Question for Asthmatics

I was diagnosed with fairly severe asthma about a year into my new lifestyle. I would suggest walking at first & some strength training 2x/week. All in moderation & keep an inhaler close by. I am able to run & do whatever I want most days. I ran my first 5K in June. As the weight comes off, breathing should get easier. If you need to slow down, do it. You will build up endurance & better cardiovascular health. Good luck & stay with it.

i have, of all things, exercised induced asthma. i take meds to control it. singulair is specifically for that, and is now generic. you'll want to see a good pulmonologist or other specialist. i see an allergy doc, because i have that too. (go me!)

exercise will help with symptom control. talk to your dr about your specific type of asthma, there is lots they can do to control it, and if you have a peak flow meter, USE IT, if you dont have one, GET IT. they are really cheap i think it was 4 for mine, and ins covered it, i dont think i paid oop for it at all.

Start slow, listen to your body, and always have your inhaler (if prescribed one) handy. Walking, swimming, elliptical....anything cardiovascular will help. Yoga and deep breathing techniques have helped. I used to be overweight and would run into some asthmatic troubles from it being exercise induced. Just take it easy and work your way towards more strenuous activity. Since losing weight and expanding my respiratory system through exercise, I've found my asthma to be nearly gone (allergies can flare it up sometimes). Weight training wouldn't hurt either as the breathing required can promote something similar to deep breathing while still helping to turn fat into muscle.

Before I started running, it was a problem, but now? I can't remember the last time I even thought about Xopenex. Let alone used it. Let alone whatever the stuff was I used before that.

It is doable. Make sure that you talk to your doctor. My son has asthma and he ran a 10K with me last week, with more races to come. He is on a daily steroid inhaler, and for runs he takes albuterol 2 puffs before and then 2 puffs (albuterol) as needed during the runs. Unless your asthma is hard to control for some reason you should be able to exercise.

I had exercise when I was younger. If exercise makes symptoms worse or you can't exercise because of it, then see a doctor (or if you're in the UK your asthma nurse) and ensure that you're on the right medication(s) to control it. I used to have to take a puff of ventolin (blue/reliever inhaler) prior to exercising to prevent asthma attacks during exercise. It didn't stop me from competing at a high level in judo or playing ice hockey in the league. BUT you need to ensure it's well controlled before you can do stuff like that, and it can be dangerous if it's not, so don't ignore symptoms and keep your reliever inhaler with you whenever you exercise. But asthma should not stop you from doing exercise, if it does go back to your doc again as you might need to be on different medication for it.

Just one thing, my MIL was misdiagnosed with asthma when she actually had emphysema. If asthma medication isn't working it's definitely a call to get a second opinion. Misdiagnosis happens so don't anyone be afraid to go back to their doc or see a different one if what you're prescribed isn't working the way it's supposed to.

Albuterol or any other short acting beta 2 agonist can be taken prophylactically 5-15min pre workout for intermittent asthma. Additionally, montelukast (Singluair) can be used prophylactically 2h pre workout; however, there is only about a 50% response rate with montelukast for exercise induced bronchoconstriction. Albuterol would be your drug of choice.

i LOVE my singulair! that's all. carry on.

oh, and albuterol gives me wicked jitters, so taking it before exercise, when my heart was already racing, plus raising my heartrate through exercise, left me feeling TOTALLY crappy.

OP, see your dr.

I had exercise induced asthma when I was younger. If exercise makes symptoms worse or you can't exercise because of it, then see a doctor (or if you're in the UK your asthma nurse) and ensure that you're on the right medication(s) to control it. I used to have to take a puff of ventolin (blue/reliever inhaler) prior to exercising to prevent asthma attacks during exercise. It didn't stop me from competing at a high level in judo or playing ice hockey in the league. BUT you need to ensure it's well controlled before you can do stuff like that, and it can be dangerous if it's not, so don't ignore symptoms and keep your reliever inhaler with you whenever you exercise. But asthma should not stop you from doing exercise, if it does go back to your doc again as you might need to be on different medication for it.

Just one thing, my MIL was misdiagnosed with asthma when she actually had emphysema. If asthma medication isn't working it's definitely a call to get a second opinion. Misdiagnosis happens so don't anyone be afraid to go back to their doc or see a different one if what you're prescribed isn't working the way it's supposed to.

fixed it for me.... DOH!!!! *facepalm* silly me typing too fast...

oh, and albuterol gives me wicked jitters, so taking it before exercise, when my heart was already racing, plus raising my heartrate through exercise, left me feeling TOTALLY crappy.

Amanda - I'm with you on that!!! I take Singulair daily.

I race mountain bikes for fun with the weekend warrior types in the April - October time frame. If I take a puff or two of my Albuterol before a race - I will get a super high heart rate, get naseau during the race, get the jitters and race very poorly. Instead, I take great care to warm up slowly (usually about a 30 - 40 minute routine on the bike) and not use the Albuterol. Post-race, the exercise induced stuff will sometimes kick in and then I can use a puff or two from the inhaler to calm things down as I drive home. But before the race - the stuff wipes me out.