Coughing after exercise ?

[Tay171]

Recently just started , weird symptom

[misty14]

Hi Tay

That needs to be checked out by your GP!. Good luck.

[Tay171 in reply to misty14]

im thinking asthma but i have been training for years no problem, maybe its come back, just strange, will check with GP tomorrow for sure! thannks

[milkwoman]

I've experienced this. I never found out a definitive cause because the symptom never lasted a significant amount of time. I do have lupus (SLE) and take hydroxychloroquine.

Lupus can affect your lungs. It can attack/inflame the lining (pleurisy) or it can attack the lung itself (lupus pneumonitis).

Here is a link that describes it all more; lupusny.org/about-lupus/new...

I would talk to your doctor. Are you on any meds? Do you have Lupus?

Keep track of this and all of your symptoms: date/time of occurrence, the exact symptom, how long it lasted, how you felt, what you were doing, what you did to relieve it or did it simply go away, etc.

Good luck and take care.

[Tay171 in reply to milkwoman]

Suspected lupus, but haven`t been diagnosed yet. waiting to see a rheumatologist. My entire body just seems to be givinn up.

[milkwoman in reply to Tay171]

Sigh. I've been there. Took 2.5 years to get diagnosed. Meds help.

By the time I was sent to a rheumatologist, I had seen just about every specialist there is. The doc took one look at me and said, "Don't worry... There's no way you have lupus".

Well, 14 vials of blood given and a wait of ten days to get results proved him wrong. I guess I just looked "too healthy" in his eyes to have lupus. Two months later, I was given the secondary dx of Sjogrens.

Curious... How's your thyroid? Two months before I got my SLE and SS dxs, I was fortunate enough to find a private endo who took one look at me and said, "You may as well have a capital H written on your forehead since I can see that you are clearly hypothyroid". I was missing the outer third of my eyebrows and also losing my eyelashes (and feeling like crap ALL the time) yet all my thyroid tests would come back "normal". Thank goodness my endo doesn't treat based solely on blood tests. Levothyroxine relieved so many symptoms and gave me the strength at the time to keep on fighting to find out what was wrong with me. I now know that my AI disorders most likey attacked my thyroid.

Like you, I felt like I was breaking down. At the time I was an extremely fit, athletic woman who worked out 5-6 days per week (cardio, core, resistance). I've had to slow down in the 2.5 years since being diagnosed, but happy to say that I still try to be as active as my disease will allow me to be. Before getting really sick in mid-December, I was doing great - back into a consistent workout routine. Then, I caught the nasty head cold virus that laid me out until New Years. Then, I got bronchitis and a sinus infection which required steroids and antibiotics. Climbing my way back currently and hoping to avoid any more viruses.

When you see your rheumatologist, be armed with a list of your symptoms - ALL of them. I had a full sheet. I hope they test you for EVERYTHING. Oh and also find out if autoimmune disorders run in your family. Helps to know this.

Good luck!

[Tay171 in reply to milkwoman]

Hey! Yes you sound like you went through exactly what is happening to me now.

Iv already seen one private rheumatologist and he said the same thing, i play sports , run and lift weights everyday, im 21 and look extremely fit and healthy on the outside. He took one look and said im 99% sure you are fine?? , my joints and muscles are hurting 24/7 , now this breathing issue, im fighting on like nothing is happening, still playing my sport, but i dont feel right at all... 2.5 years is a long time!! i think i`m going to go crazy if i dont find out soon.

iv had my thyroid checked twice this year and it has come back ok. I just developed raynauds and after erythema . My rheumatologist just said oh thats the after effect of virus you are fine. ANA negative twice.

its so good to hear you were able to get back to working out. I hope you get back to where you where soon!

thanks for all the advice!! , i`m going to start writing a list of symptoms and maybe see another rheumatologist privately

[milkwoman in reply to Tay171]

Please keep pushing for answers. On average, it takes 3-5 years to get diagnosed. So, for me, it came quicker than average but it took a lot of effort and perseverence on my part.

A positive ANA result only occurs in 40% of lupus patients. I was fortunate to have positive ANA results (that's what finally got me sent to a rheumatologist) but I've also had ANA tests that came back negative (one test lab was consistently negative while another was consistently positive).

Other tests to have done: CBC, anti-dsDNA, anti-Smith, anti-U1RNP, anti-Ro/SSA, and anti-La/SSB, ESR (Erythrocyte sedimentation rate) and C-reactive proteins (C3 and C4). A urinalysis should also be done along with a complete physical exam and evaluation of clinical symptoms (joint pain, fatigue, nose/mouth sores, Mylar rash, discoid rash, photo sensitivity, indications of organ involvement, such as chest pain that gets worse when taking deep breath and shortness of breath that gets worse when you lay down).

Always get copies of all your tests results. Even go back and get ones from years ago. I did this and began to see a trend.

I am guessing that the only thyroid test you've had done is TSH? That test is pretty much useless. My TSH numbers were always "normal" and actually leaned towards the hyPERthyroid side while ALL my symptoms were hyPOthyroid. I truly believe that my thyroid meds are what have had the largest impact on my symptoms. I thank the heavens for my private endo who treats me. Without him, I am scared to think where I'd be.

Question EVERYTHING and research as much as possible. Whenever I would get pushback from doctors, I would often say, "What's the harm in performing this test?", meaning, "Why are you refusing when all I'm asking for is a simple test?" That simple question would make them stop and realize I wasn't asking for the world, just some compassion from them to help me figure out why I was so sick.

It isn't easy - you have to be your own advocate. I never go to appointments alone - having someone there to corroborate what you are saying goes a long way. It's very easy for docs to think you are a hyperchondriac (if I had a dollar for every time I was offered antidepressants - which I refused - I'd be a very wealthy woman!)

Take care and good luck.