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...
I was diagnosed late. Moderate to Severe I was told. I went to the Dr. not feeling well. He said I was in a flare up. Gave me predizone took me off regular maintenance drug Anora and told me to use albuteral 4/5 times a day for a month then return. The predizone only last 6 days. Well this is the first flare up I have had since I was diagnosed one year ago. It's bad. The albuteral makes me visibly shake. I don't know a lot about this disease so I am asking for help from you all that I have learned stuff from just reading on here. My oxygen reading was 96 so I guess I am breathing okay although it feels more labored then usual. Is that part of the flare up and how long do the flare ups usually last? Thanks for any help. Hope you all are feeling okay. (((Hugs))) Linda
What's going on with the flair up, are your having shortness of breath and coughing?
I'm here for you.Lisa
Your oxygen number is good but does not necessarily have any thing to do with your SOB if that is what you have. (Shortness of breath)
Albuterol is such a stimulant that I can no longer take it. I hope it works for you . It has a tendency to make the heart race, hence the shakiness.
Each neb treatment should be good for 6 hours. It is a short acting bronchodialator, so this neb treatment is opening you up while the prednisone is helping the inflammation.
The main things to look for is fever, coughing up a lot of phlegm, especially if it is colored. wheezing, and your lungs getting tighter and pain in the lungs. These you hope to avoid because that means an infection has set in.
If you get worse or you are not breathing better when you have done the prednisone, please call your dr. Also if any of the above happens and you can not breath good, go to ER.
It takes a couple of days for the prednisone to get in your system and start working. Make sure you take it with food or on a full stomach. The am is a good time, because you can take it with breakfast.
I hope you get to feeling better soon, just watch those symptoms
BJ
I'm so sorry you are in a flare up.
I'm with brenda. I no longer take albuterol because it made me so shaky & didn't help me breath any better.
why did he want you to stop your maintenance inhaler?
Whenever I have a flare up, I only get better with antibiotics. (I can't take prednisone, but usually the 2 [antibiotics & prednisone] are done together aren't they?
I have such a dry cough that I don't see a change of color in my phlegm/mucous.
It's usually about halfway thru the antibiotics that I start coughing the gunk out.
I usually get where I feel heavy in my chest, as it gets worse an elephant sitting on it.
I don't know if i'd call it SOB but just sitting it seems to be more work to breath.
I also just feel "lazy" and not want to do anything.
(this disease can be tricky! my 1st exacerbation got really bad because I didn't know feeling lazy was a sign---when I went in 1 lung wasn't moving any air! Not sure why, but antibiotics got it going again!)
i'm telling you my symptoms because we are all different & when I 1st had an exacerbation I let it get real bad because I didn't realize the signs. (sometimes i still have a hard time & think it's just due to weather or allergies or something else)
Then I had an old fashioned dr that didn't like prescribing antibiotics .... (she's no longer my dr LOL)
BTW; when you say your 02 is 96% is that sitting or active?
it is common to have good 02 when sitting or resting, but mine can drop fast just walking to the kitchen so I always have the dr take it with me moving also.
(I never have figured out why dr's & even hospitals take it when you are resting)
I hope you get feeling better soon, and if you don't, please see your dr again.
Unless you feel wonderful, I wouldn't wait a month to return.
i've posted this before but it is really a handy form to fill out "a plan" with your dr.
Many of us have medication on hand to start in the event we can't get right in to see the dr.
http://www.healthcentral.com/copd/c/52325/170677/copd-action-plan/?ic=more
with this one if i am in the yellow for 2 days I am to start my medications & call for an appointment.
http://www.lung.org/lung-disease/copd/awareness/copd-action-plan-generic.pdf
the faster we get taken care of the less damage done to our lungs. The way my dr explained it was COPD is slow moving, but every time I get sick, that is when more damage occurs faster.
of course I'm not a dr, and everyone is different, but this is what i've learned .... so far :)
*blush*
For now...Jarca, Bren n most others can guide you! You will get over this over the next few days......Take care Peter
The pred should take care of the inflammation, but still you keep an eye on things. I hope it does not get worse, but just because DR. said you do not have infection (which is great) does not mean it won't happen.
The "quiet " breathing probably means he does not hear wheezing , which is also good.
Hope you get better soon
BJ
PS I have no idea why he gave you benedryl. It is an antihistimine, and is sometimes given to help folks sleep. It is used for allergic reactions sometimes, but many folks with COPD are told not to take it because of the sedation part. But unless it gives you problems, Dr. is probably using it to do something else...Ask him, maybe?
hope you're feeling better real soon..glad your back on maintenance medication.
I started taking Anora this morning. I will talk to you later. Hugs
Tell your doctor about all medicines you use, and those you start or stop using during your treatment with Anoro Ellipta, especially:
bladder or urinary medicines such as darifenacin, fesoterodine, oxybutynin, tolterodine, solifenacin;
bronchodilators such as aclidinium, ipratropium, or tiotropium; or
cold or allergy medicine that contains an antihistamine.
I had a dr do that to me years ago (said it was virus) ; i insisted on a simple blood poke to check my WBC and sure enough, I had bacterial infection.
That Dr. was embarrassed, and I got antibiotics & got better. That dr was fired.
after i got copd I went into severe exacerbation with another dr. that "thought antibiotics were over prescribed" That dr. was fired!
My PCP I have now prescribes antibiotics 1st thing.
My lungs aren't' progressing as fast & My pulmonologist said he is doing the right thing by getting right on it.
I may be different but i think most people with copd do antibiotics at the 1st sign of flare up.
(or at least ask for a simple finger prick to show WBC count)
my prayers are with you and I hope you get better soon. (((((HUGS))))
ps. I asked my PCP why they prescribe albuterol when it doesn't help me & makes me feel like i'm going to have a heart attach; and his answer was "it''s all we have right now to try to help"
MEO