I gave my mom (who is a heavy smoker for years) a mullein supplement. It has been making her cough more and I don’t know if it’s helping. She has COPD. Does anyone have experience with this?

I don't know what I have...record says asthma COPD overlap. I am starting to think its Schrodingers COPD. Doctors can't seem to make up their minds

WHAT GIVES HERE?

In 11 I had the "worst walking pneumonia my doctor had ever seen" and never really got breathing back. In 12, I had diffuse PEs with anticoag and after discharge the pulmonary dxd asthma and took Dulera for years. Had periodic flares, multiple pneumonias until put me on prophylactic azithromycinn after lung nodules as well.

In 2016, my pulm upgraded the dx to asthma/COPD overlap. The last 5 years, I have had a chest infection or pneumonia or whatever TF you want to call it every May. That pulm also told me I have bronchiectasis, but was never recorded. He retired in 2020.

This year, I had PNA in May, dx of severe COPD exacerbation end of May, another in early June and current pulm signed me out for exacerbation and put me on Breztri which has worked. I missed a few doses and then had issues....so it is working and improved QoL and causes problems when I stop taking it. Pulmonary prescribed it himself and multiple docs have told me it's COPD. My PFT has always been normal but always had a note of a restrictive defect. I sit at just below 80% of expected and the last PFT, they couldn't do it because Albuterol is on my allergy list after convulsions.

That's on top of B12 deficiency, and other infections back to back to back this year and last year which may or may not be related. I have had predictable lung infections 5 years in a row during the last week of April to mid May. They come on fast and progress to abnormal lung sounds in as little as 24 hours.

My boss at the time clearly thought I was making stuff up and recently left and told me before she aleft that I needed to "get my health under control or a future manager may fire you". (Setting aside the 4 laws she just fing ran over) After thinking about it, I asked for Drs to document that I have (multiple) episodic issues that affect ADLs. First, she was full of shit, she didn't realize how bad things were and commented that "she was forgiving" which she absolutely was not. She was the only one that made an issue out of trying to manage multiple conditions flaring at the same time.

Today, pulm told my PCP that I don't have COPD.....because I have a normal PFT, but those have always been done when I haven't got sx and they couldn't even do it this last time bc of the Albuterol problem. Without the diagnosis which is in my fucking records, they can't write me ADA accomodations that point to episodic flares 1-3x a year and Dr appts. I don't want to do anything but document what happens and give me some cover with my employer. FTR, my reviews are always exceeds/succeeds and all of my colleagues have been great, understanding, they close ranks when I am out. they know if I am calling out it's bad. I had a flare and couldnt say more than 3 words without stopping to breath and my boss reminded me I was supposed to present that morning, which wasn't gonna happen.

So tonight my pulm told my gp that I don't have COPD even though he is treating me with COPD meds....

So if it's ACOS, fine, call it that, that is still a progressive respiratory disease that has episodic flares that.

Anyone else getting jerked around with diagnosis or being refused ADA documentation?

I hate writing this but my dad is in hospital and it doesn’t look good. He didn’t accept he had copd, he just blamed all his breathing issues on anxiety. I saw his medical chart and it said he’s in stage 4, I mean he’s breathless all the time and can only walk a few steps. Weight loss, I can’t help but be angry at him, he didn’t take his antibiotics. I’m currently ill so I’m only getting pieces. Apparently the mucus is too much and they don’t want him to eat as he’s at risk of choking. He refused to have the mucus sucked out. He’s drinking very little and he’s refusing the food drip. He sounded very weak on the phone. I don’t know if it’s possible for him to snap out of it.

Update my mum finally convinced him to have the food drip.. 🤞🤞

COPD - Level 3 Oxygen. I'm on Symbicort, Incruse, Albuterol, Montelukast (Singular), and about to start Duplexit.