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Has anyone else been diagnosed with COPD after COVID?
Howdy,
I'm a 52 year old guy that was diagnosed with COVID on May 6th. I also tested positive for antibodies in Fall 2020. I'm not / nor have I ever been a smoker. I have no history of Asthma, but my mom has COPD (stage 2). After 2 weeks of rather mild covid (no breathing issues / fever) I developed what the urgent care dr told me was acute bronchitis. We started me on prednisone, Mucinex, and promethazine DM for cough. After a week, I had to go back and got another round of prednisone and Albuterol. I followed up with primary care and she prescribed Trelegy and said that this is likely Post Covid / COPD.
I'm having shortness of breath, wheezing, and cough with a little mucus. I'm being told to stay on meds and wait 3 months. I'm extremely down after fighting this for 6 weeks and now getting COPD on the table. I have asked for a pulmonary function test but beyond that, I'm lost on how to proceed. My pulse O2 is always above 95% and in the last 2 days, I forced myself to the gym (indoor track) for a brisk 2 miles, which I can do without exhaustion.
Does this scenario resonate with anyone? Is anyone else diagnosed with COPD after COVID? I'm staying on the primary Dr for a pulmonary function test to see what is going on with my lungs and get a baseline (sorry I'm an engineer and must have data).
Thanks for reading.
Jay
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I have had Long COVID for about 4 years. Got both shot and booster, and caught COVID 3 timed. I am a runner since highschool. I was running 6 miles 3-5 days a week. First round of the virus I could not run without wheezing. I have been on Albuterol and an inhaler for 3 years now. Everytime I got COVID my 'smokers cough' got worse. It is one step forward 2 steps back. Currently I have not run for 2 weeks now (also because the temperature is too low which affects me as well). Like you, I never smoked. I am a very healthy 62 year old...or very healthy before COVID. Additionally I need to take cough medicine almost every night.
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1 ReactionI have really bad GERD, allergies and COPD. I have found that when my GERD is bad, my allergies are worse causing SOB & asthma. As well, the bloating from GERD compresses the lungs, making it difficult to breathe. As the stomach acid travels into the esophagus, irritates the airways, it causes the airways to restrict causing asthma/SOB.
MY COPD worsened considerably post-covid, but so did my GERD from the harsh medications which altered my gut biome. My SOB episodes now are mostly related to GERD and something I've eaten.
A relatively easy and harm-free fix is to take a good probiotic and alter your diet by avoiding trigger foods, eat smaller meals, and avoid processed and sugary foods.
I never associated my SOB with my gut, but knowing there is a relation and how to make it better has been a game changer for me! Best of luck!
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3 Reactions@lori21, you may also wish to follow the discussions in the Asthma support group here: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/asthma/
I developed COPD as part of Long COVID. Never smoked, minimal exposure to second hand smoke. I got sick with the SARS CoV2 virus in December 2020, before the vaccine became available. I kept getting out of breath from brisk walking, especially uphill.
I also had leg muscle pain and weakness, which was one of my main symptoms when I was sick with COVID. I was referred to a pulmonologist for pulmonary function testing in May 2023. At that time the results indicated that I had mainly asthma, but some degree of COPD. About a year later my pulmonologist had me repeat the pulmonary function testing because of my symptoms, and he was surprised to see how much worse my pulmonary function test results were. He diagnosed me with pretty bad COPD & initially gave me trelegy samples for treatment. Later he switched me to generic Advair Diskus, because Trelegy was much more expensive. The medicine helps somewhat but I have to use it AND albuterol if I want to do more intense or uphill hiking.
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1 ReactionHello, thanks for sharing your experiences. My symptoms are very similar to yours: chest tightness, difficulty breathing, chest pain and fatigue. I was infected with Covid Nov/2022, symptoms started ever since. X rays and CTs were all clear in 2023, 5 pulmonary function tests revealed small airway obstruction but doctors say wouldn’t cause such symptoms. Also had many other tests came out negative. The shortness of breath is constant and very depressing. How are you feeling recently?
You have just written my story. My doctor treated my symptoms after Covid for months with the same drugs yours did, then referred me to a pulmonologist who diagnosed me with Asthma and COPD. I had never been a smoker. My ongoing treatment was albuterol inhalers and a breathing machine as needed. All this happened in 2023-24. Then, after much praying, eating more sensibly, and exercising regularly, my symptoms went away. Bad news is: I attended a funeral where I contracted Covid in 2025. I am now recovering from a two-week battle with the disease, and I’m thankful that I’m recovering; however, I’m once again having to rely on my nebulizer and breathing machine. Please pray for me.
I had a very bad case of Covid in 2020. I don't smoke cigarettes but I did smoke marijuana. A couple of years ago my primary said she thought I have copd. I recently had the flu and a blood clot. I recieved a firm diagnosis of copd after that. I definitely think covid led to the copd. Just like a prior injury leads to arthritis. I immediately quit smoking weed.