Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Respiratory Disorders (Expert Forum)
coughing/ body pain from coughing/ smoker quiting.
Answered by
This forum is for questions and support regarding lung and respiratory issues such as: Allergies, Asthma, Bronchitis, Colds - Flu, Chronic Cough, COPD, Cystic Fibrosis, Emphysema, Fibrosis, Lung Abscess, Nasal Polyps, Pleurisy, Pneumonia, Sarcoidosis, Sinusitis, Tuberculosis
coughing/ body pain from coughing/ smoker quiting.
by lilred43, Nov 07, 2006 12:00AM
HELLO
IAM 43 AND A SMOKER IAM TRYING TO QUIT WAS A 3 PACK A DAY NOW IAM DOWN TO 1 PACK AND STILL TRYING TO QUIT. I HAVE NOT FELT WELL IN ALMOST 2 YRS. I COUGH ALL THE TIME ALL DAY & ALL NITE ,AND NOW IT HAS GIVEN ME SO MUCH PAIN THAT I WAS GIVEN VICODIN COUGH MEDICINE ANTIBOTICS STEROIDS AND INHALER U NAME IT I HAVE THE MEDS NEEDED FOR THIS.I UNDERSTAND SMOKING IS NOT GOOD! AND QUITING IS HARD AS HELL! I DO HAVE SCRAING ON MY RIGHT LUNG AND MY DOC SAID THAT WOULD NOT MAKE ME COUGH. ALSO WHEN I TAKE ANY KIND OF PAIN MEDS WITH A NARCOTIC LIKE HYDROCODONE I DONT COUGH NO PAIN AND I CAN BREATH? WHY IS THAT AND WITH OUT IT IM SO MISERABLE. IAM VERY WORRIED ABOUT THE WAY I FEEL I HAVE NO ENERGY AND GET OUT OF BREATH VERY EASILY. SHOULD I WALK MORE? WHAT DO I DO IAM NOT GETTING ANY ANSWERS TO MY PROBLEM AND NOW I HAVE TO HAVE A NARCOTIC TO KEEP ME COMFORTABLE. MT MOTHER DIED OF LUNG CANCER AN D IM SCARED WHAT CAN I DO PLEASE HELP ME.
IAM 43 AND A SMOKER IAM TRYING TO QUIT WAS A 3 PACK A DAY NOW IAM DOWN TO 1 PACK AND STILL TRYING TO QUIT. I HAVE NOT FELT WELL IN ALMOST 2 YRS. I COUGH ALL THE TIME ALL DAY & ALL NITE ,AND NOW IT HAS GIVEN ME SO MUCH PAIN THAT I WAS GIVEN VICODIN COUGH MEDICINE ANTIBOTICS STEROIDS AND INHALER U NAME IT I HAVE THE MEDS NEEDED FOR THIS.I UNDERSTAND SMOKING IS NOT GOOD! AND QUITING IS HARD AS HELL! I DO HAVE SCRAING ON MY RIGHT LUNG AND MY DOC SAID THAT WOULD NOT MAKE ME COUGH. ALSO WHEN I TAKE ANY KIND OF PAIN MEDS WITH A NARCOTIC LIKE HYDROCODONE I DONT COUGH NO PAIN AND I CAN BREATH? WHY IS THAT AND WITH OUT IT IM SO MISERABLE. IAM VERY WORRIED ABOUT THE WAY I FEEL I HAVE NO ENERGY AND GET OUT OF BREATH VERY EASILY. SHOULD I WALK MORE? WHAT DO I DO IAM NOT GETTING ANY ANSWERS TO MY PROBLEM AND NOW I HAVE TO HAVE A NARCOTIC TO KEEP ME COMFORTABLE. MT MOTHER DIED OF LUNG CANCER AN D IM SCARED WHAT CAN I DO PLEASE HELP ME.
