If you're taking a Long Acting Muscarinic Agent (LAMA), then you are already taking the class of medication that helps with the narrowing of the bronchial tubes. Not all of them work exactly the same way, so it's possible that you could try other meds in that class that might work better for you. These are meds like Spiriva, Tudorza, Seebri and Incruse. If you're taking one of them, you might see if you could try a different one.

Also, life style changes help way more than meds tend to. Meds deal only with symptoms, and as you know sometimes that doesn't help a lot. However, a good exercise program, weight control, an a healthy diet can make a huge difference in the way you feel, what you can do and how comfortable you are doing it. If you don't have a good daily exercise program going, talk with your doc about starting one. Also do whatever you can to make sure that your weight is as close to normal as possible. That will help a lot as well.

As for staging, it's really more a guide for docs who are not pulmonologists to help them figure out what meds are appropriate for their people who have COPD. So don't worry about the staging. I think in your shoes I would think about finding another pulmonologist, one who will work with you instead of patting your hand and telling you to be a good girl and go home to sit on your sofa waiting for the inevitable. There are lots of positive things this one could have said, and apparently they chose to say none of them. You might just choose to find someone else!

helped me immensly

Pulmonary rehab is great! And you learn a lot in classes.

Has anybody else done the Pulmonary classes?

pulmonary rehab was useless for me. I was unable to do 99% of the exercises without losing my breath completely. The breathing exercises had already been taught to me in hospital