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Help ,Moderate COPD, stage 2 results? fev1 56%

Posted , 14 users are following.

chris51153
chris51153

I am very worried about my future. Have been told I have COPD stage 2 and the tests show fev1 56% ? I have tried to look up these results and think I may be nearer severe COPD? Im 58, ex smoker, was prescribed an inhaler last year following a bad chest infection but have never felt I needed to use it afterwards. I am slim, good diet and have been fairly active all my life (less active since last October after having a minor heart attack out of the blue, just meds for this). I have started excercise again. I am worried and would like to know how rapidly COPD progresses or what I can expect/ how long before I deteriorate and at what rate. At present I only get out of breath with excercise i.e. steep hills, steep steps. Do not use inhalers only if I get a chest infection (been once per year up to yet despite vacinations). Should I be using the blue inhaler regularly even if I dont feel breathless? The information available is very 'general' and just mentions individual stages, nothing re what is the average time from one stage to another. I would like ANY advise to halt/ hold back or improve my COPD deterioration. Thanks

3 likes, 53 replies

53 Replies

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  • susan71068
    susan71068 chris51153

    Posted

    Chris, I can touch your anxiety. My experience with my husband is that everyone is different and different treatments/inhalers don't suit everyone. You sound as though you are doing all the right things, good diet, excercise etc. infections don't help at all, so keep yourself as well as possible. I do think you should use your inhaler on a regular basis. I know it's frightening reading some things but you seem to be in a good place at the moment and stress will not help you. Take care and I wish you well.
  • amanda50863
    amanda50863 chris51153

    Posted

    Hi Chris, I understand how you feel. I was diagnosed two months ago and spent the following week extremely worried. I have to say, it feels as though there is little support or signposting for patients. I was simply sent home with  leaflets to read and two inhalers. I was advised to take the brown inhaler every morn and every night as this is preventative treatment to help slow the damage down. The blue inhaler if I have a flare up which is decsribed as similar to an asthma attack. Trouble is when I took the brown inhaler I would feel more chesty and breathless with onset coughing and so I have stopped taking this. I never take the blue one due to not having a flare up.  Like you I am in my 50s and only get breathless with physical exercise. It's not clear what exercise can be done as my Gp advised me to keep it moderate, at the time of diagnosis I was at a running club once per week and Crossfit for three x per week. Since diagnosis I have done no exercise ag all, due to confusing medical messages and I am missing this. Suppose I have lost my confidence.   I am due back at clinic in July and will ask lots of questions including those you raised. Sorry I have not been able to answer your questions, but wanted you to know, you are not on your own and as soon as I have any answers or info to share I will of course post it on here. 
    • chris51153
      chris51153 amanda50863

      Posted

      Thank you, hope you get more information. My GP just more or less just says keep off the cigs.
    • chris51153
      chris51153 amanda50863

      Posted

      I have just recieved an appointment for a COPD fev1+ blood test 24 July and copd review on 31st. Will compare answers to our questions? Good luck.
    • amanda50863
      amanda50863 chris51153

      Posted

      Hi chris51153, good! I will ask that test at my end, not been offered one yet.  I did receive a letter yesterday inviting me to go for a pneumonia injection. You had one of these? Pool our answers later wink
    • chris51153
      chris51153 amanda50863

      Posted

      Hi amanda I had a pneumonia jab 2 years ago. Talk when we hear more. Thanks.
    • amanda50863
      amanda50863 chris51153

      Posted

      Hi Chris, had my pneumonia jab yesterday. As promised, I mentioned all the things I said I would. Firstly and most importantly, I have been downgraded from COPD to asthma..(this is on a trial basis whilst I try a new I haler and I may get recoded CoPD in the future) it seems I am stuck in the middle of both at the very mild of mild COPd. So let's see.  Secondly, rehab and breathe easy classes I was advised that I would not benefit from these 

      Classes, as I was already more active than the classes provides and I have been advised to get back to my old exercise regime.  My inhaler has changed as the brown one used to make me cough. Trying another type now so will see how this goes. Got anther check up in three months to if any different and will know more then. The main thing is, continue with not smoking, regularly exercise and eat well. Lungs of non copd people reduce in capacity as they age and with early onset copd you can improve the detoristion rate if you do these things. Hope alls going well your end. 

