , onions and honey. I used no inhalers, no meds. I have been working all winter, I hike almost daily for materials for my work, avoid sickness. I am not a crackpot. This stuff works and it is easy to find info online, but dont expect ssupport from Dr's. They will tell you its progressive, swalliw this poison till you die. Good Luck

[betmaxbaby in reply to Newfie1]

Hey newfie tell me more about natural thing. Its so envolved to start researhing......

[Schmicter]

Hi Z.

I was diagnosed awhile ago but stupidly kept smoking for a few years after, I managed to finally quit and have been smoke free for just over a year. I also worked at the time in a very dusty environment, where we manufactured dry grout and cement materials. It was very difficult in that environment and being a carpenter you might face the same problems with wood dust, especially when it is difficult to wear dust masks. I did eventually have to retire early because of the COPD and my profession. Between that and not smoking plus some exercise I feel alot better, have avoided oxygen therapy for now. Hopefully I can keep it stable because the last thing I want is to walk around with O2 tubes in my nose. I am pretty active but do get SOB sometimes, use 2 inhalers...one a steroid for maintenance and one (albuterol) for flare ups.

[K-Kilcoyne]

Hi Z52, Like most of the folk on here I was worried sick after 40 years smoking and diagnosed with COPD,gave up 16 years ago and believed when the said 10 years your lungs will be fine,12 years later diagnosed. I accept it now though it was very hard at first 3 inhalers plus medication.Decided to help myself by getting fitter,gym couldn't work out long enough to help..swimming couldn't do a length without stopping..finally I tried Tai-Chi worked for me with the added bonus of keeping joints limber. There's a way to help yourself to get past the problems this bloody disease causes.I hope you find yours and soon.It's a lifestyle change not the end. Best of luck on your search.

Keep checking in here,we love helping people like ourselves.

Chin up old buddy.🙂

[Z-52 in reply to K-Kilcoyne]

Thanks k

Will try a few things and see what works out.

[Boab]

Mate i did what you did as well if you have went cold turkey its the best way, you become dependant on zero. I can tell you about a site called whyquit.com because it is free and it is used by the health profession.

What i found was i ended up with excess mucous and thought, if this is what not smoking does be better off smoking, thats the trap. learned from the literature this is the mind games that goes on in the head.

Does not matter what stage you are diagnosed with you have gave yourself a heads up. When you say out of beath do you mean difficulty breathing or exhailing. COPD is the struggle to get breath out quickly in the process of department. If you are struggling to catch a breath, did it occur when you quit smoking. This can happen when cilla starts repairing the lung damage. you should have been told what stage if you did spirometery, if it was just the doctor telling you without spirometery it might not be COPD. might be astms. the spirometery chamber gives results which you will recieve but the person carrying it out will not say you have COPD until confirmed.

Do not look into this too much yet until confirmed and what stage, jump over to whyquit.com and stay off the fags, defo the best decision and bravest of your life.

[Jocopd]

A lot of doctors no longer use the "stages" to show where a person is due to the "death sentence" of "stages" in disease. Your FEV numbers are what are important. But in the long run does it really matter? You have it, you will take medication for it for the rest of your life and there are things you can start doing right now that will help your breathing. You already quit smoking - excellent - you should see an improvement just from that alone. If you can get into pulmonary rehab they show you how to breath better and which are the right exercises and at what speed and for how long for COPD people to do. Just going to a gym won't get it as gyms are geared toward healthy people who have no trouble on a treadmill while most COPD folks can't run let alone walk fast on one. Get an oximeter on amazon or your local drug store and keep an eye on your oxygen level with it. It just goes on your finger tip - if you start dropping to 88 or less then you need to sit down and get your breath - pursed lip style. Search the internet for more info - there is tons of it out there.