copd

[piccasso]

I was diagnosed with copd 6 yrs ago after i got broken ribs, recent xrays show calcification and over inflated lungs they gave me the sprays including spiriva and tetrotanium none which show any relief in my breathing problems, i suffer with chest infections a lot and the doctor gives me anti biotics and steroids which ease them for a while, ive told the doctor many times that the sprays dont work and asked him what i can do when i cant breathe totally and he replies take the blue inhaler which blatantly does nothing for me i get severe pains in my lungs and cough a white sputum with hard yellow bits in it every day day and feel i have been mis diagnosed, but here in britain the doctors dont seem to listen any ideas what to do? or if anyone else thinks it could be something else instead of copd? help am very concerned about this issue as when i dont have a chest infection am almost normal can do nearly all the things i used to do and can blow balloons up without any problem

[piccasso]

Thankyou for your suggestion, I feel it has been misdiagnosed as all the copd inhalers have no effect at all on me, and nothing but atibiotics and steroids help me to breathe normally when I have a chest infection, I suffered as a child terribly with bronchitis, and cansee that maybe I suffer severe bronchitis effect, I dont smoke, but do have dogs, which I breed and show.

[David Tinkelman, M.D.]

“Severe pains in the chest” are not an effect of COPD except to the extent that COPD can cause harsh coughing and, given your prior history of multiple broken ribs, they could be the source of your pain.  COPD can be associated with frequent chest infections (chronic bronchitis), especially if an individual continues to smoke cigarettes or is chronically exposed to irritants such as workplace dust or fumes.  If either of these applies to your situation, you should make every effort to stop smoking and seek employment, even within your present workplace, that will not continually expose you and your lungs to irritants.

Many other lung diseases, too numerous to list here (infectious, allergic, and structural), can cause recurrent infection and a chronic productive cough.  In addition, given that COPD is such a common disease, it is entirely possible that you do have another lung disease superimposed on COPD.  

That you are “almost normal” when you aren’t currently experiencing a chest infection also suggests that, if you have COPD, it has not resulted in severe obstruction to airflow within your lungs.

So, to answer your question, the answer is Yes, further diagnostic evaluation of your lungs is warranted.

Good luck

[26245]

Sorry, I have no suggestions as to a different diagnosis, but you should add more info if you want the doctors from this website to be able to make suggestions. First and foremost: were you given a spirometry test? and what was your Fev and the other results? I have severe COPD and I've been getting a little benefit from a daily dose of N-ACETYLCYSTEINE; from google I find this medecine is not sold over the counter in the UK, but you can get it from hospitals and probably buy it on line. For me it seems to work, keeping infections at bay, though its primary effect is "reducing sputum viscosity in the treatment of lung diseases" as you can read here together with dosage information etc.: www.dbh.nhs.uk/Library/Patient_Information_Leaflets/WPR32830%20Acetyicisteine.pdf.  In the US the trade name is MUCOMIX. I learned about it from allmymarbles.