COPD & Emphysema Support Group
COPD is a progressive disease characterized by airflow obstruction or limitation. Emphysema is characterized by loss of elasticity of the lung tissue, destruction of structures supporting the alveoli and of capillaries feeding the alveoli. Both have symptoms that include shortness of breath, among other respiratory troubles. If you are a COPD or Emphysema sufferer, join...
Hello all my wonderful friends on here ... I went to see the nurse today and had a spirometry test ....well two actually , because she thought the machine was wrong ... basically I was expecting it to be much better than last time because I feel fine, but my FEV1 had dropped dramatically from 64 to 39 ... I just dont get it ...my oxygen was 98% so thats fine and I have been comenting over the last month or so how good I feel ....not any more ....I said to the doctor who I saw straight away ....so this means I will be dead in 5 years yes? ....not NECESSARILY was his answer ...I am only 43 ....I went right back to depression mode ....the only 'good' thing was that the doc said it just does not add up , he said he would have expected me to be out of breath at that FEV 1 .........................oh I dont know ..I wish I hadn't have bothered with it now ...I diddnt even get the Onbrez inhaler
it could be many reasons ... to include actually having lost some FEV. I've scored worse at times too when I actually felt pretty good and scored higher when I felt like I was ready to croak!
My Dr. says thats why they do serial ones.. sometimes you may score higher, sometimes less and its the trending that's more important.
Another thing I just found out was how we exhale during the test. Many times the techs told me to forcefully exhale, exhale, exhale. Recently the techs have changed and have me now do a less forceful more consistent exhale, exhale but not use my stomach muscles during the testing and it made a difference. We did two tests that day to check and the slower exhale was more consistent with what my normal FEV had trended to be ( barring being sick)
Made me kinda think having the same tech and technique makes a bit of a difference too...
Why didn't you get the Onbrez? Did you forget?
Don't jump to conclutions my pft the other day was 18 the one before that was 16 I prefer to go by how much I can do and how I feel. I worked in hospital and overheard a pumonary doc say it's usually something else that gets copd'ers not the copd u can live to be an old man u just have to take care of yourself.Get ur flushot,stay away from big crouds during cold and flu season . Of course y might get hit by a bus or something(lol). chill out. I got upset when my doctor told me too But I thought about it and im ok now. I hope this helps Hugs Georgia
Just out of curiosity, how long over there in GBR has it taken from the beginning of your trouble to now to get sent to a specialist? Have you ever had a CT scan?
sorry for the slow replies my internet is playing up!