Hi everyone. First post here. I quit smoking 13 years ago. My pack years are unknown since I usually smoked on weekends or had a few during the day for periods, then didn't smoke for periods etc. I had asthma as a child.
After a tough bout of bronchitis in July, I never really recovered. To be fair, it was a tough virus (non-Covid) that everyone in my family took several weeks/2 months to get over the coughing. Since then, I have had intermittent wheezing (only on deep exhales- somewhat forcefully), clearing throat, and needing to sometimes huff clear sputum up. I don't really cough anymore and if I do it's a dry tickle sort of cough. I had some breathlessness after the virus in August but it has since gotten much better. I work out, and am able to do cardio and run around with my kids just fine.
I had a bad case of bronchitis in 2015 which led me to get a PFT which came back normal. I'll try and post an image in another reply. Then in August of this year, it came back with mild obstruction.
I have a few questions.
1) Being 44 years old, will my lungs decline faster than someone in their 60s? Studies show that people with mild COPD don't have much loss to expectancy, but I wasn't sure if they were looking at people in their 60s when they did these studies. I know every situation is unique, just didn't know if younger sufferers don't fit the bill of "almost normal life expectancy"
2) My FEV1 is 91. It was 94 in 2015. This is considered normal for someone without COPD. Does this have any implications and mean I could very well stay in the mild for a while? Again, I know you can't tell me anything with certainty.
3) My FVC went up from 2015. What's up with that? I don't believe I have hyperinflation.
4) I have issues with antibiotics as they all cause neurological issues for me. I'm reading about exasperations and how thy are routinely prescribed. In your own experience, how dependent are you on taking them? Are most of your exasperations viral? Do I absolutely need to take them for exasperations prophylactically? Do I need them less in the mild phase then say the other phases where there is more phlegm? Do you get random bacterial exasperations without a viral infection kicking it off?
5) Does the fact that this was precipiated by viral bronchitis have any implications? I've heard of post-viral subtypes..
Thanks so much in advance
2015
FVC pre % 107 Post % 108
FEV pre % 94. Post% 94
FEV1/FVC. Pre Actual: 73. Pre of predicted % 83, post: actual: 73, post predicted % 87, chance is 0
Positive methacholine challenge 27% decrease FEV1 mild asthma diagnosed
2023
FVC went up to 114% (7) it was 513 in 2015 and went up to 5.17
FEV went down to 91% (3) from 3.75 in 2015 to 3.37 in 2023
Causing a 8 point reduction in FEV/VC