Asthma can suck it!

[jordanpattern]

I just had a bad asthma attack on ride home from work. Though I'm fairly new to cycling, I'm in pretty decent shape, and my ride home is pretty much all down hill, so I was surprised. I had to pull over, put my head down, take my inhaler, and wait until I could breathe again before resuming. It was embarrassing and crappy!

Are there any other asthmatics out there who ride? How do you deal with it, particularly on longer rides? Any tips or tricks? I'm going to be seeing a doctor this week, and I'll probably have to suck it up and start paying outrageous prices for Advair or Symbicort again, but if there's anything else I can be doing, I'd love to hear it.

Thanks!

[zoom-zoom]

I didn't like Advair...I had back to back thrush infections for over a year, no matter how much I rinsed and gargled after use. Horrible. My doctor switched me to Qvar and I much prefer it. Price is about the same, but I can use it with a spacer device and have not had any issues with thrush in the year+ that I've been on it. I think it actually works better, too, since it's actually getting into my lungs and not on the back of my throat.

I couldn't do jack without my long-acting meds. Now I only use the rescue inhaler here and there. I'm definitely using it more, now, though...dumb seasonal allergy issues.

[emily_in_nc]

There are a ton of folks with asthma who ride, including me, but many of us are lucky to have mild cases. I haven't had an asthma attack in years, but I do wheeze/cough at night if exposed to allergens. I use albuterol before rides on which I expect a lot of pollen or other air issues, but generally don't need it. I used to use Advair daily as a preventative, but really didn't think it helped much, and it is $$$. Once I found out that it could predispose to osteoporosis, I stopped taking it.

Good luck in sorting out your issues. There should definitely be a way for you to manage your asthma so that you'll be able to ride and not have asthma attacks.

[jordanpattern]

Thanks, guys.

I didn't know that about Advair and osteoperosis. I am a small, tiny-boned person with osteoperosis in my family, so I will be sure to ask my doctor about that. If it comes down to it, I'll choose to breathe over concerns about my bones, but it's good to know that I should be looking for alternatives!

I was hoping that getting active would have helped my asthma, but it appears that it's triggering it instead. Can't win 'em all, I guess.

[Pedal Wench]

>>> My doctor switched me to Qvar and I much prefer it. <<<<

I'm on Qvar too. And Foradil on days I'm exercising. With the meds, I'm usually fine, although cold, dry air can cause an attack, or dry air at altitude.

That being said, I don't let it stop me. I'm an endurance rider - don't warm up until 70 miles, and just keep going after that. I also ride all winter since my big race is in February.

Two tricks is to try to warm up for a while, and try to limit how much cold air you're inhaling - I cover my mouth with a buff if it's below 40 degrees until I'm very well warmed up - 20 miles or so. I've also heard that caffeine helps, so a cup of coffee before a ride and most of my drink mixes have caffeine.

[Pedal Wench]

There are a ton of folks with asthma who ride, including me, but many of us are lucky to have mild cases. I haven't had an asthma attack in years, but I do wheeze/cough at night if exposed to allergens. I use albuterol before rides on which I expect a lot of pollen or other air issues, but generally don't need it. I used to use Advair daily as a preventative, but really didn't think it helped much, and it is $$$. Once I found out that it could predispose to osteoporosis, I stopped taking it.

Good luck in sorting out your issues. There should definitely be a way for you to manage your asthma so that you'll be able to ride and not have asthma attacks.

Emily, one other thing to consider though - one of my doctors said that studies are finding the people who left their asthma untreated were more prone to emphysema late in life (in their 80's.)

[jordanpattern]

I'm on Qvar too. And Foradil on days I'm exercising. With the meds, I'm usually fine, although cold, dry air can cause an attack, or dry air at altitude.

That being said, I don't let it stop me. I'm an endurance rider - don't warm up until 70 miles, and just keep going after that. I also ride all winter since my big race is in February.

Two tricks is to try to warm up for a while, and try to limit how much cold air you're inhaling - I cover my mouth with a buff if it's below 40 degrees until I'm very well warmed up - 20 miles or so. I've also heard that caffeine helps, so a cup of coffee before a ride and most of my drink mixes have caffeine.

It's good to know that if I just stump up for the meds, I will (hopefully) be fine. I suppose that makes it worth it.

Pedal Wench, I live in San Francisco, so neither cold nor altitude is ever a problem for me. I will try to warm up more, though. It seems silly doing a warm up for my 3.5 mile commute, but if it prevents me having to stop, then I'm all for it!

[Tri Girl]

I haven't heard of Qvar. I just had my yearly appt with my allergist. I need to call and ask about that.

