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Copd For 3 Years No Follow Up Apps

Posted , 7 users are following.

TheLastRealOne
TheLastRealOne

As above i only get asked about my copd now and then by my dietician/diabetic nurse.

I don't know anything really about copd except what i get off the internet and on here.

Who do i ask? my Dr for a Whats What Explanation and Tests.

My copd is not too bad but i would like to know where i stand... ps this forum is very good!!!

2 likes, 29 replies

29 Replies

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  • gary99362
    gary99362 TheLastRealOne

    Posted

    Hmmm--There is no dispute in the medical community that inflammation is a major contributor to the progression of COPD.  It's very clear that every exacerbation poses the threat of new damage to the lungs and possible loss of lung function.  I would challenge anyone to argue that with a pulmo specialist.  Therefore, any drug that helps reduce inflammation, the severity of an exacerbation, or how often a person has an exacerbation is helpful in slowing down the progression of this disease--splitting peas arent we? 
  • jude65855
    jude65855 TheLastRealOne

    Posted

    Whoever diagnosed it should've told you about it, but maybe you should've asked at the time too?    How was it diagnosed - if spirometry (breathing out test) some drs recommend another one every few years just ot check on percentage deterioration.

    Weren't you prescribed anything or referred for pulmonary rehab?   If not I think that's really slack of your doctor.

    • TheLastRealOne
      TheLastRealOne jude65855

      Posted

      I went through a bad time in hospital ie: coma/ rehabilitation etc and a lot of memory loss.

      I didn't get put on my inhalers until i was out of hospital off my Doctor.

      But i must state i do forget alot, so due to my past Dr's didn't explain things to me as i would forget straight away.

      Now i am a lot better i am trying to fix all this by this site help and other good sites and finally get things done.

      I admit i should have asked more but now i am quite responsible...

    • jude65855
      jude65855 TheLastRealOne

      Posted

      I think a lot of doctors, especially specialists, forget that often when they're telling us stuff they're speaking in a foreign language to a lot of people.  It's up to them to explain better and also suggest we write things down if we're not doing that already.

      After all, a fair proportion of us with COPD aren't young and we may have hearing impairment, the start of dementia or be on medication which makes us confused and forgetful.

      You keep asking questions and I will too, even when they don't like it!  I don't stick with gp's who aren't respectful and patient, but in my experience it's harder to find specialists who don't think they're god almighty, I know my cardiologist who's about half my age, hates me calling him by his first name - tough.,

  • gpgp
    gpgp TheLastRealOne

    Posted

    No one has mentioned smoking in this thread. Of course the biggest, most important way of preventing further deterioration of COPD is to stop smoking.

    Steroids are often used in inhalers but the evidence for using them is a bit mixed. On the other hand they are really important for asthma as Dawndedee has said.

    Steroid tablets can be a life saver with exacerbation and can keep people out of hospital, but most COPD sufferers should be off them between exacerbations otherwise you end up with lots of side effects like has been described.

    • jude65855
      jude65855 gpgp

      Posted

      I've found the Symbicort inhaler has made a huge difference in my life, in terms of energy levels and chest discomfort.   The only problem I've had is that when I used it twice at a time twice a day, I experienced really bad leg cramps, which vanished when I went badk to one inhalation twice a day.
    • ladyjack51
      ladyjack51 jude65855

      Posted

      Curious...why would that cause leg cramps? Maybe that's why I get cramps at times too????

    • jude65855
      jude65855 ladyjack51

      Posted

      I don't know why, but the manufacturer's info leaflet lists it as a "side" effect - in other words an effect we don't want to have.

      Yr cramps cd be caused by the cortisone or other reasons, not usually the stereotyped lack of salt - can be not drinking enough water or if you've had the runs or the vomits you need to take Repalyte or a similar powder which will replace minerals etc lost in those conditions.

      The irony was that the toe cramps I'd been having disappeared when my new gp said I didn't need to be taking 2 diuretics a day when I didn't actually have fluid retention, but than a few weeks later I started on the symbiocort and experienced really bad cramps in my calves.

      No cramps at all now, touch wood!

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