Re: Asthma turning to COPD

[Guest guest]

It scared me that it was posted that asthma can turn into COPD, and I just read the small Q & A Below that this is apparently one of the reasons that they give controlled meds. I thought the med's were to control the asthma, but did not know that they were also given as a possible preventive into it turning into COPD. What's your opinion on this?Best -

http://www.netwellness.org/question.cfm/55213.htm

Question:

I`m in my mid-50s and have had asthma since I was a

child. I have a peak flow meter at home and I have noticed that my morning peak

flows are really pretty low. My morning peak flow is usually only about 50% of

my personal best. I am not wheezing, or at least you can only hear a wheeze if I

breathe out really hard on purpose, then you can hear plenty of wheeze, but not

just by normal breathing. After I take my morning asthma meds the peak flow is

better than 80% but it almost never gets up to 100% any more. I read a long

time ago that asthma can cause Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Is that

true? How can you tell if you are getting Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary

Disease? I have to admit I have not always been real great about taking all the

asthma medications my dr. prescribes because a lot of them make me feel sick to

my stomach. Could that cause asthma to turn into something else over many

years?

Answer:

Asthma is a disease characterized by obstructed airflow

that is reversible, meaning when given certain medications the obstruction gets

better. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is primarily a

disease with irreversible airflow obstruction, meaning when given certain

medications the obstruction does not improve. It has been established

that some patients with asthma for many years, 25-30 years, can develop airflow

obstruction that is irreversible, i.e. COPD. Why this occurs and why it

only occurs in some and not all asthma patients is currently unclear.

Currently the recommendations to take prescribed controller medications

every day are in part due to the thinking that daily use of these medications

will suppress inflammation-induced scarring which may contribute to the

development of COPD. There is still much research to be done in this

area.

For more information:

Go to the Asthma health topic,

where you can:

Read articles on this topic Browse

the previously asked questions Ask your own question.

[Guest guest]

The answer is pretty much on target. Untreated or poorly controlled asthma can lead to scarring of the lungs, which leads to decreased lung capacity and decreased ability to move as much air. The controller meds help to prevent the physiological damage that happens when an asthma attack occurs..so it is thought. They work by making your airways less inflammed and in some cases, they lower the sensitivity of the airways so that asthma attacks are triggered less often.

Ann

Re: Asthma turning to COPD

It scared me that it was posted that asthma can turn into COPD, and I just read the small Q & A Below that this is apparently one of the reasons that they give controlled meds. I thought the med's were to control the asthma, but did not know that they were also given as a possible preventive into it turning into COPD. What's your opinion on this?

Best -

http://www.netwellness.org/question.cfm/55213.htm

Question:

I`m in my mid-50s and have had asthma since I was a

child. I have a peak flow meter at home and I have noticed that my morning peak

flows are really pretty low. My morning peak flow is usually only about 50% of

my personal best. I am not wheezing, or at least you can only hear a wheeze if I

breathe out really hard on purpose, then you can hear plenty of wheeze, but not

just by normal breathing. After I take my morning asthma meds the peak flow is

better than 80% but it almost never gets up to 100% any more. I read a long

time ago that asthma can cause Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Is that

true? How can you tell if you are getting Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary

Disease? I have to admit I have not always been real great about taking all the

asthma medications my dr. prescribes because a lot of them make me feel sick to

my stomach. Could that cause asthma to turn into something else over many

years?

Answer:

Asthma is a disease characterized by obstructed airflow

that is reversible, meaning when given certain medications the obstruction gets

better. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is primarily a

disease with irreversible airflow obstruction, meaning when given certain

medications the obstruction does not improve. It has been established

that some patients with asthma for many years, 25-30 years, can develop airflow

obstruction that is irreversible, i.e. COPD. Why this occurs and why it

only occurs in some and not all asthma patients is currently unclear.

Currently the recommendations to take prescribed controller medications

every day are in part due to the thinking that daily use of these medications

will suppress inflammation-induced scarring which may contribute to the

development of COPD. There is still much research to be done in this

area.

For more information:

Go to the Asthma health topic,

where you can:

Read articles on this topic Browse

the previously asked questions Ask your own question.

[Guest guest]

Last October (2009) I had used the last of my Armour Thyroid and my

doctor switched me to Synthroid. Over a period of a few weeks I guess

I developed a dearth of T3 which is in Armour but not in Synthroid. I

couldn't talk for any length of time because I would become exhausted

and could barely function. My doctor told me I did not have asthma

but had COPD. I continued taking the synthroid and kept getting

worse.

Then I discovered that there is another thyroid medication

( " Nature-Throid) which contains T3. I started taking it and

immediately started to improve.

Nature-Throid is not readily available and I had to resort to buying

it from an overseas source but it is working very nicely.

I purchased enough to last for two years and at this point it is not

available but hopefully it will be by the time I need to replenish my

supply. So it might not be COPD, it might be lack of thyroid.

Ora

>The answer is pretty much on target. Untreated or poorly controlled asthma can

lead to scarring of the lungs, which leads to decreased lung capacity and

decreased ability to move as much air. The controller meds help to prevent the

physiological damage that happens when an asthma attack occurs..so it is

thought. They work by making your airways less inflammed and in some cases, they

lower the sensitivity of the airways so that asthma attacks are triggered less

often.

>Ann

>

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>

>

> Re: Asthma turning to COPD

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>It scared me that it was posted that asthma can turn into COPD, and I just read

the small Q & A Below that this is apparently one of the reasons that they give

controlled meds. I thought the med's were to control the asthma, but did not

know that they were also given as a possible preventive into it turning into

COPD. What's your opinion on this?

