Asthma PLUS a restrictive disease possibly?

[luvwinnie]

I have an appt with a pulmonary dr. in three weeks, but would love input from people who have been through something similar. I was diagnosed with asthma a few years ago. I've been on one puff of Asmanex and albuterol (now Xopenex) as needed, but rarely needed rescue inhalers. I've only seen my general dr. for my asthma and he isn't very  informative. The last couple of months my "asthma" has felt worse...using inhaler more, feel like there is a band across my chest and like someone stuff cotton in my airway, get out of breath so easily (just talking sometimes!). I'm 41, female, 5'5", thin. I aslo have autoimmune issues going on (psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis) but they are in remission. I also get migraines.
Last week I had  a spirometry test and obtained a copy of results. They say Premed: Inidcates moderate obstruction as well as low vital capacity, possibly from concomitant restrictive defect.
Postmed: Indicates mild restriction

Now to me that means I could have something going on other than asthma. I called my cousin who is an MD and he agreed and said go to a pulmonary dr.

My FVC was 73%....2.52
FEV1  58%   1.66
FEF 25%/75% was 32%    1.04

Thanks for any input!

Michele

[luvwinnie]

thanks for much for replying. After talking to my husband's cousin who is  a dr. and doing a lot of reading. I've discovered the terms "obstrucitve' and "restrictive" refer to two different classes of disease. Asthma is an obstructive disease. Things like sarcoidosis and fibrosis are restrictive...learning more than I want to know!

[little_weed]

I was diagnosed a couple of months back with COPD, and am still having tests.
My symptoms were breathlessness - I had to keep sitting down at work (I am a Gardener). I had had a virus in December and couldn't shake it off my chest.
I too had what I called an elephant sitting on my chest every morning! This apparently was "hyperinflation" where air gets trapped in the alveolii of the lower airways. Basically, you can't breathe out all of what you breathe in!

COPD is an umbrella term for several chronic diseases. Asthma is included, but it is more "restrictive" than "obstructive", and there is a degree of reversibility.

The FEV1 is the important one, but because of your underlying asthma, a lot of other readings taken from a PFT would need to be taken into consideration to assess any "obstructive" disease, such as emphysema, in the airways, if any. On the face of it, your result of 58% is what indicates the "obstruction"

Your Pulmonary doctor should do a full PFT (Pumonary Function Test) and then he should confirm that your asthma medication may just need adjusting, or that you may have one of the other "obstructive" conditions as well as the asthma. (Yes, that is quite common.)

From what you have typed of your Spirometry results, premed = moderate obstruction POSSIBLY due to your Asthma (the restrictive defect) postmed indicates mild restriction.

To me, moderate obstruction does not equal mild restriction. But, hey, I am not a doc! But I have got moderate emphysema . . .

Get that PFT. It will confirm your condition, which you need to get the right treatment.

And Good Luck.

P.S. the COPD Forum is worth a look, too. x