Riders with asthma?

[gromit68]

Anyone out there have problems with asthma? It seems to really be affecting me when I ride especially on hills. The more I exert the worse it gets. I was trying to do a 20 mile ride and had to get sagged in at 12.5. Is there anything I can do other than using my inhaler that will help me with this problem?

[jcl]

Hullo Gromit,
Yes! I keep an albuterol inhaler in my saddlebag at all times. I usually take one hit before I head out, and that usually tides me over for 20 miles or so. In colder weather I may have a little tougher time.

I live in L.A., and while the weather is great, the air quality can be an issue. One thing that has really helped me is yoga, believe it or not. I had a really wonderful instructor teach me some "asthma specific" poses and breathing routines about 3 years ago, and I think they've really helped. Of course, the results are not immediate, they occur over time, with regular practice, but yoga can play a part in managing your asthma.

Google "yoga for asthma" for more specific info. And good luck!

[Dianyla]

I have exercise induced asthma. If I am very careful to control my breathing and heartrate, I can usually avoid any serious attacks. Going up hills I always go down to a low gear and focus on breathing slowly - no sprints for me!

Cold air and dryness make it worse for me, so I always try to drink water and if it's cold out I try to either breathe through my nose or through a balaclava.

[makbike]

I too suffer from asthma and have most of my life. Are you using any type of medication to control your asthma? Have you talked to your doctor about how your lungs are responding while you cycle? If not, I would urge you to schedule an appointment and share with them what you are experiencing. Asthma is not something to play around with nor something that should be ignored for it can and does kill on a regular basis.

There are many medications that can be used to bring things into balance and prevent your attacks. I use two inhalers (albuterol and Q-Var) on a daily basis and take singulaire and allegra as well. The combination of these drugs has kept me from having an asthma attack for nearly two years. It has taken several tries to find the right combination of drugs to keep things in check. I am blessed to have a doctor who willl work with me and listen to me when I go in for my six month check-ups. It is so nice to ride and not have to struggle with my lungs closing down and fight for each small breath of air my body requires.

I hope this helps.

[mikki]

I also have wicked asthma. Some seasons are worse than othes. I hit my inhaler about 5 minutes before I ride, especially if it's cool out. I make sure I'm using my other meds religiously.

However, sometimes it just happens. That tight, scratchy feeling. Then the cough. When I do that I just follow the advice of Mae West "put you lips together and blow". Purse your lips (like you're blowing out a candle), and blow steadily out with every exhalation until the feeling subsides. If you can slow your pace a bit at that point, it will help too. This is a technique we teach people with COPD. The big problem with asthma isn't that you can't get air in, but that you can't get CO2 out. Pursing your lips creates a back pressure in the lungs, helping to force the CO2 out of the base of your lungs. Inhale slowly and repeat. You really have to focus on the breathing at that point, and avoid the panting/coughing panic that accompanies the attack.

If I know I'm getting to a point where I'm really going to be sucking wind (ie, working hard) I just start blowing slowly. It seems to prevent those 'oh, God, I'm peeing my shorts' coughing fits that go with my asthma attacks.

Good Luck

[gromit68]

Thanks for all the replys. I do have an albuterol inhaler and I use it before riding. Mine is more of exercise induced than anything else. I will try your suggestions.

[CyclaSutra]

Grom,

My trainer/coach dude said that he believes people

A) Don't warm up slowly enough
B) Don't train at high heart rates very often

So when you get on one of those hills, without a long warmup and you send your heart rate up 20-30 beats quickly, boom, your lungs freak out. What he suggests is a good long warmup, and don't attack the hill. Let your heart rate build slowly.

I have exercise-induced wheezing, but thankfully never what I think you'd call a full-blown attack. I always keep the albuterol with, especially on cold/dusty/bad air quality days, but the goal (if it's only exercise-induced) is to train the lungs so you don't need the inhaler.

Sometimes if it's cold, I'll do a puff before I leave the house, but then really focus on keeping the heart rate low (115-130) for about 10 minutes before ratcheting up to my normal ride pace (140-150).

