I have had problems with cold weather the last few winters, and this winter is no better. However, in addition I now seem to be far more affected by walking, especially with any incline, however slight. Last summer it was a bit of an issue, but I could manage it well with salbutamol if going for an uphill walk. But now it has become ridiculous! At home I am ok, but I am now having to brace myself to walk from a to b outside. Yesterday I was doing a shortcut in a shopping centre, and encountered some fairly steep and fairly long stairs, with no escalator or lift alternative, though it was pretty modern. For a short while I just had to sit down at the top to recover. Today, though mild, just walking a very slightly sloping road had quite an affect on me. I have checked my PEF once indoors again, and it shows nothing special, though normally when I am unwell it reacts in a standard way. Outside I do the scarf thing. Does anyone else experience this when otherwise quite well, and how do you manage it? I am seeing the asthma nurse in a week.
Breathlessness: I have had problems... - Asthma Community ...
Breathlessness
Sorry to hear you are having a hard time, winter sucks!! Can I ask if you currently use spriva as an add on for your asthma meds? I've not been using it long but noticed it made an improvement with hill walking and most exertion type activies. However my current preventer has helped over time to improve this too.
Winter and the cold can cause flare ups just in itself unfortunately - I know how horrible that can be too but sadly I've found nothing that will help massively in reducing that other than just using ventolin before leaving?
I agree with all you say, sort of. No, I am not on Spiriva, but an Asthma UK nurse mentioned it to me, so I may soon end up with it. However, I also need to change my Symbicort to something else due to my propensity to get oral thrush. Apart from that all is working well with Symbicort. In fact the oral thrush I can manage, but apparently the way I do it is not OK. The problems with walking is driving me mad. It is very recent since it started this badly. One worry I have about Spiriva - if I am offered it - is that it apparently can affect blood pressure. However, worst right now is that I feel I am just not moving round enough. Finding an alternative that works for me has been hard, though I may have cracked it.
The benefit I found with spriva (and I noticed a massive decline when I stopped taking it for a few days when I'll) was that it worked immediately and it helped with the 'getting enough air in' and tightness type of symptoms, if that makes sense? Rather than just the wheezing kind. My asthma specialist hasn't mentioned the blood pressure and so far I've had little side effects other than the nasty taste occasionally - similar to symbicort. The leaflet says gives lots of warnings about glaucoma risk but I had a recent eye test and all was fine. Maybe ask about it again next time or try it for a trial period? Hope you get better soon x
It does sound like something you need to bring up with your AN/GP and maybe have your treatment escalated up a bit (from the sounds of it spiriva will be your next step). Losing exercise tolerance is often a sign of an issue in asthmatics so make sure to highlight the fact that walking around the shops/doing stairs or slopes especially in the cold weather is making you struggle.
I know HBP CAN be a side effect if spiriva but usually it’s worth a try cause a) not everyone will get that particular side effect and b) dodgy breathing will cause much higher BP issues if left untreated 😅 (I easily hit 160/100+ when I’m in an attack or 140/90+ if I’m ‘just’ struggling and that’s as a otherwise healthy, Ex-high performance sportsperson 28yo female who doesn’t drink/smoke etc etc... when stable my BP is about 110-120/80ish even with spiriva...)
Hope that helps
Yes, if I have a significant flare my BP goes high. All things go hay wire.
Hi Wheezycat. Same thing has happened to me - walking uphill or stairs more challenging. When AN put me on Spiriva I felt great for about 8 weeks. After that I started to feel unwell and by 6 months felt dreadful. My blood pressure was through the roof & breathlessness even worse.
I spoke to asthma research nurse at hospital and they suggested I change Spiriva so I researched these LABAs. I came up with Eklira Genuair, acts the same way as Spiriva without too many side effects. I understand that Spiriva is the NHS first choice LABA but Eklira is no more expensive. Eklira has been great without side effects for me.
Back to challenging walking - I find that my lungs are better if I do regular gentle exercise, it's as though they warm up & get more elastic after initial breathlessness.
I've also tried a little contraption which is hand held while you pop the mouthpiece into the mouth (it's just mechanical & not battery run). It resists breathing so that the lungs are exercised. Using this before exercise means my lungs are "warmed up", ready & more elastic. And it helps me concentrate on breathing technique, something the physio has highlighted as something to practice. I got my from a popular Internet shopping site but Boots and other pharmacies sell them.
I really have to concentrate when using my inhalers as my diaphragm does the complete opposite to what it should leading to shallow breathing. Breathing technique is definitely something I have always struggled with.
I do hope you find a solution Wheezycat. All the best.
Thanks! I certainly will bring up both concerns about blood pressure and ocular pressure with the nurse........if she suggests Spiriva. And it seems sensible to me to start the cheap end, so I am with NHS on that, but to monitor closely, both eyes and blood pressure.
Yes that gentle warming up makes sense, but somehow I find it hard to remember before, say, popping across the road to the Coop! After all I am the one who struggles with remembering taking Ventolin, even if I feel breathless, though I am getting better at it. If I were to take Ventolin each time I felt like that it would be quite possibly as much as 7-10 times weekly, well above recommended levels. I do try to remember to start walking very slowly to warm up that way, but again it goes against my natural instinct, so I forget. I have to do better!
Yes, I have heard of, and seen online, those breathing thingamijigs, and, yes, it would probably be a good idea. A friend of mine, who for her own health reasons (sleep apnea) is planning to learn to play the didgeridoo, is also wanting me to join in. And there are some not so expensive beautiful ones around. It would also help my lungs.
Hi Wheezycat. Love the didgeridoo idea - I got to try it once & the breath control necessary was quite demanding, it would certainly teach one to breath better. When I sang in a choir I definitely benefited from the regular breathing control.
The key for you sounds like getting a good meds routine going alongside gentle exercise.
Whatever you decide to do - good luck.
Thank you! Yes, I once sang in a choir, a long time ago. But I find yoga also helps with breath control, and also just being aware of it as I am on the whole, but that doesn’t help with extra puff. Yes, I do need some extra help now, perhaps seasonally, if that can be considered, and as said, I am glad I am seeing the nurse in less than a week. Generally they have been great, except the very occasional one. Hope I get a good one.
Hi wheezycat similar thing is happening with me now for my asthma. I do 5 minutes breathing exercises. Fostair is the best preventer inhaler now. For me my peak flow will be 250 when I am outside. Inside it is normal. Have you asked asthma UK nurse
Yes, I have. I had to change my preventer due to oral thrush issues, and I have now been put on Fostair 100/6. So far so good. The smell of alcohol that it emits occasionally makes me cough, but otherwise really fine! I don’t yet know if it has improved my breathing capacity out of doors. My pf didn’t seem much affected. I will have another go at walking outdoors today (lovely sunshine) and hoping it will all be better, as I now wonder if I had a touch of a virusy something last week. Didn’t feel great for some days. Fingers crossed! But, yes, I certainly talked of this as well, but just one step at a time. First see how Fostair works for me.
Good luck. Fostair is excellent. I was on buedoniside symbicort inhaler and had asthma attack. My GP prescribed me fostair inhaler and montelukast to prevent asthma attack
That is now exactly what I am on. I was on Symbicort until a few days ago, but could get quite poorly with colds, so I was put on Montelukast last May/June. I don’t know if it has helped, but the only cold I have had since then never got anything like so bad, and perhaps that was due to montelukast. The cough lingered, though, I have since not quite got back to where I was. Not bad, just not as good - and then there is the breathing with walking, so a bit of wait and see and perhaps need to adjust more. At least during the cold months.
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