Running with asthma

Sclason

So I started a c25k training. I just completed week2day2 and I am terribly struggling with my breathing. By the end of 90 seconds of jogging my chest hurts, I am short of breath and coughing. I pretreat 20-30 minutes prior with albuterol. I have tried to focus on my breathing with control and using my diaphram instead. I have also tried distraction to see if that would help. But no matter what I still struggle to complete a 90 second job. Any suggestions?

mandylooo

If you have a known problem with asthma, you should maybe get your lung function reassessed. You may better off on a longer acting product or you may not be using your product correctly. For all of these possibilities you should go and see your doctor.

sandrahermione

Are you going too fast? My asthma was terrible all last year. Finally someone mentioned that my indigestion might be irritating my lungs. Treated indigestion lungs much better. Otherwise go to gp and tell them current meds are not controlling it.
Also I still cough up lots of stuff at the start of a run but use it to clear them every couple of days.
Pollen allergy?
I hate my asthma. Best of luck to you and keep going. Never give in but be kind to your body.

BerryH

Absolutely see your doctor. I'm not sure but I think albuterol is a reliever not a preventative.

Also slow down. I mean really, really slow down. Barely faster than walking. A speed you don't breathe hard. Get the time running first, speed will come later.

Once you're properly medicated, do stick with it. I hardly ever get asthma now :flowerforyou:

sandrahermione

Also my niece has a reaction to salbutamol where she responds by initial restriction of lung capacity. Doctor would not hear of it then tested with mask on treadmill and voila. She was right. Funny how doctors know your body better than yourself. Have you tried running without reliever and then taking it as soon as problems occur?
Be careful obviously.

iplayoutside19

I've had asthama all my life. Really the best treatment for it has been...running. Like others have said, slow down. Run the 90 seconds as if you were running a 5K, not sprinting.

I some times use albuteral as a preventative before running. Specificly if it's stupid cold, or I have had some reduced lung capacity from a cold I have.

kbresso

Absolutely see your doctor. I'm not sure but I think albuterol is a reliever not a preventative.

This. I use albuterol to pretreat, too though I know that's not what it's for but I tend to have problems breathing if I don't pretreat. What about allergies? This was a problem for me when I ran outdoors and the doctor gave me med for my allergies and that helped a little.

Definitely see your doctor and tell them what you are doing and I'm sure he or she will be able to help.

Sclason

Albuterol is recommended as a pretreatment for EIA. I usually don't start in until my 2nd 90 second run. I am not sure if I am breathing right or not. I try to do a 3:2 ratio and use my diaphragm. maybe I do need a longer acting inhaler or steroid. Plus I can run no problem in humidity so maybe I need a face shield to create the humidity. (boy that would look stupid!) I don't carry my inhaler but think I will have to from now on just to see if it doesn't help me!

js370

It takes time for your lungs to get used to it. I had severe asthma when I was about 16. Oddly enough it was the year I quit playing soccer. I was doing fine then. I believe all the running was helping me out. I started running again and it took me some time to get up to 2 miles and less time to double that. It took me a little over 2 years to get back to running anywhere from 8 to 12 miles. It wasn't easy but it is possible. Of course, everyone is different. What worked for me may not work for someone else. Keep your breathing in pace with your steps. Depends on how fast you jog or run. I personally found it easier to run to where I could finish a mile in 6-7 minutes. That wasn't the case in the beginning. Take it slow at first and build up. Fast some what deep breathes in the first two steps and out on the third when in a slow jog. Fast deep breathe first step and out the second when you get quicker. Experiment with your breathing, and find a technique that you're comfortable with.

bernierg

(Sorry for bad english) :
When I started hiking, i had to change my medication. I did a lung fonction test, and the doctor changed my medication based on my needs. I take Symbicort now, and it changed my astma managing a lot. It treat the inflamation and can be a reliever if needs be.

One thing when i run also: try to avoid allergies, pollution (running in downtown not a good idea for us !!) and cold. It all trigger asthma crisis, if you combine it with effort it's really hard for you!

Personnaly when I'm at the gym and a women with a strong perfume is comming close to me I havce to stop my cardio and get away from her in order to prevent a allergic asthma crisis...

BerryH

I have EIA too and I do a breathing ratio of 3:3 - if I go so fast I need to breathe more frequently I know I'm going to wheeze. I take my inhaler with me and use it if and when I can feel it coming on, which seems to be far more effective for me than using in preventatively. It also helped me track how running was making my asthma less severe. No biggy

Another thought is humidity might take the pollen count down. My asthma is definitely exacerbated by hayfever. Or try a Buff you can pull up over your mouth? https://www.buffwear.co.uk/catalogue/

I'd explore a few of these options with your doctor before going for stronger meds or steroids as those can really knock you out.

