@3ll Shells, I've been on 4LPM, 24/7, for just about two years now. It doesn't get any better, unfortunately. As far as the two separate types of drugs you mentioned, I've been taking both for 5-1/2 years. They do help me an awful lot. I take the antianxiety one (my downer) about an hour before bedtime. In the morning, it's 100 MG of Zoloft (my upper) to get me through the day and to get my "motivation" going!

Even with the supplemental O2 and the two meds, it's more a psychological thing to "get moving". Even with a POC (Portable Oxygen Concentrator). The POC allows me to take the trash out once a day. A short distance of 100 yds max, total, with step climbing required to get back to my front door. That's my daily exercise. Unfortunately for me. Also, once a week I'll go to the supermarket with my wife, which always turns into a shouting match because I have to stop every 100' or so. I just don't know why women have to run up and down the aisles when shopping!

Jim -
They run up and down the aisles because they're in a hurry to get the best deal before anyone else can.

I used an antidepressant for a while. It evened out my moods, to about the level of a zombie. Emotionally rolled in cotton. Stopped it pretty quick..
Its 90% psych to get moving forward in the morning. Pills and Metamucil, nebulizer treatment. 15 minutes to let the neb settle in then off for1/2 to 1 hour on the treadmill them move over to 20 minutes on the free weights (Was 8# but now 5# barbells). All this done at 6LPM and wearing a pulse oximeter to assure I'm maintaining minimum or better values for spo2. I do this every day.
It is often hard to get the motivation to exercise, as I keep a log that goes back 3+ years. I am not improving. I can do 50% less than when I started taking measurements. I'm unable to do the minor ones needed by the transplant centers, such as stand up for a chair without using my arms (using the strength of my legs alone).
My wife and I talk about these things. It's important to have a rooting section (one that carries crying towels when you need them). We go on early morning shopping trips together to get additional exercise (not that I need her help so I'm upright when we leave. I just enjoy her company) /sarc
I figure I'll be doing my exercises the day they roll my happy ass away. Tis OK - this is what I'll do until my Senior Partner calls me back. It stirs me up enough to be able to harass everyone that needs it. And boy do you guys need it...

Hugs,
Dennis

I take both an anti-depressant & anti-anxiety med. Being severely short of breath commonly stimulates the brain's panic response. I find they help considerably handling this distress signal that my body sends itself. The strength of the signal varies, but the use of these drugs is standard palliative care in COPD patients.

Happy Holidays Shellsbells,

I believe your boy needs a combination of both nice cop/bad cop routine. You give him enough good cop to encourage and support and then give him the bad cop to get him off his ass and that pity train he's on. Hear what I'm saying?

As far as the pills go, that's just a matter of how the person responds to the medication. Either he likes them or he doesn't.

Good luck and God bless you.

I am on both as well. Citalapram (anit-depressant) and an under the tongue, forgot the named to help with panic attacks that I suffer from when I can't catch my breath. Both work well for me. The panic attack drug I only take before I know I will be in a stressful situation.
As far as exercise goes, do it together, or better yet see if there is a pulmonary rehab place near you. Ask your doctor about it. I have yet to talk to anyone who did not benefit from it

Thanks Everyone! This is exactly the kind of info I was hoping for. It's always helpful to hear pros and cons from those who are actually experiencing a situation and not just prescribing for it (nothing against doctors). I know exercise isn't a cure but it might slow the progression of the disease a bit, get him out of the house, and hopefully, at the very least, make his days happier.

He tried pulmonary rehab 3 or 4 years ago but quit going after 3 or 4 visits because the original therapist (who he clicked with) left and he didn't care for the replacement. IF the Dr. gives him another chance at it I'm hoping he'll go. Too bad he outweighs me by 70 lbs or I could knock him over the head and drag him there. Although I suppose that would be frowned upon ; )

i was on anti-anxiety med long before i was diagnosed with COPD.
i worry about everything & we (dr & i) found that if i take an anti-anxiety med then i don't get so "overwhelmed" that i start feeling hopeless, which leads to the depression. (did that make sense?)
this past year i started getting high anxiety over going to the store.
especially a big store that i may not be able to "get out of" if i need to.
of course this was caused by a couple of times me running out of air or energy in the back of the store & barely making it out to my car (the panic that Caitsmom talks about when our lungs start spasming and sending signals to our brain to get to a safe place.)
as a result i have quit going to the store unless absolutely necessary & i break down my shopping to 1/4 -1/3sections of the store per day i go. i will do the food section 1 day, the pharmacy/meds section ontother time etc.
baby steps for me now days.
when my kids came for the holidays i had them take me to the stores a few times, i found i didn't have the anxiety because i felt "safe" that i had someone to help me if i needed it.
nothing happened & i drove my kids crazy wanting to 'get out" and go to the store to get different things i wanted & that they could carry in for me.
i don't have an answer for you, i'm just trying to share how i feel to maybe give you some insight to how this disease does affect our thinking & security.
maybe start with a little drive to get him out of the house. then small things that he can be successful at to build up his confidence to do more.
& of course you might want to look at all you do ( out of love i know) for him---are you helping him or enabling him?
my grand daughter is here and she cooks dinner each night. she tells me it's ready & that is the end of her part.
it is up to me to make a plate and eat then, or sometimes i'm not hungry so she puts the "leftovers" in the fridge & i get up later & get myself some food when i am hungry.
i know the sweet girl worries about me & probably wants to lecture me to eat----but she also knows that i'm a rebelous old soul & all that would do is make me mad & probably not eat at all (who can eat when they are mad --- not meLOL)
as i said, i don't know you situation, this is just how i am, my experience & how i "manage" my disease.
---back to the topic---anti-anxiety & IF i start getting overwhelmed & depressed an anti-depresssant---so far, i havent had to take the anti-depressant in quite a while :)

During the early stages of denial about having this disease, im sure no amount of pills would do me any favours...It was only when I accepted this was my life now and there was no returning or moaning about the life I had left behind, did the depression sort of lift.

But I set up boundries that became my comfort zone and as long as I was in or near them I felt safe enough....Venturing outside was very hard because the what ifs n mind games would start, then panic and breathing difficulties.

I used either Valium or Xanax, before I needed to do things I felt uncomfortable doing....which worked very well...gradually now I get out more without taking a helper but always carry some with me in case.....

So for me, an anti anxiety pill was a god-send..

Peter....