Nov 11, 2011 16:30:39 GMT
suzyc1954
Brand New Budgie
Posts: 53
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Post by suzyc1954 on Nov 1, 2015 10:09:53 GMT
Hello all - I have three beautiful young (one male and the other two too young to distinguish sex) that need a home. I do not keep my birds in a cage and they would go berserk if they were kept in a cage. I have COPD (emphysema) and have now discovered that I may have Bird Fancier’s disease - Allergic Alveolitis (Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis). My breathing at work is fine but after an hour at home I have very severe breathing problems which my usual inhaler will not relieve. Weekends are worse. I clean up at least twice a day under their perching spots. My GP could not understand why the COPD went from mild to severe over a period of 18 months and took an x-ray which did not reveal anything. He did hear crackling on the lungs. Because my condition is so bad I research this allergy and am pretty sure the budgies are the cause. X-rays are not a sensitive test for this allergy and a blood test is required and I have an appointment to see my GP on 18 November 2015. Crackling on the lungs is one of the signs. I think this problem is a cumulative affect of keeping budgies for the past ten years. I would like to find a home that will allow the budgies to fly freely such as an aviary - I even thought of approaching places where they have a "Pets Corner" with budgies. If I am unable to find the right type of home I will keep the budgies but this will be at the expense of my health as this problem causes serious lung damage. Can anyone help me please? I can travel within a reasonable distance (I am in Liverpool). Thanks for taking the time to read this post. Sue
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Post by Marianne Marlow on Nov 1, 2015 10:21:23 GMT
Hi Sue
I'm really sorry to hear that you have health problems. I actually have the same condition as you (if you are diagnosed with Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis). I take a lot of medication and am currently stable.
I hope that you are able to find a new home for your three birds.
Marianne
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Nov 11, 2011 16:30:39 GMT
suzyc1954
Brand New Budgie
Posts: 53
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Post by suzyc1954 on Nov 1, 2015 10:48:40 GMT
Hi Sue I'm really sorry to hear that you have health problems. I actually have the same condition as you (if you are diagnosed with Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis). I take a lot of medication and am currently stable. I hope that you are able to find a new home for your three birds. Marianne Thanks for your reply Marianne - I have spent hours researching this issue and the only conclusion to relieve the symptoms is to remove the birds. Even after removing birds and cleaning the home you can still have difficulties because of the residual particles hidden from view. The birds in my picture are no longer with me but the other little picture is one of the young birds I now have. I will have to take a picture of all three and attach to a post. Kind regards. Sue
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Post by OP on Nov 1, 2015 10:54:38 GMT
Sorry to hear of your illness Sue, it must be so difficult to make the decision you are making. Bt sometimes these decisions are made for us. Your health does come first. I hope you can find somewhere for your buds soon.
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Jun 11, 2015 11:53:05 GMT
bud07
Normal Green
Posts: 283
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Post by bud07 on Nov 1, 2015 11:11:35 GMT
Sorry to hear about your health, if you send me a pm and let me know where abouts in liverpool you are, il try and help, but they would have to be caged, but I do let my birds out a lot.
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Post by Marianne Marlow on Nov 1, 2015 11:24:03 GMT
Hi Sue I'm really sorry to hear that you have health problems. I actually have the same condition as you (if you are diagnosed with Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis). I take a lot of medication and am currently stable. I hope that you are able to find a new home for your three birds. Marianne Thanks for your reply Marianne - I have spent hours researching this issue and the only conclusion to relieve the symptoms is to remove the birds. Even after removing birds and cleaning the home you can still have difficulties because of the residual particles hidden from view. The birds in my picture are no longer with me but the other little picture is one of the young birds I now have. I will have to take a picture of all three and attach to a post. Kind regards. Sue I completely understand your decision Sue. If you have COPD as well, then it does make things a lot harder. I was also told that removing the birds was my only option. But my doctor was not willing to entertain any other option. So I got myself referred to a different one and now my meds seem to be managing the condition. I realise that a lifetime of medication is not to everyone's taste. But as I originally got birds to help with depression and they do help with that, it's not that simple! Looking forward to seeing your birds. Marianne
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Nov 11, 2011 16:30:39 GMT
suzyc1954
Brand New Budgie
Posts: 53
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Post by suzyc1954 on Nov 2, 2015 21:32:09 GMT
Hi Marianne - I have prepared a document that I will show my GP on my visit and would like to attach it so that all the bird lovers can view on this site to understand the difficulties I am having but cannot figure out how to attach a word document. Can you or anyone else reading this provide some guidance please. Kind regards. Sue
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Post by Marianne Marlow on Nov 2, 2015 23:01:01 GMT
Unfortunately, you cannot attach a word document. You would have to copy and paste the text here.
