Fitness

I know this topic has been brought up numerous times, and I've read through many of the past threads and have found all kinds of varying opinions on the subject, but I'm going to ask my questions anyways.

Does anybody have experience with the one-a-day type pills for asthma? I'm thinking of switching over to them.

Does anybody know of any good outdoor activities to do that won't cause too much of a flare-up? I have a lot of wooded trails around my house and like to hike on those. Just wondering if any of you know a way to get more than just a hike while not upsetting my lungs.

I also have sports asthma but I do not want to take the pills. I use an abutrol inhaler. I take 2 pumps before a work out. For me this works and it is very safe. My doctor doesn't have asthma but he uses it before his exercises.

I find my inhaler doesn't quite do the trick or last long enough for when I'm exercising. Out of curiousity, why do you not want to take the pills?

Mine is very mild (doesn't feel like it with an attack), so I've been able to condition myself out of it but I feel it when I take a break of a week or more.

Is it possible that you have some allergies complicating things?  I know that for me I'm essentially allergic to the air in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, when I go to either place I start taking Claratin a few days before and it helps tremendously.

I used to be allergic to everything, but most of my allergies don't bother me nearly as much any more. I think I conditioned myself out of those by subjecting myself to all of them at once for extended periods of time (a girl who's allergic to hay, horses, cats, dust, dust mites, etc. shouldn't spend as much time working at horse farms as I have :P). I haven't had any allergy problems in years, and haven't noticed any symptoms popping up lately.

My asthma is something I haven't been able to condition myself out of though. I've just gotten better at ignoring the fact that I can't breathe. When I do take my puffer it doesn't help, although that could be due to the fact that it is expired (thus the Dr. appointment...)

according to doctors i've talked to, exercised-induced asthma isn't really asthma at all, so i doubt that daily asthma meds are indicated. 

i use my inhaler (salbutamol) before i go for a run (about 5 minutes before, then again just before i go).  some days i forget, and unless the air is very dry, i still do okay.  it doesn't hold me back at all, and the more fit i get, the less it's an issue.

(and aimee-grump - my inhaler expired in feb '07; it still works)

My dear aimee-grump... please don't ignore your asthma.  Life can be so much better for you.  I too started out with exercise induced asthma and then it got worse from allergies and then I spiraled into serious sinous infections because of the allergies that made my asthma become totally out of control.   You don't want to get to that point where they have to put you on steroids.  NOT PRETTY.  Sorry pgeorgian but exercise induced asthma is real and I take it you have never had the treadmill test to prove it. But I agree the more fit you become the easier it is to control.  Aimee, you might need to to go to more advanced medication.. Advair is what is working for me.  I have been able to back way down on my use of albuterol, which makes my heart rate work more effectively and I am able to run faster and my calorie burn is better. 

PS/  Doctor recommended for effective use of albuterol ... 20 minutes before exercise and make sure to rinse your mouth and drink some water immediatley after.  Absorbition into the tongue can raise the heart rate quite a bit causing all together another problem.  Sorry to be so long winded, it is just that this very subject almost ruined my life  Good Luck

My asthma has significantly improved over time, but when it was at its worst (and still triggered primarily by exercise), I needed Singulair (the pill) AND Flovent (daily use) AND to use my MaxAir Autohaler (which is pirbuteral) 15 minutes before exercising.  Otherwise, I never would have been able to breathe well enough to support my running habit.  I will say that one of the keys for me has been to use the "rescue" inhaler before I exercise.  I also need to warm up and to cool down longer than non-asthmatic people...  I usually walk at least 3-4 minutes before beginning to run.  With a good warmup, any asthma problems I encounter typically occur after I'm done exercising, rather than shortly after I've begun.

In my experience, the pill works very well for allergies but not well at all for asthma.  This is obviously just me, and different people are going to have different reactions.  For example, I can't take Advair because it spikes my blood pressure and gives me an irregular heartrate.

If you find the right treatment to allow you to participate in regular aerobic activity, your asthma should improve significantly.  Then it'll be far easier to cut out the meds.

Don't talk to us about these things--talk to a good asthma specialist (preferably one who likes sports and for asthmatic people to participate in them).  Good luck!

Original Post by betzc:

Sorry pgeorgian but exercise induced asthma is real and I take it you have never had the treadmill test to prove it.

i didn't say it's not real.  i wouldn't be using an inhaler if i didn't believe it was real.

Original Post by pgeorgian:

according to doctors i've talked to, exercised-induced asthma isn't really asthma at all, so i doubt that daily asthma meds are indicated. 

I've heard this too--similar to asthma, but not actually asthma.

I think the problem is that you can have asthma but only experience its symptoms when you are exercising, and thus think it's EIA (possibly despite the words your doctors actually choose to use).  This was certainly the case for me until I got Flu B one year (the off-strain) and ended up in the pulmonary unit of the ER getting IV steroids plus breathing treatments.  Even then, it took the doctor telling me, "You have asthma, not just exercise-induced asthma, and we need to get it better controlled" for me to understand.

To further complicate things, it seems the medications are sometimes the same for asthma and EIA.

It's probably helpful to figure out which it is in order to get the most appropriate treatment.  If they are different, then Singulair may be useless.

I always thought the reason to swish after using the inhaler was to avoid thrush.  Interesting.

yeah, megsambit, i agree that aimee needs to talk to a good doctor.  the thing is, daily asthma meds are aimed at preventing attacks, and some of them have pretty serious potential side effects.  if asthma symptoms are reasonably predictable, it doesn't make much sense to take a potentially-harmful daily med.

lung problems can be cumulative, no doubt.  i had very severe allergies when i was a kid that have abated over the years, but i've also had pneumonia twice as an adult (the first time i neglected it and was sick for months). 

but absolutely the best thing i've done for my lung function is to get fit.  and with EID, often the adrenaline from the exercise itself is sufficient to relieve symptoms.

Original Post by aimee-grump:

I find my inhaler doesn't quite do the trick or last long enough for when I'm exercising. Out of curiousity, why do you not want to take the pills?

 I'm not a fan of pills.

I've had asthma for 30 years or so.  Asthma has many triggers and they vary by individual, for me its allergies and sometimes excercise.  I don't use a pill, I use Advair, whcih is an inhaled powder (like one of the other posters) and abuterol.  Advair and the pills are medicines that control the asthma and are used daily for maintenance.  Albuterol is used to reduce the symptoms of a flare up.  It essentially dialtes the air-passages that have constricted (causing the attack). So using albuterol is not really preventative, and won't prevent EIA, it just dialates things so you don't notice the flare up as much.  I only use albuterol pre-work out if I am already feeling a little shortness of breath.

The daily maintenance medicines are preventative and help keep the symptoms from apprearing when your triggers occur.  Advair for me, pills for others.  It depends on what your doctor recommends.  Like the other poster, when I keep up with the Advair, I almost never need albuterol.