Smells, taste and fresh air!!

Hello Ann

Lovely to hear from you and I am so proud of you for staying off the ciggies! It's not easy is it? But you are doing really well. I worried about slipping back and, because I was really ill at the time, initially stayed in the house where I could not be tempted to buy more. Try having strategies in place to help over times of crisis. And keep going - you can beat this!

Perhaps you need to speak to someone about your inhaler? The blue inhaler is specifically designed for asthmatics and, whilst some find it helpful, others do not. There are several others which may help more so do talk it over with your GP/consultant/specialist nurse. It can take a little time to find one (or more) that suits you.

Good luck

Jacee

xx

Hello Ann

I have had lots of inhalers and find the blue one (ventolin) the most useless of the lot. Ask about inhalers for COPD instead of putting up with an inhaler that doesn't work much for anyone except to give you the shakes. Lots of luck.

Katyann

[quote:ded4f45cdd=\"annsco\"]Hi all,

Well it's now been just over 2 week since my last cigarette and I am able to smell things and taste much more than before. Don't have nicotine cravings as such but do miss the relax with a fag habit!! Haven't really developed a cough as yet but some of the gunk is foul when I do - sorry!

I am just posting this because I have banned family and friends from telling me how well I'm doing (it drives me nuts!) but I can brag on here and hope you will not mind.

Humidity the past few days has affected my breathing - don't really feel inhaler is helping a lot in these conditions. It's just the blue inhaler that I have.

Hope that you are all ok and that your exercise regimes are paying off!

Ann x[/quote:ded4f45cdd]

Hi Ann

Thinking of you and hoping you are still managing to stay smok free.

How is your breathing now we have colder weather? I see you are managing just on the blue reliever medicine, this is good to use about 10 to 15 mins just before exercising.

If you are finding the blue inhaler doesn't seem to be enough in this colder weather do go back to your GP or respiratory advisers and let him/her know. It's important to get the medicine that will keep you stable as well as can be.

Also mention to the doc about the mucus if this is causing you more problems.

Keep up the good work staying off the fags

Good wishes

V

Hi V,

Thanks for asking!

I'm still 'smoke free'. A bit disappointed because I don't feel a lot better for it but I do feel pleased with myself that I have stopped. I don't cough any more - is that good or bad?

The cold weather makes my chest feel very tight. It's such a nuisance because I look out at the cold, crisp, bright day and think 'walk!' and I set off and very quickly feel breathless. However I keep going and manage ok. I hate going into the warm shops then out into the cold and so on.

I have another set of lung function tests coming up this Thursday, having had a CT scan a couple of weeks ago. I get the results early January. I'm hoping that the consultant might suggest other meds then.

I don't know a lot about you. Have you had COPD long?

I've really been pleased to meet so many positive and helpful people on this forum. It has made life a lot easier just being able to read and share.

Take care and hope we speak again soon,

Ann

Hi Ann

Congratulations staying smoke free, I thought the same when I gave up about it not seeming to make much difference to my breathing, but honestly it is the best thing you can do and I know those who continue to smoke deteriorate much more quickly.

I would say not coughing any more has got to be a good thing

The cold weather does have a tendency to affect the breathing, although I'm usually pretty ok until it gets down to around 8degrees celcius, although if there is a lot of moisture in the air it can be any temperature and my breathing is affected. It's a good thing to get out for a walk each day when its possible tho. Just do what you feel you can manage at the pace that is comfortable for you. When the weather is really bad I do walks inside too.

I was diagnosed in 2004, but was affected before that not realising. I think it sort of creeps up on you then wham if you get a cold or virus, that's just enough to tip you over the edge from ok to COPD.

Hope your lung function test goes well and also your CT scan results. I think the medical profession need to do all these tests so they can better assess you and prescribe the medicines that will help you most.

Keep up the good work with staying smoke free and congratulations once again.

Let us know how you go at your lung function test. Do ask for the FEV1% predicted - that will give you an idea how your lungs are doing, although I'm sure the respiratory nurse will advise you on that too.

Keep on breathing :D

V

Hi Ann, no smoking is very good news, well done you - it's not easy. Not coughing may sound like good news, and indeed might be - depends if there is anything left on you chest. Quite often smokers stop coughing (because there is no more cigarette smoke to irritate the throat) before the chest has been cleared of mucus. There are some good products to take, including Mucodyne, a carbocistene tablet which dilutes body fluids to keep them free flowing. I know it sounds disgusting, but if there is anything left on your chest it needs to be cleared. Speak to your consultant/specialist nurse about it.

As far as going out is concerned, COPDers are often advised not to go out if the temperature drops to 6 degrees. If you have to venture out try breathing through a scarf to warm up the arm hitting your lungs. And many, many congratulations on staying smoke free!

Jacee

xx

Oops!!!!!!!!!!! That would be air hitting your lungs rather than an arm.

Jacee :oops:

Hi Ann,

You seem to be at the same stage as I am with doctors - lots of tests, scans, etc. I stopped smoking last July (2009) and like you, stopped coughing almost immediately. Having said that, I'd been stop-starting-stop-starting for a couple of years before that so maybe everything had cleared up previously.

I never thought I'd manage to quit - I'd tried so many times and failed. Even with Champix, I'd stop then, as soon as they weaned me off the tabs, the craving would return again. If it hadn't been for my doctor standing by me through all those failures, AND for prescribing the Champix for far longer than she was allowed, I'd never have managed it.

But I am soooo glad to be shot of them!!!!

Good luck and WELL DONE :D

Stitch

Thank you all for your 'well done' s. (???? sp????) I feel a bit of a fraud because I really don't miss them (that much) any more.

Just wanted to ask you Jacee about this coughing business. How will I know if I have congestion on my chest - would that show up on CT scan? Don't think it would.

I think that there must be a load of gunk down there - where can it have gone otherwise?

I don't wheeze though. Just tight chested and breathless some of the time.

I also have, and have always had as far as I can remember, sinusitis and that can drain down into the bronchial tubes too.

Anyway I will add it to my notebook to discuss with resp. consultant in January.

Take care,

Ann x

Hi Ann,

Don't worry, your medics will monitor your chest and any gunk will show up on xrays or show itself through wheeziness but a tight chest can also mean some mucus. I did not mean to scare you in any way - just saying be careful and continue to monitor yourself. Any problems - notify the experts!

Luck and best wishes

Jacee

xx

Hi Ann

I know you were addressing Jacee but just wanted to say a few words, hope you won't mind...

Your doc and the respiratory consultant by listening to your lungs will be able to determine if there is congestion or infection present in the lungs.

If you are worried about still having a chest infection because of your tight chest do go see your GP who I'm sure will put your mind at rest.

It is always best not to delay if you think your lungs are still infected. Sometimes these things take a few courses of antibiotics to clear.

The other thing I wanted to say is not everyone gets mucus when lungs are clear of infection, you may be one of the lucky ones.

Mucus is common with a lung infection and is usually discoloured (yellow or green).

If the antibiotics are working for you, your lung infection and mucus production may well and truly have been sorted.

Keeping fingers crossed for you.

V

Forgot to add that a tight chest is common when out in cold weather. Are you finding it goes away or eases when you are in the warm?

V