Antibiotic may have caused irreversible lung disorder

March 1, 2012 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: According to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Coalition, there are just as many people who die each year from the disorder as do from breast cancer. This disease has no cure and no treatment. I have it and it is extensive. Mine was possibly (no one will say for sure) from a prescription given to me for the antibiotic Macrobid (nitrofurantoin). My doctor didn’t know that it causes scar tissue in the lungs.

I spent more than a year trying to discover why I had so much trouble breathing. I had breath tests, X-rays, overnight monitor, oxygen, an endoscopy, allergy testing, stress tests, etc., along with doctor visits and co-pays. I think all people should be warned and that much more attention should be given to this serious but sneaky life-ending disease.
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Chronic cough could have uncommon cause

March 3, 2010 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: I read your response to the reader whose sister complained of a chronic, choking cough. You failed to mention idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, which could be the cause of her symptoms. Individuals with this condition can have a chronic cough that does not respond to medications that are otherwise effective in treating chronic bronchitis or asthma. Unfortunately, there are no effective treatments, and life expectancy is between two to five years after diagnosis. More information on this condition can be found at www.coalitionforpf.org.

DEAR READER: When responding to readers’ questions, I may be guilty of generalizing, hitting on the most common yet overlooked possibilities. Many coughs are tied to irritants or pollutants, postnasal drip, reflux, COPD, medication reactions and a host of other reasons. [Read more...]

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Lung Scarring Has Serious Consequences

March 11, 2009 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I am an 82-year-old female. I don’t smoke but was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2006 and used oxygen occasionally for the first four months following the diagnosis. Since then I have had to use it 24/7. I started out with two liters and am now on 10 liters. I take 40 mg of prednisone daily.

My doctor had told me that this is normally a slow moving disease but for some reason it is accelerating in my case. Everything I have read is terribly frightening. Can you provide any information or suggestions about treatment?

DEAR READER:
Pulmonary fibrosis is a respiratory disorder in which lung tissue becomes thickened and stiff or scarred. Over time the lungs’ ability to move oxygen into the bloodstream becomes compromised. It is a serious condition with no cure. [Read more...]

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