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Re: Help needed: restricted breathing on intensity training [dgutstadt] [ In reply to ]
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Doron - Just sent you a PM....
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Re: Help needed: restricted breathing on intensity training [trirocket] [ In reply to ]
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trirocket wrote:
Any update?? Have you had more tests done?

I've been in a similar boat as you for more than a year now.... Had extensive cardiac testing done (even an angiogram) as well as PFT, etc., etc. My shortness of breath is so bad that I even feel it when not exercising. Running for me is the worst (1.5 min./mile slower than usual), with swimming being a close second.
A couple of days ago, I had a bad cold coming on and the symptoms intensified. That's when I stumbled across VCD.


Sorry, missed this post.

So I finished all the heart testing and it is 100% not heart issue (we were really looking at crazy unlikely things at the end).
Meanwhile, based on the suggestions I got I went to see a pulmonologist which in 2 minutes diagnosed this as "small airway disease" - essentially its asthma
He put me on some steroids and Albuterol inhaler. The steroids don't seem to do anything, but the inhaler is unbelievable. Few minutes after I take a puff, my chest opens up and I can breath normally.


I really don't like the approach of just throwing drugs at the problem instead of trying to understand root cause, but right now I'm out of energy for any more doctor visits and tests (not to mention the many thousands of dollars it cost, even with great medical insurance). I really don't like long term use of steroids, and can't take them if I want to race. So I stopped the steroids and only using the inhaler on hard/long workouts.

In a few months I'll get back to digging into trying to cure this rather than just treat it


Hope this is helpful information for others.
Thanks again to all of the great advise and suggestions.
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Re: Help needed: restricted breathing on intensity training [Duncan74] [ In reply to ]
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Duncan74 wrote:
Dean T wrote:
Trying not to be too mister simple here... but this has been a very wet, very green, very pollen saturated spring. Vol touched on it. I'm having one of my worst allergy seasons in a long time. It's really getting me in the pool, when I feel like I cannot get a full breath. And speedwork is killing me. But... I go through it to some extent every spring, so it's just something I'm used to. It may be just that?

+1 to this being cause of similar for me. Hayfever resulted in slight runny nose, which went into lungs when laying down and sleeping, which then led to cough and asthma like feeling when doing anything 6/10 or above effort wise. For me my asthma is crazily well controlled, but the feeling was the same as when I am hammering at 9/10 in the cold/damp of autumn and the one time of year I need my reliever. In the end an OTC nasal spray sorted it in 3 days.

I hope the answer for you is as simple. Took me months to get to those 3 days, but that's been a consistent fix each year for the last few. I'm not FOP, but late 40s and would say I'm front MOP with mild exercise induced astma controlled by singulair tablets for last 15 years after being diagnosed in my early 30s - I'd put my wheezing down to being unfit all my life until it was pointed out I wasn't unfit so why was I still wheezing.....

+2.
We've had a shiiiite cold wet spring up to about 2 weeks ago. Then suddenly warm. Shedloads of pollen everywhere.
2 training buddies and I are all asthmatic and have all been complaining that we're struggling to do anything hard at the mo. Steady base load all day is OK (100 miler bike last week in the hills - Steady was OK But soon as there's any real intensity I'm blowing and wheezing and spluttering. And the effects have lasted for days (2 weeks and counting) - I've missed several days doing any training as a result, and a couple of swim sessions I did do we're garbage and really just felt awful.

Obvs as per others eliminate the serious stuff 1st though!
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Re: Help needed: restricted breathing on intensity training [dgutstadt] [ In reply to ]
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I believe you are mistaken when you say that they are throwing Drugs at a problem.
They are treating a disease process with the proper therapy. Given your excellent response to albuterol you seem to have ongoing inflammation/bronchospasm.

If you have asthma and there is obstruction, there are potential long term degradation in your lung function if you don’t treat the underlying inflammation. Over time it will lead to scarring. Granted the effect is probably not so much to affect your usual activities but for athletes every bit is key.

Additionally the ICS (inhaled corticosteroids ) do not have any adverse long term effects on middle age men.
Last edited by: Old lungs: Jun 9, 21 15:51
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