Comp riders with asthma, share your stories?

[LowenKi]

This is turning into a really interesting post thank you all so much for your comments and for sharing your experiences.

Aran thank you for your input - the first doc I saw mentioned a lung function test but nothing has happened since, should I ring my GP surgery and specifically ask for them to set one up do you think? When I suffered my repeated pneumonias earlier this year it was only on my initiative that I kept getting x-rays and they kept noticing that the infection/fluid wasn't clearing, they weren't particularly proactive in finding a cause/long term solution, I just kept getting given antibiotics and told they would investigate further in 10 days if drugs weren't working.

Perhaps I need to push as hard for this too?

dressage_diva I hadn't even thought to let BD know, I'm going to email them this morning and find out if I need to formally declare anything. At first look it doesn't look like I'm using anything illegal but perhaps they just need to keep it registered on file for some reason? Thanks for the heads up!

H x

 

[dressage_diva]

dressage_diva I hadn't even thought to let BD know, I'm going to email them this morning and find out if I need to formally declare anything. At first look it doesn't look like I'm using anything illegal but perhaps they just need to keep it registered on file for some reason? Thanks for the heads up!

If you compete in any other disciplines it's probably worth double-checking with them too. Better to be safe than sorry Also if you ever go competing out on your own, might be worth letting someone know (the organisers) that you're asthmatic and where you've left an inhaler incase you ever need one in an emergency

 

[Twiglet]

You poor thing, sounds like your lungs are having a rough time.

I don't find the brown inhaler (Beclometasone) cuts the mustard with me and after a couple of bad winters moved to the purple one (Seratide). It's a longer lasting steroid I think.

My doctor advises cold air (unsurprisingly) being a big trigger, and said that on really cold mornings to breathe through a scarf or a dust mask type thing, to warm the air before it gets to the lungs, which tends to help.

Damp, foggy mornings are the worst for me, and I often find breathing painful in those circumstances, so up the steroids on days like that.

Re: additional exercise, the introduction of breathing regulated exercise into my lifestyle helps a LOT. Swimming in particular - front crawl, with a steady breathing rythm - plus pilates, and running, have really helped increase my lung capacity and strength. After a couple of months of quite serious swim training my peak flow measurements changed enormously.

Alcohol can be a major trigger for a lot of people - wine in particularly (because of the pollens apparently) so perhaps stick to more 'grain' based drinks (G&T anyone?!).
Dairy is also known to not be great for lung conditions.

Good luck - I find asthma treatment is a bit of trial and error, and only now am at the stage where the blue inhaler spends most of its time buried at the bottom of my handbag.

 

[LowenKi]

It's great to hear you're under control now though Twiglet, thank you for sharing! Lots of people have said about alcohol actually, I'm not been drinking very much recently so can't really identify whether it's a trigger yet or not, but I'll definitely keep an eye out.

My first attempt at a run last night was rained off - figured that would just be asking for trouble if I went out in that! Hoping to head out tonight instead so I'll let you know how that goes.

Took brown and blue inhalers this morning as directed (with my spacer), and headed off to the yard. After 40 minutes of turning out, scrubbing buckets, sweeping and mucking out, I felt really out of breath. I have been ignoring these symptoms for so long now that it's quite difficult for me to recognise them - I've got so used to ignoring them!

Have decided to keep a diary not just of am/pm peak flow but also of foods, drinks and exercise vs breathlessness, wheezing, coughing etc. It's a bit of a pain in the bum but hopefully this will help me to recognise patterns so that I can remember/recognise triggers.

Thank you all so much for your help! Am off out with the dog now on the bike, seeing as the sun is shining and I'm feeling positive

 

[Holidays_are_coming]

Oh bless you sounds really rubbish I'd push for lung function tests as your peak flows should be improving by now, you may need a combi inhaler the main difference is that it has a longer acting version of the blue inhaler in it.

 

[TarrSteps]

As I said earlier, alcohol really isn't a trigger for me, except a few whiskeys and sometimes red wine. I am far more likely to react to dairy and even then, it's usually cumulative, not that I eat it and I'm instantly compromised like a true allergic reaction. A few environmental things set me off quickly - some perfumes, rats (even though I had pet ones as a kid) - and occasionally the dogs will have something on their coats, likely pollen, even if I've walked wherever they have walked and not reacted. Also, some chemicals REALLY set me off, one cleaner makes he virtually a hospital case in minutes.