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Jun 11, 2015 11:53:05 GMT
bud07
Normal Green
Posts: 283
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Post by bud07 on Nov 2, 2015 23:03:51 GMT
Or take a pic of it, that may work x
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Nov 11, 2011 16:30:39 GMT
suzyc1954
Brand New Budgie
Posts: 53
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Post by suzyc1954 on Nov 3, 2015 21:11:59 GMT
It's rather long and I will probably be told off by someone but here goes:
Bird Fancier’s disease - Allergic Alveolitis (Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis) I have kept three free-flying budgies for ten years. They have landing/feeding spots/branches/perches and cage and make a considerable mess which I sweep up with small handbrush two/three times a day. Confined to living room but I carry dust and seeds/husks from room to room. Breathing difficulties have worsened over the past two years and recently noticed that during working hours I do not have to use my inhaler but once home in the evening after an hour breathing becomes difficult (even whilst resting) and the blue inhaler does not relieve this no matter how many times I use it. Weekends are very difficult and have had at least three episodes during the past six months (usually Sundays) where I have had breathing difficulties so severe that I have been unable to sleep for up to three hours and the only relief is by kneeling on the bed with head lower than body. At a recent visit to GP an examination of lungs found “crackling” and x-ray taken. Assume this was clear but see below. Out of desperation and because of information below I have bought Piriton to see if his will make any difference (although the research does not suggest this I assumed if this is an allergy then Piriton may relieve some of the symptoms). If necessary I will rehome the birds but only if the condition is confirmed. Research suggests (copied from the internet and the comments are not made to me personally but others asking questions): A blood test (IGG antibodies) is available to check for antibodies to avian proteins which is suggestive of the disease and to see if the birds are the cause. Budgerigars are a much commoner cause of the disease. X-ray is not a sensitive test Bird fanciers lung causes breathlessness, but not often wheeze. The disease is diagnosed by history (feeling better when away from the bird for several days), by finding crackling noises when listening to the lung with a stethoscope, and finding reduced breathing tests (particularly gas transfer, DLCO, usually only available in hospital labs). The chest x ray may be abnormal, but is often normal. Blood tests (precipitins) can look for antibodies to avian serum (or droppings). Tests for budgerigar or pigeon will usually be sufficient. A positive test is found in exposed people who can have no disease as well as those with bird fanciers lung. The stronger the antibodies the more likely they are to represent disease. A IGG positive test does not mean that birds are definitely the cause of the problem but makes it more likely and further tests are needed. The CT scan usually shown changes of alveolitis when the bird is the cause, the signs can be quite subtle, such as areas of darker and paler lung (mosaic attenuation), or small nodules (many not one) or ground glass opacities, it would be worth somebody having a specific look at your CT for signs of bird fanciers lung. The lung function changes of emphysema and bird fanciers lung can be similar, both can cause low FEV1 and FVC, both a low gas transfer (DLCO) but emphysema should make the lungs bigger (high total lung capacity and high residual volume) and bird fanciers lung lower. If you have both the total lung capacity (and residual volume) will not be as high as expected for pure emphysema. If the diagnosis is still in doubt it may be worth doing a bronchoscopy with lavage of saline into your lung and a count of the cells retrieved, bird fanciers lung causes an increase in lymphocytes (this needs to be done in an area of lung without emphysema, as it is difficult to get the saline back from emphysematous areas). If you have emphysema it is likely you were (or are) a smoker. Bird fanciers lung is actually more common in non-smokers. If you have recently given up smoking this may precipitate bird fanciers lung which was being supressed by smoking. The main source of allergen from a bird is the bloom on its feathers. This is often higher on well kept birds and is not removed easily with cage cleaning. Bird fanciers lung is an allergy and not an infection, so will not respond to antibiotics as such. One group of antibiotics (the macrolides) also work to reduce inflammation in a lower dose than needed as an antibiotic; they might account for some benefit in bird fanciers lung. Finally a high resolution CT scan will separate the diseases. As you are better away from your house it does suggest that there is something there that is making you worse. It is best to remove birds completely. Separate rooms and air filters are not a satisfactory alternative. Particles from the bird may stay in your house for months after removing a bird, but you should notice improvement within a few weeks. It would be best to have regular breathing tests during this time to make sure that improvement is properly documented.
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Jun 11, 2015 11:53:05 GMT
bud07
Normal Green
Posts: 283
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Post by bud07 on Nov 3, 2015 22:38:16 GMT
My mum told me about this, after having my budgies over 6 months, my children have asthma and I panicked, but they seem fine with there inhalers, so does this happen over time? Its not an instant illness?
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Post by ffiscool on Nov 3, 2015 23:04:15 GMT
I am definitely affected, when I already have a cold/cough, when I am with Bailey. Luckily, not too badly.
It's very hard and such a shame, that this can cause so many issues. My doc said try piriton, not because of Bailey,as he doesn't know about him, but acts as a decongestant as reduces nasal passages swelling. I cannot take decongestants as I have high BP
it was interesting
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Post by OP on Nov 4, 2015 8:38:05 GMT
That is a very detailed and informative post suzyc1954. The thing that struck me was in your opening statement I amongst a few other members have COPD in one form or another. Now I house three budgies and on most days they are allowed to come and go at will from the cage. Not free flyers as yours are. Whilst it appears that you will not be cured of your disease maybe if you trained your budgies to accept the cage as their domain and not the entire room, would this help your situation? I know that my condition is not exasperated by keeping these three budgies. A admire your efforts to re-home the birds but I feel you may be able to help yourself and the birds at the same time. Of course it will take time to clear the room of the offending dander and droppings, but with persistence and using protective breathing apparatus (face mask) could you remove most, if not all the lung irritants ?
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Nov 11, 2011 16:30:39 GMT
suzyc1954
Brand New Budgie
Posts: 53
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Post by suzyc1954 on Nov 6, 2015 16:43:04 GMT
Hi Colin - Thanks for you message. The only way to prevent the condition is by removing the birds altogether and even then you may still suffer from breathlessness for a while as the allergens are still deposited. I keep their living area (my living room) clean and sweep up at least twice a day. Keeping them in the cage would not stop the allergens as birds continually preen and that is where the "dust" from their skin settles. They fly free because each time I take a step towards the cage they bolt out. The only way I would be able to keep them in the cage is if I turn all the lights out and close the gate. I have started to use piritin to see if this will help as the reaction is an allergy - this weekend will tell whether this works or not and I seeing my GP on 18th to request a blood test. Will keep you updated.
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Post by Marianne Marlow on Nov 6, 2015 16:47:42 GMT
The anti-histamine I use is called Fexofenadine, it definitely helps me a lot.
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