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I HAD A SPIRAL CT SCAN AND WAS TOLD THAT I HAD SMALL AMOUNT ...
Sent to Health Experts June 27 03:43 PM

I HAD A SPIRAL CT SCAN AND WAS TOLD THAT I HAD SMALL AMOUNT OF EMPHASIMA! HOWEVER I AM HARDLY ABLE TO BREATH--I NEVER GET BRONCITIS (SP) NOR DO I COUGH. I AM HOURSE ALOT OF THE TIME. YES I WAS A SMOKER (I QUIT). I ALSO HAVE THIS THRUSH (I THINK) IN MY MOUTH THAT I CAN'T SEEM TO GET RID OF. WHEN I BREATH IN IT ACTUALLY CAUSES SOME DISCOMFORT. I JUST HAVE A HARD TIME BELEIVING THAT IT IS EMPHASIMA AND NOT SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE ARE OVER LOOKING. THIS CAME ON SUDDENLY AFTER POLURITHENE (SP) MY FLOOR LAST SEPT. AND HAS NEVER GOTTEN BETTER.

 

Optional Information:
Female , Age: 45

Already Tried:
Albuterol,Singular(sp), and a another inhaler that I don't have right know with me. They also think that I have Asmtha.

Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Status:  Closed   Value: $9
Answer
June 27 4:41 PM (58 minutes and 25 seconds later)
         
REPLIEDCheck Mark
What is that other inhaler that you use? If it is a steroid, you should be rinsing your mouth well after each use. The particles of steroid that stick to your throat will foster the growth of thrush. A spacer device is very helpful to avoid the problem in the first place and can be used with all the inhalers, (not just the steroid) to improve the amount of medicine delivered to the lungs.
People your age who have emphysema should be considered for testing for the alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. This is a material in the blood that keeps the enzymes from destroying your own lung tissue. There are some people who have this deficiency and although the smoking did not help, there may be more to the emphysema than you think.
I will work on your theory of poyurethane and get back to you.
If you have any other questions about emphysema, I can answer those as I taught the subject and related others for about 10 years!


Edited by judi1 on June 27 2006 at 4:41 PM

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Reply
June 27 6:12 PM (1 hour and 30 minutes and 40 seconds later)
         
Reply to Judy's Post: The other inhaler is Atrovent-I do use a spacer and I brush my teeth 15 min after using my inhalers. they did that antitrypsin deficiency test-I also had an echo test done-not sure of the correct name to check lung function(pressure). That was ok. I had thrush so bad for 2 month because I couldn't get anybody to look at my mouth when I told them that it was sore (cause I had quit smoking and they told me that it was normal for your mouth to be tender) that it took forever and many rounds of medication to get rid of it. I only use my inhalers when I really have to because I don't think it truly ever realy went away. Breathing for me hurts. I have a hard time beleive that emphysema can just one day take your breath away so you can't breath and make it so that it hurts to breath. I was active with horses and walked and other outdoor activities and then no air. I even had 2 surguries in the year prior and never even got sick with broncitis after being put under. So maybe I am delusional (sp) but I just am not confinced that emphysema is the main cause, it has there and it is partly to blame but not sure that its primary.
Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Answer
June 27 9:13 PM (3 hours and 1 minute and 30 seconds later)
         
REPLIEDCheck Mark
Ok, I am back! I have searched and searched and can find nothing on the inhalation of polyurethane causing any chronic lung disturbances. What it does say is that it will cause "lung irritation" if exposed to the vapors. This term is usually used to refer to an acute, short-term response, not something that would be still bothering you 7-8 months after exposure.
In addition I have checked with another expert and a pulmonary physician that I know and they agree that the polyurethane should not be the causative factor here. It was suggested that if you had pulmonary function studies that suggested emphysema and/or asthma you could ask that your doctor or a pulmonary consultant that you try a short course of steroids - 40mg daily for 10 days - and that will reverse any component of your problem that is reversible. The PFT's could then be repeated to see the difference.
My question - when you redid your floors is there anything else that changed in the house - different materials in the furniture, anything that you could be exposing yourself to on a daily basis? Have you ever gone elsewhere for a mini vaca and noticed a difference in the breathing for the better? Any new meds that were started around this time? You will have to be your own advocate here and try to sort out anything else that is also different from before that time, that changed in September, and is current from September to the present time. I will work with you on this if you would like.


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1 Other Expert Agrees with this!
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Judy -- Nurse -- 100% Positive Feedback on 870 Health Accepts
RN in ICU for 35 years
Reply
June 28 7:16 AM (10 hours and 3 minutes later)
         
Reply to Judy's Post: I actually got better around the time when they treated me for the thrush with dyflucan in Dec. It took a few days of the meds but I actually could breath easier, but it only lasted a couple of weeks and things slowly (with in a couple of weeks)returned back to the current state. But I have been on dyflucan since and I havn't had the same response. They have told me I have lost about 40% of my lung function or however they term it. So I am frustrated to be so active one day to having a live that sucks over night because I painted my floors and set of my emphyzema to the point that know I can't hardly get around. It is really hard for me to beleive that there is not more to the story. As for as med they put me on so many that I had a hard time keeping tham staight so I went off 5 of them. went back to the Doctor and cause I was getting way worse not better and said lets start over one at a time. to where we are today. I have been on prednizone and it helps but it does some really terrible things to my disposition(I become the B word from you no where)I can just not handle that stuff, I sit and cry because I spend most od my time trying to contol my mood. I hate that stuff!!!! I would almost rather not breath. It is that unsettling. With the mouth thing still going on maybe I have an auto immune thing going on or some other thing that is acting like emphyzema really isn't, just because I smoked doesn't mean it has to be emphyzema.
Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Answer
June 29 1:29 AM (18 hours and 12 minutes and 49 seconds later)
         
REPLIEDCheck Mark

Have you come up with anything that has changed at the time of the breathing problem besides the polyurethane? That could well be your biggest problem. Are there any medicines that you are taking that you haven't mentioned?



Thanks so much for allowing me to help! Please click the "ACCEPT" button if you found this useful.
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Judy -- Nurse -- 100% Positive Feedback on 870 Health Accepts
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June 29 2:17 PM (12 hours and 47 minutes and 57 seconds later)
         
Reply to Judy's Post: Topamax(sp) Nexium Wellbutrum first one is for migranes, second for sinus infections from acid reflux and the third to help when I quit smoking that it.
Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Answer
June 29 8:57 PM (6 hours and 39 minutes and 48 seconds later)
         
ACCEPTEDCheck Mark

As for welbutrin, I found no respiratory side effects.

At the following website:
http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic2/topiram_ad.htm

I found this information on Topamax:

Respiratory System Disorders from Topamax at 50mg and at 400 mg doses with about 160 people in each group

Upper Respiratory Tract Infection 16 and 18
Rhinitis 2 and 7
Bronchitis 2 and 7
Sinusitis 2 and 5

And at this website:
http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic3/esomeprazole_ad.htm

I found the following info on nexium:
Respirtatory symptoms reported from Nexium:
asthma, aggravated, coughing, dyspnea, laryngeal edema, pharyngitis, rhinitis, sinusitis

There is no way from these websites to know what the incidence in a large sample of people would show, nor whether this is affecting you in these ways, but I thought I would share it with you!


Edited by judi1 on June 29 2006 at 9:11 PM

Thanks so much for allowing me to help! Please click the "ACCEPT" button if you found this useful.
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Judy -- Nurse -- 100% Positive Feedback on 870 Health Accepts
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