# Anyone here have COPD, or know anything about it?



## Tina (Jun 25, 2011)

Given my symptoms and what I've read about it, I'm thinking I may have it, and it's freaking me out a bit.


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## sera (Jun 26, 2011)

Hi,
i dont know your sypmtoms, but copd is a collective term.
best thing to do is a lung function test. the basic one would be the spirometry. its simple just inhale-outhale and the machine will collect infos about your lung capacities. with those numbers you can see, if you have a copd and in general in which way your lungs are impaired.
if you are smoking, you know anyways where it will sooner or later lead to.

i dont want to sound harsh, i know those concerns about beeing ill. just wanted to say, do that test, if you fear something and have symptoms. 

get well soon and all the best.


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## imfree (Jun 26, 2011)

I was on oxygen from Oct 2004-to-June 2010. I was first diagnosed with COPD, but testing at the VA a couple after the Oct 2004 diagnosis failed to show lung damage or disease, even on the CT scan. I keep an eye on my oxygen saturation with an inexpensive pulse oximeter I got from Amazon.com. I'm a life-time non smoker, but the VA thinks my problem was Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome.


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## Miss Vickie (Jun 26, 2011)

Wow, I'd never heard of that diagnosis, Edgar, thanks! That'll give me something to think about in the fall when I start clinicals on chronically and acutely ill adults.

Tina, honey, it's very possible that you're having asthma that's not well controlled. The best way to know is to get seen by a pulmonologist and get those PFTs done. Nobody likes them, but those, along with a possible chest x ray to rule out other possibilities that could cause your symptoms, would allow them to best treat you. With appropriate treatment, your symptoms should improve.

I know it's easy to do, to scare yourself with google, but the differentials in your case are numerous, from asthma to GERD to COPD to... well, there are tons. I wish I lived closer so I could truly help but barring that, I'm afraid this is one thing that warrants a visit to a provider. Breathing is important, as you know, so the sooner the better.

:wubu::wubu:


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## Tina (Jun 26, 2011)

Thanks, all, for your posts. Vick, I've been having these collections of symptoms and it's just getting worse, and my doctor here completely sucks. I'll have to go to a clinic or something and see if they can either do that testing on me or refer me to a specialist. My chest hurts with these sharp little pains when I breathe and I get out of breath very easily (which I had attributed to being out of shape, but it's really gotten extreme), and it's gotten very old now.


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## Miss Vickie (Jun 26, 2011)

Tina, with those symptoms, you probably should see a pulmonologist, if your doctor can't figure out what's going on. I'm sorry, honey.


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## Jes (Jun 27, 2011)

Tina, I'd echo everyone who knows much more than do I, but I also want to say that sharp chest pains with breathing or movement might also be costochondritis. I've had it for years, and sometimes it flares up. It's an inflammation of the cartilage that connects the ribs to ...the sternum, right? (I'm now playing OPERATION in my mind to see what's connected to what). I usually experience a flare up if I've been sleeping funny, crunching myself into the corner of the couch to watch tv, etc. I have no idea if this could be part of the issue, but keep it in mind. I took Naproxen for 7-10 days round the clock (under Dr's orders) to quell the inflammation and it went away ('til I misbehave). I try not to misbehave as naproxen has tons of sodium and is bad to take longterm. But the twinges are especially painful, over the lungs, and near the heart, and it can definitely freak you out. But the issue for me was with the hardware, not the software, as it were, which was a good thing. Either way, best of luck. Tests are always a good thing.


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## Tina (Jun 27, 2011)

Guess I'll have to go to a clinic, Vick, because my doctor is shit. Utter shit, and it's hard to find doctors here.

Thank you, Jes, that could make sense, too. I have fibro and arthritis, so that's not too far of a stretch, I'm guessing. 

Hate having to navigate the medical system here, but I'm going to have to do it.


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## Miss Vickie (Jun 28, 2011)

Jes, costochondritis could certainly explain the pain. That pain was how I was diagnosed with Sarcoidosis. It started with chest pain. If someone has had a cough for awhile, they can have costochondritis. It really hurts. I was sure I was having a heart attack.


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