Restricted Lung Disease

[worriedhypochondriac]

I am a 29 yr old female who smokes. for the past couple years I have been having off and on shortness of breath (feeling that I am not getting enough air in through my nose).  Yesterday I went to see the dr. because this episode has been going on for about a week.  Previously to feeling like this I cleaned my bathroom using a mold and mildew cleaner and soap scum cleaner.  It was a couple days after this that I started to have this feeling.  Since it lasted about a week I went to see the dr yesterday. He did a spirometry test which turns out was abnormal or showed that I have restricted lung disease.  I went for a chest xray which turned out to be normal. I do however notice that if I burp it releaves that feeling of not enough air.  I have a appointment with a pulmonologist in a couple weeks.  I was just wondering if anyone has had this experience or what the chances are that I have a fibrosis disease?  I am worried and have been called a hypochondriac, but I just want to know what the chances are that I have something deadly.

[National Jewish Health]

The normal chest x-ray vastly reduces the likelihood that you would have pulmonary fibrosis or any of the diseases in that category and is very reassuring that you are unlikely to have clinically significant restrictive lung disease.  The delay in symptom onset, as you stated "a couple of days after", suggests that it was not related to the cleaning materials exposure.

You mentioned difficulty breathing through your nose but not what the examining doctor found.  That needs to be resolved.  Nasal obstruction can cause a feeling of shortness of breath but should have no effect on pulmonary function tests (PFTs).

The first thing to question is the validity of the diagnosis of a restrictive lung disease.  Without the actual data, we cannot even speculate on that.

You probably have nasal obstruction and your symptoms will probably resolve with relief of the obstruction.

But, do keep the appointment with the pulmonologist to resolve the issue of do you have any lung disease.

[zodiacqueen]

Hi, glad you're feeling better.  STOP freaking yourself out and DO an image search-you will see actual x-rays that proves that the restrictive diseases show up in them.  If your's was normal, then that's a good sign.  I am trying to get you to check out the images to prove that to you.

Also look up GERD and breathing problems.

Staci

PS-I was trying to help and didn't mean to freak you out more!!!!!

[worriedhypochondriac]

Thank you for your repsonse.  I feel a little better, but when I did google "restrictive lung disease" I started freaking out when I started to read about the different illnesses that fall under that category.  I guess it made me more worried.  

I have an appointment with a pulmonologist next month.  I forgot to put in my first post that I was diagnosed with reflux in the beginning of the year and have been on meds (Nexium) since then.  

All I can do is just wait I guess and hopefully when I go see the dr next month it won't be as bad as what I am worried about.

Thank you again.

[zodiacqueen]

I know what you mean-shortness of breath *****.  Try dealing with it for 2 years.  I've been looking into it, and it could be caused by GERD-if you're really a hypo.  then you know what that is.  Many of the restrictive lung diseases will show up on plain chest x-rays.  So, don't stress too bad.  You'll feel better if you google "restrictive disease diagnosis" or go to the yahoo search engine and click on images and you will see that these diseases show up on x-rays.

Ask your doc about getting a CT scan and asking his opinion of the possibility that you have GERD.

Best wishes
Staci