Looking for pre-diagnosis insights.
Prior to last month, I had occasional, mild, exercise asthma and one asthma attack 5 years ago related to altitude sickness.
Last month, I picked up a virus. Chest to bronchitis to bronchial asthma. I ended up in Emerg where an IV steroid push, 24 Ventolin and 18 atrovent puffs improved me by 10%. I was given magnesium by IV which derailed the attack. I was sent home on steroids and an antibiotic and told that I would be seen by the pulmonary clinic because they think I have COPD. History of smoking and I am a woodworker.
Four days ago, there were rebound symptoms after steroid d/c. (I am on hydrocortisone 25 mg/day and that's another story). I ended up in Emerg again and sent home on a two week steroid taper. I am feeling better but don't know if I am improving, or if prednisone is masking symptoms. Coughing less, painful ribcage, SOB with all activity.
I will be having some sort of pulmonary assessment and would like to be an informed participant. Any insights or advice welcomed.
Is it a big deal that 50 inhalers in a day did not resolve the bronchospasm? Is needing magnesium IV some kind of warning? The Drs are interacting with me differently. One said to come back if I have problems and that they would rather an unnecessary visit than having to intubate me. All this seems rather foreboding for a guy who hasn't even been diagnosed yet.
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Sorry to hear of your difficulties. I have never actually had a bronchospasm, so I cannot speak to that. I have been intubated when and after I had some lung surgery to stop bleeding due to a bad case of mycobacterial pneumonia. It didn't bother me. It is not as awful as some make it out to be. The doctor was only speaking about what would have to happen to keep you alive if your condition worsened and you were suffocating. You should read up on getting a PFT test and results meanings. You might get a CT scan (you should) to see any infected parts of your lungs, and look for nodules. There most likely will be bloodwork involved. Once all the testing is done and all the tests are evaluated, there will be a determination of your condition. From there, a plan of action for you will be implemented. Hopefully by a pulmonologist. Like I said earlier, the best thing to do is read as much info as you can online about lung testing, COPD, and treatment availabilities. Then write down anything you are not sure about and when you see the doctor, ask those questions and make sure you get good answers. Please keep the forum informed as to how things work out. Take care and God Bless.Thank you. I hope that this message doesn't show up twice. I seem to have lost the first one. Yes, another learning curve regarding my health (there have been many others) I have started reading. I think you are right in that the warning was to get me to hospital a little bit earlier next time. I think I am a very lucky guy in responding to the magnesium as I was starting to get tired and my O2 level was starting to drop. The next step was the ICU (I have read). I am hoping to develop an effective action plan and have my breathing return to normal. As a moderately serious event, it remains isolated. I could recover and carry on. I'll know more after testing. Thanks again. ,
Sounds like your exposure to the dogs caused what is known as a "flare up" for COPD sufferers. I have learned over the past year and a half what causes my flare ups and avoid them as much as possible. None of mine so far have been as extreme as your reaction to the dogs. I am sure the respiratory virus didn't help. If you are in fact diagnosed with COPD, I do not think there will be "back to normal breathing." At best, COPD can be controlled and with work, can be kept at bay for years. Or it can advance through the stages a lot faster than whatever is considered normal advancement. A lot of COPD's advancement can be kept at bay with proper work on it by the sufferer. That entails quitting smoking if you are a smoker, daily exercise, proper diet, breathing exercises daily, taking all meds on time, keep in good contact with your medical team, don't miss doctor appointments, etc. It will alter your way of life, but can be dealt with. I know this all general and pretty vague as each sufferer will have a different treatment plan. Therefore, it is difficult to be more specific. Keep the forum up to date as to how it all works out. Take care and God Bless.
Yes, "the perfect storm" scenario is a strange hope to cling to, but here I am. The best I can hope for is that this was a fluke, an unusual convergence of multiple triggers. One of those being my exposure to sawdust. I am in the middle of building a walnut kitchen which I will finish "hell or high water"....wearing a respirator, of course. I have been hit and miss taking precautions 'til now.
Afterwards, I will reassess my attachment to this particular hobby.
I should have mentioned that my last 3 colds beginning in 2015 have all had wheezing and puffers, but I have never been diagnosed with a lung issue per se. Nor, have I seen myself through that lens. It's on my radar now though and it has been added to my multiple health issues.
Thank you for your guidance. I am not recovering as hoped, but I did get outside for a walk yesterday and will build upon that.
Hi. You have certainly been through a lot and I will join you in hoping for some clear answers and a plan for moving forward. In the meantime, try to be patient with your body -- it can take a long time to recover from an episode like this, sometimes much longer than we expect. It sounds like you are doing everything you should be doing, and even adding in some light exercise is perfect. Some of our members choose to focus less on cardio and work on strength training instead, if that's an avenue you want to consider. Just take it easy and don't push yourself beyond what feels doable, okay? Thinking about you. -Melissa, copd.net team Thank you, Melissa. I have lost muscle mass, it kind of snuck up on me and caught me by surprise. I am tolerating walks reasonably well. The air feels a bit thin, but I am not coughing much, or wheezing. I am going to add some light weights in the short term, spring is arriving and I am big on gardening. I went through years with Chronic Fatigue and I still consider energy a resource best spent on something that has a product. I prefer shovelling dirt to lifting iron. Dr appointment on Thursday and I will be asking for repeat allergy testing. Testing for COPD is May 23rd. Cheers
Just an update. Testing in one week. I am doing a lot better. It was strange, I was sick and then over a period of two hours I could feel that things were shifting and just like that I started to recover. That was 4 days ago. I am still on Advair and I still have some coughing. But much better and I am back in the garden for 2-3 hours a day.
From what I can understand, this postviral asthma is a perfect storm. The virus changes the airways allowing otherwise manageable allergies to climb into the front seat. Asthma optimises conditions, including more goblet cells which are virus factories. All this occurs against a background of genetics and epigenetic which decreases interferon and skews the whole immune response. Perfect for a nice long infection.
I understand now that when the Dr warned me about getting to emergency sooner if I wanted to avoid intubation, she was referring to the next infection which could very well be worse.
After the testing and review are complete, I will be back. I am still hoping that this was the intersect between virus and allergy and that COPD has not played a significant part in all of this. But, I am prepared to accept anything the testing shows.Thanks for stopping back! Isn't it crazy how you can wake up one morning and suddenly feel a lot better? I'm so glad you're getting there. Let us know what the testing reveals -- keep in mind that your lung function may still be impaired to some degree, just in case that pops up in your results. All the best! -Melissa, copd.net team
Testing today. The Dr doesn't think that I have COPD. That was supposed to be the good news. He's hedging, but is concerned and baffled, apparently I am an interesting case. Eosinophils were quite high in Emerg during the attack. After the steroid treatment, it was even higher.
Studies have shown that steroids lower eosinophil levels, so this is out in left field somewhere, and rules out (evidently) that it was part of an immune response to a virus or allergen.
That leaves parasites (I have been treated), vasculitis (tested today), fungal (treated in past for gut yeast), eosinophilic asthma which is a bad one, or cancer.
I have a full RFT coming up, and a CAT scan (we all know what they are looking for). I had blood work to check for a vasculitis marker.
They commented on a 68 yr old coming out of nowhere with asthma this bad.
Just in case someone stumbles upon this someday, high eosinophil counts by itself is inflammatory and can cause a lot, if not all of the problems that I have been having.
I have been moved up to the next level of puffers.
Thanks for the information and support.