    • chris51153
      chris51153 amanda50863

      Posted

      HI Amanda. That sounds like really good news to me Asthma I believe is not classed as progressive. I went for my breathing test and blood test today I was told by the nurse that my Fev 1 is now 69% !! This is strange as the last one was 57%. Hope shes right, will see the specialist nurse next Friday for my official results. Can ask her what I mentioned.

      Take Care Chris

  • Seahorse
    Seahorse chris51153

    Posted

    Hello Chris. My advice is excellent diet (lots of raw food), high quality vitamins (not cheap ones - get from a good health shop and ask advice), exercise whether you feel like doing it or not - set aside a time each day and stick to it. Remember as we get older we all get a bit breathless anyway. My doctor told me that, even in a healthy person, the lungs are the first body organs to shrink with age and that we must try to keep our lungs as open as they are today and that exercise is the only way to do that. Don't sit down and become sluggish. Keep at it. You may even find things improve a bit. My mother's COPD was diagnosed around 12 years ago and she is now 90. Although slow at times she keeps going and leads an active life. Join your local Breathe Easy Club (ask your doctor where yours is). There must be one somewhere near you. They provide excellent help, support and advice. Stay away from crowds as much as possible to avoid colds especially in winter. Keep yourself as fit as you can and you will find your worries will recede. Make sure you have the flu jab and also a pneumonia jab. These really do help. Also remember medical science is making rapid advances and there may well be help for us in the near future.
    • chris51153
      chris51153 Seahorse

      Posted

      Thanks so much for the advice. Will certanly find out about the classes and get some advice re vitamins (not sure what I can take safely with the heart meds IM on. Lovely to hear about your Mum.
    • jude65855
      jude65855 Seahorse

      Posted

      Sorry to butt in here, but if someone is eating an excellent diet why would h/she need vitamins, many of which are synthetic anyway?  A health food shop is the last place I'd go for advice because they're in the business of selling as much stuff as possible.   

      The rest of your advice is spot on

    • Seahorse
      Seahorse jude65855

      Posted

      Remember that doctors are often paid to prescribe a certain medicine. Good health shops staff are trained. I know because my daughter works in one. She has been amazed at what she has learned. Very few of us eat a varied enough diet to get all the vitamins we need. Also, with our conditions, why not try absolutely everything that may benefit us after all what price your health?
    • jude65855
      jude65855 Seahorse

      Posted

      Yeah, trained to sell things and who's giving her all this information?  Wouldn't be the drug companies who masquerade as healthy and alternative natural vitamin & supplement suppliers, in it for our health and not their profits?

      If someone wants to waste money on unnecessary supplments that's up to them, the bigger problem is when people abandon proven remedies in favour of newage hype.   For example, since I was diagnosed with COPD I've been told it can be cured with Vitamin C - not true and that smokers wouldn't get COPD or lung cancer if their meridians (whatever the f they are) were properly aligned.   

      I'm a cynic about both  "Big Pharma" and so-called natural remedies peddled by what I call Big Alternatives.

      Where's your evidence that most of us don't get all the nutrients we need from our food?   It's not rocket science to eat a healthy balanced diet unless you're living in a third world country.

      Finally, where are doctors being paid to prescribe certain medicines?  Influenced by info from the drug companies, almost certainly, but at least in Australia I don't believe they're paid by them.

    • Seahorse
      Seahorse jude65855

      Posted

      I'm trying to help here. You obviously have your own opinion which you are entitled to. I know for a fact doctors are paid to give the flu jab and also to give women HRT. That's why they promote it so heavily. I can't be bothered with this forum any more so am going to unsubscribe.
    • jude65855
      jude65855 Seahorse

      Posted

      Why, because I didn't accept everything you were saying?  That's a bit of an extreme reaction isn't it?

