Asthma can suck it!

[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!!!
I pay $40 a month for it. I had NO idea it was so expensive without insurance. 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.

[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.

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.