Do rescue inhalers work with exercise-induced asthma? - Asthma Message Board

CappyR · 05-07-2009, 12:49 PM

Do rescue inhalers work with exercise-induced asthma? I mean, you're supposed to be able to take the medicine before exercising to prevent symptoms, but if you are already suffering symptoms should it help to use an inhaler. If someone with exercise-induced asthma starts experiencing symptoms, will those symptoms go away if he or she uses a rescue inhaler?

As I understand, that's the main purpose for inhalers is to treat symptoms as they occur. I was just wondering if that doesn't work with exercise-induced asthma for some reason.

Titchou · 05-07-2009, 03:28 PM

I'm not sure what you mean. Are you saying if someome with EIA medicates before cardio and still has an attack should they use it again? Or are you asking if they have an asthma attck that's not from EIA should they use it? In either case, yes. But if they medicated before cardio, they should not use again for at least one hour. Or maybe they aren't medicating properly before if the cardio is still bringing on an attack. It's sort of trial and error to find out the proper dosage for someone. It took me a while to figure it out....2 puffs, 60 seconds apart, 15-20 minutes before jogging and I'm fine.

snowdrift · 05-07-2009, 08:55 PM

It sounds to me like you might be wondering if one could, instead of pre-medicating, wait until symptoms start and then medicate.

As I understand it, this is a bad idea for a couple of reasons.

First, it will interrupt your workout. Second, although albuterol (or another rescue medication) will dilate the bronchi and ease breathing, once the attack starts you are also experiencing excess mucous production, inflammation, and spasms. Rescue medications don't treat all of those symptoms and once one has an attack it takes a little while to recover.

Once I start having symptoms, they tend to perpetuate themselves for a while and impedes my ability to function fully for a couple days or even weeks. If I medicate before exercising, then that cycle never begins.

CappyR · 05-08-2009, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snowdrift

It sounds to me like you might be wondering if one could, instead of pre-medicating, wait until symptoms start and then medicate.

As I understand it, this is a bad idea for a couple of reasons.

First, it will interrupt your workout. Second, although albuterol (or another rescue medication) will dilate the bronchi and ease breathing, once the attack starts you are also experiencing excess mucous production, inflammation, and spasms. Rescue medications don't treat all of those symptoms and once one has an attack it takes a little while to recover.

Once I start having symptoms, they tend to perpetuate themselves for a while and impedes my ability to function fully for a couple days or even weeks. If I medicate before exercising, then that cycle never begins.

That's basically what I wanted to know. I was curious for diagnostic purposes only. I have tried producing symptoms and treating them a couple of times. I was curious if people with EIA had success doing this. If, for instance, you had said that the symptoms stopped immediately then that would indicate that I didn't have EIA since my symptoms continued.

Jephy · 05-11-2009, 09:38 AM

Your asthma is not controlled if a rescue inhaler is needed with any degree of predictability or regularity (i.e. when you're about to exercise). First, you must get it controlled with medication or be at significant risk for an asthma attack that cannot be broken with potentially lethal consequences.

Then, you must start searching for a cause of your asthma (something physicians do very poorly, and will be of little assistance to you in this regard)---so you can eliminate the cause, eliminate the asthma, eliminate the medicines with their side effects and costs.

As for causes....start with diet. "The Allergy and Asthma Cure" by F. Pescatore,MD is an excellent resource. Additionally, an awful lot of physicians are recommending eliminating dairy and gluten from one's diet with good results.