Just found out I have been training with asthma pretty much my whole life. It finally caught up with me. After months of coughing and a burning chest I broke down and went to the doc. He diagnosed me with asthma and prescribed albuterol and Singulair. I started with albuterol and wow what a difference. I can breath.
Now here is the part where I need help. Taking the albuterol before a workout works great for 2 hours. Then it starts going down hill. I found out after 5 hours on the bike this weekend. What do you do when the albuterol starts to wear off. Hit the inhaler again? I started the Singulair after that ride. Will that help with the longer rides and races? How many people with asthma are doing the longer events (IM or 70.3) and how do you control the asthma?
i have asthma. i used to take my inhaler before a race/workout and if needed. i used to bring my inhaler everywhere with me. then i went to a hypnotherapist. after one 45 minute session, it seemed i was totally cured. now i never have an asthma attack and never carry my inhaler. it was indeed amazing.
How long have you been taking singulair? If your asthma is under control, you really shouldn’t need the inhaler for exercise. I take advair and only occasionally need my inhaler, maybe once or twice per year. Before I was on advair, I was taking my inhaler a couple times per week.
Dan and I both had your problem, and I was on singulair and albuterol. I think Dan was on even more shit. We solved it by moving out of the city, and to the dry desert air. FOr 5 years now, neither of us has had an attack up here, and are completely off any medication. WHenever I go to the city to race though, it starts to come back. It’s unbelievable how much mold, dust, pollution, and ohter chemicals there are in cities. Paul Thomas’s wife is struggling with it right now, and they have put their house up for sale. At some point you have to decide on your health, and make the right move…
Drugs treat symptoms not causes and over time can make a condition worse. If you want to abandon the inhaler and pills permanently, you must treat the cause.
I’ve gotten my asthma under control by:
Do breathing exercises (similar to yoga breathing), it’s cheap (as in free), can be done anywhere, and at anytime.
See an acupuncturist (well, she’s my wife…). One or two weekly sessions will easily be cheaper than a drug regiment.
Ask a licensed, certified herbalist about possible formulae or decoctions which may work for you.
I am an asthmatic and being from Australia - its a common affliction here due to the pollens and grasses that are common here…
The key should be for you to have two distinct plans:
Preventer Medication that you take DAILY (inhalers/meds that try and prevent the occurance of an asthma attack)
Reliever Medication OCCASIONALLY (inhalers/meds that relieve the symptoms of an actual asthma episode).
You can still reach full potential as long as you have your treatment in order. Talk to you doctor, however a reliever is designed to be used mid-bike ride or whatever.
Hey I know where you are coming from. I have had asthma for most of my life due to pretty crappy lungs. I started using albuterol a few years ago. I typically take 1-2 puffs before every workout. Nothing sucks more than an asthma attack while swimming! That was good but I was still finding that I was having issues throughout the day so I got put on a serevent disk and that is working pretty well. I hit that in the morning and that is more of a slow release all day kinda thing to keep the mini’s off. Then before I workout I take a puff or two of my inhaler and that is working pretty good for me. I had a longer workout this past weekend and wished in the last 3rd that I had my inhaler and will probably start carrying it with me just in case. I’m training for IMFL and am finding that with the increased volume as well as the rising outside temps and humidity that my breathing is suffering more too. I hope that helps some.
I too have asthma and do mostly halves and marathons…as for meds- I’m on singulair (was on advair), allegra and the inhaler. Now my doc told me that the inhaler is really not that bad to take often- basically i take it before the swim, then i hit it usually in the middle of my bike and it always always gets worse on the run so even if its only been 90 minutes or 2 hours since i last took it i hit it again and usually I’m good till the end…there are days when the pollen and mites and all the rest are so bad i need it more- as he instructed me there are times when I will punch through the meds and its okay to use the inhaler. We are of course working to have me managed by drugs alone but he said that these meds are not made for triathletes, they are formulated to work for the average American and its not surprising that i wheeze more in races…so I’d try hitting it more during the bike…its adrenaline so if you have any heart issues you would need to make inquiries about that but i just take my spray with me and i listen to my body…so far so good!
But good luck- takes a little trial and error but you can find a solution…
I hear where a couple of you are coming from on the pollen and mold issues. I live in the Hell capital of pollen, mold and everything irritating. Otherwise known as the Pacific Northwest. For people that have their asthma triggered by irritants such as pollen do you find you get relief as Spring passes and the pollen counts go down?
Hi - Sorry to hear about the asthma diagnosis but at least now you can begin to take care of it. I’m in the soggy Northwest too (although wasn’t last week awesome?) and began to have problems breathing a few years ago following a viral lung infection. It tends to hit me in November and lasts through April with periodic episodes the rest of the year. Deanoz is right when he says that there’s prevention medication like Singulair, Serevent, Flovent, etc and the rapid relief medication like Albuterol. Use the Singulair as prescribed to help prevent any attacks and use the Albuterol when you need rapid relief. Albuterol is a short acting bronchodilator and it’s not intended to last hours.
I don’t have Exercise Induced Asthma but training and racing don’t exactly help. Usually before any longer races (I’ve got New Balance HIM in a couple of weeks and IMC later on in August) I’ll go on the medication at least a couple, three weeks out even if I don’t have any symptoms and I’ll carry the albuterol with me in the race. I’ve never had an attack during a race just some extended coughing/shallow breathing afterwards which can be controlled.
Make sure your doctor understands the level of activity you do. Also, get a spacer for your inhaler if you don’t already have it. You can’t take the spacer out with you on rides or runs but you can use it at home.
