I have just been diagnosed with stage 2 copd (emphysema). I have smoked for 48 years. I am 65 and told I have lungs of a 95 year old. I am struggling to stop smoking. If I cannot how fast will my progression be.
Hi panda, If You Read Whats 6 inches Below Your Question , That Is Your Complete Answer Emphysema vs COPD Get the facts here, One Help In Coughing Is Carbocisteine, Speak To Your Doctor.
Not sure what you mean by reading 6" below question.
Hi ,no easy way of saying this but ,,,,,I was a smoker for many many years from aged 15 until 44 ,,,,then blue lighted to hospital ,consultant said do you smoke ,,,yes im said ,,,wrong answer he replied ,,,,,the next one will kill you ,I. Aged 69 now ,,,and it firmly believe I wouldn't be here now if I hadn't have listened to his words,,,,,I never had another cigarette ,,,,,,thank god I stopped,,, but sadly al lot of damage was already done to my lungs ,
ask for a referral to PULMARY REHAB. they will help you cope with your linens and help you improve your health ,good luck ,,,,and stop now,
Thank you. I have made an appointment with smoking clinic
QK Then, Go To Related information, Which Is On The Right Hand Side Of Your Page And Also Check Spirometry.
i was diagnosed with stage 3 copd at the beginning of april like everyone i was a smoker until i got told that my next dose of infecion will kill me and believe me that was a kick up the backside i needed it has been a hard struggle but finally i can say im a none smoker so please stop smoking as soon as you can
Hopefully the smoking clinic will help me.
Well done ,I was told back in 1992 , thank god I stopped,
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You must stop smoking immediately. You will notice the effects of giving up after just a short time I'm sure. You must exercise, however hard you find it. You need to keep your lungs functioning as well as you can. I think doctors try to frighten us by saying things like your lungs are like a 95-year-old. Well, that's a healthy 95-year-old so it means they are not as good as someone your age should be. Take the very best care of yourself - vitamins, organic food, exercise - and your emphysema may not progress at all, but rather stay as it is, which is manageable.
MUCH faster. I'm 68 and smoked for more than 40 years and had stopped a year or so before I was diagnosed with COPD. Panda, try EVERYTHING: patches, gum, sprays, hypnotherapy, meditation, champax, vaping, Allan Carr's books and groups if you can find one .......... ANYTHING! Of course, there's always cold turkey if you can manage it.
By strugglijng to stop, do you mean cutting down? I tried that heaps of times and it never worked for me because it doesn't break the addiction and just prolongs the agony. I find now that being around even one smoker affects my breathing quite badly, so I find it hard to understand how anyone with COPD can keep smoking.
Have you given up before? If so you may have experienced the feeling worse for a while, because nicotine is actually a cough suppressant so you may feel as if you have a cold or the flu because a lot of muck in your lungs will start to come up. Sorry to be graphic, just thought I'd warn you, especially as a few people have posted on here that they got "sicker" after they stopped smoking - it's actually your lungs starting to work better.
I know it's not really funny, but if any doctor told me I had the lungs of a 95 year old I'd ask him which 95 year old, one who smoked or one who didn't?
What's your lung function percentage from a spirometry test and have you been prescribed anything?
Try and get to a pulmonary rehab group if you can: oh dear, I'm beginning to worry other long term users of this forum will start thinking I'm on a commission for rehab, because I'm always pushing it on here.
I learnt so much about how to manage the condition, including breathing and other exercises and generally how to accept and deal with it, especially that if you're the "soldier on" type like me, it's pointless with COPD because you'll just take longer to recover from the breathlessness if you push yourself too far.
Take care of yourself Tina - stay on this forum and get as much info as you can to manage the condition
Cold turkey to stop smoking was the best for me,,,,but I did write the words the consultant said to me on a piece if paper,and when I was wavering shall i ,,,,,I would just look at those words,,,,
THE NEXT ONE WILL KILL YOU ,
that was 25 years ago ,
Thank you for all your help. I know I have to stop and with some help from the clinic hope to succeed. Hopefully this will halt the progression of the disease.
Hi panda22 i to smoked from age 15 gave up about 4/5yrs ago as soon as I was diagnosed with COPD i thought oh sh*t and was adamant to give it up it was very hard after my last fag i thought that's it first day was the hardest but I stuck to my guns it did get easier but even today i could murder one but no way would i light one good luck love xxxxxx
its not easy has i still have the cravings but i just look at my grandchildrens photo and that spurs me on
when i read the ct scan that said i have advanced emphysema and described my lungs I quit that day ... I loved smoking , simply loved to smoke ......BUT my mind read that as smoke OR kids and grandkids .... there was no comparison I loved them more......wasn't easy at all but life was my choice ...... Good LUCK YOU CAN DO IT >>>.....
Grandchildren are a wonderful antidote to smoking ,,,,,my 12 year old grandaughter has made me a promise ,,,,that she will NEVER SMOKE OR DO DRUGS ,,,,,,
i stopped after being blue lighted to intensive care ,,,,that was November 1992,
Yes I agree. I think that your lungs go a bit into shock once they stop getting their regular poison/ crap, for a while.
Tomorrow will be my first day of not smoking. Tried to organise things to do to take my mind off it.