CMorning99

Another runner with Asthma...

I also pre-treat with xopenex about 15 min prior to my run. (I am training for 1/2 marathon now).

I was previously on Asmanex which helped but switched to Advair b/c it is a steriod with a long term bronchial med as well. It took about 6 wks to kick in.

Things I have learned:

Go slow! I run about an 11 min mile and I worked "down" to that over several months. Get on a treadmill and put it at maybe a 12 min mile so you know what the pace feels like.

Don't get discouraged! As you run more your diaphram and chest muscles get stronger. I think a lot of people confuse asthma symptoms with out of shape symptoms.

Talk to your Doc about what is causing the asthma. Mine is allergies...I check the pollen count each day and if it is high, I know I might have crappy run and so I go out there and take it easy. There are some days when my lungs just BURN! You can try an OTC allergy pill to see if that helps. I take Singular (an asthma allergy med ) in the morning and zyrtec (OTC) at night. Even if you aren't feeling any allergy symptoms...take it anyway. A real pain but you gotta do what you gotta do.

I also looked at some homeopathic anti-immflamation stuff. That is a big part of asthma. I started taking tumuric and bioflavinoids. I don't know if they help but they are good for you

I have air purifiers in the room with my treadmill on days when it just isn't going to happen outside. ie. A sunny day after a rain is no bueno.

You can send me a message or friend me if I can help with anything else.

dorkboi

Thank you for posting!! My asthma has been "under control" for some time. Mainly because I didn't do anything to aggrivate it. I'm wanting to do a 5k so I recently started to incorporate some mild jogging into my walking routine and have found that it pisses my lungs off something smooth! I suppose it's time for a doc appt to get back on the meds so I can keep going. Good luck everyone!!

Sclason

I absolutely want to keep going. I love running. My lungs don't. Lots of good advise here. Thank You all so much!! Definatly gives me the courage to not give up! :happy:

Dragonfly1996

My hubby is asthmatic & he says if he dropped the exercise it would be worse. He runs & manages his breathing. He takes serotide twice a day as a preventer & ventalin as & when he needs it as a reliever. Worth going to your doctors & asking if there's a better alternative for you. He had to ask for serotide (he was using ventalin all the time & got fed up with it & now he hardly uses it).

Also as others have said make sure you start slowly & even run/walk fir intervals & gradually build up to running all the time do your body can adjust.

Best of luck :flowerforyou:

Hezzietiger1

Thanks for posting. I am struggling with the same thing. I feel like my fitness levels are the best they have ever been, but I can't run more than about 90 seconds. I also have been trying to work through couch25k and failing! LOL I also use Albuterol to pretreat prior to work outs and as needed within a workout. I made an appointment to see my doctor this coming Monday. I'm hoping to get me EIA possibly re-diagnosed and start on something like advair. That was a suggestion given to me when I started a topic very similar to this a few weeks ago. Most of the other advice was the same as well.. Slow down, control your breathing 3:2 or 3:3 ratio. I live in the south and the pollen and humidity are awful. So I agree with the allergy advice posted here. Taking zyrtec everyday helps and using a netty pot to clear your nose makes breathing through your nose way way easier...when allergies are the issue. Thanks again for posting.

ashlielinn

I have asthma, too! And I run at least 5 miles a day (usually closer to 10). It was VERY hard at first! I also used couch to 5k and the thought of running for longer periods of time seemed impossible! I pushed through it, though. I repeated weeks if I didn't feel like I was comfortable completing the runs, and it eventually got easier! Now, I still breathe harder than some people seem to, but I can do it! It's definitely helped improve my asthma bunches!

Good luck to you!

willismack2

This is what has helped me. I take 2 puffs of my rescue inhaler immediately before exercise. I warm up for 10 minutes - Very slowly. This is usually walking with only 10-15 second jogs mixed in. I then jog the last 60 seconds of the warmup period to get my heart rate up followed by 1 minute walk. After that I can start whatever run I have planned for the day. It has worked for me. Good Luck

ashcky

Do you only use your albuteral inhaler? I take advair twice a day and then my albuteral inhaler only in emergencies and before I exercise. I am not in shape and I just started C25K but no problems with my asthma. If it's bothering you that bad you might talk to your doctor.

seventhe

I have asthma and EIA, and I've been running with it for about 4 years now. I find that "sprinting" is what triggers my asthma the worst. I put "sprinting" in quotes because sprints are relative - my race pace is my partner's SLOW pace - but for me, doing anything like tempo runs or interval training can be really dangerous, and it can get real bad real quickly. I take ProAir preventatively 20-30 min before I run and also bring it with me in case of danger (cold is another trigger for me, and pollen never helps).

