Anyone else have asthma?

mackenzienicole

I have asthma, and I want to talk to other people that have asthma. Let's be friends! Add me! I would totally enjoy sharing advice on exercising!

adventuring

I added you! I have asthma, and I've managed to mostly stop using my inhalers entirely during the few months I've been eating right and exercising. Hills were something I had to build up to. They used to be like an instant asthma attack for me, lol.

mackenzienicole

I don't use inhalers any more! My doctor told me to take a pill (singulair), which helps a bit, but I still get really out of breath! I hope I'm able to breathe better as I lose more weight! Thank you!

adventuring

Oh, a pill? Wow. I didn't know that was an option. I have a daily inhaler and an emergency inhaler, and I've stopped using the daily one at this point. I've used the emergency one a few times, but only once while exercising. I think it must've been dust or other allergens the other couple times.

I think even if you never stop using the pill (because my asthma is mild, so yours could be totally different), you're going to find yourself a lot less uncomfortable as you go along. My lungs aren't ever strained walking around anymore, which is fantastic, and exercise has to include quite a bit of incline for my chest to feel at all tight. It's awesome.

mackenzienicole

Yeah, my asthma isn't that bad at all, just when I'm exercising and when I'm sick (I take an inhaler when I'm sick, so I do still have one, but it's not technically mine, it's my mom's).
Yeah, I think that too.
Do you run? If you do or have, did you need your inhaler a lot? I'm going on a run tomorrow night, and I'm thinking about bringing it with me, but I'm not sure.

adventuring

I have run before, though not in a few months, and I would advise you to have an inhaler with you for that.It was definitely a little bit of a strain. I'd absolutely never attempted it before, though. I was giving the Couch to 5k program a try, but I decided to hold off until my lungs were a bit better. I think if I gave it a shot now, I might be able to do it without the inhaler, but if you're really new at it and you haven't done a lot of other exercise, I would take it with you.

onefitdiva

I have had Asthma my entire life. That said I have also been under several different dr.'s care with different philosophies throught my life. Honestly Singular did not help much, it did control the allergy induced symptoms and episodes, but that was it. In my entire life the only thing that worked was Symbicort daily and the rescue inhaler as needed. I have done the steroid treatment's, the nebulizers.. yadda yadda. What I did do was go see a Pulmonologist... he told me that increasing my bronchial strength through exercise may get me off the meds in time...... it did... although I wheezed like crazy every time I exercised the first month or so...I had an inhaler in my pocket! Now I still get my check ups with the dr and the Pulmonologist... which also measures your bronchial strength, I do not understand the numbers to be honest, but he was amazed at the increase in strength.
Anyway... I have not needed anything in 6 months. And I have always been on one type of Asthma med. I wish you luck. And hope you continue on your path to fitness....do not let asthma slow you down... kick it's butt!

momof3and3

I am a severe asthmatic. I take advair every day...without it I would be using an emergency inhaler 4-6x a day! I had a nebulizer in my house growing up to treat me. I have been hospitalized for my asthma. Advair was a God send

I am a runner. I run 5-6 days a week...short quick runs, long slow runs, etc. I am running a 1/2 marathon in 2 weeks. Plus I go to the gym and take spinning, kickboxing, ketttlebells, etc, after I run. I have a noticed a huge improvement with my bronchial strength once I started running. I only need the advair; I have managed to cut that doseage in half of what you it used to be, hardly ever look to use my rescue inhalor.

If you are going to start running, take your inhalor BEFORE you go. That is what I had to do. It should hold you. As you build up endurance, you can then eventually try it without meds to see if you can. make sure you have the inhalor with you though in case you need it.

I have never been told that I can live without my meds, just been told that cardio will help improve my lungs, not cure them. I am proud that I can run and exercise as much as I can with asthma. It isn't something to be ashamed of. I don't care I need advair as long as am capable of living my life how I want.

If you want add me as a frined. Asthma is hard to live with and many don't understand how it feel to not breathe!

redfox43

I too have severe asthma. My treatment includes daily singulair, nasacort, symbicort, allegra, and albuteral (when needed). Each month I also have to get 2 immunotherapy shots and a xolair injection. Medrol is added during more severe flares (which always leads to weight gain). Needless to say, the treatment is expensive and a pain in the *kitten*. Despite my asthma I try to exercise as regularly as possible. I used to run marathons, half marathons, and did a few triathlons, but after having attacks during several events that forced me to withdraw, i switched to shorter runs and began crossfitting, which I love. My doctor commented that running wouldn't help what I have, but I am a firm believer that exercise is extremely important to keep my lungs as strong as possible.

There are still many days where I cannot workout due to asthma attacks, but that reinforces my desire to go the next day I'm healthy. I try to view it as a challenge rather than a disability. My goal is to be strong, fit, lean, and as healthy as possible. 15 lbs down so far!

sailingsal

I too have severe asthma. My treatment includes daily singulair, nasacort, symbicort, allegra, and albuteral (when needed). Each month I also have to get 2 immunotherapy shots and a xolair injection. Medrol is added during more severe flares (which always leads to weight gain). Needless to say, the treatment is expensive and a pain in the *kitten*. Despite my asthma I try to exercise as regularly as possible. I used to run marathons, half marathons, and did a few triathlons, but after having attacks during several events that forced me to withdraw, i switched to shorter runs and began crossfitting, which I love. My doctor commented that running wouldn't help what I have, but I am a firm believer that exercise is extremely important to keep my lungs as strong as possible.

There are still many days where I cannot workout due to asthma attacks, but that reinforces my desire to go the next day I'm healthy. I try to view it as a challenge rather than a disability. My goal is to be strong, fit, lean, and as healthy as possible. 15 lbs down so far!

I have asthma to and am on a similar cocktail of singulair, nasacort, seretide (salmeterol and flixotide combined), salbutamol inhaler and nebuliser and loratidine and currently on a course of pred due to a respiratory infection. Exercise is reduced to walking between bus stops at the moment which gets me out of breath. BUt managing to stay out of hospital!

maryloo2011

Wow, I am not nearly as bad as most of you! But, I too have asthma. Saw a doc in the spring and he has me on Advair every night. While I feel like it is more "in-check", I never (ever) workout without Ventolin (the 'emergency' inhaler he prescribed me) either in my sports bra (if running outside) or next to me on the machine at the gym. Sometimes I have had to use it

I was on Singular for a bit but didn't seem to do anything.

It has gradually gotten better as I've built up my lung strength this year through exercise. I can't believe it, wouldn't be able to do a quarter of what I did now, before I started on the Advair, without wheezing.

sailingsal

just discovered Advair is called serotide in the UK so thats my inhaler. Was wondering what advair was!