I have severe asthma. I would not be able to function without Advair. It has literally given me my life back. It's expensive, but thankfully my insurance covers a great deal of the cost and makes it very affordable for me. I don't know how people without insurance can pay for it. :eek:
I have no less than 7 inhalers around the house. One in each of my 3 bike bags, one in my running camelbak, one in my swim bag, one in the car, and one in my purse. I don't need them often, but they have to be nearby in case of emergency.

These seasonal allergies just kill me- even with all the good meds.

I don't have any tips- just wanted you to know you're not alone.
Breathing is kinda important... ;)

[ny biker]

I take Pulmicort. It generally works for me, although some hills still make me need albuterol. Also I need to go slow on steep hills. Otherwise the asthma does not hold me back.

A few months ago my doctor suggested I cut the Pulmicort dosage to see if I could get by taking it only once per day. After a few weeks I started having symptoms. Twenty minutes of shoveling snow made me wheeze, whereas I could literally shovel snow for 5 hours without problems last winter. I'm back up to the previous dosage now.

Also, I took Advair for a couple of years, but my doctor switched me to Pulmicort because it's safer to take a single-ingredient drug if it manages your symptoms effectively.

[Catrin]

I have asthma but cannot take any of the assorted inhalers available outside of my rescue inhaler. I have HUGE side-effects to all of that stuff...makes me look, sound and feel like I have emphysema. It is bad...

Without all of that stuff my asthma is mild and rarely acts up unless my cat allergies act up or if I get a sinus infection - then it can get very bad. Cold air tends to aggravate it as well - so I have to be careful when I ride when temps are in the 30's. Last year no matter how hot it got I didn't have a problem, we will see what happens this year.

My doctor doesn't like my not taking any of those other medications - but it all appears to do the opposite of what it is supposed to :o

[OakLeaf]

My asthma is very mild and 100% allergic, but Singulair has been just wonderful for me.

Another trick (that you probably already know) is that when your chest gets tight, focus on the exhale and use your accessory muscles to force air out. Asthma actually prevents you from exhaling fully - the reason you feel like you can't inhale is that your lungs are already full of spent air. That won't help in a full-on asthma attack, obviously.

Good luck - hope you get it sorted.

[zoom-zoom]

My doctor doesn't like my not taking any of those other medications - but it all appears to do the opposite of what it is supposed to :o

Catrin, if you haven't tried Qvar, I definitely recommend it...what you just said sums up my experience on Advair. In addition to the thrush I was hoarse, had a constant sore throat, and it beat my immune system to a pulp...I was coming down with every little bug and started feeling like a hypochondriac. Other people even started to comment about how often I was sick. As soon as I got off of Advair and onto Qvar I was fine.

A few months into Qvar our stupid mail order pharmacy messed-up and didn't send my refills on time. In a pinch I opened a remaining pack of Advair I had. Within 3-4 days of starting back on that I had a thrush outbreak and a cold (and some severe anger towards the mail pharmacy, for sure). No coincidence, there.

[zoom-zoom]

My asthma is very mild and 100% allergic, but Singulair has been just wonderful for me.

I wish that med would have worked for me. I've heard that it works wonders for about a third of people who try it. Another third have it do some good, and the remaining third find it does nothing. I was one of the unfortunate people who had luck with it. I love the idea of just taking 1 pill to help with asthma and allergies, though.

[Miranda]

Hmm, I'm curious about the Qvar as well. Might hafta check into that.

I finally gave up on my Advair as well due to the negative effect on my vocal cords...

I'm a fitness instructor and not having my voice to cue class properly just suxed. Plus it didn't feel so great. I tried the powder and inhailer forms. And got the mouth sores from the powder also. Yep, tried rinsing, brushing teeth, eating, anything... nuthin helped. I am def worse off without it:(. Dunno how that's gonna go with outdoors blooming like crazy. I'm coughing on the mic part of teaching class too.

Simbicort made me too heart racey. My DD takes Pulmacort. Worked well for years for her. Don't think the Singular helped too much.

OK.... OP... do you take your rescue inhailer at least 15mins before you begin to ride / exercise for cardio? :confused:

That's part of my asthma action plan. If I don't do that, I'm totally screwed. Yikes, I still got a problem teaching sprints in spin class the other day. It was lil scary. Especially when I had to keep on working to teach the full house of students, ugh.

Just remember... your disease should / does not define your life... keep searching until you get a solution... where there is a will, there is a way.

:)Good Luck!

