Riders with asthma?

[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.

[Brandi]

I to have asthma. Wow there are a lot of us. I have ad asthma since I was little but never got tested till this year (I am 37). I have allergies too. When i bike it hits me more then any other time. The Dr wanted me to do they daily inhaler and take and allergy pill and keep my fast acting inhaler around for emergency's. But I don't have it all the time. I just do what works for me. My pulmonolagist suggested taking a puff off my fast acting inhaler 15 minutes before i ride. That works for me I also take an allergy pill every night before I go to sleep. So far so good. Everyone is different you know. I hate having to take something but maybe someday I won't have to anymore.
Oh and drinking wine makes my asthma act up too.