Does this sound like Chronic Bronchitis

[franck]

I'm 23 years old, 8 year smoker... Ive quit for a couple months but no improvement.

It all started 7 months ago.  I got sick and it came with difficulty breathing.  I got better, but I havent been able to breathe for 7 months.  I have an albuterol inhaler. I have absolutely no cough, no tightness in chest, it doesnt wake me up at night,  it seems to get worse when I think about it... like at the grocery store or the gym.  Its constantly on my mind tho, so its hard to gauge.

It didnt come in gradually, one day I could breathe, then I got sick, and the difficulty breathing never went away after my cold was gone.

I got a PFT, and the guy that ran it said "I bet its chronic bronchitis"... I don't think he was even a doctor!  my doctor never called me back, he just set up an appointment two months down the line.  If it were Chronic Bronchitis, wouldn't he want to tell me right??  
thank you!

[National Jewish Health]

You ask,

“I don't think he was even a doctor!  my doctor never called me back, he just set up an appointment two months down the line.  If it were Chronic bronchitis , wouldn't he want to tell me right??”   The answer is, not necessarily, because being chronic there would be no hurry to treat it.

The person who ran the test would not be a doctor but he might be right about your having chronic bronchitis, cigarette smoking being the most common cause in the U.S.  Smoking, especially when combined with an infection can often activate asthma, that previously was not a problem.  On the other hand, your difficulty came on quickly and that is generally not the case with bronchitis, but it can be the way asthma presents.  There are other causes for these symptoms in a 23 year old person (and I do not mean cancer) and you will need to have a chest X-ray and a good physical exam of your lungs.  Be this asthma, chronic bronchitis or asthmatic bronchitis (bronchitis with features of asthma, such as wheezing, you will probably need to do two things to improve:  the 1st is to do everything you can to either stop or cut way back on the smoking and, 2) to use additional medication, probably another inhalant to go with the albuterol.

Good luck

[zodiacqueen]

You should write your PFT results down!  Your numbers in percents of the FEV1, FVC, and FEV! / FVC.  Do you have those results with you?

[franck]

                  Predicted                       Pre                      Post
FEV1           4.62                            95%                      102%
FVC            5.54                            113%                    112%
FEV1/FVC    84%                           70%                       76%

I have the full PFT on another post.  I'm really worried that its emphysema, since hes already ruled out asthma and is taking his sweet time getting back to me.  (2 months).  I really appreciate your help.  

[zodiacqueen]

Hi Franck!  Thanks for posting your results!  Your results ARE normal!!  =D  The PRE numbers are taken before you use the inhaler, and the POST numbers are taken after you use the inhaler.  The inhaler is a dilator that opens up the airways and tells ya whether your lung function improves and how much it improves.  Asthma is shown by 10% improvement in your POST numbers.  Actually, you've got a 7% improvement in your numbers.  I would say you've got some asthma going on.  The inhaler made a noticeable difference that you could probably feel.

I will tell you this.....your numbers ARE normal and if you want to keep them that way-you must stop smoking.  I don't think that you want your FEV1 to drop below 100%, do you?  With COPD your FEV1 will continue to drop.  

I wish you well and sincerely hope that you quit smoking for good!