NetWellness COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)

Weight Loss

Mahasti Rittinger RRT — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 22:12:00 EST

Question: i was diagnosed with copd/emphysema in 2008 i take advair and 2 other inhailers. my advair is the 500/50 and i am constantly losing weight. in 2 months i have gone from 110 pounds to 97 pounds. why am i loosing weight?

Answer: None of the medications you are taking should be the reason for your weight loss. People with COPD commonly experience weight loss, which may be related to greater energy expenditure from increased work of breathing. However, given your fairly rapid weight loss, you should discuss t . . .

Ask an Expert: Mahasti Rittinger RRT, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)

COPD

Michael Ezzie MD — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 12:09:00 EST

Question:

My Mother was diagnosed with COPD 7 yrs ago. She has pnenmonia once every year. Is on 2 LPM 02 via N/C as needed but recently needs it constantly. Shes 72 Y/O and has been hurting around her sternum area. She said it feels like it causes her to have shortness of breath and is pushing up on her . . .

Answer: Thank you for visiting NetWellness. Although it is neither possible nor appropriate for me to provide a definitive diagnosis in an online forum such as this, generally speaking, substernal chest pain can have many causes including heart disease, acid reflux disease, pleurisy, and inflammation i . . .

Ask an Expert: Michael Ezzie MD, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)

Severe COPD and Mildew

Mahasti Rittinger RRT — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:08:00 EST

Question: My mom was 62 and had severe COPD, she was on oxygen and chair ridden. She would only get up to use the bathroom. A wet towel was left in the bathtub, which was showered on being used as a bathmat during a shower, and wet again as other people took a shower. She was exposed to the fairly strong smel . . .

Answer: Thank you for visiting NetWellness. In general, short term exposure to mildew would not be expected to kill her.

Ask an Expert: Mahasti Rittinger RRT, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)

Behavior of Advanced COPD Patient

Mahasti Rittinger RRT — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 22:08:00 EST

Question: My dad has asthma and emphysema and is pretty well confined to his bedroom. He is on a nebulizer and oxygen. The last few weeks his behavior has become very bizarre. He has begun talking incessently and saying terrible things. He also threatens to throw things and has what I would call tantrums. He . . .

Answer: COPD patients do not typically exhibit this type of behavior; there might be other reasons for his mood swings and behavior change. You may wish to speak to your father's physician about these behaviors.

Ask an Expert: Mahasti Rittinger RRT, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)

COPD

Michael Ezzie MD — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 19:08:00 EST

Question: why does copd get progress even after you quit smoking.

Answer: Thank you for visiting NetWellness and for your question. We don't know why COPD progresses in some people after they quit smoking. This is the case for only some people with COPD and not all and probably has to do with the degree of inflammation that the person has and the way their body responds t . . .

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Emphysema

Mahasti Rittinger RRT — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 15:07:00 EST

Question: is it common to have bad pain breathing with severe emphysema?

Answer: Emphysema usually is not associated with pain; however, there could be other related conditions such as osteoporosis that might be causing your pain. Also, in severe end-stage emphysema it is not unreasonable to consider pain medications to get some relief, and it could help alleviate shortness of b . . .

Ask an Expert: Mahasti Rittinger RRT, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)

Bronchospastic Component with COPD

Karen Wood MD — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 15:06:00 EST

Question: I am 58 yrs old, never smoked, and I have just been diagnosed with moderate COPD with bronchospastic component? Please advise what is bronchospastic component? I have been treated for asthma all my life. Is this related?

Answer: Thanks for your question. Asthma and COPD both show airflow obstruction on pulmonary function testing. Asthma is usually "reversible" meaning that if the lung function is low and a bronchodilator (inhaler) is given, the lung function will return to normal. However, some people with asthma (usually p . . .

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Emphysema

Michael Ezzie MD — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 07:06:00 EST

Question: Several months ago I coughed up blood and later was diagnosed with emphysema,I do not cough any more of course I quit smoking but I have not coughed since I coughed up the blood why?

Answer: Thank you for visiting NetWellness and for your question. There are many reasons that people cough up blood, but emphysema is generally not one of them. An evaluation by a lung specialist for the cause of your coughing up blood could be considered, especially if it happens again.

Ask an Expert: Michael Ezzie MD, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)

Tiredness

Karen Wood MD — Wed, 25 May 2011 08:05:00 EST

Question: is tiredness and having no energy a part of copd

Answer: Feeling tired or fatigued can be a symptom of COPD. If it is very noticeable when you are exerting yourself, it could be a symptom of low oxygen levels. It could also indicate a lack of sleep at night from your breathing or low oxygen levels at night. It can be a symptom of exacerbation of COPD as . . .

Ask an Expert: Karen Wood MD, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)

nebivolol in respiratory disease

Mahasti Rittinger RRT — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 04:04:00 EST

Question: I am a hypertensive Indian male 52 years I had astahmatic bout since 1978 when I was 22 years and from 1979 onwards, especially during winter time, I used to have asthamatic bout I also have dust, smoke, closed room allergy which when exposed get aggravated.

In 1989, I developed hypertension wi . . .

Answer: No, atenolol is not contraindicated in asthma. However, it is a beta-blocker, and this class of medication could contribute to more difficulty with asthma symptoms.

Ask an Expert: Mahasti Rittinger RRT, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)