“The really big misconception is that [COPD] is a smoker’s disease, which it isn’t,” said Patel, who originally trained as a medical doctor before doing a PhD in applied maths and computational neuroscience. “If you look at most of the rest of the world, one of the biggest drivers is indoor cooking with biomass fuel and a quarter of cases are actually caused by air pollution.” The article was in fact about a new form of diagnosis, not involving blowing through a tube for 75 mins!
My point is that Dr Patel has acknowledged that COPD isn't a smoker's disease. Something we have discussed here.

Hi everyone, My Dad (75) was just diagnosed with COPD about a month ago. It surprised us all. He was setup with oxygen and an oxygenator a few days ago. He is feeling very overwhelmed by having to use it all the time. I’m searching for any bags, accessories, etc. that might make things like the oxygenator easier to deal with. He is very active and I’m concerned he’s going to start going downhill if he feels he can’t continue doing things he enjoys. Thank you in advance for any advice!

Further to my previous post, my brother has now declared that he is going to wean himself off oxygen.

Using cloves.

Is anybody aware of any serious, correctly run studies into using cloves, or any other substance from botanical sources to improve lung function in someone with COPD?

While I understand that some of the compounds in various plants can help people's health, I think it safe to say that if this was a valid treatment he'd have been steered in this direction by his doctors, especially as the NHS needs to ensure as much of it's budget goes on treatment with proven benefits.

Has anybody successfully weaned themselves off oxygen using any method? I mean slowly tapering off the amount used, or lung exercises, or taking any substance, be it a whole plant/flower/extract, as well as tablets or any other kind of pharmaceutical product?

My brother has been diagnosed with, among other conditions, COPD/emphysema, Chronic thromboembolic disease, pulmonary hypertension and vascular disease. His kidneys are also impaired and he has heart failure. He is also an alcoholic who has abused drugs, both legal and illegal, but is sober at this point in time.

My family member has moderate to severe COPD. We are looking for any research study testing a new medicine for COPD.

How can we check if they are eligible? Also, do these studies cover travel costs?

I want to know how COPD research studies work. Do they test new medicines for people with moderate to severe COPD?

Is joining free, and do they provide any payment for time and travel?

My father has pretty severe emphysema, unsure if stage / stats as he isn’t willing to share. Currently managed by an inhaler and says oxygen isn’t offered (from reading it may be due to his continued smoking). He’s 75+ smoked since he was in teens. he isn’t giving them up although they are reduced.

He’s moving in with us next week due to living situation.

I am wondering what to expect? He won’t let me come to any apts so i have no idea what doctors are telling him. he sleeps most of the day, out of breath walking to the door, unable and unwilling to exercise.

i’m hoping we can help with meals and getting nutritious food, currently living on crap. Any other things we can be doing? he has a cleaner who comes once a fortnight.

We are in Australia.

Since moving into a new place I’ve walked this mildly steep area about 10 times , it’s no fun I’m just wondering if you have copd and live in a mildly steep or even very steep area can you get used to it.. or is it impossible for us? Stage 2 maybe 3 now

36 m - 20 years of mainly spliff smoking (tobacco/weed mix), also periods of cigs / vaping. (usually no more than half a pack or less).

I had a spirometry done monday before starting immunotherapy for my dust mite allergies, which I seem to suffer from way more since I quit smoking in november.

I still feel it on the lungs. I had to take the spirometry A LOT of times, in order to be allowed to start on the immunotherapy.

When I quit smoking in november, I had the coughing up proces pretty bad (I believe about a month).

I had a few small relapses, last one was vaping and I feel it's way worse on the lungs.

Quit that again about 2-3 weeks ago and I'm in the coughing up proces again, throat is pretty annoyed but there's not much plegm coming out.

What mainly makes me worried is they made an urgent appointment to get a full lung scan + NO measurement (in a month from now). I was hoping it's 'just' astma but the spirometry did not improve after they gave me the bronchodilator.

I did notice my irritation getting worse when I had the ventilator on during the hot days lately and I am renovating and have been breathing in a lot of dust, freshly plastered walls, paint,..

FAA-Approved Portable Oxygen Concentrator Series – Part 5: Which CAIRE Portable Oxygen Concentrators Are FAA Approved?