Doctor's Answer
by National Jewish, Nov 17, 2006 12:00AM
, Nov 17, 2006 12:00AM
You are to be congratulated for your efforts to stop smoking. It is "hard as hell". Whatever else you do, you must stop smoking if you are going to preserve your present lung function and not lose more. The use of nicotine replacement therapy and Wellbutrin® (bupropion) can help make quitting easier. The newest smoking cessation medicine, Chantix® (varenicline), was recently released. A number of reliable reports suggest that it may even be more effective than the other two. You should make up your mind to quit. Then ask your doctor about these options. Everyone in the United States has free access to telephonic counseling for quitting tobacco at Quitline (800) QUIT NOW. You may want to look at our giving up smoking information at http://www.nationaljewish.org/disease-info/wellness/smoking/index.aspx for ways to help you quit smoking. Also check with your doctor for other quit smoking resources in your area.
Chronic bronchitis is probably the cause of your cough. This is a cough with mucus that lasts for at least 3 months in a row 2 years in a row. Your chest x-ray and spirometry may be normal with chronic bronchitis. Most instances of chronic bronchitis are due to cigarette smoking. However it is important to have periodic chest x-rays to be checked for lung cancer. Also ask your doctor if he would order sputum cytology. This is a screening test to detect cancer early, sometimes even before it is visible on a CT scan. Sputum or mucus that is coughed up from the lungs is examined for cancer cells.
There are a number of good medicines to help with your breathing. You might benefit from Advair™ Diskus® (fluticasone/salmeterol) either alone or with Spiriva® HandiHaler® (tiotropium bromide inhalation powder). You might also ask your doctor to check your blood oxygen level. It could be low and the cause of your shortness of breath. Finally you should have pulmonary function tests (PFTs) to get an accurate measure of your current lung function and perhaps guide therapy.
You should walk more, every day. Also consider other exercise as well. When done routinely, this conditions the entire body so that the muscles are working as efficiently as possible. This allows the breathing muscles to use the least amount of energy to move air in and out of the lungs. Over time this helps to lessen shortness of breath. You might want to consider pulmonary rehabilitation. This is a program to maintain or bring back your quality of life through aerobic exercise done on a regular basis. Some programs will also include education about your lung condition and nutrition. Please read our pulmonary rehabilitation information at http://www.nationaljewish.org/disease-info/diseases/copd/mgmt/pulm-rehab/index.aspx to learn more. Share this information with your doctor to see if this would be helpful and where in your area there are programs.
Chronic bronchitis is probably the cause of your cough. This is a cough with mucus that lasts for at least 3 months in a row 2 years in a row. Your chest x-ray and spirometry may be normal with chronic bronchitis. Most instances of chronic bronchitis are due to cigarette smoking. However it is important to have periodic chest x-rays to be checked for lung cancer. Also ask your doctor if he would order sputum cytology. This is a screening test to detect cancer early, sometimes even before it is visible on a CT scan. Sputum or mucus that is coughed up from the lungs is examined for cancer cells.
There are a number of good medicines to help with your breathing. You might benefit from Advair™ Diskus® (fluticasone/salmeterol) either alone or with Spiriva® HandiHaler® (tiotropium bromide inhalation powder). You might also ask your doctor to check your blood oxygen level. It could be low and the cause of your shortness of breath. Finally you should have pulmonary function tests (PFTs) to get an accurate measure of your current lung function and perhaps guide therapy.
You should walk more, every day. Also consider other exercise as well. When done routinely, this conditions the entire body so that the muscles are working as efficiently as possible. This allows the breathing muscles to use the least amount of energy to move air in and out of the lungs. Over time this helps to lessen shortness of breath. You might want to consider pulmonary rehabilitation. This is a program to maintain or bring back your quality of life through aerobic exercise done on a regular basis. Some programs will also include education about your lung condition and nutrition. Please read our pulmonary rehabilitation information at http://www.nationaljewish.org/disease-info/diseases/copd/mgmt/pulm-rehab/index.aspx to learn more. Share this information with your doctor to see if this would be helpful and where in your area there are programs.
You should try to find a support group which will help you to mentally get stronger about yourself. Try to find some activities which will help to get away from smoking