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14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1904

Sunshine, really only a doctor can tell you if you have asthma or COPD or some combination of the two. It is really difficult to figure out and the doctors sometimes get confused, too. However, having had asthma as a child, having other allergies, especially ezcema, point to asthma. At the same time, if you are a smoker and smoked at least one pack for twenty years, it is likely that you do have some COPD if you're having lung problems. Doctors can run spirometry tests to check you lung volume, how much and how fast you can breathe in and out. My doctor also ordered a peak flow meter for me to check my breathing if I start to have difficulty. I traded it in for one that also does some spirometry-- FEV1, how much air I can expel from my lungs in 1 second.

Also, I should add, when I've presented with a breathing problem, the doctors always give me a nebulizer (liquid albuterol) treatment. Afterward, there is always marked improvement in my breathing. For the last week, I've had no chest tightness. It comes and goes. When it's here, it's worse at night. COPD doesn't go away like that, and it doesn't get worse at night. Asthma tends to be fully reversible, whereas COPD doesn't tend to be reversible.

Another problem I tend to have is that I do not always drink enough fluids. Fluids help to thin mucus. Quitting smoking produces more for a while.

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 5/1/2009
Smoke-Free Days: 173
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 4,844
Amount Saved: $1,877.05
Life Gained:
Days: 18 Hrs: 23 Mins: 2 Seconds: 22

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 63

Brenda,

Thanks for bringing up your medical issues and questioning them. It does help in comparing your situation to mine to everyone else's! I do have a question for you though...how did/do you know the difference between asthma and COPD?

I think I may have one or the other or both (hopefully not); however, I do not have health insurance as I was laid off work so I don't have the luxury of going to the doctor or the funds to pay out of pocket for an appointment (especially since a chest x-ray would be required which would make the doctor bill go through the roof!). I just was wondering what you were/are feeling. About 12 years ago I found out I had a spontaneous pneumothorax (part of my lung collapsed) and had to have surgery for it, but I don't know if it is that showing its ugly face again or if its the asthma/COPD...

Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Sunshine

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 9/11/2009
Smoke-Free Days: 40
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 600
Amount Saved: $165.00
Life Gained:
Days: 3 Hrs: 15 Mins: 31 Seconds: 58

Quit Meter

$45,896.40

Amount Saved
Quit Meter

Days: 613 Hours: 10

Minutes: 1 Seconds: 41

Life Gained
Quit Meter

4636

Smoke Free Days
Quit Meter

101,992

Cigarettes Not Smoked

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1904

Thank you, buggerdb. I don't know why I'm so afraid. The doctor already told me that having moderate to severe asthma really isn't an improvement over having mild COPD. The treatment's the same and the outcomes can be as well. You know, it wasn't until last night that I found out that chest tightness can be related to quitting smoking, although it's temporary. I guess the cilia can take from 1 to 9 months to regenerate. It really does help to hear from other people. Ask me why, but I thought everyone on this board was healthy, and that I had taken a little too long to quit smoking. Lol

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 5/1/2009
Smoke-Free Days: 167
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 4,676
Amount Saved: $1,811.95
Life Gained:
Days: 18 Hrs: 7 Mins: 48 Seconds: 4

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 278

Brenda.. I still have some bouts with some junk in my lungs.. and still some tightness. I have always had asthma, so part of that is asthma. I get more bouts than normal because I have an allergy to cold, which can trigger the asthma. Some of the junk in my lungs I haven't been able to cough up. Guess everyone is different. However, with quitting smoking, I can breathe extremely better and have less tightness. I had tightness in my chest in the morning and night with smoking. You can live and get through whatever the breathing brings you, and doctors can help you through it, unless you continue smoking again.

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 4/3/2009
Smoke-Free Days: 195
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 2,925
Amount Saved: $1,462.50
Life Gained:
Days: 21 Hrs: 8 Mins: 36 Seconds: 37

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1904

Thank you for the responses. I think some paranoia has set in for me.

I obviously have more going on than just a little chest congestion. I'm just scared about what it really is. I've had to have nebulizer treatments twice last summer and Advair, now 100/50. My doctor did tell me that even though, when I'm between flare ups, my spirometry readings are normal that she believes I have some mild (or on the cusp) COPD and that I definitely have asthma. The lack of coughing throws me, and I haven't been wheezing either. Just chest tightness and sometimes dypsnea, which is probably caused by mucus that I can get up.

I'm avoiding calling myself names, because I truly believe that I've done and an doing what I can. I didn't quit smoking sooner because I really couldn't.

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 5/1/2009
Smoke-Free Days: 167
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 4,676
Amount Saved: $1,811.95
Life Gained:
Days: 18 Hrs: 6 Mins: 54 Seconds: 40

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 3

Hi Brenda,

I haven't had any cough either. I'm 67 days into my quit. I thought that by now I'd sound like a TB patient, and I'm honestly

disappointed that I don't. I'm done with smoking and really wish the gunk in my lungs would be quickly and dramatically expelled from my body forever. I feel a little ripped off that I have no control over the healing process, but at least the process has begun.

In my case, my cilia not only have to come back to life; they're gonna have to dig out before they can get busy. I keep picturing little zombie cilia digging out of a tarry, gunkie grave and starting to move about very, very slowly.

You're doing great with your quit, so don't get discouraged.

Carol

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 8/8/2009
Smoke-Free Days: 68
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 1,428
Amount Saved: $428.40
Life Gained:
Days: 6 Hrs: 20 Mins: 33 Seconds: 25

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 967

I never had a cough, kinda made me nervous that I didnt...but, I guess all is good!!

Kelly

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 12/7/2007
Smoke-Free Days: 678
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 20,340
Amount Saved: $2,542.50
Life Gained:
Days: 56 Hrs: 10 Mins: 28 Seconds: 34

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1387

I had quite a bit of coughing for about 2 months after my quit and less so after. I still have bouts of coughing.

Kaiser

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 7/30/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 442
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 11,050
Amount Saved: $552.50
Life Gained:
Days: 89 Hrs: 1 Mins: 43 Seconds: 5

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 11216

Every quit and every individual is different. It is hard to say why you would not be coughing. For some people the cilia takes longer to repair. It is always a good idea to get checked out by the doctor to rule out any health issues.

Has any other members experienced no cough after quitting?

Ashley

Here to help :)

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 63

Ashley,

What would it mean then if there is no coughing, no congestion, no nothing. Would that possibly

indicate something wrong? Every posting I've read saying about the cilia cleaning and everyone's

chests are cleaning themselves. I've been a bit more than a month with my quit, prior to that, I was

smoke free for 9 months (with 3 months smoking between that quit and now) and neither quit has had

any coughing or mucus or anything....

Brenda...work with the congestion. I would think that eventually it will become "active" to cleanse your lungs!!

Best Wishes

Any thoughts?

Sunshine

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 9/11/2009
Smoke-Free Days: 34
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 510
Amount Saved: $140.25
Life Gained:
Days: 3 Hrs: 2 Mins: 38 Seconds: 54

Quit Meter

$45,896.40

Amount Saved
Quit Meter

Days: 613 Hours: 10

Minutes: 1 Seconds: 41

Life Gained
Quit Meter

4636

Smoke Free Days
Quit Meter

101,992

Cigarettes Not Smoked

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