Quote Originally Posted by CommuterChick View Post
I'm so glad you guys are talking about this, I need a benchmark. I've been trying both albuterol and atrovent for a year -- bicycling, snowshoeing, xcountry skiing, swimming, heck, just walking around the open space here near Boulder, and I am huffing and puffing the moment we go uphill, the moment the weather turns cold. When you use your inhalers do your lungs feel like they open up? 'cause mine don't, and I'm not sure what they're supposed to feel like with the inhalers. I get tons of aerobic exercise, but it keeps getting harder and slower.

I had to really talk my internist into testing me for this, so wondering how you all were tested. I was sick a dog at the time, went in for that, so at the same time his nurse had me breathe deeply and steadily into a measuring gizmo for a couple minutes. Then gave me the inhaler, lather, rinse, repeat, and lo it was better, that was it.

So just wondering if you could give me something to compare to. Thanks!
I echo the other poster who said Singulair. I use it when it's cold/wet...for some reason, albuterol doesn't control my exercise-induced asthma from about October - March. And of course, right now, since we're having the worst pollen season ever, I'm sort of afraid to go off of it. When I start sucking on my inhaler 4x/hour for a spin class, I know it's time to start filling the prescription again.

I'm also allergic to life (not kidding, it's never good when the nurse at the allergist walks into the room and goes, "Oh my God!" upon seeing your back to read the skin test,) so some times of the year are harder on me than others.

I remember the first time shortly after starting the maintenance medication to control my asthma that I raced up the stairs at the train station (without getting out of breath) and realized..."ooh, there's so much AIR in the world..." No more having to get off of my bike and lie down on the side of the road!