Exercise advice

Can anyone give me any advice as to the amount of exercise I should be able to do without having a coughing fit or ending up with very wobbley legs at the end. At one time I could complete my program at the gym no prob but at mo am really struggling. Can't even get half way through and thats after slowing the treadmill down and reducing the weights. Am really fed up. Have got appointment on Monday with Consultant at chest clinic for 1st time but am I expecting too much of myself or should i be able to do what I could last october? I Usedmy blue and brown inhalers about 1/2 hour before I went to the gym yesterday but needed to reuse the blue one about hour after had finished my quick 20min in gym as I couldn't stop coughing. Am I being unreasonable or not?Katharine

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My consulatant says that if asthma is managed well one should not be aware that one has it no metter what one's do. That is an ultimate goal and holly gral of preventive management. We all know that in practise it is only going to happen in case of individuals blessed with very mild asthma (lucky buggers lol).

Anyway, it is not great that you are having those coughing fits. You have been able to complete the routine before so it is not like you are attempting some extra hard and unreasonable exercise.

Meybe your preventer needs some adjusting. For now make sure that you warm up and down properly. I personaly find taking a reliver before an exrcise very useful. I have discussed it with my doc and we both agreed that there is no much point waiting if we both know that I am going to get symptoms after 30 minutes of areobic routine. It is much more enjoyable to take the reliver before and exercise without feeling my chest gradualy tighting up and coughing my loungs up to the horror of instructor and fellow students.

So to sumarize all my rambling: tell your consultant what you told us, consider taking reliver immidiately before exercise and take it easy. Listen to your body. It is better to reuce the intensity of the routine and perform it for longer time at lower level then do short hight intensity work out and end up with asthma attack.

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Katharine - just a wee point re:brown inhalers; you need to take the brown inhaler on a regular basis, i.e. morning and night, in order to control symptoms, rather than on an ""wheen needed basis"". This is because it take a while to exert its effects and you need to take it regularly to get maximum benefit.

That's just to add in to what Anna was saying - otherwise yes, taking your blue inhaler about 20-30 mins before exercise is exactly correct.

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Thanks I do use my brown inhaler on a regular basis evry 4 hours alongside my Blue one as my GP said to. Hopefully though when I go for my appt on Monday life will get a little easier. I hope.

Thanks for the help.

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My asthma gets worse in winter - november till march - so don't think that your current problems are permenent. Also I found that recently I had a chest infection that was actually causing the coughing - now that is cleared up the coughing has stopped. Tell the doctor about all of your symptoms not just ""asthma

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Went to see consultant on Monday and had to have another spirometry test which reluted in a 10 min coughing fit. Prob is they said that I don't fit the box as it stands for asthma but don't know what prob could be so have got to carry on for another 9 weeks and monitor my peak flow. Have also to go for more breathiong tests. I live in hope that life will get back to normal soon as am fed up of not being able to do what I want.

Thanks for advice and hopefully will, fell better soon.

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katherine

Having read the thread I thought you would appreciate that i too have similar symptoms (many of us do!). I was taking Preventative and reliever inhalers and having to dose myself with Ventolin on more and more regular occaisions as I was execising (running outdoors). After switching to a combined inhaler where the reliever works over a longer period my need for the ventolin has reduced dramatically. i normally take a single puff at warm up and put it in my pocket 'just in case'. Last night i managed a 10K run (Heathrow airport at Midnight on the runway - awesome) and no symptoms! Mind you the weather is warming up and the cold morning air sets me off without any exercise so maybe that was helping too i will be running the AsthmaUK 10K in April so will keep going with my new purple inhalers and occaisional Ventolin.

Oh and to switch my GP was very easy to talk to and agreed that maybe I needed a change so it's worth asking. Keep exercising it helps the lungs cope with aging!

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I prefer Dance as exercise, as it gets more challenging,i usually take my salbutamol before i do premeditated exercise, does that make sense?!

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exercise

Hi

I read today, that the reason for exercise causing asthma is we breath through our mouths then, and that means the air is drier and irritates more. It was said we should exercise in moist air conditions, which is why swimming is best for us.

HTH

Carole

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Exercise

Katherine your been unreasonable! Has you know asthma can change from one day to another. I think its great your going to the gym as exercise can reduce the risk of having asthma in your adult years so thats great! I used to hate exercise but now ive joined a gym it is great and my asthma is better than ever. I still have my inhalers but hardly ever use them (which is naughty because i should use them 4 times a day). When at the gym do the amount of exercise you can manage, don't push yourself! 20 minutes of exercise is better than nothing. When at the gym and on the treadmill do you go fast and hold on? If yes don't Go slower and use your arms, this works more muscles and is very good for the cardio vascular! Keep up teh great work and stop been so hard on yourself. From Doba : D

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Thanks for all advice. went back to hospital yesterday they have now decided I am asthmatic which in some ways is a relief to know that they believe me and that I am not making it up. I am now on seritide 125 morning and evening and have a 5 day course of steriods. I live in hope. Go back to cons in 4 months and asthma nurse in 2 months unless no improvement in 1 month then I have to ring.

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Hi Katharine,

Your situation seems very similar to mine. I spent a while with GP's, Astma Nurse and then a chest Consultant, I started a regime of Seretide 125 and we worked upwards until I seemd to stabalise on Seretide 250 morning and night and A singulair tablet each evening to help keep the airways open. I was very frustrated that I could not excercise to the levels I used to, and even now I struggle with certain things. As you have been advised by others in the forum, keep working the lungs and the medicine regime. It will get better belive me, it's almost like building your fitness levels back up gradually...and you will get back to comfortable gym workouts. I still take my blue inhaler approx 20 mins prior to a demanding hours 5 a side, kepp up the good work.

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Hi Katharine,

Your situation seems very similar to mine. I spent a while with GP's, Astma Nurse and then a chest Consultant, I started a regime of Seretide 125 and we worked upwards until I seemd to stabalise on Seretide 250 morning and night and A singulair tablet each evening to help keep the airways open. I was very frustrated that I could not excercise to the levels I used to, and even now I struggle with certain things. As you have been advised by others in the forum, keep working the lungs and the medicine regime. It will get better belive me, it's almost like building your fitness levels back up gradually...and you will get back to comfortable gym workouts. I still take my blue inhaler approx 20 mins prior to a demanding hours 5 a side, keep up the good work.

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problem again. after having a throat infection and losing voice completly for about 2 weeks and having 7/52 off work 8 days of that in costa i am finding it very difficult to cope with any exercise at gym. am persisting but finding that 10-15 min is enough this is the 4th week for this length of time how do i build it up again. it doesan't help that ventolin usage is high at mo anyway and pf this am down to 270 when best is 400.

anyone any ideas i'm fed up.