I think it would be worthwhile for you to have the test as well.

I got COPD from smoking, I was diagnose at the mild stage around 10 years ago. I contuinued to smoke and developed lung cancer a couple of years later. They caught it very early and were able to remove a lobe of my lung and get it all but my lung tore after surgery and I ended up with a lot less lung capacity.

You are really in pretty good shape if you can ride the bike for 30 minutes.

judi

Thanks Judi.
The bicycle I am referring to is the stationary bicycle and Ido moderately slow pedalling due to my painful feet.
If not only for my painful feet, I can still walk.

Thank you Mrs.D!

I am really so depressed. I dont want to go that route.... I am trying not to.

When the pulmo prescribed the Symbicort, he gave me a free "AeroChamber Flow-Vu". It says on the product - anti-static valved holding chamber, but its really just a mouthpiece which you can use with the metered dose inhaler(MDI). Instead of inhaling it directly from the MDI, you attached the chamber to the MDI.

This additional apparatus makes me uncomfortable. But, I can tolerate it if it is really necessary.

My question : is the chamber necessary? does it help the patient inhaled better? does it protect the throat from certain particles? does any of you use this? do you find it helpful/useful?

Thank you so much.

The chamber is useful... people tend to have poor inhaler technique.

If you have a Turbohaler? here is a video showing how to use it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJdG-c6y84I
This type is self actuated, meaning you have to suck/inhale the dose.

An Aerochamber is for volatilized, medications, that have a propellant. If you have the self actualized turbohaler type, the Aerochamber won't work.

Which do you have? Technique for volatilized inhalers is different from a turbohaler device.

Here is the picture of the Symbicort 160/4.5:

http://www.symbicorttouchpoints.com/...mbicort-dosing

And, this is the picture of the chamber I was referring to:

http://frx.com/pi/AeroChamberPlusFlo...thpiece_PI.pdf

Thank you Mrs.D!

So that looks like a propellant type inhaler delivery system.

How to use an Aerochamber:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a54MA...eature=related

If you squirt the contents of the inhaler properly you will not deposit the
mist on your throat or tongue. If you use the inhaler in the wrong way, most of the drugs will not get into the lungs. The drugs will then get absorbed into your body thru the mouth mucosa. This is not good for
the steroid portion of the inhaler.

Always rinse your mouth and spit, after using inhalers.

Here is how to use an inhaler properly...
http://www.mckinley.illinois.edu/han...haler_use.html
It is best not to put it in the mouth at all IMO. Esp for steroid types.

I was given a run through in teh clinic by the medical assistant how to use both the chamber and the metered dose inhaler. Just thinking if the chamber is really necessary. I find uncomfortable using it. It seems to me that them medicines are stuck in chamber (I am not sure of this th ough....).

Thank you for the links Mrs.D I learned from the link that its okay to inhale more than one to complete the inhalation.

I went back to the clinic yesterday and have the Alpha1-Antritypsin test added.

Thank you Mrs.D and Judi.

The chamber is for children, or elderly with impaired reflexes.

Inhaling at the precise moment you press down on the canister to release the drug is difficult for some people.

Some people can even use an empty toilet paper tube cut down to about 1.5 inches to help space the mist properly.

With things like albuterol, is that it is absorbed by the throat and mouth it will still work to dilate the bronchioles. But with steroid added, this tends to deposit and then go systemic and the dose is too small to work. And the risk of thrush is greater.

I used to use Azmacort, which came with its built in spacer.
I found it very handy.
This is what it looks like:
http://www.usermeds.com/medications/azmacort

Haven't needed it for years though.