Uh oh! quick!

[Ellethiel]

Hello people
Does anyone know some easy breathing exercises or something like that to get my breathing under control? because i haven't been taking my inhaler because my breathing hasn't been a problem (fortunatly) but all of a sudden today i started to have an asthma attack and i think it's due to anxiety.
I am doing a 5k race this afternoon which might be part of it, but its not really a race its just for fun so i'm not nervous or anything, but if i'm still having the asthma attack when the time comes to run, that will be bad!
If i take my inhaler now i don't think it will help because i think i need to take it for a few days before it will really start to help.

Anyone have some help? i need it quick cuz i'm leaving work in a little while

[MelissaNC]

I'm probably getting on here too late to help you out any, but I hope you were able to get things under control. The only breathing exercises I've been taught are to inhale slowly and deeply (as deeply as you can) in through your nose, hold it for just a second or two, then release it as slowly as you can out through your mouth. Do this until your breathing slows. As for the inhaler, if it's Albuterol, it's a rescue inhaler that should work in 15 minutes or less. Others, like Atrovent and Advair, are preventatives that take several days worth of usage to work, and are meant to prevent, not treat an immediate attack.

Hope all is better now, and that you had a good time in the race...

Melissa

[Ellethiel]

Thank you Melissa!
You're right I had to leave before i got a response but i was able to get it under control mostly. So i was ok. My breathing was only a little problem during part of the race. And it was fun! and I did have a pretty good time. It was a 5k which is 3.1 miles, and we did it in about 29:37. so less than 10 min miles, which is great for a casual race, especially when i haven't been training much yet.

Thanks again!

[RTStudent]

Just to follow up, Albuterol is a quick relief "rescue" medication. It should start to work within (less than) 10 minutes. You may have been prescribed some maintience drugs that can take a while to work effectively.

If you do experience "attacks" you should see your doctor about getting an albuterol inhaler and use a spacer. Even if it is anxiety, you might find it to help and its only taken as needed type thing.

If it is anxiety, I've heard ativan can help combined with albuterol. I guess that would depend on the doctor.

You will want to be prepared for anything in the future. Breathing exercises are good and there are things availiable that help you "tone" those accessory muscles. They have other reasons for use too, but they do help your muscles too. PEP therapy and Incentive Spirometry. Both, I believe are fairly inexpensive and you could ask your doctor. If he/she doesn't think it would be beneficial then research other options. I have heard Pilates are good for the diaphragm, but I don't know that first hand.

Good luck with any future races.

[Ellethiel]

Thanks RTStudent.
I have another race tomorrow. 5 miles, (8k) should be fun, but i think i'm anxious for it again, my asthma has been getting slightly worse over the last week.
So, i'm going to keep trying the breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth thing, plus i started taking my inhaler (albuterol) before i run. so i'll take it tonight and tomorrow morning too. I really hope my breathing doesn't pose a problem during the race.

I'm tired of yawning all the time (no pun intended) But you know how sometimes some people yawn before or during an asthma attack. well I do that, and it gets annoying after a while. I used to do it because it helped me to get more air, It used to help a lot, but it doesn't help as much anymore.