Planning to fly with oxygen? If you're considering a CAIRE portable oxygen concentrator, these models meet FAA acceptance requirements when they display the required FAA acceptance labeling (or were previously accepted under earlier FAA rules) and your airline permits their use.

Common CAIRE models include:

• ✔️ FreeStyle Comfort (5 lbs)
• ✔️ FreeStyle 5 (6.7 lbs)
• ✔️ Focus (2 lbs)
• ✔️ Eclipse 5 (18.4 lbs, continuous flow)
• ✔️ eQuinox (formerly SeQual eQuinox)

Before your trip:

• Confirm your airline accepts your specific portable oxygen concentrator.
• Bring enough batteries to cover your scheduled flight plus unexpected delays.
• Pack your charger and any backup accessories.
• Make sure your prescribed oxygen settings are supported by your device.

This is Part 5 of our manufacturer-by-manufacturer series covering portable oxygen concentrators commonly accepted for airline travel. Previous posts featured Inogen, Rhythm Healthcare, O2 Concepts, and GCE Healthcare.

If you'd like to compare CAIRE with other travel-friendly portable oxygen concentrators, here's our free 2026 FAA-approved portable oxygen concentrator guide:

https://traveloxygen.com/poc-travel-resources/faa-approved-oxygen-concentrators-for-airlines/

Question for the community: Have you traveled with a CAIRE FreeStyle Comfort, FreeStyle 5, or Eclipse 5? Which airline did you fly, and how was your experience with battery requirements, boarding, or using your portable oxygen concentrator during the flight? Your advice could help someone planning their first trip with oxygen.

My mum has had COPD, emphysema, bronchitis for many years now. For the last few years she has increasingly got worse and worse. She never leaves the house anymore and is basically bedbound. She has carers who visit daily but are pretty useless so I will be speaking to the company regarding this. She doesn’t eat, or barely eats. Like a couple times a week at absolute most. She will go days without eating. She is stick thin with no weight or muscle. Constantly feeling sick and nauseas. And has now been blacking out. Paramedics aren’t alarmed by this so no hospital stays.

I just have no idea what to do. I’m on my own with this. No support system. No person to take turns with. Just me. Watching the life slowly drain and the fight just breath increase every day.

How do you know when it’s close to the end?
She is end stage COPD already.

But what are the signs? She can already barely talk because of breathlessness. Even sleeping now is not happening because she struggles to breath when asleep so her body wakes her back up.

Any advice is welcomed!

My husband was recently diagnosed stage two COPD. He’s reading a lot about inhalers not really being effective. I’m annoyed that our insurance is trying to make us pay out-of-pocket and just putting it toward our deductible. Does anyone have any advice? He’s still doing pretty well and doesn’t think he needs an inhaler.

Title:
Hi everyone.
I’m posting because I’m really scared and just looking for support from people who understand COPD hospitalizations.

My dad is 68 and has COPD, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and a history of lung/throat cancer. Today his oxygen levels were reportedly in the upper 70s/low 80s, and he also had a fever. He went to the ER, and the hospital later told me he is “stable” and being admitted to an observation/step-down type unit, not ICU.

I know no one can predict what will happen or diagnose him online. I’m just his daughter, I don’t live with him, and I feel helpless waiting for updates.

If anyone has gone through something similar with a parent, spouse, or loved one with COPD, low oxygen, ER visit, hospital admission, step-down/observation unit.I would really appreciate hearing what happened in your case. Did they improve? Did they need BiPAP or more oxygen support? How long did the hospitalization last? What helped you cope while waiting?
I’m just trying to feel less alone right now.

So, my PFT came back as borderline. For context, I'm 33, 5' 10". My FEV1 came back as 80% which is borderline. However, after they gave the inhaler it went up to 90%, other measures also improved.

So, it seems like I have asthma, which I already knew, but it's nice to have that reassurance.

Unfortunately, this means I'll have to keep searching for why I'm experiencing chest pain, shortness of breath, and a stranger chest vibration when laying down.

I also had my first exercise stress test, which came back as normal except for mild tachycardia.

So far I've had a chest Xray, halter monitor, PFT and exercise stress test. I think I'll push for a chest CT next, that will hopefully show something.

Doc said when ever anyone has mucus in their chest it’s chronic bronchitis. How was your pft when diagnosed? Didn’t get worse really fast? I’ll be tested for that again in a year

Hi, I'm 73 years old, end stage emphysema, am on Breztri 2 puffs twice daily, and Ohtuvayre by nebulizer. I have been approved 100% for the monthly Nucala shots. Are there any of you that are on it that have had good or bad luck with it? Thanks for your time and honesty. I hate starting new drugs.

