Ugh. I had an idea that I had it - but after the doctors apparently listening to my lungs over the past year... they have set me up with a puffer (kind of puffer... it's a dry puffer if that makes any sense).

The doctor thinks it's the reason why I've been so darned sick. A combination of stress, everyone sick around me and now exercising. I've never exercised this much before in my life. I didn't run as a child because if I did, I ended up coughing and gasping because it was like a fluid buildup in my lungs... like a cold (even if I was healthy as can be).

I'm goign to go onto the puffer for 2 weeks and see if it helps clear my lungs.

After the first puff in the doctors office... I can actually breathe and finally cough up the mucus in my lungs from a cold.

Tamera
I have lived with asthma for many many years. I have it pretty bad. Two different kinds of inhalers at the moment. Depending on the time of year depends on the meds sometimes more sometimes less. I understand the shortness of breath and not being able to do things certain times of the year because of the humidity. Let me yell you, exercise really helps the lungs. It does take time. Have to add a few min little by little. When I started doing a one mile walking video I had to hit pause several times thru to catch my breath. Now I am doing a 2 mile video. You live with asthma you don't let it run your life. It can either be an excuse not to do things you should do or you can work with it. Do everything you want but within reason depending on what triggers the attacks.

I work for an asthma specialist. Sounds like they took a long time to diagnose you. If your PCP is helping you with it, you might ask them to send you to a asthma specialists. They have all kinds of stuff that can help you and tests that can confirm much more specific asthma complications than what it sounds like your having done. We do spirometry tests and exercise challenge tests etc. Hope you get on some good meds though to get you breathing through your workouts. Asthma treatments have come a LONG way in the past 20 years.

Thanks for posting.

That is the next step. She is setting up an appointment for me to see an asthma specialist at the local hospital. It can take up to 2 months to get in (yikes).

In the meantime, she set me up with at powder based inhaler (not a puffer sorry), called SYMBICORT. Even after the first use, I could notice a difference within about 15 minutes. I figured that whenever I walked (especially in the cold) my coughing and gasping was just from me being overweight.

She agreed that yes being overweight is also a factor... but after explaining the "watery feeling" I get in my lungs (and have always got in my lungs) from running (even as a tiny string bean of a child) it sounds like exercise induced asthma.

The reason why they didn't do anything over the past year that they were monitoring me, was because they were waiting for me to make some sort of complaint.

They also said that the asthma may explain my anxiety attacks at night, but this has to be properly confirmed with testing.

She also congratulated me on my weight loss hehehe (6 kilos). Last year this time I was 110.6 kilos. 243 lbs. So I gained 12 lbs over the past year before my weight loss journey.

Oh that is great, Symbacort is one of the wonderful new meds. That is a bummer that there is such a wait on getting in to see the asthma doc. Although, i guess that is pretty typical, unfortunately. Hope it all works out. You should be on your way to breathing MUCH better.

Asthma is no fun I have had since I was a teen and if I don't do my inhaler like I'm suppose to boy is my breathing rough - I think with the weight gain over the years it got worst but now that I'm loosing it's getting better. I never had that bad of a problem with it in my teens as I was small then 120lbs so thats a big difference. Good luck!

The funny thing is, I never realized I had it. My parents knew that I didn't want to take part in gym because of that reason (fluid buildup in my lungs from running). The school used to beg them to bring me to the doctors, but they (parents) just couldn't give me or them the time of day (yeah I didn't exactly have the best childhood).

I had a friend who has asthma that was so sensitive that if she got excited or laughed too hard it would act up (really badly). So I never though of me having it.

I went into the doctor's last year for bronchitis, and they said that I have "Bronchial induced asthma" (?)... so they gave me an actual puffer (can't remember the name sorry). It was one of those long acting puffers... I had to take it 2x twice daily. And I just couldn't get the hang of the dang thing. I would do the spray and inhale then would gag on the nasty aerasol flavor. They had been keeping an eye on me since then.

After my bronchitis cleared up, I was able to breathe again... so I didn't think much of continuing it.

You never stop your asthma meds because you feel better - the asthma is still there. I had asthma as a baby and young girl then the doctor's told me parents I had outgrown it (that was in the 1940s so medicine was not as advanced for asthma). When I hit menopause, asthma resurfaced with a vengence. I was instructed to use my fast-acting inhaler 30 minutes before exercise and I can now do it without a problem (unless I've had a recent cold or bronchitis and then I usually keep it with me for a few puffs while exercising.

Asthma does not rule my life. I've learned by triggers and avoid them. Smoke is a big one for me, not just tobacco, but fireplaces that burn wood, charcoal grills,etc. I get my yearly flu shot and I've had my pneumonia vaccine so I try to keep covered that way.

I cough a lot, too, when the asthma flares or wake up in a panic because I feel like I can't get any air into my lungs. I keep an inhaler by the bed and tell myself to be calm, the breath is coming. As soon as I get a breath I use the inhaler.

Stacy, do you know anything about not taking Advair for more than 6 months? My doctor said we'll be changing me meds next month for that reason. I hate to stop something that is working well for something else that might not. Is there concern?

Another asthma chick here...I've had it all my life and have struggled with it in many ways. These gals are right on many things: 1) know your triggers and avoid them 2) exercise-induced asthma will generally get better over time if you do moderate to low exercise and increase your endurance over time 3) be weary of weather and humidity changes, as often these can flare up your asthma. Lastly I would add that it's good to avoided congested/polluted areas. I moved away from my hometown because pollution levels were very high there and have found I do much better in pristine environments.

Good luck - just remember it is possible to have asthma and lead a healthy full life.

SUSAN/STACY: I had never heard that Advair should be limited to 6 months - I've been on the stuff for years! It does work wonders for me.... Do either of you know how Simbacort is different/better?

I don't know about Simbacort. There are several new asthma meds out there. I'm going to have more allergy tests and then we are going to take me off Advair in February.

I'm thinking I need to look into these new meds too. Thanks for the info!

I just wanted to post my support, as I had exercise induced Asthma as a child and the teachers just thought I was the fat kid who couldn't do sport. Once your asthma is under control and you know your 'triggers', you should be able to do anything anyone else can! I take part in Tae Kwon Do competitions (full contact), rock climbing and recently did a 5k run! (It did take a while to get my lungs up to the strength to do this though!)

I do still have to be careful to avoid triggers- mine are things like exercising in cold weather and I also have take my reliver inhaler 15 mins or so before doing exercise.

I've got asthma, too. It's terrible because it interferes with my exercise so much.

Losing weight and using your rescue inhaler 30 minutes before exercise and then as needed during exercise should help a lot. Exercise strengthens the lungs.