Is it really asthma?

[LaurenElizabethAnne]

My husband was finally diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis 10 years ago.(It took three years for them to give him a breathing test - they told him he had no air - we'd known it but they just kept saying it was a sinus infection)  HE had a lung biopsy.  The doctors always thought his lungs sounded good and he never had a dry cough or wheezing. BUT he's ALWAYS has coughed up lots of clear phlem. He got really bad just a year and a half ago. The Dr gave him a large double dose of ashma medicine and he felt great, but they also gave him a good dose of predisone for 4 weeks and started him on a nebulizer.  Got the flu in December his lung went down to 80.  He's been on  oxygen 24 -7 since but still has the terrible cough with phlem, he had lots of side effects from Advair.  The Dr says his lungs sound great, a cat scan show the same but he has no air and pants all the time. He's in big trouble if he doesn't have his oxygen on and walks a little bit or forgets to put it on at night.(He was hardly using hi oxygen before the flu) He got the scaring from spraying weeds on a job he did for several years.  Something isn't right but our lung Dr has no ideas - he says he never knows what to do with him. (Just come back in 4 months - I'm the one who figured out he was having the side effects from Advair.  The Dr wasn't pleased with me.)  Do you have any ideas?

[National Jewish]

You state "The Dr says his lungs sound great, a cat scan show the same…".  I assume that means the CT scan also looks "great".  It is hard to understand how someone with pulmonary fibrosis severe enough to need continuous oxygen can have lungs that sound great and a CT scan that looks great.  Please read our interstitial lung disease information at http://www.nationaljewish.org/disease-info/diseases/rheum/ild/index.aspx to learn more.

You say also “HE had a lung biopsy”.  A pathologist who specializes in diseases of the lung should review it.

Since his lung doctor said that he "never knows what to do with him", you must get a second opinion.  That opinion would best come from a doctor who specializes in interstitial lung diseases at the university medical center in your area.  If you live in the eastern United States that center would be Johns Hopkins Medical Center.  If you live in the western United States that center would be National Jewish Medical and Research Center or the University of Colorado Medical Center.  If this requires long travel, you should still do it.

Finally, this is not asthma!