Asthma and running

[Findingwhatworks26]

Hi all,

Not sure if you can help, I struggle with my asthma when I run, my chest gets tight and I get wheezy, despite taking my inhaler and the symptoms continue after the run. When I do other exercise such as spinning class, swimming or a ‘bootcamp’ class my asthma does not bother me, any tips?

[starveycat]

its harder to get oxygen in your lungs in cold weather

[runcyclexcski]

I take the blue inhaler before the run, after the run, and I wear a mask for pollution while running.

[GoSport]

Is your asthma triggered by allergens in the air outside? When you run you breath in more of them them in and more deeply. Is the other exercising done in a gym environment which may be less contaminated with air allergens? If so try wearing a mask with filter outside when you run.

[Madbiker1]

I was the same. I had to give up running. It could be cold air , pollen , allergens - the stress of struggling can exacerbate matters.

[bigroj]

I have no answer for you but can sympathise because I something similar to you. I can exercise indoors on a turbo trainer with relative ease but outside is different. As part of my commute, I ride the last 1.5 miles on my bike along a canal towpath. In the morning, I have no problem with it but, on the return trip, I end up having a coughing fit when I get back to car. Wearing a mask makes no difference, nor does the time of year.

For what it's worth, I use Fostair 100/6 twice daily and have recently started taking Montelukast, which has improved things quite a bit.

[Findingwhatworks26 in reply to bigroj]

Hi Bigroj,

Oh thats so annoying for you! I take Fostair and are hope to start taking Montelukast, how it helped?

[bigroj]

It took several appointments with my GP and a consultant to get the Montelukast stage. My asthma had been poorly managed and I was in a cycle of steroid treatment > improvement > no symptoms > getting worse.

Montelukast doesn't work for everyone but it made an immediate difference for me. So far, I've been taking it for 5 weeks. I had a few days or so with some side effects (tiredness, hypertension, weird dreams) but they have gone. The asthma is greatly improved, I still have feeling of having cough to get rid of something in my throat but generally cough much less. The cough has become drier and tickly reagent then the mucus laden event of before. I am now able to exercise indoors, and go hiking, without struggling for breath or having a coughing fit afterwards. Riding a outdoors, for some reason, as explained in my earlier post, still causes problems.

I'm glad I persisted in trying to manage it better and I think my body is still getting used to the new treatment. Good luck in finding what works for you.