Exercise Induced Asthma & Allergies

[Kathi]

I have non allergic rhinutis, which means I'm not allergic to proteins (pollens, cats, etc) but react to things in the environment, air pollution, extremes in temps, humidity, perfumes etc. My type of asthma goes along with this so I often don't know what will set me off. I also have exercise induced asthma. All my life whenever I exerted myself I'd end up gasping for air. Thinking I was undertrained I worked harder but didn't get better.

It wasn't until I moved to Colorado and have a asthma and allergy doc that has educated me about asthma do I feel I'm in control.

For me, exercise does not improve my symptoms, especially EIA. Advair helps to keep me under control. I can get by with the 150/50 dose in the winter but have to increase to 250/50 in summer. My lung function has improved dramatically since I've been on Advair. No other health issues with it.

I'm constantly learning about the "ins and outs" of asthma and how to keep it under control.

You sound alot like me when I had to be the "1st up the hill". I can now climb without the gasping for air but I now relax, take my time and breath easily when I climb.

[Cycling Sister]

Since last Thursday, I've ridden 4 times using the inhaler before the rides. The difference in my breathing has been amazing... not so much in my hill climbing abilities. lol My ribs and sternum have gotten sore from being able to breath deeply.

I'm so in awe with how you all manage your health, respect your bodies, and ride. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences!

bmccasland, What a special group of riders you had! I'm hoping to ride over the winter if my lungs can take it. Started buying cold weather gear.

Crackin, You bring up a good point about listening to your body and resting.

Catrin, Yeah, I don't think my son's asthma is fully under control either. It's more like he thinks it is because he hasn't gotten sick and had a full blown attack yet. I hear you about our bodies changing. The older I've gotten, the more sensitive I am detergents, soaps, perfumes, etc.

zoom-zoom, I am going to find an allergist. Immunotherapy sounds better than taking Sudafed sinus and Advil almost every day.

Kathi, I half jokingly say that I'm glad I don't live in Colorado! Glad you were able to find a good allergy-allergist doctor and can manage you EIA!

[beccaB]

I was going to search for a thread on this very subject. After a really long ride my lungs burn real bad. They might have always done that, but for some reason I'm just now noticing how after a ride, the feeling continues on for a while. When I was in Colorado in June I rode a lot, and that was hard for me because I am not acclimatized to altitude. However, there was no burning lungs there. just here, in South Central Michigan. What gives?

[indigoiis]

I was having this problem this Spring, and my doc, who tends to loathe prescription anything, asked me to track my diet for a month before she had me have an allergy test. I did, and tracked symptoms, and lo and behold, they were related. Certain foods really triggered bad breathing on long rides.

So she suggested I cut those foods for a month, which I did, and lo and behold, the asthma disappeared.

I also lost ten lbs. in the process and that probably helped my climbing.

Everyone's different but.. I'm glad she didn't just give me an inhaler script and call it a day.

[Cycling Sister]

beccaB, Check with your doctor. I hope you find answers! Not being able to breath is no fun.

indigoiis, That's interesting. So, your triggers was food allergies? What foods did you eliminate?

[beccaB]

Yeah, me too.. I'm curious about which foods you eliminated. I have a feeling dairy and wheat may be some of them. I had an anaphalaxis (sp) episode as a child, and I get winter hives. I have fantastic lungs otherwise, I play a wind instrument. This might be a game changer for me, so I need to get serious about it, and I don't like to take meds either.

[indigoiis]

I stopped eating cereal with milk before rides, and then I cut it out altogether. Starting having dry whole wheat toast, black coffee and grapefruit, maybe an egg, in the a.m. Much better.

But at first I cut out most processed wheat products (my husband was still making baked bread, so I figured since it was homemade I could toast it and eat that, and it didn't seem to affect me.) Cut out all pasta. All white flour products. All desserts for a month. All scones, muffins, danishes, whatever. I cut out all dairy for a month. Didn't even eat yogurt. I basically ate only fruits, veggies, meat, some beans (but not like I ate beans before) and the homemade bread, toasted. Bazinga.

Since clearing up I slowly reintroduced a couple of things like hard cheese and have stayed clear. I did have a bowl of cheerios with milk and immediately felt stomach cramping, congestion, and tiredness. So, I think it's a combination of cow's milk and processed wheat foods.