ASHTMA & EXERCISE

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deegarcia19
deegarcia19 Posts: 98
in Fitness and Exercise
I have a quick question. Anyone here with serious ashtma? I have horrible ashtma and it's really difficult for me to run/jog for a long time without stopping. I use my inhaler a lot in general without even doing exercise. I also have symbicort which is supposed to help, but it really doesn't. Any advice/input?

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  • rcrea
    rcrea Posts: 80
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    First of all, if symbicort is not working talk to your doctor about switching to advair or asthmanex as a preventative. Prevention is key. In the meantime, try something with more regulated breathing like yoga or pilates.
  • cownancy
    cownancy Posts: 291
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    Can you use the nebulizer before and after? You have to start VERY VERY slowly and build up. Also do your breathing exercises to try to build up your stamina. But, ultimately, ask your doctor. I am on Advair and Singular, plus the inhaler, but they seem to help!

    Good luck. Don't feel badly about going slowly!
  • fairygirl716
    fairygirl716 Posts: 213
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    Advair works for me. Gradually increasing your lung capacity and endurance will work too. I didn't use to be able to run a block without my lungs burning. Now I can run 3 just fine. But, talk to your doctor and have them re-evaluate you.
  • Crystal_Rudolph
    Crystal_Rudolph Posts: 632 Member
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    I can only offer you hope...once you gain better endurance overall, the asthma attacks will get less and less. I HAD exercise-induced asthma for most of my life. Once I lost about 25 pounds and was exercising daily, the doctor said I no longer had asthma! I was on 3 different inhalors, singular, and an abueterol machine before! Good luck and take care!!!
  • sandi228
    sandi228 Posts: 72 Member
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    Just walk, I can't run so I just walk and jog til I'm winded then walk some more. Asthma sucks!
  • nitashagarcia
    nitashagarcia Posts: 88
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    i am so with you! i do more strength training cuz it burns fat :) i do little exercise here and there but not too much! i have severe asthma. i take symbicort, my nebulizer that has albuterol sulfate and COPD, singulair, allegra for allergies, ventolin inhaler...i take like everything under the sun! it sucks! just do what you can dont push yourself!!! <3
  • yummummum
    yummummum Posts: 257
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    I have severe asthma but it is usually under control unless I am around my triggers. Exercise can induce it especially on cold days.

    I was told if you were using a rescue inhaler every day the asthma was under control.

    So now I do Advair twice a day and I am much better. (I only seem to really need it in the fall so I go off it sometimes).

    Then I will often take 1-2 puffs of my regular inhaler when I feel I need it during exercise.
  • anevels
    anevels Posts: 16 Member
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    im on advair and a rescue inhalor. but have you thought about swimming instead? my doctor recommended swimming to increase my lung capacity and doing water aerobics, zumba and pilates in the pool has made a difference
  • 1dragonfly
    1dragonfly Posts: 18 Member
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    I've had asthma since childhood--runs in the family. Symbacort didn't work for me. I was on Advair and developed heart-palpitations--took awhile to figure what the heck was happening to me! Now I'm on Accolate and a steroid inhaler--but very low dose--along with antihistamine, fish oil and glucosamine. I seem to be regulated better now, except when I get a chest cold! So definitely check with your doctor, and if you're not getting answers find a different doc! ( I had one that just wanted me on high doses of oral steroids! Ah, no!) If you rely on rescue inhalers, there is probably a lot of scar tissue building up and that's not good either.
  • ivyjbres
    ivyjbres Posts: 612 Member
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    My asthma's only moderate, but I am prescribed 3 inhalers at a time because my seasonal bronchitis always progresses to pneumonia. I've found I can run around all day chasing my son, but working out, I always have difficulty. I've decided that part of the reason I'm having a reaction is because I'm thinking about it. When I'm focused on my son and having fun, no symptoms at all. But If I'm concentrating on keeping going/not stopping, I'm gonna have to.
  • manjingirl
    manjingirl Posts: 188 Member
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    I have a quick question. Anyone here with serious ashtma? I have horrible ashtma and it's really difficult for me to run/jog for a long time without stopping. I use my inhaler a lot in general without even doing exercise. I also have symbicort which is supposed to help, but it really doesn't. Any advice/input?

    Advice - if you are using your inhaler alot, GO BACK TO YOUR DOCTOR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Once you've got your baseline asthma under control, think about exercise, especially swimming as mentioned by another poster. Adults still die from asthma attacks so it's important to get it as well controlled as possible. It can take awhile sometimes. Finding triggers is important.

    In the meantime, if you feel well enough and it's not too cold (is that one of your triggers?), go for gentle walks. Walking is very under-rated. Walking is great low intensity exercise. You can incorporate some bending or stretching, tricep dips on park benches, pushups against trees or park benches, all manner of additional exercises which work the muscles.

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