THANKS FOR YOUR REPLY. I KNOW GENERALLY ASTHMA AND COPD ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. WHAT I MEANT IN MY CASE THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S CAUSING MY BREATHING PROBLEMS. BECAUSE HIGH DOSE STEROIDS DIDN'T IMKPROVE MY LUNG CAPACITY AND REGULAR ALBUTEROL DOSEN'T HELP ALOT THEY ARE TREATING IT AS COPD. I WENT TO TWO PULMENOLOGISTS WHO SAID THE CAUSE IS NOT TREATING MY ASTHMA SUFFICENTLY WHEN I WAS A KID. I READ YOUR OTHER POST . I TAKE PRETTY MUCH THE SAME THING AS YOU EXCEPT I TAKE FLOVENT INSTEAD OF PULMICORT.I HAD TROUBLE USING THAT CORRECTLY. I NEVER KNEW IF IT HAD COME OUT.HAVE YOUR DOCTORS TOLD YOU YOUR LUNGS SHOULD HOLD THERE OWN WITH THE MEDICATION? EXCUSE ME, I AM SCARED WITH THE "COPD" DIAGNOSIS THEY ARE GIVING ME WHEN I HAD ALWAYS JUST THOUGHT IT WAS ASHTHMA. BY THE WAY I DO FIND THAT COMBIVENT GIVES ME MORE RELEIF THEN JUST ALBUTEROL. DO YOU HAVE A NEBULIZER? i DO BUT IT'S UP TO ME WHICH ONE TO USE. ANY OTHER RESPONSES FROM ANYONE WOULD BE APPRECIATED.

hello! thought id let you know you are NOT alone!I suddenly developed my asthma when i was 9 years old...suddenly i was allergic to everything under the sun, and suffered HORRIBLE life threatening attacks daily. Often i would turn blue and just pass out. I had ALOT of hospitalizations; pneumonias and as an adult...alot of lung collapses. Finally...a few years ago (i am now 35) I found a GOOD dr who did extensive testing on me...including catscans of my lungs, bronchoscopies, and breathing tests. I have severe lung damage....lots of unexplained emphysema. I did smoke for a # of years; but they discluded that as being a primary cause of the damage because of my age. I was referred to a dr who spec. in lung transplants for his opinion....he felt ..although rare...that my untreated asthma caused the damage i have. I dont test pos. for any other lung disease (CF, TB, etc.) This past fall i had part of my right lung removed (a bullectomy) which helped tremendously! It doubled my pft test scores..and i feel like a new person! My asthma is now well under control...i take albuterol as needed , pulmicort, and serevent. There was a time that i was terrified that i would die at a young age...and i would suffer gravely in breathlessness. But i now have new hope....and certainly you could be blessed the same! (beads4me@aol.com)

I understand your fears..i was crushed when my dr said COPD. I immediately thought 'death' and cried in his office. Because like you; i thought i just had 'bad asthma'. When doing pfts; i too do NOT improve before and after a nebulizer treatment. My emergency ihaler (albuterol) does get me out of an asthma attack..and quick. But these drugs will do nothing to change the damage thats already there. There isnt anything i could do to 'cure' the emphysema areas in my lungs...all i can do is NOT do what it took to get them there. I quit smoking 3 yrs ago; i take all my meds, everyday.....and i 'arrest' any infections before they get out of hand..(trouble breathing for more than 2 days then i go see the dr and get some antibiotics.) i normally dont have many breathing probs (use my rescue inhaler maybe once a week) I do have a nebulizer that i use albuterol in when i get real bad..and that hasnt happened in several months now. ..of course, im limited..and can only exercise for a few mins at a time....and i wouldnt be tempted to jog or run! I am shortened breath. But i stay active otherwise...and as long as i keep things 'under control'..the chances of living to a 'ripe' age are pretty good. I may not live to be 90- but theres nothing that says i cant live to 70 or 80. As long as my condition doesnt worsen. Do your drs take frequent chest xrays? Mine takes one every time i see him..ive had no worsening or change in 4 yrs....this is a good sign. Good luck to you and be blessed......

thanks for responding. i thought i was the only one who had asthma that did that kind of damage. like you said the asthma meds wont increase my pft's either. i have much trouble excersing also. i had finally a good doctor said that it tested "fixed" asthma, not copd so it does not necessarily have to get worse. thank for telling me about your lung surgery. it is nice to know there is something else that can be done if things get worse.my wish is that anyone reading this who dosen't take their asthma meds do. in my case i didn't not take them i just didn't know i wasn't being treated enough. asthma is very silent on the damage it does to your lungs until your damage becomes irreversable.