Quote Originally Posted by Annie2Cycle View Post
As a person with COPD -patient- I suggest you see a pulmonologist and get full pulmonary function testing.
You'll want to get and keep a copy of the test results... all your medical records.
Generally, FEV1 is the usual number generalizing where you are...eg: mild, moderate, moderate severe and so on. Athletes usually range much higher than 100 when they're diagnosed and slowly decrease.

Check out the American Lung Association ... and you are in luck to have COPD in this day and age. It is not a death sentence anymore than anything else.

Other than medical...exercise is the single best thing you can do for yourself.

Riding a two-wheel upright may become challenging after a time... as our lungs expand ...but the recumbent is a great second choice.

Pursed Lip Breathing is the second best thing you can do for yourself... and the purchase of an oximeter is high on the list as well.
What would you like to know from a patient's viewpoint and experience?
Annie
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Hi Annie

I appreciated your long response, also to all the others who posted.

Went back to my GP and I asked her what the spiro thingy reading was, she said FEV1 and mumbled something about 2 2/3rd litres???

I do now realise that what I have is only mild, in fact I thought it was going away!

I decided to stop the medication, within a week I was back all wheezy and coughing.

Mentioned this to the doctor and because I had felt really well, she said to try a reduced amount ie instead of Seretide 125 to go down to Seretide 50. A few days later I felt awful, have never known myself to feel so lethargic, just about got out of bed. Then the tears (I DON'T DO TEARS)!!!

Phoned the Doctor to see if it was a side effect from reducing, she decided it was. According to her, the steroid inhaler gives you a bit of a 'high', and I was having withdrawal symptoms.

So, instead of having 125 x 4 each day, I now take 50 x 8 each day, which seems to be doing the job.

At the moment I do find I cannot push myself too much with anything, which really annoys and frustrates me, still, at least I can go off and do 5 miles or so, so all is not bad.

Cheers again guys.

Clock