Yes I take a valium and xanax for panic attacks and yes stress also will make you sob

He is known as the best in Northern Georgia and highly recommended.. He did mention it’s importance but nothing further. Seeing him in 2 weeks and have developed a list of questions to ask. Fortunately I am a researcher and have read quite a bit over the last week along with the questions that I have posted here and thankfully your advice.

Thank you, very informative. Cardiologist said that I had enough tests that were informative lately……. The hospital doc added another ekg instead which meant that I had 3 in two weeks…..

At night may be when you need the O2 the most. Everyone, no matter who they are, breathes more shallowly at night than during the day, so everyone's O2 saturation levels drop at night; with COPD they may drop too low. If you're low on O2 saturation levels during the day, it's almost a sure thing you are at night as well. You might even ask your doc to order an overnight oximetry test which will show exactly what your O2 sats are at night. As for the "when needed" did your doc tell you how you were supposed to know when you need it? If you don't have an oximeter, go to Walmart or Walgreens and get one. They're not that expensive and you'll know if your O2 sats drop below 90 that you need to put it on. Generally, your O2 sats will drop when you get up to do something and the more strenuous the activity is, the more you'll need the O2.

Steroids are very common for pneumonia. What your doc is doing is fine. As patients, most of us don't like oral steroids because of the side effects, so we try to get off them as soon as we can. As for the stress test, I'd ask why the hospitalist wants it and why your doc doesn't think it's necessary; then you can decide whether to do it or not. It won't hurt you and you might learn something; so might your doc.

The reason you're being prescribed O2 is not because you're sob but because your O2 sats are too low to keep your vital organs saturated to the point where they're functioning adequately. It may help with the sob, but that's not the point. The point is to be sure your heart and brain are getting enough O2 to function without damage. You've heard about "brain fog"? Well, with COPD that's often caused by not enough O2 and you can end up with serious cognitive loss if you aren't careful. Unfortunately, docs think that people remember their high school science classes, but people don't, so they think that O2 is supposed to keep them from being sob. So use your O2 all the time at least until you get an oximeter and make sure you use it to keep your O2 sats above 90. Use it at night all the time.

As for your anxiety, find yourself a good cognitive behavioral therapist and learn how to manage and control your anxiety. Meds can help, but they don't cure.....you can by learning how to manage and control anxiety just like you manage and control COPD.

You're already getting an inhaled steroid with the Trelegy (which didn't give you pneumonia or cause your flare; there wasn't enough time). So are you taking an oral steroid as well? If you are, take it for a week or so and then talk with your doc about weaning off it completely.

Your doc's treatment plan is sound. You need to feel comfortable asking questions during appointments or calling back after an appointment to talk with someone and get answers.