[Surlygirl]

I too suffer from asthma and have most of my life. Are you using any type of medication to control your asthma? Have you talked to your doctor about how your lungs are responding while you cycle? If not, I would urge you to schedule an appointment and share with them what you are experiencing. Asthma is not something to play around with nor something that should be ignored for it can and does kill on a regular basis.

.

I have to agree. I have asthma also and I meet with a pulmonary specialist at least once a year. Albuterol alone will not control your asthma. I was on Advair but the serevent was making me sick so switched to Pulmacort everyday and I haven't had any problems. Hills still suck the life out of me and I find I run out of oxygen way before my legs quit. I put a triple crankset on and you can change your cassett so you can spin up the hills. If I still run out I stop for a few minutes to recover and then start up the hill again. I'd see a doctor first and foremost though to make sure your asthma is under control.

[tulip]

I had asthma for years and years, but it just went away a few years ago. The only thing that I can figure out is that I bought a house that has absolutely no carpet--only hardwood floors. All the apartments I've lived in had carpet, which holds all sorts of nasty stuff--mold, allergens, dust...

I still carry my albuterol with me, but I have not used it in several years.

[CorsairMac]

another asthma sufferer here. I can't use any of the steriodal inhalers, they roughen my vocal chords to the point I lose my voice and as a singer, that's bad! I do take Singulair and Claritin and I have albuterol for the really bad days. Most of the time if the climb gets so bad I can't breathe - I just stop and catch my breath. Or, I just turn around and have a wicked awesome descent and try the hill another day. I figure riding a bike is just about the best thing in the world for my lungs - ok...that and living above 5000 feet!

[TrekJeni]

This is my first year of cycling. I have exercise induced asthama. I use albuterol. Never before has my lungs bothered me as much as this winter. I grew up in Northern Michigan where temps with windchill factored in would be around minus 30 - 40 on a regualr basis. Skiing was never an issue.

I don't know what's different, but my lungs couldn't take it this winter in Ohio. Refused to go to the doctor but had an unproductive cough that would take over my whole body. I got tired of hearing from all my freinds and cycling buddies to "go to the doctor" and finally went (six weeks later). She said since I'm a mouth breather, I've been sucking in all that cold air and my lungs were really agitated. Put me on 5 days of prednisone to clear it up. Worked like a charm. Said to just use my albuterol before cycling and during attacks but did not see the need for a maintenance inhaler.

[Barb, USA]

Ladies, I was glad to read your posts and to discover that I'm not just a wimp. I do all the things that have been suggested and agree with all of them. Now that my asthma is under control, I can enjoy biking. But I still can't sprint up those hills. Training has helped me: the first kilometer of our after-work ride is directly out the drive way and uphill. Slowly, over the years, it's gotten easier and easier. It's just hard to be patient.

PS Finally the weather is warmer in Frankfurt. I went for my first ride of the season on Saturday. Heaven!

[CorsairMac]

This is my first year of cycling. I have exercise induced asthama. I use albuterol. Never before has my lungs bothered me as much as this winter. I grew up in Northern Michigan where temps with windchill factored in would be around minus 30 - 40 on a regualr basis. Skiing was never an issue.

I don't know what's different, but my lungs couldn't take it this winter in Ohio. Refused to go to the doctor but had an unproductive cough that would take over my whole body. I got tired of hearing from all my freinds and cycling buddies to "go to the doctor" and finally went (six weeks later). She said since I'm a mouth breather, I've been sucking in all that cold air and my lungs were really agitated. Put me on 5 days of prednisone to clear it up. Worked like a charm. Said to just use my albuterol before cycling and during attacks but did not see the need for a maintenance inhaler.

I also cover my mouth when the air is cold. That way the air I'm breathing in isn't quite so chilled. That seems to help a lot.

All hail that nagging rib-breaking cough! *shaking head*

[Crankin]

Another asthmatic here. haven't had major issues in years, since I moved back east from AZ where i was tethered to a nebulizer 4 times a day (in between teaching aerobics). I do notice I have to warm up well, although I don't usually do a good enough job of this. I have no trouble climbing (I mean trouble with the asthma), but I always spin up hills. The cold air does bother me, so I try to breathe in through my nose, not mouth breathe. I don't ride a lot in very cold weather, but sometimes, in the 40's it bothers me. I x country ski, and I am fine, too. I bring my ventolin inhaler with me on rides, etc, but I've only used it once. My main issue is that i get bronchitis every fall and that does me in. It goes on and off thru the winter. In 04 i had pneumonia after my tour to Vermont. I went to a pulmonary doc who gave an open ended prescription for 2 different antibiotics so i wasn't running to the dr. every week. It helped derail the cycle. I also use a homeopathic nasal rinse that really works to stop the sinus infections.

