Help! having breathing and lung problems, one dr says copd and another says no! they are both looking at same pft

male 48 yrs 5ft 5in  had asthma as a child as well as allergy shots weekly, out grew both.
I smoked at least one pack a day and pot for 32 yrs. I quit smoking Oct 1 2009
I have always had a couple bouts a yr with chronic bronchitis and had a smokers cough that brought up mucus.
quit smoking I have had no cough to bring up mucus, my bronchitis now come with
extreme shortness of breath among all the other things. One Doctor say moderate to severe copd and another Doctor says no copd. Please explain to me how after looking at same PFT, they can come up with there dx's. Here is the results of pft they are both looking at,
    
          M   PREDICTED      REPORTED      % PREDICTED
FVC           3.83                   3.94                      103
FEV1          3.15                    3.15                       95
FEV1/FVC   81.65                76.24                        93
FEF MAX     7.97                    7.76                       98
FEF25-75     3.37                   2.29                        68
MVV             94.90                140.73                     148

TLC             5.75                     5.90                       104
FRC            3.60                      3.19                        88
RV              1.86                      2.18                        117
RV/TLC        33.16                    36.39                      110
ERV             1.74                      1.01                        58
IC                 2.15                      2.79                        130
VC                3.83                      3.80                         99

DAB             27.81                      27.81                      100
DAB HB        27.81                     27.81                       100
DV/ASB         4.83                      4.65                         96
DVASBHB      4.83                      4.65                         96
VASB             5.75                      5.98                        104

[David Tinkelman, M.D.]

The interpretation of moderate to severe COPD is most surprising, given that these values (assuming that the numbers are reasonably correct – with a predicted & reported FEV1 of 3.15, %predicted should be 100%, not 95%.  The values you have listed are within normal limits.  This Spirometry does not rule out the diagnosis of chronic bronchitis but does rule out, even  relatively mild, COPD, mild airway obstruction suggested only by the FEF 25-75 of 68% and, if present, clinically insignificant.  Nor would the values rule out exercise induced asthma.

Your doctors should look to other causes of shortness of breath; for example, common causes such as recurrent small clots to the lungs, with or without pulmonary hypertension, and heart failure.

If your shortness of breath is truly “extreme” that conveys  to me, a sense of urgency for you and your doctors to establish the correct diagnosis and initiate treatment.  You may want to consider consultation with a heart or lung specialist.

Good luck

[hava]

Do this breathing technique twice a day to improve your breathing. You will see benefits in a few days.
Build up your timing gradually.If you feel tired or dizzy, stop and resume after one minute.
Anulom Vilom –
Close your right nostril with thumb and deep breath-in through left nostril  
then – close left nostril with two middle fingers and breath-out through right nostril  
then -keeping the left nostril closed  deep breath-in through right nostril
then - close your right nostril with thumb and breath-out through left nostril.
This is one cycle of anulom vilom.
Repeat this cycle for 15 to 30  minutes twice a day.
Children under 15 years – do 5 to 10 minutes twice a day.
You can do this before breakfast/lunch/dinner or before bedtime or in bed. Remember to take deep long breaths into the lungs.You can do this while sitting on floor or chair or lying in bed.
While doing anulom vilom, keep your eyes closed, concentrate on the third eye (point in between the eyebrows).