what is the best advice on c.o.p.d?

Hi, i was wandering if you could give me some advice, it would be greatly appreciated. I have been suffering with constant chest infections, chest pain, wheezing and breathlessness for nearly 2 years. I have had numerous tests now with no real answer apart from, "its asthma". I am currently on symbicort which doesnt help with the wheezing much and i struggle to even walk up the stairs, it takes me a good few minutes to recover. I also get very tired due to the fact i am struggling to breathe all the time. I went to a and e last week because i brought up quite alot of fresh blood and the doctor at the hospital said it says on my notes they know inhaeler isnt working and my immune system is very low, and there is a problem with my right lung. She said something about copd? Does anybody think it sounds like this? I am getting no where with my gp, it is so frustrating, sorry for the long post, im just at a loss as to what to do. I am also a non smoker

Apart from the blood thing, which could possibly be caused by too much coughing rupturing a small blood vesssel, it sounds like a classic case of COPD to me. Did/do you smoke? If so there's the culprit. I was treat for asthma for years but it was COPD. On the other hand I don't get chest pain, I had a friend with a similar problem and it turned out to be something wrong with her heart. Can you see a different GP sometimes that is a good idea. Hope you find the answer. this is only a few thoughts, i have no medical knowledge whatever other than i have had COPD for many years. Oh yes and 6 years ago I was in hospital where they found two small clots on my lungs. Sorted that out with 8 months on Warfarin. June

The hospital had no explination for the blood either!! The only reason i can think of the chest pain being present is that i am strugglinh all the time. I had tests done on my heart a they thought i had angina but these tesfs had to be stopped as ny bp and heart rate went dangerously high so they had to stop. Im thinkibg of changing doctors as mine isnt helping much anymore

yes do that, there's doctors and then there's doctors and some of them are not so good or so interested. you could do with seeing a specialist in chest complaints, be assertive you only get one chance at life. June

I am under a specialist at a reapiritory clinic and asthma clinic, both are as bad as each otjer to be honest but think i will change doctors next wssk but also thinking of putting a complaint it aswell

I don't mean at the clinic I mean somebody higher up the food chain

looking back I see you don't smoke, so it looks even more likely that you need tests on your heart, but then I don't know, just from what has happened to friends. June

Yes might be worth pushing to see someone higher although nobody has been of any great help so far. There is an awful lot of heart problems in my family and the doctors know this. I took out health insurance this week only to realise they dont cover re occuring medical conditions!!

oh dear, there is always something with these insurance people. good Luck. June