Confused and a little scared
I was told by my GP that im showing signs of very mild COPD, He didn't say "Hey you have copd" but he did put me on a couple inhalers that really dont seem to help anything because ive not noticed any symptoms at this point. On paper my diagnosis says Chronic airway obstruction (unspecified type) and im not really sure what to make of the unspecified part but he really didn't say much and left me kind of confused as to what is really going on and for some reason i feel as if it could have been misdiagnosed (or maybe not) im slowly coming to terms with what is to come if the diagnosis is correct. but i wanted to post some things here and get some feed back from people already going through it.
Findings: FEV1/FVC was low. FEV1 and FVC were both normal. There was no
change after administering bronchodilators.
Lung volumes obtained via plethysmography revealed normal TLC. FRC was
high. ERV was also high.
DLCO was initially low, but it normalized after adjusting for ventilation.
Impression: Obstructive ventilatory defect with mildly reduced FEV1.
There was no significant change after administering bronchodilators,
however, this does not preclude its use if it has been proven beneficial
during a clinical trial. DLCO was initially mildly reduced, but it
normalized after adjusting for ventilation
Cant wait to hear back from all of you and im looking forward to hearing your opinions! Thanks, Michael
Insomnia, it can be so confusing and frustrating when we don't get good explainations from our physician. As I'm sure you know, we can't give medical advice via this forum, but we can try to help you understand your test results a little better.
First, it's very important to note that in general, any numbers that are 80% or better than the predicted/reference value in a pulmonary function test are considered in the normal range. So, unless any of your numbers were below 80%, you can rest easy - your probably in the normal range.
When the FEV1 is reduced, it may indicate a decrease in airflow that might be a result of an obstuctive condition, such as COPD. However, the amount of reduction in flow is significant and it sounds like yours is minimal.
Sometimes a doctor will prescibe bronchodilators even when it's not clear if there is a problem; this is particularly so if you have had complaints about your breathing.
Chances are the doctor will repeat the test in 6 months or a year to determine if anything has changed. Ih the meantime, keep track of any symptoms you notice and write them down. You may also want to consider seeing a pulmonologist if you really feel you were misdagnosed. If nothing else, just for your peace of mind.
Keep us posted.
Warm Regards,
Lyn (moderator)
Hi Insomnia and thanks for your post. I've read Lyn's response and agree with her in everything she has offered to you. This is valuable feedback. We do understand both your concern and your apprehension - it's never easy, especially when the doctor may not have spent much time with you explaining the results of the examination and diagnostic test results. If, as you say, you are wondering if the diagnosis and evaluation is even correct, I would echo what Lyn has said and suggest you may want to seek out a specialist (pulmonologist) for a second opinion and additional evaluation.
Please do check back with us and let us know how you're doing.
All the best,
Leon (site moderator0
Hi insomnia, I am so glad you found our forum to post this discussion on and I see that Lyn and Leon have already given you some great information. As Lyn stated we cannot give any medical advice (for your safety), but I definitely wanted to leave you a comment and refer you to a great article that may be helpful as well: https://copd.net/diagnosis/ Please don't hesitate to reach out; we are here to support you.
Warmly,
Noel (COPD.net Team)
