Mine is exacerbated by exercise, as well as other stuff.
I would go and see your doctor about strategies for handling it when exercising. What he/she will probably suggest is taking your reliever inhaler about half an hour before exercise to relax your airways, and/or suggest a long term medication that you take every day.
My asthma isn't well-controlled due to me not being able to take cortico-steroid based meds, but I can manage it when exercising by taking my reliever before exercise and carrying it with me at the gym for emergencies.
Went to my usual NuStep machine on Saturday AM - on weekends, I try to do .5 hr NuStep, .5 hr swimming. There was a guy I'd never met on the other machine - and after a while we chatted for a few minutes about our programs, and I found that I was matching his pace. Now, he's been working out for several more months, and after a few minutes, I noticed I was getting a little pink in the face.
Did I slow down? Did I go out to the truck to get my rescue inhaler?
No, I kept pumping - as anonymous person in gym who knows nothing about me said - we all do what works for us - and he's losing more and faster than I am - so what he's doing must be right for me, too!
And did I cut back on my number of laps, or slow down, when for the last week or so, I've been trying to improve my speed?
Nope -
And did I wheeze and have chest pains Saturday night, even though I took extra meds and did breathing exercises to try to open my bronchioles?
You betcha -
I have exercise induced asthma as well as "normal" asthma. My asthma is greatly exacerbated by my GERD, and allergies. So those need to be controlled.
I hate albuterol because of the way it makes me jittery but I do have an inhaler and a nebulizer. While my asthma is generally under really good control now, It used to be severe when I was a teenager.
These couple of weeks it has been under a bit of a flair. So I have been using more advair. Also at the gym I am doing things that are lower intensity for me like walking or recumbent bike rather than the eliptical.
I can do awesome on a peak flow meter. One of the reasons is because for years I played the flute and there was a lot of focus on proper breathing techniques. While I am not a great musician, I do still have the breathing lessons with me. When I find myself wheezing I remind myself to focus on breathing slowly (if I can), preferably in through the nose and out through the mouth with deep breaths. I also try to breath from the stomach during workouts rather than the chest sometimes, if that makes any sense- deeper breaths.
But I love the diskuss style inhalers. I'm not good at using conventional ones so when those came along it was nice for me.
My mum wouldn't let me do a wind instrument because of my asthma!!!! (I wanted to learn the bag pipes ) So I did violin, which didn't help my peak flow readings!!! I hate that thing!!!
When we first got conventional inhalers, I was about 12 and I had to go back to the syrup for a while because it didn't work. Yep we were using it upside down folks. Sigh.
I've started yoga, and am hoping that helps me control my breathing. I used to suffer from anxiety attacks, and sometimes an asthma attack can bring on a panic attack, and vice versa.
Asthma management is a lot more complicated that people give it credit for. We're all so different!
Hi
Yep, I'm an asthma chick too! At school my mum encouraged me to play a wind instrument too but everyone felt the flute was too delicate, I wanted the sax but guess what was felt to be best for the 16 stone Heather? The bloody trombone!!! I still harbour a desire to play the sax now and probably will when I get my own place and have more room to keep stuff and space to practice!
I've finally discovered Pilates,a nd have found their breathing system has really helped. My asthma attacks have reduced, and I have been able to control an attack with the breathing method. I've used my inhaler a lot less in the past few weeks, so I am relieved to have found something that finally helps!
Eucalyptus oil and tea tree oil work for me. I hate the smell of peppermint, I must have been a mouse (a wheezy one) in a former life, they hate peppermint apparently!
I've had asthma for about 12 years now. When I was younger it was pretty bad and a couple of years back it was really bad. I've been pretty good with my exercise lately, with mostly using a stationary bike and doing well with that. My asthma has been under pretty good control for a while and with the exercise, it was actually helping me control it. About a week or two ago I started a little bit on the elliptical. Like the others have mentioned here, 3 days ago, I was stupid and felt myself getting out of breath, got all sweaty and red and pushed myself too too hard. I had a very bad attack that took me 2 days to fully get over and feel better again. I just have my albuterol to control it because that's all I really needed plus I use mucinex because I find it helps me control it also, it helps me alot. But that one day I was stupid, I didn't pay attention to my body and suffered for it.
So, anyway, just listen to your body, don't push yourself. I was kinda pushing myself because I thought I was ready and wanted to be at a pace of the others but I have to go at my own pace. If that means I lose weight at a slower pace or it takes longer, that's okay, as long as it doesn't kill me. I have to admit though, I'm a little scared now to start exercising again because that last attack was so bad, so I have to start at the bottom again and go slowly.
Violet - as the other "stupid" one, I think it may be a learning thing.
I talked to an exercise physiologist (wouldn't recommend it, at $85, she spent a lot of time shilling for the exercise program she works for), but she did say that the best thing I can do for myself is less intensity for a longer period of time.
So I'm trying to dial it down an exercise level, and keep going for 10-15 minutes more.
And, trying to keep my head on straight.
Isn't it nice that we have a disease that is so treatable, if you are just really respectful of your body.
It's nice to know there are others out there struging with controlling their asthma and still trying to excercise and keep healthy - it's not easy! I was diagnosed at 6 months old and have had it my whole life. I've never been able to run longer than a few minutes which really hampered my athletic participation in school. I hated being the girl on the sidelines! It seemed I either had to be totally in or just left out completely. As I've gotten older I've realized there are plenty of excercises I can do, I just have to be careful and monitor my breathing. For me, the best thing is to leave all the aerobic classes and hiking groups behind and to work at my own pace. I prefer the gym where i can be in control of my breathing and heartrate. The eliptical is great and I like rowing too. I've also found that swimming is good. I live near a few green areas where there are nice, hilly walks which also help to keep me in shape. As far as medicine, combining Advair, Cingular and Allegra has saved my life! Before taking these I used to end up in the hospital because of terrible asthma attacks at least once a year. Now, I've been hospital free for over 6 years and my lungs are in better shape than ever. Good luck to all you asthma-chicks - the support is great!!!
Mine has gone horrible at the moment but fingers crossed I've got it back under control my hayfever has been awful which is why its been bad but now I'm taking more meds than a pharmacy it seems to be better I had a really good peak flow when i saw the nurse this week he was really impressed. I've been practicing my flute too which helps because it makes me control my breathing more.
I take Singulair and the Advair diskus, and my allergy med is Zyrtec.
But the medicine that works the best for me is old-fashioned Theophyllin.
My internist says that "nobody" uses it any more because the toxic range is narrow, but I take 1 every 6 hrs, working with my allergist, and it's perfect for me. And there's no pain.
I think, however, that I also help myself a lot by making sure that I get my 8 hrs of sleep a night, and, now adding low intensity exercising is making it better.
I know what it's like to be an "asthma nobody", I am sensitive to all cortisone meds, they give me migraine, debiliatating 3 day migraines.......and I just don't get migraine at all when I am not on the meds. But I am a nobody, as it is an unreported side effect, so every time I see a different doctor, I have to explain.
If it works for you, wonderful. Theophylline didn't like me at all
Hey I was diagnosed as an Asthma chick at 26 originally it was cough variant mainly when I get sick
now my allergies kick it into high gear and I'm uncomfy all the time!
I don't take my rescue because then i can't bend my knees
I have singulair and nasacourt and right now during the hardcore pollen season I have asthmanex
) So I did violin, which didn't help my peak flow readings!!! I hate that thing!!! 
