Diagnosed with COPD today

[dizzzy]

After being ill in February with a bad cold I was left with a cough. I contacted my gp in mid-March and was told to use steam and nasal spray 3 times a day. I did this and then managed to get ill again with a chest infection (first I've had in my life). After 2 lots of antibiotics I felt better and found my breathlessness eased.

Move on to now I've still got a bit of a cough (not too bad) and was finally sent for an X-ray. Today I had a phone call from a nurse at my doctors who told me I've got COPD and my X-ray shows I have overinflated lungs. To say I'm shocked is an understatement, I don't smoke am only 44 and go for a half hour walk everyday. I've never had a bad chest apart from in March and only time I've been breathless was when I had the chest infection. I was told by the nurse I'll have another x-ray in 5 weeks and she's booking me in for a lung function test. No-one has listened to my chest and I've been diagnosed with COPD purely from my X-ray last week.

I have no idea about COPD as no-one I know has it. I feel completely clueless and completely shocked about this. If anyone has any advice I'd really appreciate it. I'm planning on ringing my GP tomorrow to see if they can give me more info.

[mickey house]

I'm sure it must be a shock for you, but my wife's nan has it and she's 90. As with every medical issue some cases are far worse than others, and there's lots of medication available to keep it at bay.

This is from the NHS website:

nhs.uk/conditions/chroni...-disease-copd/

[Bellasmummy]

Have you ever smoked?

My dad had COPD and smoked for years, my aunt was also diagnosed with it but had never smoked, her doctor said it was the first time he’d seen it in a non smoker. Two years later she was told it wasn’t COPD at all but benign tumours.

[dizzzy]

Originally Posted by mickey house

I'm sure it must be a shock for you, but my wife's nan has it and she's 90. As with every medical issue some cases are far worse than others, and there's lots of medication available to keep it at bay.

This is from the NHS website:

nhs.uk/conditions/chroni...-disease-copd/

See more...

Thanks, I’ve looked at the nhs website as that’s where the nurse told me to go to find out about the condition.

I think I’m concerned with the fact that I’ve got it at a relatively young age and without smoking so I don’t know what I can do to prevent it getting worse. It’s good to hear your wife’s nan is 90 as that gives me hope.

[meboo]

Seems a very odd diagnosis if you have not had a lung function test. If I were you, I’d keep a diary of symptoms - what makes it better or worse, and make a list of questions that you have. You need a full consultation to explain this diagnosis to you.

In the meantime, try not to worry too much -COPD comes on a vast scale, and I think we only ever tend to think of the worst aspect. Also, I think the lungs are quite complex. My grandma was diagnosed with terminal fibrosis after a broncoscopy (sp?) basically told her lungs were so brittle she was coming home on permanent oxygen to spend her final days. 6 months later she walked into the consultant without any breathing difficulties. We never got an explanation, but she got better !

[dizzzy]

Originally Posted by Bellasmummy

Have you ever smoked?

My dad had COPD and smoked for years, my aunt was also diagnosed with it but had never smoked, her doctor said it was the first time he’d seen it in a non smoker. Two years later she was told it wasn’t COPD at all but benign tumours.

See more...

Only for a very brief time (about a month or 2 lol) when I was 16. That’s reassuring to hear and fingers crossed they’ve got it wrong. It seems strange that my cough only started when I had a cold.

[dizzzy]

Originally Posted by meboo

Seems a very odd diagnosis if you have not had a lung function test. If I were you, I’d keep a diary of symptoms - what makes it better or worse, and make a list of questions that you have. You need a full consultation to explain this diagnosis to you.

In the meantime, try not to worry too much -COPD comes on a vast scale, and I think we only ever tend to think of the worst aspect. Also, I think the lungs are quite complex. My grandma was diagnosed with terminal fibrosis after a broncoscopy (sp?) basically told her lungs were so brittle she was coming home on permanent oxygen to spend her final days. 6 months later she walked into the consultant without any breathing difficulties. We never got an explanation, but she got better !

See more...

Thanks for this, fortunately I know what affects my cough and usually it’s when I’ve just eaten, when I lean over and when I laugh. I occasionally get it on a night when I go to bed. I don’t get out of breath anymore, this stopped as soon as my chest infection went after my second lot of antibiotics.

It’s great to hear about your grandma and just shows how they can get things wrong.

I think you’re right about needing to have a consultation to have it explained properly to me. It think what’s got to me is it wasn’t a case of I might have it but I have got it. The nurse was suprised that they didn’t tell me when I had the X-ray but I didn’t think it was up to radiographer to do the diagnosis!

[soooexcited!]

Will pm you

[Guest]

Originally Posted by dizzzy

Thanks for this, fortunately I know what affects my cough and usually it’s when I’ve just eaten, when I lean over and when I laugh. I occasionally get it on a night when I go to bed. I don’t get out of breath anymore, this stopped as soon as my chest infection went after my second lot of antibiotics.

It’s great to hear about your grandma and just shows how they can get things wrong.

I think you’re right about needing to have a consultation to have it explained properly to me. It think what’s got to me is it wasn’t a case of I might have it but I have got it. The nurse was suprised that they didn’t tell me when I had the X-ray but I didn’t think it was up to radiographer to do the diagnosis!

See more...

That sounds like my cough which I’ve had for 9 years now except mine is also triggered by strong perfume smells and a drop in temperature eg air con or when the temperature has dropped in the night.

I am an ex smoker (Gave up a few months before this cough started) and had a barrage of tests in 2014 including chest X-rays, Chest ct, lung function (spirometers) heart scans etc. No cause found and I’m still coughing

[Guest]

How scary for you, especially if it came out of the blue. However with a diagnosis hopefully now you can be treated and the illness taken more seriously.

COPD is a term that covers a whole range of lung/breathing illnesses eg, mild asthma to emphysema, and as a previous poster said does also cover a wide range of severity levels.

My mum has it, however she has it seriously and has oxygen daily and now limited function. But but but... she was a 40 a day smoker from early adulthood until she became unwell. So don’t use her as an example of the typical illness.

There’s lots of treatment and support out there for copd, don’t be shy in asking for referrals for additional support services. I think there are also charities you might be able to find some info from with a google search.

In the meantime stay positive and keep well, especially with the virus out there. All the best xx