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I am 56 with lung age of 75 diagnosed with COPD

Posted , 5 users are following.

kathy70567
kathy70567

I have never smoked a day in my life but took a job where my team mate smoked I became gravely ill could not eat or drink for 5 days I got away from him and went to my daughters to get well I than hooked up with a cigar smoker who only smoked outside the truck again after two weeks I got sick I am home now and just got my breathing test I am between Stage one and Stage two of COPD my dad died from this I had asthma up till I was 18 but than it stopped I am now 56 and have had COPD for a few years but it is getting worse I had an attack in September one in November and again in December what does this mean?

1 like, 47 replies

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  • Butterfly2323
    Butterfly2323 kathy70567

    Posted

    Have you got to a lung specialist? I never smoke either but I m waiting for the second around of test that my lung specialist wanted to do.  Are you on oxigen? 
    • kathy70567
      kathy70567 Butterfly2323

      Posted

      no I am not on oxygen my doctor has me not working I did the lung function test he said I do have COPD and I am not upset I think I always knew I had it because I have never been able to open my lungs up fully so I am waiting to see what my doctor does to help me get this under control because I am having more problems with breathing than normal he has be using two enhalers and one with steroids I just dont know with a lung age of 75 will it be a factor in how COPD will progress on me.
  • gpgp
    gpgp kathy70567

    Posted

    About one in ten people with COPD a have not smoked. it is probably due to environmental factors/pollution and passive smoking. Did the doctor do a chest X-ray? Worth having done to confirm there is nothing else. Usually at stage 1 or 2 there is no need for a specialist opinion. Are you in theUK?
    • kathy70567
      kathy70567 gpgp

      Posted

      I live in the United States in Florida actually where its dry and not all that red dust from the mills in Maryland where I use to live and struggled to breath very much I want to ask my doctor if this might have anything to do with my COPD..
  • jude65855
    jude65855 kathy70567

    Posted

    I'm not sure what you mean by an "attack":  I think you'd be better asking your doctor what it means
    • kathy70567
      kathy70567 jude65855

      Posted

      attack is when you all of a sudden start coughing and it just gets worse than you cant breath I just mean when I get a flare up of the COPD it comes on more frequently now.
  • DawnDedee
    DawnDedee kathy70567

    Posted

    Hi Kathy,

    Your attacks, more than likely, mean that you are not yet on the proper combinations of medications to manage your lungs.

    I am also 56, but have had diseased lungs from birth and as a young adult lot 70% of my lung capacity to permanent damage and I never smoked.

    The good news is that we have wonderful medications for COPD which can make life easier. Make sure you have a lung specialist and an allergy specialist.

    Keep in touch so we can encourage you!

    Hugs

    Dawn

    • kathy70567
      kathy70567 DawnDedee

      Posted

      I have had damage to my lungs from the 18 yrs of Asthma back than everytime you cant breath its was asthma but now the new name is COPD I thought I read that this was discovered in around the year 2000 so now I understand why I dont get the full openess of my lungs like when I breath I feel my lungs only open about 1/2 way this I can feel but now I also wonder if being in a town that developed a lot of steel and had coke ovens they had espestosis and red clay or red dust there where times I couldnt go outside because of that and is there a possibility this caused the damage to my lungs.
  • jonah23
    jonah23 kathy70567

    Posted

    Hi Kathy 70567

    My husband also has COPD. Hehas recently been prescribed Seebri as his other medications, Attrovent, beta zone and Foradil (Atrovent)have not done much for his lungs he was told in the six years he has been diagnosed. I wonder if you'd perhaps let us know the names of your medications which you describe as wonderful. Maybe they might be good for him as well, of course if his lung specialist agrees.

    • kathy70567
      kathy70567 jonah23

      Posted

      Hey Jonah the meds I am on now are my aero chamber flo-vu and an enhaler called pro air HFA But in thinking about things I had asthma from 6 mos to 18 yrs old that is where my lung damage came from I lived in a town that had a large factory with coke ovens and red dust from that red clay my dad had copd and also espestosis from Bethlem steel with took his life in 2006 I want to bring that up to my doctor i am wondering if this caused my lung damage and now my COPD the doctors there had my mom move to different areas to help my breathing but It never did. I also struggle with joint sorness and swelling of fingers and my angles I feel this is from the lack of oxygen. I am still not breathing as well as I would like just doing a little activity I end up coughing and struggleing with breathing.
  • gpgp
    gpgp kathy70567

    Posted

    You are on first line treatment for COPD and asthma. Here in UK the most common first line inhaler for both conditions is Salbutamol, and it is cheap for our NHS,!

    Have you had a chest X-ray? If you have been close to asbestos that could show up. The pollution you describe could result in worsening asthma or COPD. If you are having attacks it is more likely that you have some degree of variability which points more to asthma. In which case inhaled steroids could prevent the attacks. Ask your doctor for a serial peak flow test. IF the peak flow varies 15% over the24 hours asthma is much more likely.

    As you have not been a smoker and your dad had COPD it might be worth having a blood test to see if there is a genetic component- ask for a Alpha 1-antitrypsin (AAT) level to done.

