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What Causes Chest Tightness When On Advair?

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Posted on Sat, 4 Jul 2015
Question: Lung function test came back at 73 percent. Doctor said I am on the low side of normal, but does not think it is a lung disease just recovering from bronchitis in late March. Still have some chest tightness that is helped by the advair. Is he right?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
advair proves that your doctor believes you've got a chronic condition

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

three months after a bronchitis is not adequate reason to justify this finding. I believe that's why your doctor prescribed advair to you. Advair is drug that targets either asthma or COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). The fact that you still feel chest tightness and that advair helps you is also a clue to a chronic condition.

Sometimes chronic conditions may worsen after an acute situation, like a respiratory tract infection. Perhaps that's what your doctor meant.

I hope you've found my comments helpful!
You can contact me if you need any clarification or further information.

Kind Regards!
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (15 minutes later)
Thank you for your response. He clearly said that i did not have copd. He thought I would only need the advair for a few months and that he has seen patients like me before that have bad bouts of bronchitis and use advair for a short time to really give the lungs a chance to heal because I have had pleural effusions from surgery compounded by getting a viral respiratory infection. Need to wait the three on that and see how I am after that. What would be next steps if I do not improve? How manageable is copd?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (11 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
you've got a good reason for this lung dysfunction

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for the input!
Having pleural effusions is a very good reason to impair the lung function tests. You haven't mentioned that in the first text, so it helps that I know it now! COPD means that the patient's lungs are partially destroyed. Obviously your pulmonologist doesn't believe that your lungs are like that. COPD particularly when first diagnosed is manageable. Most patients do well with various combinations of drugs. Respiratory tract infections may cause exacerbations. Smoking worsens the patient's condition.

Your allergy history may be compatible with asthma. I don't know if you've got asthma though. The spirometry, clinical examination and history should provide enough clues to your pulmonologist to decide that. The fact is that advair helps patients with asthma and COPD. Some patients have over-reactive airways that may constrict after a respiratory tract infection or because of allergens. Such patients find drugs like advair to be beneficial.

If you won't improve then you've got to visit the pulmonologist again for assessment and a new spirometry. The effusions will have to be checked again to monitor their course.

Kind Regards!
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis

Internal Medicine Specialist

Practicing since :1999

Answered : 3814 Questions

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What Causes Chest Tightness When On Advair?

Brief Answer: advair proves that your doctor believes you've got a chronic condition Detailed Answer: Hello, three months after a bronchitis is not adequate reason to justify this finding. I believe that's why your doctor prescribed advair to you. Advair is drug that targets either asthma or COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). The fact that you still feel chest tightness and that advair helps you is also a clue to a chronic condition. Sometimes chronic conditions may worsen after an acute situation, like a respiratory tract infection. Perhaps that's what your doctor meant. I hope you've found my comments helpful! You can contact me if you need any clarification or further information. Kind Regards!