Does anyone know if low thyroid would affect chronic lung disease?
My dad has been told he has it and he is fine at the moment, but you can see this illness will get worse with time. He is 80, but he still looks fit and healthy and is generally in good shape. Got all his hair and is tall and thin still.
Anyway I thought I would see what people thought about a possible thyroid issue as I know lower thyroid can give you shortness of breath symptoms.
I don’t have any bloods for him unfortunately.
Marsaday
I have COPD and Bronchiectasis, progressive lung diseases.
Presumably your Dad has had his diagnosis of COPD after full lung function tests at hospital?
Does he have a diagnosis of hypothyroidism?
Yes he’s had lots of tests as he had had a lung issue for about a year. His last cold before Christmas really went on and on and I think it worried him.
He doesn’t have any thyroid issue but I wondered if thyroid hormone might help the breathing.
What are his thyroid test results?
If he has no thyroid issues the I don't think thyroid hormone will help with his breathing.
Has he been prescribed inhalers? If so are they helping? Is his inhalation technique good? If not had he tried using a spacer?
Spacers only work with mdi ( the one with aerosol canisters) inhalers, where as many combined inhalers are dpi( dry powder inhalers) which are breath actuated.
Yes I know that as I use inhalers myself. Just checking whether the OP's dad has been prescribed inhalers (question not yet answered) and if so is he using them properly and if using an MDI then a spacer can be much more effective. Many respiratory nurses don't bother checking patient's inhaler techniques.
No thyroid results
He has an inhaler and this is all new for him so it is early days. Will see how he gets on.
Has the respiratory nurse gone through the inhaler technique with him?
If he has a Metered Dose Inhaler, eg blue or brown Ventolin like this
Then using a spacer makes it more effective and is probably easier.
I will find out this info when I see him next weekend. Only got all this stuff on Tuesday. So it’s all new and I don’t know much about it.
What is a spacer?
My Dad has COPD and is 78 and is very breathless and he is hypothyroid. I think he is undermedicated on 100mcg a day but he refuses to listen to me even though his TSH is about 5. He will only listen to his GP and refuses to disagree with him even though a few months ago he had a TSH of 20. My Dad tells me he feels fine for someone who has COPD. He is on a lot of medication because he had a heart attack when he was 60 which was caused by smoking since the age of about 14. I saw him yesterday because he is self isolating until the coronavirus is under control and he looked ill and a bit breathless as usual. If I was you I would find out what his TSH is.
Lora7again.... your dad sounds like my older sister believes GP even though she never feels better!
Yes I will get him to ask for any bloods done but he is also a believer in the docs no best system
My mother is 80 with goiter (no meds for goiter) and COPD because she just can’t stop with the chokers...sigh! I wonder this too.
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