[Eden]

I wish that med would have worked for me. I've heard that it works wonders for about a third of people who try it. Another third have it do some good, and the remaining third find it does nothing. I was one of the unfortunate people who had luck with it. I love the idea of just taking 1 pill to help with asthma and allergies, though.

In the lucky third.... I do not have asthma, but I do have seasonal allergies, which plain old anti-histamines don't really touch - I get all the side effects and none of the relief from stuff like Claratin. Singulair together with Allegra, works great for me. The Oto doc I work for tells me it was really a failure for asthma though....

[lauraelmore1033]

I take Flovent Morning and night and ProAir (used to be Albuterol) for attacks. If I don't take the proair before a ride, I WILL have an attack, and that's a fact!

[ehirsch83]

Great topic!
I have asthma and am having huge issues right now. 2nd time this year I have had bronchitis, as a result of a sinus infection. This is week 2 of the horrific never ending cough and lunge tightness and it has taken me pretty much off the bike and put a huge dent in my race season. I am on Advair and my regular inhaler, but don't feel a difference. I took last week fully off the bike b/c with the sinus infection I also had a fever and was trying not to have it drop into my chest, but that didn't help. I have ridden easy this week and just want to be able to breathe again!

I can ride easy or just below tempo and be ok, but anything with speed and accelerations(so group rides and races) my lunges pretty much shut down and i fall right off the field.

Good timing with this, definitely going to try to get some of my medications changed.

[jordanpattern]

I usually remember to take my albuterol before exercise, but it worries me that a very light ride would give me an attack. Like I said, my commute home is short and mostly downhill. I suppose I will have to start taking the albuterol before any exercise at all, even the easy stuff.

As far as meds, my favorite of all time has been symbicort, and I think I will try to go back on that instead of advair. I'd tried pulmicort, and it didn't do anything for me; it appears I need the combo inhalers. When I first tried symbicort, after my asthma had taken a major turn for the worse about 3 years ago, it was amazing. I suddenly felt like a normal, breathing person again. I guess that feeling is worth the $216 it costs every months...

Thanks again for all the comisseration and suggestions and advice! It's nice to have some other options to check out and things to ask my doctor about.

[Becky]

I'm in a similar boat as Eden and Oak...mild asthma that's allergy-triggered. Singulair, in combination with an antihistamine, resolved my symptoms without resorting to heavy duty asthma meds or allergy shots.

[Tri Girl]

II guess that feeling is worth the $216 it costs every months...



Advair is $216 A MONTH????? Holy cow!!!:eek:
I pay $40 a month for it. I had NO idea it was so expensive without insurance. :eek: :eek: I'm extra thankful for my insurance now. Holy moly- how in the world do people afford that???? Insanity!!!

[ehirsch83]

My Advair was just $240 and I don't feel like it is doing anything :( My insurance only covered $40!!

[nscrbug]

I'm on Advair...used to take Singular as well, but have since stopped taking it because it did nothing for me. I am interested in this Qvar, however...and the next time I see my doc, I plan on asking him if I could try it. My Advair is covered by my insurance (thankfully)...I pay $90 for a 3 month supply, which is awesome. My asthma has been very well-controlled using the Advair (I've been on it since it hit the market years ago). But the combination of cold air and hills will often provoke a mild attack, so on cold rides I always carry my ProAir inhaler. Which brings me to a question for those that use the ProAir inhaler...do you find that you have to pump it several times before you get anything to come out? I do have a "spacer" that I'll use when I'm at home, but even with the spacer it feels like nothing comes out unless I press down the canister like 3 or 4 times. Anyone else experience this? I never had this problem with my Ventolin inhaler...but I can't seem to get my doc to write the script for a non-generic inhaler, so when I get it filled at Walgreens they always end up giving me the ProAir one...which sucks.

[emily_in_nc]

Emily, one other thing to consider though - one of my doctors said that studies are finding the people who left their asthma untreated were more prone to emphysema late in life (in their 80's.)

Emphysema? Isn't that something only smokers get? Yikes!

In my case, though, my doctor totally agrees with and supports my decision not to use Advair. I went on it only because I asked her if I could try it to see if it helped with my breathing on the hills -- I felt I was struggling more than my bike club peers (this was in my go-fast mega mile days). I haven't had an asthma attack in decades but felt like I wasn't performing as well as my peers in the bike club. However, it didn't help much and did have side effects. Most of the folks posting on this thread have much more severe asthma than mine, which is classified "mild, intermittent".

I only use one rescue inhaler a YEAR; my asthma is that mild. They expire before I can use them up. I also tried Singulair, but it didn't help either and gave me the runs.