Two things I did at home were get an air purifier and a dehumidifier - I find I'm worse indoors here generally than I was in Canada, where damp and mould in houses is very rare.

I know I sound like someone's mother but I really do suggest looking at your management, just like you would for a horse. The drugs are great (I've been, at various times, on pred, oral steroids, bronchodilators, Singulair. . .) but if they are constantly battling against the tide you are not getting the full benefit. It took me YEARS to accept that common sense might be the best medicine.

 

[Twiglet]

I know I sound like someone's mother but I really do suggest looking at your management, just like you would for a horse. The drugs are great (I've been, at various times, on pred, oral steroids, bronchodilators, Singulair. . .) but if they are constantly battling against the tide you are not getting the full benefit. It took me YEARS to accept that common sense might be the best medicine.

So true...and god bless Prednisalone, have got me through some very nasty times (I don't recommend flying to Australia whilst recovering from pneumonia )

 

[MegaBeast]

Incidentally, red wine contains a compound that is related to aspirin and aspirin is an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) which can cause bronchospasm.

OP - I would hope you have been advised, but not all are (!) that you should be careful taking aspirin or ibuprofen as they can trigger bronchospasm. Advice generally is that if you've taken them in the past then you should be okay but as a newly diagnosed asthmatic I'd suggest avoiding.

 

[aran]

Hello

How long since the Dr mentioned doing a lung function test?
If more than a month then I'd phone and ask what's happening about it
You sound like you're doing all the right things (taking control of your health issues, taking you meds as prescribed, doing a diary).
If you don't feel like the system is supporting you or giving you the answers you need then talk to your asthma nurse and maybe ask for a referral to a respiration specialist
It’s important that you feel supported and that you know what your goals should be so you can target how you’re doing

Good luck

 

[LowenKi]

Thanks Megabeast, no I hadn't been advised or warned about that at all! I shall avoid them from now on, just to be on the safe side.

Thank you everybody this has turned into a really informative, interesting thread! x

 

[katastrophykat]

I'm on a totally different inhaler- I used to be on the brown (budesonide??) inhaler morning and night and was having to use my terbutaline regularly, that really wipes me out. So after a trial a few years ago, I'm now on symbicort- budesonide and formoterol. It's supposed to be twice a day, but TBH I take two puffs in the morning and it's very rare that I take the evening ones! It's settled me right down, and I'm no longer affected anywhere near as much as I used to be. I love it!!

Best of luck!

 

[atlantis]

To put a different spin on things, I'm a physio who works with people with asthma on correcting their breathing pattern. I don't think I've met a person with asthma who doesn't have a dysfunctional breathing pattern.

Essentially as asthma makes your work of breathing increase you develop bad habits with a breathing pattern from the upper chest which is in excess of your bodies requirements.

We should all breathe as efficiently as possible and you should think of keeping your breathing as settled as possible. Any extra effort irritates tour lungs and increases rhe tine in the smooth muscle in your airways and increases bronchospasm and therefore your asthma symptoms.

It takes a long time to explain and so I'd recommend buying a book called Hyperventilation Syndrome by Dinah Bradley from Amazon. Its only about £6 and is also for those who don't have asthma but contains everything you need to know about retraining your breathing pattern.

We get people referred to us when they are over using their blue inhalers and we greatley improve peoples symptoms and control of their breathing.

 

[Dizzydancer]

Sorry but COPD is an umbrella term for emphysema and bronchitis its not actually a illness it self- doctors use it as its laziness.
It annoys me when seeing poorly chests (resp physio) that this is what they use.
The blue inhaler does work for these conditions to but not as efficiently as for asthma sufferers. The main difference is people with COPD conditions struggle with uptake of oxygen in blood as lung tissue is damaged leaving less surface area for transmissions. With asthma the airways constrict only and trap the air in the lungs and the wheeze is caused by a lack of air entering the lungs from outside as the air sacs don't open fully the wheezing is heard.
Get your incentive spirometry/lung function tests done and then you will have a true diagnosis.
All can be managed a physio can teach breathing exercises to help control breathing. Or a resp nurse can also give ideas.
Good luck you sound like your coping