fev1 is forced expiratory volume or the amount of air you can forcibly exhale in one second. yours has been dropping over the last 4 years at a greater rate than would be expected due to age. fev1 numbers do go down normally as you get older but yours are above that. at 59% of expected fev1 you are now in the moderately obstructed category. Your 2011 numbers showed you to be mildly obstructed.Expected results are based on age, weight, height and believe or not ethnicity and yours are 59% of what would be expected for your age, weight, height and ethnicity in a normal person.
do you have your FVC numbers and fev1/fvc ratio?

my fev1 has gone down from 115% of expected in 2001( i was a runner) to 48% now just to give you one example of progression.

The FEV1/FVC are as follows:

2008:
Ref : 76
Pre : 87
Post : 96

2011:
Ref : 83
Pre : 77
Post : 75

2012:
Ref : 83
Pre : 73
Post : 72

I am now 51 years old, 5'6 at 113-114lbs (Asian).

Doctor has put me on symbicort.

May I ask, what is your lung problem?

Thank you so much echoes. I appreciate your inputs.

i dont know why your pulmonary doctor told you your results were normal. anything below 80% of predicted is below normal. Both your fev1 and fev/fvc ratio are significantly below 80%. 59% and 73% respectively. 59 % is moderately obstructed as i wrote before. shortness of breath is a common symptom with this number. an fev1/fvc ratio below 70% is a basis for a diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. you are inching closer to that number, maybe he or she means that you arent there yet for a firm diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease but you are definitely not normal and are obstructed.

i have chronic bronchitis and asthma (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease /reactive airway disease) since 2001. i also have numerous nodules on my lungs which i have to keep track of via cat scans to make sure they arent growing.
if you have insurance, i would ask for a prescription for a nebulizer for home for those times you are short of breath. it has saved me from many a scary and uncomfortable experience not to mention trips to the Emergency room.

Thank you echoes.
I find it odd beçause I don't have cough, colds and the wheezing comes on very rarely. All along I thought it just to be stress. I never had the kind of attack I used to have when I had the asthma when I was younger. Oh my, with all the neurological pain and shortness of breath with in between bloating and constant arthritic pain, I don't know where to put myself.

Do u think symbicort is a wise thing to do considering my nerve problems?

For what it is worth.... there are drugs that can lower breathing capacity... that gabapentin for one. Also the family of beta blockers will do it.

Lowered ability to breathe, will lower oxygen to your body, and therefore also your nerves will suffer.

I'd try the inhaler...the doctor probably wants to see if airway inflammation is the the culprit. If it does not help, that tells the doctor something, as well.

I thought I should jump in as I'm the one usually complaining about my meds. . I know what the cut off points for different stages of COPD, but I'm not so good at interpreting the numbers so will defer to Echos. It might be informative for you to post the results and your questions at the COPD International Forum as well, there are people there who know a lot about the progression of the disease. They don't know much about neuropathy though.

I think you should probably try the medication too, like Mrs D said, low O2 levels aren't good for your nerves either. Your sex and ethnicity may protect you from some of the SE, we Caucasion females are the most prone. For some reason the meds have just become 'proinflammatory' for me, I got quite a bit of exercise yesterday and had very little pain, I took a big shot of steroid inhaler later in the evening and everything started to hurt. I've seen a very few women on the forums who may have the same thing but I have never seen any posts from men.

I'd like to hear how you do.

judi

Asians do have problems with genetics.... they have reduced
liver enzymes for some drugs...like Crestor.
Also alcohol is difficult for many Asians.

http://www.healthanddna.com/healthca...enotyping.html

http://medicine.iupui.edu/clinpharm/ddis/table.aspx
The 2C9 pathway may be impaired in some Asian patients.
Notice the NSAIDs which you cannot tolerate are there in that list.

I wish I had known this before, that you are Asian. How your genetic makeup handles drugs may be a key to some of your problems.

Thank you judi.
Sorry, what is SE?

Oh, I just remember, when the staff assistant got the oxygen level (the one they clip in your finger), mine was 99. She did not comment, nor I asked if that was normal. I used to be so inquisitive about results and numbers...I dont know...

I'm sorry, we must have been posting at the same time and I didn't see your question re: SE. Exercise is good because fit muscle uses oxygen more efficiently. I take D3 which is supposed to be good for your lungs. there was some research with probiotics and rats that looked promising but was not replicated or something, I think its good to take them anyhow, it won't hurt and may help in some way they haven't discovered.

99% )2 saturation is normal, they prescribe oxygen if you drop below 88% consistantly but you really want to try to stay at least 92-94% .

judi