[zoom-zoom]

Emily, one other thing to consider though - one of my doctors said that studies are finding the people who left their asthma untreated were more prone to emphysema late in life (in their 80's.)

I think this is true. I know I've been told that untreated or poorly treated asthma actually causes permanent lung damage. A lot of people minimize the severity of asthma (same people who think the flu is just a bad cold, perhaps...flu lands me in urgent care on a nebulizer), but it's serious and scary.

[zoom-zoom]

Which brings me to a question for those that use the ProAir inhaler...do you find that you have to pump it several times before you get anything to come out? I do have a "spacer" that I'll use when I'm at home, but even with the spacer it feels like nothing comes out unless I press down the canister like 3 or 4 times. Anyone else experience this? I never had this problem with my Ventolin inhaler...but I can't seem to get my doc to write the script for a non-generic inhaler, so when I get it filled at Walgreens they always end up giving me the ProAir one...which sucks.

I find that my Pro-Air inhaler gets clogged VERY fast. I am forever rinsing the mouthpiece out with hot water. I never had this issue with the old CFC propellant albuterol. Those also worked a lot better for me...I'm not alone. There are a LOT of people very unhappy with the new ozone-friendly inhalers. What ticks me off is that the new propellant meant that albuterol rescue inhalers fall under a new patent and are no longer cheap. So instead of $5 I now pay $40...for the same friggin' drug, only the new delivery method doesn't work as well, so I have to refill it more often, because it takes 2-3 puffs (or depressing it, only to have the spray blocked by a clogged mouthpiece) when the old ones worked in 1-2. It's a racket. :mad:

[Tri Girl]

do you find that you have to pump it several times before you get anything to come out?

YES! Although I prefer the "taste" of the ProAir to the albuterol inhaler (the others leave an awful taste in my mouth), I sometimes have trouble getting the meds out. Some are OK, some are terrible- it's like luck of the draw on getting a good pumping one. I guess that's why I have 7 lying around in various places- one is BOUND to work. :rolleyes:

And what a great price on your Advair! I never thought of the mail-in pharmacy, but I should look into that.

I'm supposed to use my Advair twice a day, but only use it once in the morning. When I notice that I'm having more difficulty with breathing, I'll go back to twice a day until I feel better.
I'm still very curious about the Qvar...

[ny biker]

My grandmother had asthma. She eventually developed emphysema. She never smoked.

My father also has asthma. Although his lung function has decreased over time, medication has enabled him to be much more active than my grandmother was at the same age.

[Becky]

My allergist recommends washing the plastic part of the new HFA inhalers at least once a week to prevent clogging. I save the old ones each time I refill so I always have a clean, dry one handy....makes cleaning less of a pain.

[Crankin]

My asthma is mild and I barely use my Albuterol. But, yes! I noticed the change when they switched to the new type of inhaler. I barely can get the stuff out. Since I usually only use one inhaler a year, I deal with it.
My asthma got better when 1) I moved away from AZ 2) My stress levels went down, and 3) better allergy control and exercising outside.
I try to be conservative when riding in the cold, by keeping my mouth closed and warming up for a *long* time. But x country skiing doesn't seem to trigger it.
Since I stopped teaching, I also get much less of the "bronchitis---asthma---really sick" thing. This year I had one sinus infection. I did have to go on antibiotics, but it didn't go into my chest. I go to the doctor right away when I feel it starting, because it can go either way.
I used Advair for a very short time. I am glad I stopped, since I now have osteoporosis (which is getting better from medication). I am sure some of the steroid treatment I had for asthma contributed to my already genetically weakened bones! So, I have a good reason to keep my asthma under control. I don't want to have to use any steroids.

[OakLeaf]

Just as a side note, another plug for black elderberry extract for upper respiratory infections.

I didn't try the stuff for a good three years after I first heard about it, because I just couldn't believe the claims people made for it. Now, I'm an evangelist and I'm kicking myself for all the time I spent suffering with colds and bronchitis because I wouldn't take it.

I haven't had bronchitis since I started using black elderberry every time I catch a cold - and I used to get it almost every time. Colds and flu resolve much more quickly than they used to - and often, I can just not catch something if I feel I'm on the edge of getting sick, but get on the black elderberry right away. I had the flu last month with a bad cough - cedar pollen was through the roof, compounding the respiratory irritation - but with black elderberry, I had a fever for only two days and never got bronchitis.

Seriously, try it.

[emily_in_nc]

My asthma is mild and I barely use my Albuterol. But, yes! I noticed the change when they switched to the new type of inhaler. I barely can get the stuff out. Since I usually only use one inhaler a year, I deal with it.

