Respiratory acidosis

[luvdanet]

I just had a blood test and there were a few anomalies that I believe are a result of my scoliosis. I don't know what my curve measures as I have not been to an ortho in a billion years. I am 56, was diagnosed with scoliosis at age 12 monitored every 6 months until I went into a Milwaukee brace at age 15 to 17. For most of my life I have been active and a symptomatic until my late 30s/early 40s. Nothing depilitating, just some discomfort increasing over the years that progresses to pain in my lower back and hip area. My left leg is longer than my right. My hips are misaligned and I have a just perceptible bulge in my lower right back. I practice yoga, get sports massage and see a chiropractor. All this helps, however, the anomalies in my blood work has me concerned.

In particular, the condition known as respiratory acidosis worries me. I did some googling and there are several causes and one is scoliosis. I have noticed a general decrease in lung capacity. Wondering if anyone else has any experience with respiratory acidosis. Please share and thanks for listening.

[Jimbo]

Respiratory acidosis could be caused by a thoracic curve pushing against the lung/s and decreasing ventilation and increasing your arterial co2 levels. You should really really really go see your dr and get an xray. If there is a curve presesnt get a spine specialist to measure the curve. Your chiropractor may be able to do this, but an orthapaedic surgeon would be preferable.
Don't delay, your health should take priority over everyting else.

Take care

[The Slice]

Luvdanet, I may be able to help a little bit here. You say you are 56, are, or were you a smoker? Is your BMI in the average range or is it very high? BMI is weight divided by height squared times 703 (US). Metric is weight divided by w What were the values on the rest of the blood gas? If they drew venous blood instead of arterial blood, it would show a high CO2 and a very low O2. There are many things that can cause a respiratory acidosis. The first thing is that it could be a compensatory acidosis (secondary) in response to a metabolic alkalosis (primary). It gets complicated. Restrictive and obstructive components can both cause a respiratory acidosis. I would suggest to you that you get a further work up with a pulmonologist to include a complete pulmonary function test, and perhaps another ABG (blood gas). They will also probably include a chest x-ray as well and that too along with your medical/lifestyle history will give you a huge clue as to what is going on. It's important to follow up on this to see what can or needs to be done to take care of it so that you minimize or eliminate the amount of disability that can come. Don't freak out, just take it one step at a time. The most common causes of restrictive disease, are the ones that make it difficult to get air in such as scoliosis, neuromuscular disease or paralysis, and extreme obesity. The most common example of obstructive disease is the COPD seen in long term smokers. What happens is that the elasticity in the lung tissue is lost and the lungs can't contract as they normally do. This leads to difficulty getting air out, which leads to a build up of CO2. Inhalation is an active process using the diaphragm and muscles of the ribcage. Exhalation is usually a passive process, except for those who have COPD where it then needs to be an active process.

[luvdanet]

respiratory acidosis

Thanks Slice,

I am not or ever was a smoker and am far from obese. I just had occassion to discuss my lab results with my primary MD and she has recommended that I see a pulmonologist and will be making a referral. My PFT results appear to indicate obstruction rather and than restriction which, according to her, is more usual for someone with scoliosis. At any rate, thanks to everyone for their input and I will be following up with a pulmonologist and beyond depending on the results of that consultation.

[The Slice]

I think that your primary MD may be mixed up. Deformation of the spine or rib cage would compress the heart and lungs and restrict their capacity thus the restrictive lung disease. Glad to hear about the non smoker. Another thought came to me and that is whether your parents or your spouse (if you have one) smoke(d). Not to scare you but I did a PFT (I used to be a respiratory therapist) on a young woman (19) who had the lungs of a 70 y/o man who had been smoking 2 packs a day for 50 years. Now there was much more to that as she started smoking when she was about 10 y/o and lived in a large extended family all of whom smoked "like chimneys". I point that out only because some people still don't believe that second hand smoke can hurt others. Another was a much older woman who didn't smoke, but whose husband, who was a WWII vet, did. The COPD was there, but if I remember correctly, was in the mild - moderate range in terms of severity. Hang in there.

[Karen Ocker]

respiratory acidosis/reduced lung capacity from scoliosis

I lost lung tissue from scoliosis and even though my surgery was a great success, and I have no pain, my lung capacity has been permanently affected-though improved. Because I had my chest deformity for so long, and in order to do my revision surgery a chest incision was necessary--this itself also affects respiratory function. However, I now live a normal life and even hike in the Alps.


I strongly suggest you see an adult scoliosis specialist and see what can be done. It only gets worse. Wasting time can worsen the respiratory function to the point where surgery can no longer be done because anesthesia can no longer be tolerated.

This advice was given to me by a person who waited too long to address her scoliosis in her 50s. She now needs oxygen 24/7. She did go to pulmonologists but they just gave her inhalers while her chest collapsed.

Forget about chiros and PT. Walking helped me keep as fit as possible but, even that, I noticed, did not stop my pulmonary deterioration.