Coughing Up Blood w/COPD?

[jbatia929]

My husband, who is only 49, has been diagnosed w/COPD since 1998. He is on numerous medications which includes spriva, lasix, flomax, dilantin(for seizures), MSIR, Mscontin, Restoril, Theophlline, rotating antibiotics, nebulizer treatments, valium, and cymbalta.  He has starting coughing up quite a bit of blood. His lung dr. told him to take his antibiotics. his nurse told me today that he might need Hospice. No one has told us anything. his lungs sound crappy(thats the extent of what the drs. tell us).  His right side-right hand, arm, let and foot are swollen up most of the time. he gets very disoriented which is the one thing that really gets to me. he is dizzy all the time and always falling down. Any suggestions??? Does anyone else w/COPD cough up blood also? My father-in-law passed away from the same disease but I never heard of him coughing up blood. His stomach stays bloated all the time which I thought was from not moving around but it actually looks like a big baloon that if you stuck it w/a pin it would pop.We have had scarry episodes in the past but this is really starting to scare me. He has been acting so strange lately.  

[National Jewish]

Coughing up blood, even for a person with COPD, is very abnormal.  The blood, his disorientation, leg swelling and abdominal bloating, dizziness and falling down, all suggest that your husband is a seriously ill man who, given the multiplicity of his problems, should be hospitalized and thoroughly evaluated.  It is possible that any number of his problems are reversible with proper treatment.  While coughing up blood is ominous, it need not be a cancer or some other serious disease.  It too may be treatable and reversible.  If he is vomiting up blood, rather than actually coughing it up, this combined with his swollen abdomen suggests serious liver disease that could account for his weakness and disorientation and the blood coming from esophageal varices that are often seen with advanced liver disease.

You must ask his doctor to level with you.  He needs to tell you what he thinks is going on and if there is evidence that your husband has a fatal condition.  If the doctor does not have any such evidence, your husband should be referred to the nearest large medical center for hospitalization and treatment.  If he is a Veteran, this could be the VA Hospital.  Your husband may well require hospice care but should not be referred to hospice until the extent, nature and treatability of his conditions is determined.

Good luck

[nyzki]

I cough up blood ocassionaly. But, I have Bronchiectasis and, this unfortunately is part of this lung disease. But, as advised I would have him looked at by a lung specialist who might be able to give you better information on what maybe causing this.

[baxter1]

A related discussion, copd and bloody sputum was started.