Originally Posted by zygopetalum

I haven't been around much but happened to see this. I was really hoping this wouldn't happen to you. I'm afraid it is the Spiriva and I don't know how you will convince your doctor.

You can try this forum, it is a free 'Ask A Doctor' one associated with Jewish National Hospital which has COPD experts. I asked there and the doctor said that the meds could well be causing my symptoms. There is a different doctor in the COPD Forum now and I don't know how he will respond but you can try. If he says it is possible print it out and take it to your doctor. Also ask if you can try taking it every other day or Mon-Wed-fFi or something. I have done that and it helps, the stuff lasts so long you can still breathe fine. You might get a little rebound constriction when you first start though. There are people whose doctors have suggested that to deal with heart rate issues from the med.

Are you taking Advair? Do you know your FEV1 % or did they stage your COPD? Why did they put you on Spiriva?

Spiriva does cause the pain, it seems to make the steroid cause pain too. I have dealt with it by not taking so much but I don't take Advair and I don't know if I have done some damage to my lungs with not enough bronchodialators. Doctors just don't seem to care as long as you are breathing. I don't THINK Spiriva is doing any further nerve damage, I think it just makes it hurt worse. It works on something called Muscaric receptors in the lung and I read there are the same receptors in the central nervous system that modulate pain. Are you on Neurontin now? I've wondered how well it would work on that pain.

This makes me so mad, I hope you can figure something out.

judi

http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Chroni...COPD/show/1011

You will have to register, be sure you get the' Ask A Doctor' forum and not the support one, they have 2 for COPD.