Good luck. It takes a bit of figuring out what works and what doesn’t but you’ll get it under control.
I have had asthma all my life and on occasion it has messed up training and competition. I have found the fitter I get the better it is, and I also found its really bad when the weather changes basically two weeks in the spring and the fall. I sometimes have problems when its really cold (but being in Vancouver thats not such a problem) I try to anticipate the attacks or periods when the attacks are most likely but taking roids and during that period carry my ventolin with me on work outs. But once I get an attack there is nothing to be done other than to stand down until it passes. My advice would be to take the drugs, continue to train but scale back the intensity if need be but montor both environmental conditions and training in relation to the attacks, look for a specific pattern and then work around it. Might need to change drugs as some people respond better to some drugs than others, this is purely my observation as my sister also suffers from asthma but responds to different drugs than I do.
Here’s another question concerning albuterol. It is banned by WADA except with a Therputic Use Exemption. I submitted my TUE to USADA for using albuterol since I am doing Nationals. Is it something asthma suffers have to do and are they doing it?
What you did is major overkill unless you are in contention for prize money or the Olympics. I imagine you aren’t based on the fact that you are racing age group nationals.
I live in the Hudson Valley. Pollen and mold are pretty bad here to. Some seasons its so moist people have mushrooms growing in their homes!
I take claratin and eat local honey to build up immunity. The honey really works! Claratin is a back up for tree season. Grass season and ragweed aren’t as bad for me as tree season. I also live in an old house with 3 cats. So I’m under assault all the time.
I was diagnosed with EIA (excercise Induced asthma) last year. I have albuterol for pre race treatment.
I have been able to control the asthma by changing my diet. No more dairy. I use sea salt instead of reguar salt and I take a supplement called Rhodiola. It helps with asthma. It is an adaptagenic herb like ginsing.
I keep forgetting my inhaler on the last two or three century rides/long runs I have been on and haven’t had an attack.
Look at your diet along with the medication. Start using the medication as prescribed and then see if the diet changes can get you off the medication and you would just keep an inhaler for emergencies.
You might want to get tested to see what is your true trigger for allergies.
Keep your immune system healthy! Lots of Vitamin C!
Welcome to the club. Do you also have any reflux type symptoms? You would be surprised how many adult asthma cases are related to GERD. For me, if I control my GERD my asthma is much better. I’m an advair guy, Singulair did nothing for me.
Mine is related to tree pollen, asthma impact is highest in winter and lowest in summer. You have to find your own triggers, as others have suggested, then mitigate as necessary. Other common triggers (at least for me!), infections, cold air/water, exercise (especially w/o adequate slow warm-up), cats, cigarette smoke, fingernail polish remover. If you have EIA (exercise induced asthma) like me, Serevent might help, it’s a slow acting bronchiodilator. I’m also on corticosteroids (inhaled) for “maintainence”, but frankly I don’t feel they have had much impact on my EIA. I’ve learned to keep albuterol close by, when you get tight while exercising it seems to have a greater impact on relieving symptoms more effectively and for longer then taking before exercise. Mine is definitely worse the harder I go; in fact I’ve been thinking of going longer and slower, as opposed to shorter/faster, just for the sake of fewer EIA issues.
Keep your house spic-n-span! Get rid of carpets, these are massive dust/mildew/mold/dander collectors! Buy pillow and mattress covers, don’t let pets on your bed. Shave or kill your cat (kidding, well kind of). Good luck! You can live with this and get it under control and have a pretty much normal athletic hobby, just takes a bit of extra effort.
I have asthma and I’m a doc.
Singulair works REALLY well for about 20-25% and fair for ~40-50% and zip for the rest. It works great for my wife and hardly at all for me. If you are still having trouble and needin albuterol despite being on the singulair, your asthma is probably still not under control and you need an inhaled steroid. I happen to think that budesonide (Pulmicort) is the best one out there for most people. I use it. Also, you may do better with Formoderol (Foradil) before rides and races. I use it some when I have colds, druing brush fires outbreaks and before races (every one) and long rides/runs, when I have issues. It is a long acting albuterol like drug. It works for 12 hours in preventing exercise induced bronchoconstriction. If your asthma is under good control, you should not need the albuterol much at all. If you are needing it, your asthma ain’t under good control.
I’m not a doctor, but one that I trust made a strong argument for Flunisolide (Aerobid) over other steroid inhalers. He quoted some study that showed that it resulted in lower steroid uptake in your blood than any of the others. I’ve taken it for a long time and now need albuterol only about twice a year.
I also found that it was key to get a good spacer mechanism. The puffer that comes with the prescription is a joke and ends up spraying medication straight on your tonsils. Try the Inspirease spacer.
I happen to think that budesonide (Pulmicort) is the best one out there for most people.
Dick
My insurance co. sent me a letter saying Pulmicort is being dc’d ?
For giddyup911
I also have Asthma. I take Singular, Pulmicort, Serevent daily. I use Albuterol PRN/ when needed( not very often). I do use it before a race or surfing just to be on the safe side. With meds my asthma is under control…most of the time. But a couple of times a year it just acts up for a week or so. Also if I get a cold the chest congestion/SOB can be a problem. I’m looking into trying Foradil.
The pulmicort ‘Turbuhaler’ was d/c’d. It was replaced by a very slightly different device. The only diffference is that the mouthpiece is a little different, the counter is eaisier to see and they added a little ‘taste’ because people complained that they couldn’t tell if they were getting anything. So you can still get it, it just has a different name. I forget what the new one is called.