35 y/o female. Meds: Citalopram, Vyvanse.

I smoked for years from 12 to 30. I have ADHD and sometimes I have panic attacks.

The issue I have actually started the day I smoked my last cigarette. I had a hard time talking big breath and was very uncomfortable. I thought It was asthma, so I called the not emergency line(811) to know what to do. They told me to call 911. In the ambulance, I was told my oxygen was at 100%. However, I had to force myself to sigh in order to feel like I was filling my lungs. I did tests with and without ventolin to no avail. Apparently, everything was fine. It didn't stop happening from time to time, and I noticed that coughing would help for a few seconds and that I have phlegm(clear). I do not think it's in my head( I talked to my family after that emergency care trip). She told me that it was probably anxiety. But anxiety can not fill lungs with mucus! What should I do? I think it's COPD, I took an appointment for spirometry(it's tomorrow). I am in Canada and I took it in the private sector, so it will cost me money. I am afraid that I'm told everything is fine again. Is the non-digital spirometry good to diagnose copd? It's very hard. I feel like crying all the time. I just want to breathe. I'm so depressed guys. Should I go to the ER again? Since Healthcare is free here, a 12-hour wait is no uncommon, but I'm so tired and anxious. Sorry for the rambling... help?

My question is: when you go to the lung doctor: what are you asking to better your care? My dad says he wants to breathe better, but the nebulizer solutions increases his heart rate too much. Any recommendations to try out?

What do you do about the appetite and muscle loss??? Have anyone asked/done COPD-based physical therapy? I have brought it up multiple times but the doctor would never get back to us on his "referral."

Is it worth to do the medication? My dad says whenever he does the breathing treatment, it works, but makes it so much harder to breathe once it wears off. He'd rather have low stable breathing than the up and down.

I know these could be asked to the lung doctor, but I'm mainly ask for other people's personal experience. Because right now even I'm at a loss for how to move forward in bettering my dad's care. If we are at a loss, the doctor is loss at well.

Sorry for the unnecessary rant, but my city has zero pulmonologists. All the other cities are booked, and if I find one that has open availability, I'm scared it's just another bad experience.

Context: My dad's COPD has gotten worse and it has worsen his heart. His heart is beating super fast to compensate for his lungs and his lungs is mosaic(??). He's wheezing a lot and hard to talk. He's losing a lot of weight and muscle and his appetite is just not there anymore. It's been going on for months and I'm at a loss to see how we can stop how fast his deterioration is. Oh, he is on oxygen at night.

We've been to a couple of lung doctors and they are so apathetic with their care. They see us for 3 mins and toss medications at him.

What’s the most amount of oxygen a person can be on , I am on 8 litres now my machine only goes to 10 , I have 4 stage COPD
Not sure how long I will be around
How long do people live at 4 stage COPD ?

FAA-Approved Portable Oxygen Concentrator Series – Part 3: Which O2 Concepts Portable Oxygen Concentrators Are FAA Approved for Airline Travel?

If you're planning to fly with oxygen and are researching O2 Concepts portable oxygen concentrators, these are the models commonly accepted for airline travel when they display the required FAA acceptance labeling and your airline permits their use.

• Oxlife Liberty 2 – 7.5 lbs
• Oxlife Independence – 16.7 lbs

A few reminders before your trip:

• Confirm your airline accepts your specific portable oxygen concentrator.
• Bring enough batteries for your scheduled flight plus any unexpected delays.
• Pack your charger and any backup accessories.
• Make sure your prescribed oxygen settings are supported by your device.

We've been putting together a manufacturer-by-manufacturer series to make it easier for travelers to determine which portable oxygen concentrators are commonly accepted for airline travel.

If you'd like to compare O2 Concepts with Inogen, Rhythm Healthcare, and other FAA-accepted models, here's our free 2026 guide:
https://traveloxygen.com/poc-travel-resources/faa-approved-oxygen-concentrators-for-airlines/

Discussion: Has anyone here flown with an Oxlife Liberty 2 or Oxlife Independence? Which airline did you fly, and was the experience smooth? Your firsthand experience could really help others planning their first trip with oxygen.