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...

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so what do you make of this.

zigzzagz65
zigzzagz65
Just some things I've noticed since my lung issue some seven months back. When I first had the outbreak or rather several months prior to it, whatever it was I had been building up a good rash on the points of both elbows and my knees were exceptionally sore. I was at that time smoking my heaviest at 25 or 30 cigs a day. When it turned into breathing problems I quit smoking and very quickly the rash started to subside my knees got better and over a period of 3 months my breathing returned to normal. Now I'm a bit embarrassed to say it but a few months back I started smoking a bit again. Originally just here and there and then 5 or 6 a day....yes I know. Mr stupid head, and sure enough after a month or so I started to notice the rash coming back on my elbows, my knees started to bother me at work again and I started to feel resistance in my breathing again so I quit again and used the flovent steroid inhaler for a couple weeks and the rash has gone away my knees don't bother me and my breathing is normal again. What the heck do you make of that. I'm not a believer in coincidences, at least not ones that obvious.
jarca
jarca
whats the rash look like?
what i'm finding so far is that smoking can aggravate/cause psoriasis & eczema---both commonly start around the elbows & knees.
go figure ;)
of course as soon as you did the "steroid" that would have helped clear it up faster.
zigzzagz65
zigzzagz65
No rash on the knees, it's joint pain. As for what the rash on the elbows look like....well, have you ever tried to look at your elbow? Lol....I couldn't really get a good look at it but just rough dry flaky skin with a bit of a bumpy texture to it. Joint pain, rash and lung trouble sounds a bit like rheumatoid arthritis to me which I understand can also affect the lungs. Also some immune system diseases similarly cause rash, joint pain and attack the lungs.
I don't think the little bit of inhaled steroid in flovent would speed up the rash healing though. Maybe it would but it doesn't seem so. What occurred to me is that smoking brings on these three things lung trouble, skin rash and joint pain. I smoke and I have them, I stop and they all go away, I start and they all come back, I stop and they all go away again. All at the same time beginning to get better immediately upon stopping.
deleted_user
deleted_user
I don't know but QUIT the smoking!! I was on oxygen 24/7 for a few years when I was smoking regularly. My mother died from COPD. She had quit smoking and it didn't help in her case so I figured the same. It got so bad with me being in and out of the hospital and hardly being able to walk across the room,with oxygen, that I finally decided to quit. It did a world of good. I was about on my deathbed. I quit and slowly started walking and got up to3 miles a day. Like you, I started off and on smoking again after 3-4 years of being quit. I am quit now for a long time but it got to where if I even smoked 3-4 cigaretts in a day it would put me on oxygen the next day every time. One of the biggest problems in my case is that the guilt of smoking consumed my every thought when I did. I know you knew this but I couldn't help sharing my experience even though it is not the answer you were looking for. I have NO idea about the rash etc.
deleted_user
deleted_user
"Somebody" wonder who ....

IS TRYING HARD TO GIVE YOU A MESSAGE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
bjrapp2020
bjrapp2020
I like Jarca's answer for the rash. As for the muscle or joint soreness, you are getting up there in age where somethings just hurt. You might get it checked out with a RA doctor so if it is anything like that you can start getting treatment.As far as the return to smoking, it is not my place to lecture you, but I can only shake my head in wonder , why you did this. Now rash, pain, or not, I hope you decide to lay them down again....
BJ
jarca
jarca
zig;
" Joint pain, rash and lung trouble sounds a bit like rheumatoid arthritis to me which I understand can also affect the lungs."
= that may be so, but you said your symptoms were directly related to your smoking.

we could get into nicotene receptors and the release of ACh and what systems of the body are affected and how, but personally i like birdcats answer in reply #4 :)
LilEllie
LilEllie
Well zigzag, you shouldn't have to look at a hot horseshoe twice to get the picture.
Our bodies are mysteriously put together but it is the ultimate boss and the boss is not going to hand you that hot horseshoe too many times

My Mom always told the doctors that she knew her body best and she did right up until her death at 96
deleted_user
deleted_user
It amazes me at how much I don't know about the human body! I have no idea what could cause the rash. Let us know when you find out. But I sympathize with you about starting to smoke again. I don't smoke, never did. But I am an over eater/junk food addict. I was gung ho to lose weight after my emphysema diagnosis. Anything to be able to breathe better, Right!! I lost 12 pounds. So proud! But went back to my old eating ways this weekend. I wish I knew why we want to hasten our symptoms and can't see what we are doing to ourselves.
Lauren9
Lauren9
Before I put my two cents in please forgive my lousy spelling lol. Maybe you are actually allergic to nicotine or one of the many chemicals they put in cigeretts? You might also got nicotine posining when you were smoking heavly. No matter what the cause I hope you can continue not smoking. If you can't I for one will not judge you. Took me a very very long time to stop smoking. I understand how misreable nicotine addiction is.

Hugs...
great2bme
great2bme
I'm going with birdcat's answer!
TroJanThunder
TroJanThunder
Sounds like psoriatic arthritis to me.
zigzzagz65
zigzzagz65
The smoking is already gone again. I picked it up for about 6 weeks but was fortunately half hearted in it but I'm sure if I'd kept it around much longer would have gone hard at it as is my nature.
deleted_user
deleted_user
Ziggy -
You already know my answer. Nuff said, my friend...

Hugs,
Dennis
joany
joany
I really like birdcat's comment. Since you're not smoking it doesn't matter - divine intervention fits.