The things you can do for yourself will make more difference than any puffers you have been prescribed. As jmia said, exercise is one of the most important things you can do for yourself after you quit smoking (if you ever did, as we know that about 25% of the people diagnosed with COPD never smoked) is daily exercise: 30 minutes non-stop aerobic exercise (you'll probably have to start where you are and keep adding time until you can do 30 minutes non-stop) and 15 minutes of weight work to add muscle mass. If you're overweight, the exercise will help with weight loss, but the closer you can get to your ideal body weight the easier it will be to breathe. If you need to gain weight, the exercise will help because muscles weigh more than fat, so as you build muscle mass, you gain a little. So diet and exercise and then just healthy eating habits, get enough sleep and live your life.

Pulmonary Rehab is really good, even if it's not a great program. A good program will teach you how to exercise, how to use breathing techniques and show you how to recover from being really short of breath (sob), how to push yourself regularly to increase the intensity of your workout, how to continue exercising even if you are sob, the importance of maintaining your exercise regimen even long after the program is complete, as well as a lot of good information about COPD. In order to live well with this disease, you need to learn as much as you can about COPD, so the education part is really important. If the program is just so-so, learn everything you can and then join a gym and work out with the rest of us.

Hi Carguy! Have you been instructed on pursed lip breathing exercises? Also has your doc or RT ever suggested pulmonary rehab? I'm a huge advocate of it! Gets you out 2-3 days p/wk for exercise, nutrition helps, breathing guidance and socializing (in person) with others with same or similar ailments. Most insurances will pay all or some of the costs. The exercise will be a great help in breathing techniques and can reduce the use of "rescue" inhalers. Do you have a nebulizer? Are you on O2? Reach out to your doc and get better help! 🙃

So.so