Aspiring to run again...with asthma

[Active60]

Up until 4 months ago I ran, kept fit and active. Now I have been given a diagnosis of asthma (?). Can barely do anything, (including light housework) without having a coughing fit. I'm on heavy doses of steroids (ugh!) with preventer inhalers and something to relieve the congestion on my lungs. I want to manage m condition and eventually get back to full fitness and running. Anyone out there got some advise which might help?

[mx5mada]

I have asthma which is really bad! I am now starting out on the couch to 5 k! Wait till you are fit and you can’t rush this! Then start slow making sure you take medication

[Active60 in reply to mx5mada]

Thanks for the encouragement! I’m beginning to realize that I can’t rush things and it’s important to get a good asthma plan and make sure I listen to my consultant and GP. Stay in touch and maybe we can we can encourage each other back to health.

[mx5mada in reply to Active60]

6 weeks ago I was ready for a hospital bed! I was diagnosed as an adult after my second child was born! About 30 years ago! I have brittle asthma so I can be ok one minute and not the next! I now get fit in between periods of health so to speak! Must have been a shock for you

[Minushabens]

Speaking as someone who never really could run (although I used to cycle & walk a lot) I really wish you luck with this. It sounds like you're setting out with a good attitude & it is all about getting control of & managing your symptoms. Hopefully, given this has all happened in a short space of time, your doctor will help you get the symptoms under control & you'll be (literally) up & running.

[Active60 in reply to Minushabens]

Thank you so much. Alll this sippprt means a lot to me

[Poppie12 in reply to Active60]

Ive had asthma since childhood that is thankfully now rather mild. Start off slow and don’t push to hard, I run or cycle most days and it’s manageable.

Is their a time of day when your symptom are worse as I would avoid going out at that time. For example I’m mostly symptomatic on a morning so will generaly try and go out later In the day if I can.

Don’t be afraid to walk if it all gets to much.

Remember your medication my gastro consultant recently tried to tell me I must have outgrown the asthma as my peak flow was too high......listened to him though great let’s ditch the inhalers and push through this. I haven’t out grown it and that one day of stupidity meant I couldn’t train for over a week and still don’t feel great.

[Carriejen]

I was diagnosed 18 months ago and in May I started a couch to 5k. It breaks you in gently enough and it’s a good place to start. But you need to give yourself time to get used to your medication and build yourself back up slowly

[Morrisnlm]

my suggestion is that you have a look at the Buteyko method as it might work for you. It seems to be helping me get back to full fitness (not there yet) at my next review I am going to try and persuade the asthma nurse to build it into my plan. I understand it is available on NHS don’t yet know if its available in my area. I also was a late diagnosis though did have hayfever as a child.

[FearNot]

I like your spirit! I had a similar shock. I knew I had mild asthma, but it didn't trouble me much until the past couple of summers with wildfire smoke so bad. Like you, I refuse to cave into my illness. That doesn't mean I haven't slowed down to rest more though. That's all part of the plan to improve my health.

I'm not taking pharmaceuticals or accepting the verdict that asthma is irreversible. I have sought out a naturopathic doctor who is investigating the base cause of my asthma. I've only been seeing her a month, but she's already decreased the frequency and intensity of my attacks.

I've returned to the Mediteranean diet, which some people credit with curing their asthma. I lost weight on it and felt great when I tried it before.

Now that I have my feet under me, it's time for the next step. Tonight I put together a binder dedicated to regaining my health. In it I'll keep track of treatments and self-care, plus schedule exercise and activities to lift my mood. Keeping a positive outlook is important.

I hope this helps. Keep us posted on your progress.

[Hidden]

Do you have any ideas on what the triggers are for your asthma

[Active60 in reply to Hidden]

Not at the moment, still assessing my triggers, meds etc.

[Hidden in reply to Active60]

I have been asthmatic my whole life and I found out by accident what my main trigger was when I was 30, it made a massive difference to my life and allowed me to play sport properly since school.

Obviously you need to do things at your own pace but when you are ready you could keep a diary and try to pinpoint them or get some blood tests for IgE antibodies, skin prick tests are not accurate at pinpointing allergies.

[Tinkerooni]

I was diagnosed early this year and could barely go for a short walk. Once I found a preventer that worked (which seemed to take ages) I did the couch to 5k to start running gently again. It really worked but only if I stuck to it and didn’t try to do too much. I always take 2 puffs of salbutamol 20 mins before I run which helps and take an inhaler with me. Yesterday I ran 10k which I would have thought impossible a few months ago. I recommend the WhatsApp chat with asthma Uk. They gave some great tips and ideas about meds. Good luck!

[green881 in reply to Tinkerooni]

Lookup EIA or Exercise Induced Asthma. For reasons unknown almost all MDs and most other asthmatics or related people don't know either. I'm longtime runner/triathlete and asthma since childhood 45 years. Getting fit again is an excellent idea.

Likely you have both EIA and other triggers which work together, but the EIA part is easy to beat: Take 1 puff Ventolin 5-15 minutes before your workout. Listen to your body and try it 5, 10 or 15 minutes before to see what works best. Avoid very cold and/or dry air, and/or breathe in through your nose to warm and humidify the air and/or warm up gradually the first 15 minutes of exercise. Once you are in a steady pace and sweating and warm you can run freely, for almost all people it's just the start of the workout that triggers.

I'ts not an insurmountable barrier, EIA is common in olympic athletes especially swimmers. Keep the faith!

[BP135]

I've had asthma since I was 4 years old. I am now 30. It has been quite bad the last year on and off and it was bad when I was a teenager. Other than that I love running and exercising and when it's well controlled I don't feel like I have asthma at all. You are in the early stages so you just have to be patient and let your body settle and get the balance right with your medication and you should feel back to your old self pretty much. I'm gutted I can't run at the moment due to a chest infection but when I'm well I can do half marathons. Nothing should hold you back. Good luck.