Exercise-induced asthma?

3 watchers

LindsD May 2016 2:47pm, 6 May 2016 9,932 posts	0 LindsD I've been struggling with a cough and my breathing since August last year after an upper respiratory tract thing just wouldn't go away. I've had all sorts of drugs, tests, culminating in an urgent referral to a consultant who wrote an exasperated letter to my GP saying 'This patient does not have lung cancer'. Hooray for that. He gave me daily Clenil and said he thinks I have hyper-reactive bronchioles and when I get a cold/cough it takes ages to go away. That seemed to help although the cough never completely went away. The last couple of times I've run hard (within 15s of my 5k PB for 5k) I've ended up totally wheezy for a couple of days afterwards, rattling chest, unable to laugh for coughing. I sound like my aunty who used to smoke 30 a day (you know, that 'car refusing to start' noise). I'm wondering about exercise-induced asthma. I've had spirometry (resting) which showed an improvement after salbutomol but not enough improvement for an asthma diagnosis. Peak flow was normal, I think. I'm not sure what to do. I definitely feel like my lungs are not right, especially when running. They ruled out exercise-induced asthma on the grounds that I don't cough more when running/cycling/swimming. It's a busy city GP and I feel like they think they have done all they can. Should I go back?
Mandymoo May 2016 2:50pm, 6 May 2016 3,103 posts	0 Mandymoo Yes go back and ask for a second opinion.
HellsBells May 2016 2:52pm, 6 May 2016 20,932 posts	0 HellsBells yes, go back. Ask if they can do spirometry after exercise - we send people outside to run around for a bit. Do you think you might have an element of hay fever? I don't get asthma as such, but this time of year get very wheezy when running unless I remember an antihistamine
LindsD May 2016 2:55pm, 6 May 2016 9,934 posts	0 LindsD I don't have hay fever but do/did have allergic rhinitis. I don't take anything for it now as it's only really bad if I'm a very dusty place or have feather bedding. I have been trying an antihistamine for the last week or so but it doesn't seem to have helped (both really bad occasions have been in the last week). Thank you both.
Wobbling May 2016 3:02pm, 6 May 2016 3,371 posts	0 Wobbling My lungs and throat behave badly at this time of year when I exercise (and sometimes when I don't). I have asthma and vocal cord dysfunction, although my asthma doesn't correlate to the standard symptoms. What you're describing sounds far more like asthma than I what I'm treated for, so I would definitely go back to your docs. The surgery should have a specialist asthma nurse, perhaps ask to see her if you worry you won't get any further with your GP.
Footpad May 2016 3:53pm, 6 May 2016 6,004 posts	0 Footpad Remember your antihistamines for the London 10K those trees at Green Park are nasty!
Footpad May 2016 3:54pm, 6 May 2016 6,005 posts	0 Footpad Oh and get a second opinion... from someone who does have exercise induced asthma.. there is no need to suffer there are loads of ways of controlling asthma now.
hellebob May 2016 5:12pm, 7 May 2016 First-time poster!!	0 hellebob I have chronic rhino sinusitis. It's a post nasal drip that causes the cough. Try nasal douching to clear nasal passages in the evenings. I had all the allergy testing and results were negative. But always get the cough in May?