Hi everybody, luckily stumbled upon this website trying to locate information about whats been going on with me. I'm 33 years old and was a day a pack smoker for almost 11 years and quit about 1.5 years ago. I'm not over weight and I walk a mile a day on treadmill easily without any problems and do some weight/resistance training as well. I had bad acid reflux for about a month which irritated my throat but I didn't had any cough or mucus, but I had some chest congestion. This is all how my doctor visit started as I thought my chest congestion was due to GERD related asthma. So I went and saw a pulmonologist. The pulmonologist ordered a chest X-ray and the result was normal. He said my lungs were clear.
I was given FLOVENT and PROAIR along with zantac for acid reflux. Everything cleared up within a week and I got off the FLOVENT and PROAIR. During my follow up visit 3 weeks later the pulmonologist observed clubbing on my fingers and ordered a PFT (done in a box) and a Chest CT.
I went back for the results last week and the pulmonologist didn't give me a clear diagnosis. Listed below are the results from PFT and CT:
Spirometery:
FVC: Within normal limits
FEV1: Within normal limits
FEV1/FVC: Within normal limits
FET 25-75: Normal
Lung Volumes:
TLC: increased
FRC: increased
RV: increased
DLCO: Within normal limits.
Impression:
Normal Spirometry
Mild hyperinflation
Severe air trapping.
Diffusing capacity is normal. Clinical correlation is suggested.
CT Result: There is no evidence of emphysema, interstitial lung change, cystic lung change, bronchiecstasis, honeycombing. There is no acute consolidation, plural effusion, pneumothorax. Linear aubsegmental atelactasis inferior lingular. The central traceobronchial tree is patent. No further follow up is needed.
The pulmonoligist says the increase in lung volumes should show a decrease in spirometry numbers for it to be COPD. He didnt give me a clear answer if I have asthma or COPD, and said he didn't understand why I'm having air trapping and mild hyperinflation with normal spirometry. He says my CT is completely normal. He wants me to get a Echocardiogram in the next few weeks and repeat the PFT after 6 months. So he left me hanging with no clear diagnosis.
The whole hyperinflation and air trapping is confusing me and I read on google that it happens with COPD. Do I really have COPD? The anxiety and stress is taking a toll on me at the moment. Has anybody seen this kind of results before. I'm driving myself crazy trying to figure out what is going on with me. Thanks