My experience also. The new ones are more expensive and you get less. :mad:

[emily_in_nc]

My grandmother had asthma. She eventually developed emphysema. She never smoked.

My father also has asthma. Although his lung function has decreased over time, medication has enabled him to be much more active than my grandmother was at the same age.

Point taken. However, all medications have side effects, particularly when taken long-term. I'd rather take the risk of not medicating my very mild asthma so long as I don't start having issues. My doctor, who is a runner and cyclist, agrees with this approach and thinks I am fine not medicating my asthma at this point. If I do start having any issues, then I will consider a control medication again. But it seems like overkill to take a pharmaceutical every day, when the side effects may well be worse than what it is curing in my case. Not so with folks with moderate to severe asthma. In their shoes, I'd be on whatever meds I needed to be on.

In my case, I can cycle and run and hike and use only one rescue inhaler a year, so I'm not that concerned. I am incredibly healthy compared to most people I know. I have had one cold since 2007, and no bronchitis or sinus infections. My most common asthma trigger is cats, but since I am rarely around them except when I visit my mother (infrequent), it's something I can deal with. I take Claritin in advance of cat encounters and use my inhaler as needed.

[SuperRunt]

I have very severe asthma and allergies, but stubbornly keep running and biking. I have a few tips, take'em or leave'em :-)

If you take Symbicort and/or Singulair: Go to their websites and download a pdf of their coupons. I get a big discount on the Symbicort and a smaller one on the Singulair. (Not sure how they work if you don't have insurance...)

If you have not looked into vocal cord dysfunction: Please do! Especially if you have a lot of post nasal drip. Breathing through pursed lips and swallowing 'just so' every now and then can make a big difference! And it's free.

If you take Xolair, you should look them up online. Give their patient line a ring. They might be able to hook you up with some financial help.

If you're located somewhere reasonably close to Denver (it's worth a short flight!), check out National Jewish Hospital and their Lung Line. Unfortunately, I'm in the 'please wait for further research category', but they were still able to help me out a LOT.

Hope this can help someone....

[jordanpattern]

I have very severe asthma and allergies, but stubbornly keep running and biking. I have a few tips, take'em or leave'em :-)

If you take Symbicort and/or Singulair: Go to their websites and download a pdf of their coupons. I get a big discount on the Symbicort and a smaller one on the Singulair. (Not sure how they work if you don't have insurance...)

If you have not looked into vocal cord dysfunction: Please do! Especially if you have a lot of post nasal drip. Breathing through pursed lips and swallowing 'just so' every now and then can make a big difference! And it's free.

If you take Xolair, you should look them up online. Give their patient line a ring. They might be able to hook you up with some financial help.

If you're located somewhere reasonably close to Denver (it's worth a short flight!), check out National Jewish Hospital and their Lung Line. Unfortunately, I'm in the 'please wait for further research category', but they were still able to help me out a LOT.

Hope this can help someone....

Thanks for this, especially the tip about the symbicort website. I just went and signed up, so I can print off the discount card on Monday and hopefully get my first prescription for free (fingers crossed).

I saw my doctor on Friday, and yes indeed, my lung function is not good! The clinic was able to give me 3 weeks worth of Advair samples, which was really nice, and then I'll be saving my pennies to buy symbicort every month, which should take care of my problem if it works the way it did last time I was on it.

I will definitely try the pursed lips thing, and I'm also hoping that getting back into playing french horn (I was a music major who has since moved into other fields) and doing yoga will also help me regain some of the control I used to have over my asthma.

[jordanpattern]

I have very severe asthma and allergies, but stubbornly keep running and biking. I have a few tips, take'em or leave'em :-)

If you take Symbicort and/or Singulair: Go to their websites and download a pdf of their coupons. I get a big discount on the Symbicort and a smaller one on the Singulair. (Not sure how they work if you don't have insurance...)

If you have not looked into vocal cord dysfunction: Please do! Especially if you have a lot of post nasal drip. Breathing through pursed lips and swallowing 'just so' every now and then can make a big difference! And it's free.

If you take Xolair, you should look them up online. Give their patient line a ring. They might be able to hook you up with some financial help.

If you're located somewhere reasonably close to Denver (it's worth a short flight!), check out National Jewish Hospital and their Lung Line. Unfortunately, I'm in the 'please wait for further research category', but they were still able to help me out a LOT.

Hope this can help someone....

Thanks for this, especially the tip about the symbicort website. I just went and signed up, so I can print off the discount card on Monday and hopefully get my first prescription for free (fingers crossed).

