Hi,
My age is 55. I am former smoker. Between 1989 to 1999 I smoked around 6 cigarettes everyday for almost 10 years. Then I quit. From last few years I felt little tightness around my windpipe in the chest. I showed it to general physician who said, he doesn't think anything is wrong. After 2 years I again felt little tightness in my chest. I went to general physician again. He said my bp is 144/80, I need to check it regularly. Last year I went to different general physician who asked me to do some blood and urine test those include metabolic profile, HbA1c and ECG. Everything was normal except my blood pressure was 152/85. He prescribed me blood pressure medicine. I did lot of exercise and my blood pressure became normal without any medicine.
Last winter between December 2018 and January 2019, almost every evening I felt shortness of breath. And my blood pressure again went high upto 160/90 and my pulse rate used to be between 90 to 110. I went to general physician again, he again gave me blood pressure medicine and antibiotic and medicine for chest congestion. That did not cure me. So I went pulmonologist(chest physician). He asked me to do some blood tests, ECG, X-RAY, pulmonary function test. After the test result, he said everything seems to be okay, though PFT curve was just little below of ideal. He said it's not COPD but your pulse rate is high. He asked me to do thyroid test and 2d echo. Both were normal again. He said may be you have anxiety problem. I asked him if I have COPD. He said no, take it out of your mind. You quit smoking just in time. I came home happy
But I still felt tightness in my chest and my blood pressure and pulse rate used to be high. I went to general physician again. He changed my blood pressure tablets twice. That did not help. I realized that at the evening time, lot of mucus was getting generated in my windpipe.
I went to pulmonologist(chest physican) again. I showed him the test reports. He said "in our report everything is clear but if you want to do more investigation, then it can be done. But I don't think you need more investigation". I told him lot of mucus gets generated in my windpipe and then my blood pressure goes high. He said you have smoked in past, you may get some problems. Then he said it may because of air conditioner as well. I used to work in company where I had to work in very very high central air conditioner and I think problem started from that time. But I have quit my work and from last 6 years I do not sit in air conditioner. Doctor prescribed me Acetylcysteine pills 3 times a day for 30 days and symbicort 320 1 puff morning and 1 puff evening for 30 days. He said take these medicines and we will see after 30 days. I even asked him, do I have any infections in chest. He said no. After coming from his office I did not immediately started medicines because of fear of steroid and its side effects. I started going for walk in hot sun for almost 1 and half hours. It reduced mucus and my blood pressure and pulse rate became normal. But I started having headache because of hot sun. So I stopped from 3 days. Today again I felt more mucus is generted in my windpipe and my blood pressure again touched 145/81. I am planning to start Acetylcysteine pills and symbicort 320 in 3 to 4 days. I want to ask following questions.
My chest physician very confidently said in first visit that take copd out of your mind. But in second visit he prescribed me symbicort 320 inhaler. In diagnosis he wrote all bronchitis, and hypertension. Do I have COPD? or is it because of working in very high air conditioner, my body has become hypersensitive to cold air or is it chronic bronchitis which may not be COPD?
My second question is does symbicort 320 has very serious side effects?
I am sorry for very long post.
Thanks.