      If you have proof of what you're saying you should be taking to the relevant statutory or medical registration body in your state or country.

      I've only ever had HRT "promoted" (ie suggested) once for definite medical reasons and I can't see why doctors shouldn't be paid to give an injection.  It's imperative people with COPD  avoid flu and pneumonia if possible and I've been having both injections ever since I was diagnosed.

    • Ada555
      Ada555 jude65855

      Posted

      Jude it really is a shame you become so argumentative in your comments. People are here to give support...not to debate with you. The tone of your comments creates a tense atmosphere....not a relaxing supportive one. You seem to think of yourself as an expert on many things.and are constantly criticizing others. That's unfortunate as we can all learn from each other and that is not your attitude at all.
    • jude65855
      jude65855 Ada555

      Posted

      I do not constantly criticize others and I don't regard myself as an expert on many things.   I have learnt much on this forum and have also been frequently thanked for passing on what I've learnt to others.

      I have the same right to disagree with a post as you do to disagree with mine.   I don't regard it as a fault to speak up when misinformation is being spread around, or is it only those you agree with who have that right?

      If you get tense when someone disagrees with someone else I suggest that's your problem.    

    • Ada555
      Ada555 Seahorse

      Posted

      Seahorse I totally agree that taking vitamins can be helpful. I have taken them for years. We cannot always eat as healthfully as we would like and life's stresses, illness and other factors can influence our body's efficiency at absorbing the nutrients of what we eat.
    • Ada555
      Ada555 jude65855

      Posted

      But why do you think you are the best judge of what is "misinformation" ? Most of us speak from personal experience and/or from what we've read or learned from others. These forums are for support of each other with kind words and various ideas being thrown out for consideration. They are a place for being respectful of each other and each others opinions. They are not as far as I understand it a place for harshness and putting.other people down for.their ideas. Just throwing that out there for consideration Jude.
    • jude65855
      jude65855 Ada555

      Posted

      Disagreeing with someone is not putting them down and I haven't been disrespectful or harsh:  maybe a bit too direct and unwishy-washy for some people but I thought we were all grownups on here.   

      We are all judges of what we regard as misinformation and my opinion has has much value as yours or anyone else's.  If you saw something on this forum which you sincerely believed to be exaggerated or incorrect, would you write and say so?  I would hope so, even (or in fact especially) if I were the one you were disagreeing with.

      I haven't seen any respect yet for my opinions and I feel I'm being put down for expressing an apparently unpopular opinion.   This is such a well-known devious attack in debate that it has a name:  it's called "ad hominem" where the person expressing the opinion is subjected to personal attacks and the actual opinion never addressed.

    • Ada555
      Ada555 jude65855

      Posted

      Thank you for that Jude. Your comment says it all . Off to start my day. Hope you have a good evening on your side of the world. smile
    • brenda62546
      brenda62546 Seahorse

      Posted

      Seahorse, ​I just wanted to let you know that you said it beautifully, and thank you for being so caring! I also agree that vitimins are a good thing to get in the habit of taking, and most people do take them.

      Please don't allow her to discourage you from this forum. She is disecting everyone's comment's, and deciding whose comment's are according to her judgement. She also direct's everyone's conversation onto her, and off the person who need's help too. It is so self centered and disrespectful.

      Keep up the good work...your comments was so caring and accurate. P.S. I gave you a vote point! 

    • VauxhallGirl
      VauxhallGirl Seahorse

      Posted

      Don't leave, seahorse...you are giving good advice, and trying to help. Jude has obviously had some bad experiences.....but this is not the place to rant about it. people here want help, not a soapbox!
    • VauxhallGirl
      VauxhallGirl Ada555

      Posted

      Same here, Ada. Taken multi vits, glucosamine, and calcium tabs for years. My Mother and Grandmother had Osteoporosis - I had a bone scan a couple of years back, and my bones are 'above average', and thanks to Glucosamine, my knees are as good as they were when I was in my thirties. For a while, I could hardly get up the stairs when in my early 40's. No probs now.

       

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