I saw my doctor on Friday, and yes indeed, my lung function is not good! The clinic was able to give me 3 weeks worth of Advair samples, which was really nice, and then I'll be saving my pennies to buy symbicort every month, which should take care of my problem if it works the way it did last time I was on it.

I will definitely try the pursed lips thing, and I'm also hoping that getting back into playing french horn (I was a music major who has since moved into other fields) and doing yoga will also help me regain some of the control I used to have over my asthma.

[ehirsch83]

Hope everyone is doing better!

I ended up having to go to urgent care Thursday after work b/c I wasn't getting any better. Received a Nebulizer treatment and a steroid injection. Now on prednisone. So far, still coughing and the bronchitis is still there, but it is getting better slowly! Taking another week off of training:( There goes this race year probably, oh well.

[zoom-zoom]

Emily, I am really sorry. These lung issues just really suck. I am no stranger to the nebulizer. It's why the flu scares the crap out of me. It's a guaranteed trip to urgent care. Be good to yourself. Don't push yourself too hard while your lungs are healing. They can be such a delicate organ.

[jordanpattern]

Emily, I'm sorry to hear about that. I hope your lungs feel better soon, and you're back to your usual breathing self!

Since seeing my doctor on Friday, I've been taking the Advair samples twice a day. It's not as great as I remember Symbicort being, but man, did I ever notice a difference when I rode to work today. I'd been thinking that I'd felt bonked by my commute because I wasn't used to it or something, but no, it just felt really hard because I wasn't breathing properly, so everything was working harder than it should have been. Now, it feels much, much easier, and the hills that had given me trouble (small ones!) are like nothing.

Man, that feels good.

[redrhodie]

Just as a side note, another plug for black elderberry extract for upper respiratory infections.

I didn't try the stuff for a good three years after I first heard about it, because I just couldn't believe the claims people made for it. Now, I'm an evangelist and I'm kicking myself for all the time I spent suffering with colds and bronchitis because I wouldn't take it.

I haven't had bronchitis since I started using black elderberry every time I catch a cold - and I used to get it almost every time. Colds and flu resolve much more quickly than they used to - and often, I can just not catch something if I feel I'm on the edge of getting sick, but get on the black elderberry right away. I had the flu last month with a bad cough - cedar pollen was through the roof, compounding the respiratory irritation - but with black elderberry, I had a fever for only two days and never got bronchitis.

Seriously, try it.

Dbf has a bad cold (sorry for the drift) so I'm going to get black elderberry extract (as much for me as for him, since I'm doomed). Can you recommend what kind you use? I assume I get this at the health food store?

[ehirsch83]

Emily, I am really sorry. These lung issues just really suck. I am no stranger to the nebulizer. It's why the flu scares the crap out of me. It's a guaranteed trip to urgent care. Be good to yourself. Don't push yourself too hard while your lungs are healing. They can be such a delicate organ.

Kirsten, it scares me also! lol. This all started because of a sinus infection. For me, a sinus infection= guaranteed bronchitis.

[OakLeaf]

Dbf has a bad cold (sorry for the drift) so I'm going to get black elderberry extract (as much for me as for him, since I'm doomed). Can you recommend what kind you use? I assume I get this at the health food store?

Any natural food store should have the Nature's Way brand Sambucus syrup. Not quite as easy to come by, but a better deal for your money, is the unsweetened Quantum Health brand in the dropper bottle. I've had good results with either one.

Jordanpattern, so glad you're feeling better - Emily, hope you feel better soon!

[zoom-zoom]

Kirsten, it scares me also! lol. This all started because of a sinus infection. For me, a sinus infection= guaranteed bronchitis.

Boy, do I ever get this! My lung/sinus issues all started with one bad bug maybe 12-13 years ago. DH and I both had some horrid combo of pneumonia, sinus infection, and bronchitis. We both ended up on a ton of meds. I have had fairly frequent upper and lower respiratory issues ever since.

[SuperRunt]

glad to help! I know WAY too much about this stuff by now :-D I get more relief from Symbicort than Advair. Hope it works out for you!

[Miranda]

OK, guys... I had my smart phone out in my asthma docs office pulling up this thread to find a name of a drug mentioned lol. How funny is that?! Wait, wait... I gotta input my cycling net buddies ops lol:p.

Omg, I am SO sick right now:(. Also, with doubling up my meds while waiting for my appointment, my blood pressure was high. Usually it's very low. I'm so looped out feeling. Whoa...

OK:rolleyes:, my point now that the drugs have had their moment babbling is about this Qvar. I have some samples of some stuff to try again from the doc. This being one of them. However, it's an inhailed steriod same concept as Advair. I think the particles in Qvar are suppose to be diff somehow compared to Advair. Idk, be nice if it didn't have the same side effects. Hafta wait and see. Have some other meds I am suppose to take first. But, just wanted to chime back in about the Qvar a few were commenting about.