    • jonah23
      jonah23 gpgp

      Posted

      Salbutamol is salamol or ventolin, no? which is to be used in emergency or as an aid when needed. But apart from that my husband was normally on be alone and atrovent as well as Foradil to be applied daily. However in ?December he was told to try Seebri at a cost of  48 Euro for 30 days and drop the be calzone as it could cause pneumonia. We are abroad although we come yo UK often and my husband is a UK pensioner. I wonder if Seebri is on prescription in UK?
    • kathy70567
      kathy70567 gpgp

      Posted

      No I was diagnosed by my doctor I do have COPD that is for sure but I am on steroids its just not working as well as I hoped so we will have to try another med and see and I know I got it through Genetic from my dad so now I just have to live my life  as best I can.
    • gpgp
      gpgp jonah23

      Posted

      It seems Seebri is available in the UK according to the British National Formulary. 
    • kathy70567
      kathy70567 gpgp

      Posted

      when I went to the doctors he asked me if I was exposed to any chemicals well I drove for Waste Management for 8 yrs 2 months picking up recycle and trash so that was a yes and I know that within the last year of working there I was having more frequent flare ups.
    • jude65855
      jude65855 kathy70567

      Posted

      I would think that's more likely to be the cause of your COPD than genetically:  I'm not aware COPD can be inherited?
    • DawnDedee
      DawnDedee jude65855

      Posted

      Perhaps we inherit the predisposition and then environment gives it the boost?
    • gpgp
      gpgp kathy70567

      Posted

      Kathy, when you say you are on steroids, do you mean tablets or inhalers?
    • gpgp
      gpgp DawnDedee

      Posted

      yes you are right Dawn, the genetic deficiency (although not common) makes you more likely to develop COPD if you come into contact with smoke or environmental pollution. A blood test can check for it. I am not sure why a lawyer is involved in Kathy's case. Seems an odd choice if she hasn't yet had the test. 
    • DawnDedee
      DawnDedee gpgp

      Posted

      My mother tried to self abort me and her attempts did not work. Back in the latter 1950's they knew nothing about the impact smoking, drinking and over the counter medications could have upon the unborn fetus and my mother did it all. Then after birth I lived with breathing second hand cigarette smoke. I never had a chance to have good health but am still alive for 56 years. So for me, I think environment inside and outside the womb caused my chronic health problems. There was only two cases of severe asthma in the family tree prior to me and one of them was on my father's side which does not count because he claims I am not his child even though he married my mom. Even if he is my father, you are right, the genetic theory looks false for my case.
    • kathy70567
      kathy70567 gpgp

      Posted

      the steroids are in an enhaler that I have to enhale through a flo vue tube
    • kathy70567
      kathy70567 gpgp

      Posted

      I had the test but the air chemicals and some other dangers came from me driving and picking up for a Garbage and Recycling Company I came across all kind of chemicals from there I also drumped at the Landfill so this could be something I need to find out was there danger of getting COPD through my Job
    • kathy70567
      kathy70567 DawnDedee

      Posted

      The doctors told me that genetics are an issue even with cancer there is danger of all this from genetics I had the genetics test done from Cancer and I do not carry that gene but will find out from my doctor about the one for COPD my Dad and I are the only family members from both side that suffer from it now my son and one grandson also suffer from asthma I know it was passed on from me I feel so bad about that.
    • DawnDedee
      DawnDedee kathy70567

      Posted

      Kathy, I understand the guilt but honestly if we did not procreate because we waited for the perfect gene pool, we would not be surrounded by the people we love. Right? Wonderful you would not exist. I do not think that there is even one human on earth who does not suffer from something. So let your guilt flap in the wind away from you!

      Take care,

      Dawn

    • kathy70567
      kathy70567 DawnDedee

      Posted

      I dont dwell on the fact I may have passed on my bad lungs to other family members it just hard to see them have the same flare ups I suffered from when I was young the COPD is not nothing like what I went through as a juvenile but it is still hard...
    • jude65855
      jude65855 kathy70567

      Posted

      Kathy, I know that must be hard, have you talked to them about it?  I'll bet they don't blame you, how could they, and I'll bet they're sitll glad they exist.

      Dawn is spot on......

      Take care of yourself as best you can and that's the best gift you can give them, that example, so that they know how to do it.

    • jude65855
      jude65855 DawnDedee

      Posted

      Dawn, I wish I'd written that!  You are spot on, that's a wonderful reply and I totally agree.   With so many conditions, we don't know we have them and/or that they can be passed on until we've already had our kids and as i've said to Kathy below, would they rather not exist?
    • DawnDedee
      DawnDedee kathy70567

      Posted

      Lots of hugs to you! A mother's heart wishes she could take away all sufferings off of her children, and I weep at times because I wish I could do it too. I think of it like this, who better to be in their lives than me who can recognize and respond and teach how to survive than one who knows the conditions inside out?

      Bless you!

    • kathy70567
      kathy70567 DawnDedee

      Posted

      it helps to hear it from everyone on here where do you live I would love to know
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