Quix or anybody?

[LLWB]

Other forum won't help me! Quix, on Thurs I had allergy testing. Out of the 44 things they tested, I am allergic to 22 of them. I was bowled over. Along with this they did a Spirometer lung function test, which I flunked big time. My lung age is 76....I am 60. I have worked on a ranch/farm most of my adult life, with horses, cattle, hay, cats, dogs, birds etc. I tested allergic to all of the things I mentioned as well as lots of tress, mold, etc. Can being exposed to this for so many years have injured my lungs? As well as my off & on smoking? Used a lot of chemical sprays on pature, etc. also. Maybe this is the culprit for having shortness of breath climbing stairs. The ENT dr doesn't want to re-test it until after my sinus and deviated septum surgery in Aug, hoping that will improve my  breathing. Is it too late to do anything, or should I just bail out now?!!!  I didn't know lungs and allergies were that closely related.

Any help greatly appreciated from anyone! I posted on respiritory website Thurs night, and still have had no respose! This forum rocks.........Maggie

[LLWB]

Quix, come on over, we'll party down!!! Only a 3 1/2hr drive for you! Elaine, yes, I'm allergic to mold too, 5 different kinds. I was just wondering if this could be the cause of my SOB on climbing stairs. Yes, I agree, their "Let's just watch" approach just keeps a person coming back, and they can collect more money time and time again.  I'm getting really tired of it. Of course I would like to breath! Elaine, how is Craig doing. I think of you both so often. Isn't it amazing  we can worry so much about our on-line family. My prayers ae with you oftne. Isn't Craig's next appointment soon?......Maggie

[monotreme]

Hi Maggie,
   My version of their "wait and see" is that the doctors will monitor your decline and keep a record of it, while they take your money at each appointment.

   My son had a spirometry test and it was to see if he had asthma.  I think your situation sounds more like asthma than COPD.  Especially with the farming and all.  When we moved to mushroom farming country, my son's reactive airway disease got out of control.  The mushroom houses emit alot of fungus and mold spores.

  Elaine

[Quixotic1]

Can I come over :)  :)  :) ???

[LLWB]

I never really feel like I get a good deep breath. When I was doing the test, there was a picture on screen of this cute little fierman holding a hose, pointed at a fire. The instructions were to blow really hard, and put out the fire. Well..if it was up to me, Chicago would be burning down again! I didn't eve come close.And each try (3 times) got worse. She gave me a 5 minute treatment of an inhalant from a machine, and the tried again. I put it out the first time, came close the second time, and not anywhere close the third time. They said something about scarring, and not being able to expell the CO2 from my lungs. I looked up the Spriometry test on good old Med-Help website, and that told me it was used in diagnosing COPD. That sounds like a really scary problem. I had a lung X-ray last fall that didn't show any problems. So back in limbo with this problem too. Wouldn't you think some doctor would just jump up and say, "You have this!!) They all seem to want to just wait and see, and we'll look into it and do more testing later. I think I'm just going to get a Quart of Tequilla, my bong, and give up on doctors! ...........Maggie

[Quixotic1]

The MS Forum to the rescue!!!!  Ta-da!  Just being exposed to things like the animals on the farm would do no damage.  Having an ongoing reaction to them, even mild, could have.  Did the lung function test show that your lungs have scarred down (become stiff and don't inflate as well?) or did it also shown some reversible airway disease (asthma)?  The other thing that can happen is subacute lung infections from the hay (molds) or especially from birds (psittacosis).

Any amount of smoking is bad for the lungs and does incremental damage in most people.  Also exposure to inhalant pollutants and chemicals can cause permanent scarring.

Yeah, while don't you bail out now.  Just stop breathing; that will solve the shortness of breath issues, lol.   Silly rabbit!  Seriously, whether it is too late, depends on what the mechanism of the lung damage is.  If some of it is asthma, then by definition that is reversible, and you should be able to get some improvement.  I am a huge fan of Singulair (montelukast), which can treat the allergic reaction in both asthma and in allergic rhinitis.  I can't practice medicine here, but you could ask your PCP for a trial.  It begins working within a few days.  I don't know of any contraindications to it, except allergy to it.

It's approved down to age 2.  By 8 or 10 years old a child is on an adult dose.  It is not a stimulant or a steroid and I never saw a real side effect to it, even with a 2 year old who overdosed and took 30 tablets. (that little guy just stopped his chronic wheezing for almost two months).   It is the most effective and safest med I ever used in practice.  

When I got to the small rural town, which was the last place I practiced, the pharmacist there said, that as soon as I started prescribing Singulair, the kids need for their rescue inhalers literally plummeted.  Of all the drugs marketed on TV it's the only ad I totally agree with and do not feel is in some way misleading.

I sound like a commercial myself.  sorry.

Quix