I hate being so sick like this *sigh*:(.

[FlyingScot]

I've had the worst year ever with my asthma. Finally started on Symbicort twice a day which has helped but have had at least 6 bad attacks this winter. Had one at work last week that scared my coworkers because apparently my face turned purple. It has seriously impaired my riding because on top of it I found out in December that I am pretty anemic too. Really bad combo but certainly explains why I'm having so much trouble riding hills and into the wind. The bad thing is that I can't take iron supplements because they really messed up my GI system, I'm not that fond of red meat and after eating about 8 bags of spinach a week for the last 2 months my Hgb dropped another half a gram! With the weather warming up and cycling season here I'm apprehensive about riding because I don't want to have an attack and I get so pi$$ed at myself for my poor performance.

[zoom-zoom]

Miranda, I hope you feel better. Qvar has been a dream for me. I had EVERY negative side effect from Advair. Even relatively rare ones. Constant thrush and a crap immune system were the worst.

My understanding is that Qvar has very fine particles that reach further into the lungs. I think Advair mainly ended up on the back of my throat.

[angelaslc]

I have asthma - mostly exercise induced asthma. I use to get bronchitis about 6 times a year. They would put me on antibiotics and prednisone. Then my doctor told me I needed to take Advair. I still had to use Albuterol before exercise. I still caught several colds a year but I never bronchitis.

About 2 years ago I stopped taking Advair due to no insurance. I still had Albuterol and took it before exercise. 1 year ago I complained to my new doctor about the frequency of colds and she suggested taking 5,000 IU of vitamin D. I was already taking 2,000 IU but she suggest changing it to a liquid gel cap form and uping the dosage.

9 months later, I didn't catch any colds or any illness. However, my asthma was really bad. Even with Albuterol I had trouble exercising. All I could do was walk at slow pace on the treadmill.

In February, I read some books about vitamin C and detoxification – they all recommend powdered buffered vitamin C. I was currently taking 2,000 mg of my Mega C at the time and switched to 4,000 mg of buffered vitamin C. That week I noticed a hug improvement in my asthma. I did a little research and found that other people who have exercised induced asthma noticed huge improvements in their asthma when they used buffered C.

I now take two doses of buffered C each day. I just ran my first 5K – I’ve NEVER been able to do that and I have not used any Albuterol and do not plan to get on Advair or any other daily medication.

I believe that I’ve been able to control my asthma better than medication with good vitamins - but with much higher doses than the recommend amount. I have not gotten sick in the last year. I completed a specific detoxification program and I also have a really good diet: lots of veggies, fruit, nuts and salmon/cod – some brown rice and quinoa. I eat mostly organic and very little processed foods, dairy, soy or gluten.

At age 35 I am feel better than I have in my entire life. I’m looking forward to getting in the best shape of my life and being an athletic person for the 1st time in my life. I feel like I’ve wasted my young years all because I was vitamin deficient and ate a horrible diet. I hated exercise and never considered myself athletic.

We are all different but I believe most of the health problems people face can be fixed by a good diet, proper detoxification and good vitamins. I say good vitamins because most vitamins are a waste of money. I only buy my vitamins from companies who research and test for absorbency. If you’re taking vitamins and don’t feel a difference then you are probably wasting your money.

I am currently studying each vitamin and mineral and how a deficiency affects the body. I’m shocked that doctors are quick to write prescriptions without first addressing diet and vitamins.

[nscrbug]

angelaslc -

I'm glad you've found a natural way to resolve your asthma, but I am curious about something. With taking such a high dosage of Vit. C every day, do you ever get the common side-effects of diarrhea and/or gas? I know in my experience, if I take more than 1,000 mg per day I'll be living in my bathroom.

[angelaslc]

Hello nscrbug,

The buffering minerals in Buffered Vitamin C is easier on the stomach than other vitamins Cs. However, individual bowel tolerance will vary. The first full dose should be taken right before breakfast – or on an empty stomach just before eating.

You have to find your bowel tolerance by performing a Vitamin C flush with buffered C.

Caution: Performing a vitamin c flush will cause diarrhea

1. Take your first dose: 1 tsp in 8 ounces of water.
2. Every 30-60 minutes take ½ tsp in 8 ounces of water.
3. Keep track of how many doses you take during the day.
4. Stop taking once you experience diarrhea.
5. Subtract the last dose - that’s what you should take each day in divided doses.

