I know how you feel I am waiting to get diagnosed with COPD. I am freaking out a little bit. I never smoked but do work in the construction field. I will let you know how my Doctor's visit goes. I really do appreciate the postive messages on this has. It has helped my a lot to understand COPD is not necessary a death sentence JCC
I just found out today that i have COPD, and have also been being treated from GERD in my esophagus, so i past frantic at this moment!! , For some reason i feel they have something to do with one another, because you can get asthma with Gerd, and i cannot afford to go to another Dr. , Im so upset and panic over all of this!! any reassurance will help! , Ive been crying for hours!
Hi Denise you are better off putting this up as a separate post because most people won't see it tacked onto the end of this one. x
It's understandable you're upset, but can you stop and remind yourself that GERD won't kill you and that COPD is manageable and while it may get you in the end you have many years in which to live your life despite it.
I definitely don't believe the two conditions are connected, but others may have information I don't: I also have both conditions but I really don't see how they could be connected.
I assumed you were diagnosed via a spirometry test and if so, what's your lung percentage? The very best thing you can do is find a pulmonary rehab group, but I'm thinking from your comment about not being able to afford to see another doctor that you're in the US and I don't think such groups are free or common there - at least that's my impression from this forum.
If you're a smoker, the COPD will advance much faster, so you really need to stop by whatever means are necessary.
I hope this gives you some hope: my lung function is exactly the same now as it was when I was first diagnosed nearly 4 years ago: I went to rehab, learned appropriate exercises, I walk every day and I have both Spiriva and Symbicort sprays which I use faithfully. As much as possible I stay out of air borne polluion, including other people's cigarette smoke.
I hope you've stopped crying now! All the best
Good suggestion hypercat: I didn't think of that when I replied. She sounds very stressed and new to the site, so maybe didn't think of it
ok
jude65855 , thank you...yes..im in the USA ...had this GERD in my esophagus for 4 years, and its been haa nightmare for me. , now the copd and yes, i used to smoke, not anymore. I have an inhaler now, and a nebulizer. Ive been on a special diet for years, and still been quite sick, so this was alot to take in today!! Thank you for your support.
im new here, and am trying to figure it out on these pages, and posts
Do you have nexium or a similar medication (esomeprazole) for the reflux? I had it for a while after I'd had a heart attack, waking me up during the night, and to be quite honest the chest pain is very similar, which scared me heaps until my cardiologist's tests came up OK for my heart and he tried me on one prescription, and I only very very rarely experience it now and only mildly.
I don't know how hold you are (I'm 70 this year and in spite of years of smoking I was quite healthy at least on the surface until about 6 years ago) but I often think of the Katherine Hepburn quote: she said that going to the doctor when you get old is a bit like taking your old car for repairs - there's a lot of headshaking and tut-tutting and then the comment "Sorry, they don't make parts for this model any more."
I hope that cheers you up a bit ...... then there's Bette Davis, who made the famous often quoted statement that old age is no place for sissies.
Take care of yourself!
Yes..im on nexium 40 mg, and Pepcid 20mg twice a day. , And for 4 years ive gone threw all this with the coughing, and my Gasto told me Esophageal Gerd causes this, plus it can cause asthma. So im just not sure what to think here, im told so many different things in the last 4 years, and now this...its a bit much to take. I am 60 , and im feel like im 90! Thanks Jude....guess im a sissy...
Hey , don't give up so easily! Reflux can cause coughing, because the acid irritates the throat. I had very bad night time coughing with COPD until my gp prescribed Symbicort: I was exhausted from broken sleep and many nights ended up sitting up in the armchair to sleep. I thought my life would always be like this, but the Symbicort ended that.
With COPD, it's essential you take responsibility for managing the COPD with slowing down when your breathless instead of trying to "soldier on" and that you learn the correct breathing techniques and other specific exercises. Other people on this forum have advised the breathing exercises can be found on youtube and I strongly recommend you check that out if you can't get into a pulmonary rehab group.
When I was first diagnosed I panicked too until my gp told me she'd recently been to the funeral of a woman in her 80's who'd had COPD for decades and died of something else anyway. There are a lot worse things than COPD for a smoker: lung cancer gives you notice whatsoever and is often diagnosed when it's too late: COPD is no fun but at least we can have some control over how it progresses and it can be slowed down for decades, depending on at what stage the diagnosis was made.
