'Are meds helpful in the early stages of COPD? Mom's docs keep brushing her off!' posted by steps @ {post.created_at.to_s(:post_time)}

steps — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:36:13 -0000

your answer about stopping or slowing the advancement was so positive. I stopped smoking with this copd. and the only reason i found out i had it was my lung collasped. doctors don't like copd patients as they feel the patient brought it on themself which we did for the most part. I have no one who cares. when i got sick everyone vanished. this is the worse part. no home. and places for help are filled with disease germs etc. i am tired of going online and finding my own answers as doctors are of no help. thank you for your positive answer.

'Are meds helpful in the early stages of COPD? Mom's docs keep brushing her off!' posted by lostklownz @ {post.created_at.to_s(:post_time)}

lostklownz — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 21:19:12 -0000

I was diagnosed in October and am considered early stage COPD. I would look for a pulmonologist or ask to see one and tell him or her all the symptoms. There are some simple tests that will determine what you have. Yes the meds do help and there is much to learn if you go to the COPD foundation website they will send you info and help you a lot. Good Luck

'Are meds helpful in the early stages of COPD? Mom's docs keep brushing her off!' posted by sgranny @ {post.created_at.to_s(:post_time)}

sgranny — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 03:41:23 -0000

My husband is still up and about, does not go much, was in the hospital around Christmas with pneumonia on CPAP, now he is home and back to smoking and cannot breathe very well, wheezing all the time. today, I got him to put his oxygen on and he used it all day. I am really concerned at how bad he is. My mother had COPD, but she also had lung cancer, so I really cannot judge what is happening with my husband. He is really bloated and face is swollen. I am so afraid he is going to end up in the hospital on the respirator.

'Are meds helpful in the early stages of COPD? Mom's docs keep brushing her off!' posted by crazymama @ {post.created_at.to_s(:post_time)}

crazymama — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 22:35:48 -0000

My sister has copd early on they dont require oxygen unless their breathing is real bad My sis is in the later stage and has been on oxygen for a yr now she was hospitalized last january and was on lots of meds and 2 weeks on a resperator meds and inhalers are veery helpfull my mom passed away in 2000 from copd I have lost 3 aunts to copd they all went on oxygen in the latter stage.Ihope this has been a help to you You and your family will be in my prayers

'Are meds helpful in the early stages of COPD? Mom's docs keep brushing her off!' posted by Deb-Reno @ {post.created_at.to_s(:post_time)}

Deb-Reno — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:19:35 -0000

Usually combivent is used daily and not as a rescue inhaler. The only way it will help you is to be used daily. For sudden onset of breathing problems you need albuterol. I have had copd for 15 years. I have asthmatic bronchitis copd. I take daily meds for it and am on oxygen 5 ltrs all day and night. Please go see a pulmonary doctor and get the correct meds to use. They will want to run a test for your lungs so they can find the correct meds for you. Early intervention and work on your part will keep the copd from becoming bad at a early age. I am only 52 and didnt take it seriously until i ended up with double pneumonia and congestive heart failure.. It also will affect other parts of your body like heart and kidneys.So if you take care of it you might not ever have to wear 02 tanks etc. Take care of you please. deb-nevada

'Are meds helpful in the early stages of COPD? Mom's docs keep brushing her off!' posted by 1957Connie @ {post.created_at.to_s(:post_time)}

1957Connie — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 07:34:34 -0000

Hi, I have been diagnosied with COPD within the last 3 months. I didn't know I had it. I felt very short of breath. The doctor gave me a prescreption for a inhaler called Combivent. When I get short on air, I have a couple puffs. It opens my air way. I may need oxygen one day, but I hope not. I need to start excercising some. I feel it does help a person.

'Are meds helpful in the early stages of COPD? Mom's docs keep brushing her off!' posted by mamag86 @ {post.created_at.to_s(:post_time)}

mamag86 — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 18:22:51 -0000

HI, I'm an 87 year old COPD patient. About 10 years ago my internist asked one day "Did you know you have COPD?" Well, no, I didn't so I asked what we could do about it. He said he'd watch it. Big mistake. If someone tells you this immediatey ask to be referred to a lung specialist. I stopped smoking (after 60 years), gained too much weight and felt like hell. Finally I demanded that he send me to a specialist and it made all the difference in the world. He started me exercising, put me on Spiriva and I immediately began feeling better. At the time I was my husband's sole caregiver (dementia)and needed to be at my best. After he passed away my kids decided I should no longer live alone so I was moved into my daughter's home. After about 2 months I began feeling better than I had in about 10 years. It turns out the condo I had been living in for 10 years was full of mold that was affecting my COPD. I now have 93% oxygen saturation, can climb steps again, and go shopping. Sometime there are other things happening to you besides COPD that you might look ingo

'Are meds helpful in the early stages of COPD? Mom's docs keep brushing her off!' posted by Anonymous @ {post.created_at.to_s(:post_time)}

Anonymous — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 00:44:16 -0000

1st+ Find a new Dr, familiar with copd-Pulmonary Specialist & you'll hav eyour answer quickly & don't put it off so she doesn't suffer unneccesaraly! There are various inhalers she can take & learn some breathing techniques & or some mile Nebulizer treatmens open up air passage ways, wowrked very wll for us in beginning for a long time! Years! Mnes had this since 1986, you do get suceptible to lung infections, get her off the butts & do not anyone be allowed to smoke in house or near her! See that Pulmonary specialist (he most likely will ) give her a pulmonary function test, not hard just sit in a little room & breath into things for him & he'll take it from there! She just may need an inhaloer only for starters, no biggie! But don't let her suffer, maybe it's an asthma like condition like my si-in-law & not emphesema at all? You've got to find out, don't postpone- won't help her + & if stubborn, make her go now before it advances too much without proper diagnosis!

'Are meds helpful in the early stages of COPD? Mom's docs keep brushing her off!' posted by Anonymous @ {post.created_at.to_s(:post_time)}

Anonymous — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:33:11 -0000

My mom was "blown off" for years, until she was 46% O2 sat, hospitalized and her MD said she wouldn't make it through the holidays- this was 2004. I have been in the medical field since 1984, knew other MDs and got her appropriate, not cost effective medications, but she is still here and now having more problems and more meds, but we didn't back down and the sooner the smoking and environmental contributors are ceased, good meds are started, the better- stay active, exercise, good diet (diet helps alot) and stay on top of the medications- there are too many available now. Singular, Mucinex, Spiriva, Advair, Albuterol and Atrovent nebulizers. Left untreated, you add blood pressure meds, heart meds and prednisone to the daily list, with oxygen all the time. It can't be reversed, but there is hope in stopping or slowing the advancement.

'Are meds helpful in the early stages of COPD? Mom's docs keep brushing her off!' posted by Anonymous @ {post.created_at.to_s(:post_time)}

Anonymous — Mon, 18 May 2009 12:23:00 -0000

I'm concerned that my mother is in the mild to moderate stages of COPD. She's got so many of the symptoms, but every time she mentions it to one of her doctors, they brush her off! One said, "Oh no. Patients with COPD require oxygen. Obviously you do not."

So I'm wondering. Am I crazy? Someone in the early stages wouldn't need oxygen, would they? I'd love to talk to someone who has caught the disease before it dampened daily life too much. Were medications helpful? Are there other therapies? Give me the scoop!

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