For example, if you took 1 tsp (4,000mg) the first hour and then took three ½ tsp doses (2,000mg x 3 = 6,000mg) over the next few of hours, then you should take a total of 2 tsp each day in divided doses (4,000mg x 2= 8,000mg).

If the first dose gives you diarrhea, wait a day then try a ½ dose and then a ½ dose every hour. You can even sip on a glass and see how that works for you. If that’s too much, try a ¼ dose.

The first time I took it, just the one dose gave me diarreha.

Most full doses of Buffered Vitamin C are usually 4,000-5,000 mg. Thomas Levy MD, author of: Vitamin C Infectious Diseases and Toxins: Curing the Incurable (2002); suggests taking 6,000-12,000mg each day of buffered vitamin C in divided doses. Some people have a lower bowel tolerance and may need to work up to that amount.

Emotional stress or physical stresses on the body such as ingestion of heavy metals, cigarette smoking, immune impairment, extreme temperatures, and chronic use of certain medications such as aspirin also signal the need for increased intake of vitamin C.

Humans and primates are the only animals that do not make their own vitamin C. When animals are under stress – some animals make 100,000mg of vitamin C when stressed.
If you perform a flush when you feel a cold coming on you can actually flush the cold and not get sick. It’s worked for everyone I know. You can’t OD on vitamin C because your body only takes what it needs and it’s water soluble. Dr. Levy uses high doses of intravenous vitamin C to cure infectious diseases. Google: 60 minutes new Zealand swine flu to see a video about a guy in New Zealand who was dead (but on life support) from swine flu and miraculously recovered after he was given intravenous vitamin C.

So to sum it up:
-Use buffered vitamin C
-Figure out your tolerance with a flush (make sure it’s a day when you are home)
-If your tolerance is low, slowly work up to higher doses.
-When under stress, your body can tolerate more.

[wyld thang]

Hi! K, I know how this might sound, but...I've always had allergies and asthma, as a kid it was in reaction to hay(though I'd ride horses every chance I got! I didn't care), but it was kept in check pretty much as I played a wind instrument all through school(someone mentioned playing a french horn). WHen I quit and was less active being a new mom, as well as adding in new triggers of living next to a busy road and a house that used a gas furnace it got really bad, I was using an inhaler all day and on pills too. And now besides the allergy induced I got exercise induced too. I did get back into cycling, but was still huffin the inhaler. I HATE being dependent on drugs!!!

About ten years ago though we moved way out into the country, and the clean air really cut down the ongoing hazy feeling. I happened to pick up Dr Andrew Weil's book on asthma which goes into the mechanical angle of it--that we are very sedentary and dont' really BREATHE. I started doing his breathing exercises and got so I could stop an attack by using his technique(basically very similar to playing a wind instrument)--at this point I was down to using an inhaler pre-exercise, no pills. I also learned about HIIT and lactic threshhold heart rate training. I used this with walking, later running.

I learned how much to push--which means work up there near the LTHR, which is HARD, and that pushing really made me breathe deep and open up. No more asthma, I dont' even have an inhaler anymore, and haven't used one in 5 years now. With the asthma I was sick a lot with respitory stuff(including pneumonia) a lot as well, and I haven't been sick, with anything, for 5-6 years.

The HIIT I do about twice a month, HARD, as in I wring myself out COMPLETELY, by sprinting inclines on the treadmill. I did have a chance to test this whole thing since I had a crash last summer busting my tailbone and couldn't put out an effort much above recovery. The exercise asthma did return, nothing I needed an inhaler for tho--just did Weil's breathing techniques. But it wasn't long to get rid of it as I healed and could crank out more effort.

I know this probably sounds like no way, but I've described this to a trainer(mx, and who has used this technique to fix his asthma himself)) and a doc(who is an cycling athlete herself), and they say it's right on. The tricky part is getting a feel for how far to push and when to back off. You do have to work within the wheeze because you're working on the mechanical function, ie you can't use drugs to chemically open airways, but force them to relax and open mechanically by big gobs of pressurized air, and mental relaxing(not letting the anxiety of not breathing take over)--however... disclaimer caveat n all that. I did do this at home on the treadmill so if I needed help it was there(but I never did).

I hope this helps someone! I can't believe the difference, and the freedom from drugs really makes me happy.

PS, back when I was cycling I didn't know about HIIT, LTHR etc, and was probably working at about 80% VO2max, or 90% LTHR. That was not enough to affect the asthma for me. I got results at 85%+ VO2max, 95%+ LTHR.

PPS< good posture and a strong core also really helps breathing too, so focus extra on that too