[mmelindas]

Another rider here, with exercise-induced asthma and I sympathize with you all who have asthma.

I got re-educated by the Intermountain Asthma and Allergy Specialists here in Salt Lake City recently after having my meds and asthma for about ten years and coming to their office for the first time since we moved here....

Here is what I learned:

A lot of patients are inhaling NOT the medicine but the propellant in their inhalers, after the meds run out. The inhaler can feel like it has plenty of stuff left in it, but IT DOESN'T!

My new doctor taught me how to put the inhaler, tank and the plastic holder all, in a wide glass of deep water.

(1) if it's FULL, it will sink to the bottom and float horizontally..... (make sure the little plastic holder around the little metal tank gets water in it too, tip it over until water gets in it.)

(2) if it floats at a 45 degree angle, it's still usable but getting LOW.

(3) if it floats on TOP or at less (shallower) than a 45 degree angle, it's ALL propellant and should be tossed!

The other two things I learned from this great, older, experienced and very much "I'm on your clock, not mine during the appointment" type of doctor, was:

Are you using a spacer chamber with your inhaler AND are you taking the medicines in the inhaler correctly?

Without a spacer (and if you can, get one that whistles if you INHALE TOO FAST OR TOO HARD), because your meds go on the back of your tongue or mouth but NOT down your lungs if that's happening!

Taking a spacer with an inhaler on a bike ride might sound bulky but they make some that also hold the inhaler inside it so you can take it out and plug the inhaler into one end. Also some collapse into smaller sized and can be pulled out to full expansion size when you use them AND they hold the inhaler inside when not in use.

Next, take JUST one puff using the spacer, and WAIT five minutes....DON'T RUSH THAT SECOND OR THIRD PUFF!! Too many patients I learned, put two puffs in the spacer chamber and inhale it all at once....WRONG!! It needs at least five minutes between puffs for the full correct effect to be seen.

Also, do you have a peak flow meter? This is a little plastic flat device that opens up and you blow in it three times with the arrow pulled to the bottom and it shows what your breathing ability is for that day, in or out of your "good" range or in the "yellow" caution range or "red" for the "Go to your doctor" range.

The amount of inhaler you take depends on that reading. Bad days, more puffs, and good days maybe NO puffs.

Also, I take Singulair (before bedtime is best he said) and a decongestant at night, too with the Dr's suggestion. Advair gave me fits and Serevent alone gave me problems also. But Flovent was great for me along with the Albuterol.

Flovent treats the inflammation of asthma and the albuterol is a vasoconstrictor/bronchodilator that opens up the bronchioles (lung spaces) larger to let more air in.

I learned that NOT all asthma meds work for everybody, and I found also that the Asthma therapists or Inhalation therapists at the local clinic in Wisconsin, didn't know squat about what they were doing -- they had set my "good" level on the PF meter way too high!!! Consequently I was overdosing daily! It was 150 points lower in reality, not as high as they had set it for me.

I agree with all the others about warming up and getting your lungs used to going up hills, and also that you do need a yearly or twice yearly check in with a pulmonologist or a good asthma/allergy doctor. I use both because I also have pulmonary hypertension caused by untreated sleep apnea.

My doctor also told me that keeping my environment as carpet-free, pet hair-free, smoke and dust-free was the best way to assure less lung problems. In our Rv, problem solved!!!

Asthma can be managed but not cured. Weight has a lot to do with it also. When I lost 90 lbs, all my asthma symptoms disappeared!

Good management includes regular checkups, taking and using your inhalers and meds correctly, checking your breathing with a peak flow meter and charting your monthly breathing with a daily chart, to see patterns of ups and downs in your asthma, that may be related to stress, climate, activity and/or environment.

Best of luck to you and we're all with you, you can ride with asthma, but you have to manage it first.