Well im on a inhaler now, and breathing treatments, So im Praying this will work. I do cough during the night, and morning. I use 3 pillows to keep my head elevated. This is why im not sure i was diagnosed correctly. I feel so upset and have not stopped crying for hours, because im so confused. I thank you for your response and advise, as its helping me.
I guess it could depend on what stage you're at with the COPD: did the diagnosing doctor use any terms like early or late stage and what was your lung function percentage and oxygen saturation figures? If you weren't given them and maybe didn't ask because of being in a state of shock, can you call the doctor and ask?
Please try not to cry so much: that can't be helping your breathing!
On thing I found helped the coughing was to suck a cough lozenge containing menthol (I use Anticol but I don't know if that's available everywhere) and then drink some very cold water. Another old remedy is sipping a half and half mixture of cider vinegar and honey: I used to have that ready made up in the fridge when I was a smoker.
If you've been using the Symbicort for a while and you're still coughing it would be good if you could manage to see the doctor again. All I know is that I only have night time coughing very rarely now, usually when I've been exposed to pollution, inc cigarette smoke.
My test she said came out "mild" , she did not give me any results... ill have to call and ask i guess. Im on Albuterol inhaler, and then i have a breathing machine i put drops into, and breathe those in. Im just learning this. Gives me a dry mouth. So yes..I have been using cherry menthol cough drops, and it helps so much Jude! , usually when i cough is in the early morning, and i do that a few times, roll over and go back to sleep, But now, i might be using my inhaler by the bedside. I guess i should be considering im lucky that this was caught early...just been so sick for 4 years with this Gerd, its a tad much.
"Mild" is good! The approx lung function percentage would be good to know too so that when you have another spirometry test whenever that is, you'll know if you're maintaining the level and if deteriorating, at what rate.
Dry mouth is common with a lot of COPD medication because it dries out parts of the body other than the lungs & bronchial tubes: Spiriva gave me a very dry mouth and cracks at the corners of my mouth for a while and then I guess my body got used to it, although I still occasionally get dryness in the corners of my mouth.
Albuterol must be quite different to the two inhalers I have, because they're used once a day (2 puffs) for the Spiriva and twice a day (1 puff) for the Symbicort. The latter is the one which helped amazingly with the night time coughing.
Hang in there: it's a steep learning curve I know!
As long as you hve now stopped smoking yu cn live a ong time with COPD. If you can do a 30 minute cycle ride you have very mild COPD. I havent been safe cycling for the last 8 years, but Im stil very active in other ways IM 70 Ive had COPD for probably 20 years. Breathing exercises are really useful. Try thesort you learn at yoga classes . Mpst importantly be positive, stop reading all the stuff that frightens you, dont use ore medicationthat you need, eat well and enjoy life
Angela.
I know how you feel went in to get checked for enlarged heart and COPD turns out the x Ray tech did not do the x ray correctly. I have don't have either one. Please don't get upset until you know for sure. This board is great and helped me get thru the roughest week of my life. Never give up hope and God Bless everyone fighting this disease. Jason😀
I agree with emmgee! ...I was wrongly diagnosed just this week, and was beyond myself, with fear, and reading SO much on the internet. , I chose to go to a Pulmonary Doctor, because i knew something didnt add up. Best thing to do is STOP reading all this , and wait until your appointment, and it doesn't hurt to get a second opinion!
You are right of course but I also want to say to folk who are correctly newly diagnosed dont be frightened, there's lots you can do to stay pretty well Ive had COPD for over 10 years, I still use the minimum of medication and lead a very active life even if I do hate stairs! Breathing exercises are very important. yoga is a great way to learn
I agree Angela, there are so many other diseases which kill you fast with no way of managing them - eg cancer. I think a fair part of the emotional shock on diagnosis for the vast majority of us is because finally FINALLY that smoking we've been doing for years and decades has finally caught up with us and we could've avoided all this if we hadn't been in denial about what we were doing to ourselves and believed that we were somehow immune to the effects.
Well, of course I'm talking about myself, but I'll bet it applies to a lot of other COPD patients too and I do wish Quit campaigns would stop peddling the lie that once you quit your body will return to normal eventually - obviously not true for anyone with COPD who's already quit maybe years before.