Spirometry Results - Abnormally high? for a smoker??

[Afyil]

Hi
Ok, I am 31 year old male. Smoked for 13 years heavily but been active, gave up about a month ago and after the scare I had  had a long going breathing problem, I seem to breathe shallow and than pull on it like nothing to be satisfied, which sometimes work and sometimes dont. I went to a doctor in South Africa and after looking at an X-ray he diagnosed me for moderate COPD.
Anyway, this was not a specialist, so while being suicidal with his being on oxygen in 5 years diagnosis, I came back to the USA, went to a pulmonologist here and got a new spirometry done as the pulmonologist here was not satisfied with the South african one, it came ok.(the one here), with high FVC and etc...I still had really bad breathing problems...not satisfied I went to a second pulmonologist, he ordered a second X-ray and a more detailed spirometry with diffusion test, pls see results (shortened) below....
    FVC          Predicted  -  4.87  Actual 6.55 Percentage 135%
    FEV1         Predicted - 4.07  Actual 5.24  Percentage 129%
    FEV1/FVC Predicted  - 82    Actual 80     Percentage 97%
FEF Max       Predicted - 8.18  Actual 12.17   Percentage 149%

Lung Volumes  SVC  Predicted 4.97  Actual 6.56  Percentage 132%
                       ERV  Predicted 1.61  Actual 2.62  Percentage 163%
                        RV  Predicted 1.53  Actual 1.57  Percentage 103%
                       TLC Predicted 6.50  Actual 8.14 Percentage 125%
                      
Diffusion DLCO Predicted 29,64 Actual 32.33 Percentage 109 %
             VA   Predicted 6.50 Actual 7.87  Percentage 121 %
             DL/VA Predicted 4.56 Actual 4.11 Percentage 90 %

With someone with all these breathing problems, and I am not an athlete whatsoever, active physically, I work on boats, but been a really heavy smoker and I cant run more than a mile and a half for the life of me...and every other doctor that looks at the x-ray (overseas) diagnosed me with this and that, one of them even guessed (correctly) my early youth recurrent chest infections,(bronhiectasis) was his diagnosis...well, here after spirometrt they gave me a healthy lung diagnosis...I am not satisfied, what do those numbers mean to you? high ERV? high FVC? and spirometry can definitely clear one of lung disease?? or should I get a CT still?
Thank you very much
All the best
--by the way, gave up smoking after the South African doctor scared me(I actually collapsed in the office) and have no intention to start again...smoking...)

[Afyil]

not that anyone bothers to answer, but I also started getting a definite chast pain when I laugh(in fact I stop myself from doing it) and when I exhale,..on the left side, my SOB prevails...
any ideas?
like I mentioned before my spirometry is ok, the pulmonologist I have seen just treats  me like a dollar sign going in and out of office and I do not have insurance that i shwy I am seeking advice here...
all the best

[teko]

If I were you and still having symptoms, I would get a stress test. The one they use with dye.  I would also go to a reputable pulmonoligist, get a chest x ray, and a ct. I too am moderate with emphysema and so far have few symptoms. Something is definately going on, but sometimes you get similar symptoms from lung and heart issues.

[teko]

I just wanted to add, this is not a doctor monitored site. There is one here that a doctor will respond to your questions, but this one, you just get people having the same issues and sometimes have answers. As you can see, not real busy.

[Afyil]

Thanks Teko...Planning on getting a CT just to get it done and over with and stop being curious...I think CT pretty much reveals whatever is there...I just do not understand why doctors rule out everything after spirometry...even a foreign village doctor (who diagnosed me with Bronchiectasis) told me that Spirometry is not needed cause it may come normal with Bronchiectasis...

[teko]

Come back and let us know the ct results ok? Good luck...