Pulmonary Fibrosis and Exercise

Brilliant Malcolm, do keep it up.

I had a dog (an English Springer Spaniel) that had to be walked and although there was a period when she went to stay with my sister I felt that I needed to get better to get her back and continued walking when I could.

Colleagues at work still tell me that they can remember me struggling upstairs and having to stop on the landing to get my breath back. Do iy same as everyone else now.

So encouraging to hear from Jeanou and Malcom about improvements in their condition. I am quite sure that the correct sort of exercise is very helpful in managing IPF. My problem is having the confidence to know the difference between useful/helpful exercise and \"overdoing it\". :oops:

I feel I got into this mess because I did not listen to my body three and four years ago when I first experienced severe breathlessness when walking up the slightest hill and even when talking to friends. I did go to my GP on several occasions and was given antibiotics, which appeared to help a little bit at the time. As the various GPs in our group practice could find no reason for the breathlessness, I presumed it was me reacting badly to a very stressful life. I tried various methods of de-stressing and relaxing until I literally reached point of collapse. I have now been told I have loads of scar tissue in my lungs and although prognosis for a long retirement does not look good, my consultant has said that they really have no idea how any individual patient will respond to the drugs nor to progression of the disease. I have great faith in the body's ability to heal itself when given the right conditions and yoga and homeopathic treatment seem to help. I am taking prednisolone and carbocysteine (and for past six months, metphormin for type 2 diabetes which can be, according to US research become a complication of IPF)

Recently I have been very up and down – I am sure lack of sun and being unable to go out for a walk has not helped. Plus the metphormin has unfortunate consequences on bowels and this becomes a deterrent to going out! I need to be more disciplined about an exercise routine I can practise in the house (I have even got out of the habit of daily yoga. Although I still automatically breathe in a better way than I used to prior to yoga)

Do either of you have to be on supplementary oxygen? Going for just a short walk becomes a bit of an excursion when you have to take your back pack and ambulatory oxygen into account.

How do I decide whether or not I have a chest infection that warrants antibiotic? Hate going to the surgery and sitting with all those Sick people!!!

I am really struggling with tight chest and greater degree of breathlessness on movement. Think this is after visiting a group of friends for several hours a couple of weeks ago. Usually in very positive frame of mind but feeling very grumpy today as it is rainy, cold and blustery outside and I have never smoked and always had an active lifestyle and good diet. :x

storyteller

I recently was diagnosed with PF 1.5 years ago after being hospitalized for three mos of pneumonia . I used to run and exercise which I can no longer do. However, I have been weight lifting (lightly ). I do what I can and I hv seen good improvement. I was wondering how I could possibly get better improvement? I work my legs, back and arms out. Can someone please suggest what I may do or continue doing what I can? I thought of adding yoga for flexibility and breathing. Unfortunately, there is nothing out there with PF and exercising.