New Doctor, New Perspective

I finally had my appointment with the new Pulmonologist! Overall, there were no major changes after this initial visit. The doctor was intrigued at the idea of a COPD diagnosis based off one x-ray and a pulmonary function test. Based on my symptoms and current medications, the doctor ordered bloodwork and made a change to my blood pressure medicine.

Blood Pressure Medicine & COPD?

I would never have thought to look into the side effects of a blood pressure medicine as a reason for my recent coughing fits. Thankfully, as soon as the doctor saw which medicine I was on, he immediately suggested a change because apparently, a side effect of mine was coughing. We made that change and in a matter of days, almost 100% of the coughing was gone.

Allergies

One of the things my new doctor was looking at in the bloodwork was allergies. It would appear that I am allergic to almost everything outdoors. The only cough I have now is from sinus drainage that I can control with over the counter allergy medicine. It has been a huge relief for me because the coughing has been triggering almost daily migraines.

My migraine abortive medication works great for me, but just like everyone else, I have a limited number of doses, and they are not meant to be used every day. It is very easy to run out of medication long before refill time.

COPD Treatment for Now

For now we are staying with the Breo once daily inhaler and the Proair rescue inhaler. The doctor has already mentioned wanting to do some type of genetic testing to see if I have any “markers” if that is the right word. We also discussed more x-rays and an MRI in the future.

For my wife and I, it was reassuring to have the doctor ask what questions and concerns we had, and then for him to give real, thought out answers. Maybe it is as simple as bedside manner. It seems like that is an area where many of today’s medical practitioners are lacking.

We still have a long road and a lot of research yet to do, along with some definite lifestyle changes on my part. I believe the more (for lack of a better word) “involved” I become, the better our results will be. The doctor seemed very confident that we were in a great starting place and his outlook for the future was positive.

To close I would like to leave you with a few questions to consider. It occurs to me that I can’t be the only person who has ever asked or at least thought about some of these topics. Hopefully, this will lead someone else to ask important questions they may not have otherwise asked.

Has your doctor made or suggested any changes that made a significant change in your quality of life? Have you dealt with any practitioners that made you feel like they were more concerned with their next patient than they were with treating you? Could any other medications you are taking be contributing to your symptoms?