>

>Best -

>

>http://www.netwellness.org/question.cfm/55213.htm

>Question:

>I`m in my mid-50s and have had asthma since I was achild. I have a peak flow

meter at home and I have noticed that my morning peakflows are really pretty

low. My morning peak flow is usually only about 50% ofmy personal best. I am not

wheezing, or at least you can only hear a wheeze if Ibreathe out really hard on

purpose, then you can hear plenty of wheeze, but notjust by normal breathing.

After I take my morning asthma meds the peak flow isbetter than 80% but it

almost never gets up to 100% any more. I read a longtime ago that asthma can

cause Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Is thattrue? How can you tell if

you are getting Chronic Obstructive PulmonaryDisease? I have to admit I have not

always been real great about taking all theasthma medications my dr. prescribes

because a lot of them make me feel sick tomy stomach. Could that cause asthma to

turn into something else over manyyears?

>Answer:

>Asthma is a disease characterized by obstructed airflowthat is reversible,

meaning when given certain medications the obstruction getsbetter. Chronic

Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is primarily adisease with irreversible

airflow obstruction, meaning when given certainmedications the obstruction does

not improve. It has been establishedthat some patients with asthma for many

years, 25-30 years, can develop airflowobstruction that is irreversible, i.e.

COPD. Why this occurs and why itonly occurs in some and not all asthma patients

is currently unclear. Currently the recommendations to take prescribed

controller medicationsevery day are in part due to the thinking that daily use

of these medicationswill suppress inflammation-induced scarring which may

contribute to thedevelopment of COPD. There is still much research to be done

in thisarea.

>For more information:

>Go to the Asthma health topic,where you can:

>

>Read articles on this topic

>Browse the previously asked questions

>Ask your own question.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Ora, T3 regulates oxygen metabolism in all the cells of our bodies. I have

asthma and COPD and I'm sure that taking a natural desiccated thyroid such as

Armour or Nature-Throid makes a big difference for my breathing, too.

Forest reports that Armour is no longer back ordered and that all dose sizes are

now available again. Some pharmacies appear to be unaware of that fact and have

simply stopped ordering it and are telling people they can't get it or that it's

no longer made. The same is true of RLC Labs, makers of Nasture-Throid.

RLC Labs posted a schedule of 2010 dates when various dose strengths of

Nature-Throid were expected to be available again. Unless they experienced

unforeseen delays, all dose strengths should be available by now. I believe the

1-grain tablets have been available for some time. Their web site also lists

four mail order pharmacies where you can obtain their product if you can't find

it locally where you live.

http://rlclabs.com/

You were lucky to obtain a supply of Nature-Throid while there was still some

available, but according to current info you needn't have any worries for the

future. When Armour Thyroid was reformulated, I changed to Nature-Throid. When

Nature-Throid became unavailable, I changed to Canada's natural desiccated

thyroid, and I've found I prefer it to both Amour and N-T, so that's what I

continue to take.

Yet another way to get T3, if you are stuck with taking one of the synthetic

T4-only thyroid replacements, is to take synthetic T3 in alongside your T4 med.

The brand name for synthetic T3 is Cytomel, but I believe there are also a

couple of generic versions of it.

Slats

>

> >The answer is pretty much on target. Untreated or poorly controlled asthma

can lead to scarring of the lungs, which leads to decreased lung capacity and

decreased ability to move as much air. The controller meds help to prevent the

physiological damage that happens when an asthma attack occurs..so it is

thought. They work by making your airways less inflammed and in some cases, they

lower the sensitivity of the airways so that asthma attacks are triggered less

often.

> >Ann

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > Re: Asthma turning to COPD

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >It scared me that it was posted that asthma can turn into COPD, and I just

read the small Q & A Below that this is apparently one of the reasons that they

give controlled meds. I thought the med's were to control the asthma, but did

not know that they were also given as a possible preventive into it turning into

COPD. What's your opinion on this?

> >

> >Best -

> >

> >http://www.netwellness.org/question.cfm/55213.htm

> >Question:

> >I`m in my mid-50s and have had asthma since I was achild. I have a peak flow

meter at home and I have noticed that my morning peakflows are really pretty

low. My morning peak flow is usually only about 50% ofmy personal best. I am not

wheezing, or at least you can only hear a wheeze if Ibreathe out really hard on

purpose, then you can hear plenty of wheeze, but notjust by normal breathing.

After I take my morning asthma meds the peak flow isbetter than 80% but it

almost never gets up to 100% any more. I read a longtime ago that asthma can

cause Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Is thattrue? How can you tell if

you are getting Chronic Obstructive PulmonaryDisease? I have to admit I have not

always been real great about taking all theasthma medications my dr. prescribes

because a lot of them make me feel sick tomy stomach. Could that cause asthma to

turn into something else over manyyears?

> >Answer:

> >Asthma is a disease characterized by obstructed airflowthat is reversible,

meaning when given certain medications the obstruction getsbetter. Chronic

Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is primarily adisease with irreversible

airflow obstruction, meaning when given certainmedications the obstruction does

not improve. It has been establishedthat some patients with asthma for many

years, 25-30 years, can develop airflowobstruction that is irreversible, i.e.

COPD. Why this occurs and why itonly occurs in some and not all asthma patients

is currently unclear. Currently the recommendations to take prescribed

controller medicationsevery day are in part due to the thinking that daily use

of these medicationswill suppress inflammation-induced scarring which may

contribute to thedevelopment of COPD. There is still much research to be done

in thisarea.

> >For more information:

> >Go to the Asthma health topic,where you can:

> >

> >Read articles on this topic

> >Browse the previously asked questions

> >Ask your own question.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

I hadn't heard that thyroid dysfunction might also affect asthma. I do know

that I can't get along with Armour thyroid supplements for my autoimmune thyroid

disease. I never could convert the T4 in Synthroid into what I need.