What has helped me is doing long, slow runs. As you work up to longer and longer run intervals, definitely don't be afraid to slow them down. Once you get used to maintaining a slow easy pace for a longer time, you should find that your body's more able to do bitty sprints.

Hezzietiger1

I have asthma and EIA, and I've been running with it for about 4 years now. I find that "sprinting" is what triggers my asthma the worst. I put "sprinting" in quotes because sprints are relative - my race pace is my partner's SLOW pace - but for me, doing anything like tempo runs or interval training can be really dangerous, and it can get real bad real quickly. I take ProAir preventatively 20-30 min before I run and also bring it with me in case of danger (cold is another trigger for me, and pollen never helps).

What has helped me is doing long, slow runs. As you work up to longer and longer run intervals, definitely don't be afraid to slow them down. Once you get used to maintaining a slow easy pace for a longer time, you should find that your body's more able to do bitty sprints.

I'm the opposite.. I can sprint all day long. I can do 60 seconds on 60 seconds off for ever and for miles. It's when I try to push past about 90 seconds that my breathing gets out of control. Short distances I can move pretty quick too. Longer distances, I feel like i've slowed it down as slow as I can go and still be jogging-like 4.5 mph on the treadmill. I dunno. Hopefully the doctor can help me with other solutions Monday.

mes1119

I used to have exercise induced asthma when I was younger and it has slowly faded away. Have you been put on a longterm medication? I used to take an allergy/asthma medicine, singulair and it worked wonders for my breathing. Increasing physical condition helped my symptoms as well.

I used to be a competitive swimmer and complained about breathing issues. I even went to see a specialist that informed me that my breathing was "normal" from all these tests they did. I begged them to do something for me because it didn't seem normal. I was a very competitive swimmer, my lung functioning should have been through the roof. Anywho, a month later after taking singulair my tests increased by 120% or something crazy like that. The doctor was stunned. So make sure you see your doctor and be firm...

Sclason

I took a lot of advise on here put it all together and completed week 2 of the c25k no problem and actually ran 5 min non top at the end. I could have went longer but my ribs started to hurt and I was almost home. I know excuses excuses. Could have been the humidity that helped too. Either way thank you

sarahrbraun

I have asthma too. I actually had 4 straight months of bronchitis in the fall due to an asthma flare. In February I started walking/jogging on the treadmill. I am currently on singulair, advair 250/50, I have albuterol as a rescue medication AND I have albuterol with a neb for acute days.

I literally use my albuterol inhaler just minutes before I get on the treadmill. Right now my allergies are acting up, so my chest IS tight. I cough the first few minutes of my workout, but as I keep going, I can feel things getting better--I am probably better off when I am done than when I begin!

willismack2

I took a lot of advise on here put it all together and completed week 2 of the c25k no problem and actually ran 5 min non top at the end. I could have went longer but my ribs started to hurt and I was almost home. I know excuses excuses. Could have been the humidity that helped too. Either way thank you

Nice job. I hope you find running as enjoyable as I have. To hell with Asthma!

LilRedRooster

Are you runnimg too fast? I have asthma, and have since I was about five. Mine is not exercise-induced, though, so my lungs don't constrict with increased exercise, they just produce more mucous, which makes me cough if I push past a certain point. Try slowing down when you start running, and go as slow as you can to see if it helps with the coughing. I've noticed that running and cardiovascular workouts have really helped my asthma, though, so the more you do it, the more likely you are to see some improvements.

Also, preventative medications, if you don't take them already, are lifesavers. I take ephedrine about a half hour before my runs when I know there are allergens floating in the air (pollen kills me every year), and haven't had issues with needing a rescue inhaler for a long time. Before my insurance was dropped, I took Advair and Singulair together, and they did a great job with symptoms long-term.

Sclason

Amen! I hope I do too. I love running so hope I can push past my asthma!

Sclason

So I go from being scared of running and not being able to max 1.5 min to adding 5 min on the end of a run last week to running 2 miles in 24 min today without stopping and having no breathing problems! So freaken extatic right now!! TY to MFP friends for all the great suggestions!