Helpful asthma hints?

[Onix]

This is VERY important regarding medicine...

OK, for your albuterol... are you taking your medicine at least 15 minutes *prior* to your exercise?

If you do not, trying to take it after you are already in a full blown attack will do little, to no, good. Unfortunately ...as you have already figured out.

I wear a HR. If my "wind-less-ness" is due to my HR reaching it's max... and when my HR recovers, and I can breath again... I know it was not the asthma. Hope that makes sense. If it was the asthma... you would not be able to recover when your HR came down... you would still be constricted... and could not suck wind in to breath... that would be the asthma.

Hi Miranda, Thank you for the long response. I do take the albuterol before I work out.... and yes, at least 15 minutes before I work out. it is part of my morning "get out the door" routine. My GP told me that it *might* help when I was riding and already short of breath w/ hills---but it isn't.

I may just have to take laps around the neighborhood--but even it is fairly hilly!
Sounds like I need to find a specialist and read up on asthma/allergy docs vs. pulmonologists.

I am waiting on my HR monitor to come in right now (ordered it). How did you determine your max heart rate with your asthma symptoms? Were you able to determine this only when you were medicated properly? Does that question make sense??

Thank you for your thorough reply! Very helpful!

[tulip]

I used to have asthma. I would have attacks at home, while exercising, and just while being. It was no fun at all. Albuterol was a wonderful thing when I finally got some.

The main thing, though, is that I USED to have asthma. I have not had an attack in about five years. The key for me is that I moved out of apartments with carpets into a house with wood floors and NO CARPET. It has made all the difference for me.

If you have carpet--can you either replace it with a wood floor or move to a place with no carpet?

This is in addition to everything that Miranda says, of course.

[Onix]

I used to have asthma. I would have attacks at home, while exercising, and just while being. It was no fun at all. Albuterol was a wonderful thing when I finally got some.

The main thing, though, is that I USED to have asthma. I have not had an attack in about five years. The key for me is that I moved out of apartments with carpets into a house with wood floors and NO CARPET. It has made all the difference for me.

If you have carpet--can you either replace it with a wood floor or move to a place with no carpet?

This is in addition to everything that Miranda says, of course.

Hi there Tulip,

I actually don't have any carpet in my house at all! It is all wood floor! (well, we do have a throw rug or too). My asthma doesn't bother me much off-the-bike...but...I wonder if my lungs are being irritated off the bike (at a degree that I can't really tell), and thus, when I get on the bike...I find myself more irritated.

[lo123]

I am waiting on my HR monitor to come in right now (ordered it). How did you determine your max heart rate with your asthma symptoms? Were you able to determine this only when you were medicated properly? Does that question make sense??

For me, it was a matter of looking at my HR when riding normally, when exerting myself and then when I started having the erratic breathing (which happens to me around 175, but I'm in my late 20s, so yours could vary wildly depending on age, general fitness, etc). When my issues are HR related, it kinda feels like asthma, but kinda not... For me, it's less a feeling of constriction in the chest and more like my throat is constricting. It sounds weird like that, but it's the best way I can describe it.

On the diff between allergy/asthma and pulmonologist:
I've been seeing a pulmonologist, but I'm looking to change. He's just not that interested that I take my inhaler on average 4 times per hour on a ride As my GP says, "the goal is to not need the rescue inhaler, ever". I think the downside of a pulmonologist is that they may not see many active people. I'm usually the youngest by at least 40 years when I go see him and one of the few not on oxygen. That could just be his practice, but it's not terribly encouraging.

I've seen allergy/asthma specialists in the past. The big downside, in my opinion, is the pushing of allergy shots. They work for a lot of people, but I've been there done that, didn't work. I prefer not to have to justify my decision on every office visit, but your experience could be different. But, they seem to be used to dealing with younger and more active patients. They are much better at treating the underlying allergies to allergic asthma and building a comprehensive treatment plan to cover the allergy and asthma parts of the equation. So, if you think allergies might be playing a role, that may be the way to go.

[Onix]

For me, it was a matter of looking at my HR when riding normally, when exerting myself and then when I started having the erratic breathing (which happens to me around 175, but I'm in my late 20s, so yours could vary wildly depending on age, general fitness, etc). When my issues are HR related, it kinda feels like asthma, but kinda not... For me, it's less a feeling of constriction in the chest and more like my throat is constricting. It sounds weird like that, but it's the best way I can describe it.

On the diff between allergy/asthma and pulmonologist:
I've been seeing a pulmonologist, but I'm looking to change. He's just not that interested that I take my inhaler on average 4 times per hour on a ride As my GP says, "the goal is to not need the rescue inhaler, ever". I think the downside of a pulmonologist is that they may not see many active people. I'm usually the youngest by at least 40 years when I go see him and one of the few not on oxygen. That could just be his practice, but it's not terribly encouraging.

I've seen allergy/asthma specialists in the past. The big downside, in my opinion, is the pushing of allergy shots. They work for a lot of people, but I've been there done that, didn't work. I prefer not to have to justify my decision on every office visit, but your experience could be different. But, they seem to be used to dealing with younger and more active patients. They are much better at treating the underlying allergies to allergic asthma and building a comprehensive treatment plan to cover the allergy and asthma parts of the equation. So, if you think allergies might be playing a role, that may be the way to go.

Gotcha. Thank you for the clarifications re: doctors and heart rate! I am curious to start having more information about my heart rate (hopefully soon). Thank you!!

[ABeezles]

For me, it was a matter of looking at my HR when riding normally, when exerting myself and then when I started having the erratic breathing (which happens to me around 175, but I'm in my late 20s, so yours could vary wildly depending on age, general fitness, etc). When my issues are HR related, it kinda feels like asthma, but kinda not... For me, it's less a feeling of constriction in the chest and more like my throat is constricting. It sounds weird like that, but it's the best way I can describe it.

On the diff between allergy/asthma and pulmonologist:
I've been seeing a pulmonologist, but I'm looking to change. He's just not that interested that I take my inhaler on average 4 times per hour on a ride As my GP says, "the goal is to not need the rescue inhaler, ever". I think the downside of a pulmonologist is that they may not see many active people. I'm usually the youngest by at least 40 years when I go see him and one of the few not on oxygen. That could just be his practice, but it's not terribly encouraging.

I've seen allergy/asthma specialists in the past. The big downside, in my opinion, is the pushing of allergy shots. They work for a lot of people, but I've been there done that, didn't work. I prefer not to have to justify my decision on every office visit, but your experience could be different. But, they seem to be used to dealing with younger and more active patients. They are much better at treating the underlying allergies to allergic asthma and building a comprehensive treatment plan to cover the allergy and asthma parts of the equation. So, if you think allergies might be playing a role, that may be the way to go.

Hi, was this like your throat was shutting off? I feel like this when under stressful conditions (ie: racing) and when it's cold. I had one doctor that said something may have been triggering like a spasm in my larynx or pharynx (sorry not sure!) which stopped my breathing. But why it is stress related..?

[lo123]

Hi, was this like your throat was shutting off? I feel like this when under stressful conditions (ie: racing) and when it's cold. I had one doctor that said something may have been triggering like a spasm in my larynx or pharynx (sorry not sure!) which stopped my breathing. But why it is stress related..?

Not really the throat, but lower. I start making a weird gasping noise and have to really concentrate on controlling how I'm breathing. It's weird. Concentrating helps, but that tightness is still there.

On a side note, I have an appointment with an allergist next week after discussing my issues with my GP. She thinks my allergies are the problem since I haven't had a 'random' asthma attack in over a year.