I'm 59 and I discovered I had EIA about 10-12 years ago. I was given Pulmicort inhaler at the time and it worked. I started with one puff a day and over the years gradually needed to increase the dosage every few years or so. Now I am at the maximum dosage of 4 puffs a day and it isn't working so well anymore. While I don't get a traditional asthma attack I find myself on tougher rides taking a long time to recover breathing after any effort. By the half way point in my club rides I am spent with no energy left. I'm seeing my pulminologist in a few weeks and would like to know what other riders with EIA have been successfully taking. I ride on average about twice a week totaling 75-100 miles.

Try Accupuncture & Chinese medicine - but make sure you get a good practioner, one from China. I suffered through 20+ years of chronic bronchitis and all the western medicine and alternatives I could handle (they all stopped working shortly after starting up). :( Accupuncture has had me bronchitis free for over 4 years now. :)

it isn't working so well anymore.

Sorry to be blunt, but you lungs may be telling you to move.

I have asthma all around, allergies trigger it, exercise triggers it, but I have good luck with my Albuterol inhaler...

Sorry to be blunt, but you lungs may be telling you to move.
Thanks for the reply, however not only is that not practical for me to move but not necessarily the cause of EIA unless assuming someone was living in an extremely polluted area. According to internet searches somewhere between 12-15% of the general population suffers from EIA. Many people don't realize they have it. Typically someone at some point in their life decides to play tennis or some other fairly aerobic sport like bike riding and experiences fatigue or shortness of breath. They attribute it to their inactivity or being out of shape, not EIA and give it up fairly quickly never to return. I can't find it now but once saw a list of famous well known athletes that suffer from EIA. Many of them are in track and field, cyclists, football players. They control their asthma by preventive medications on a daily basis so they don't get the attacks while competing. My medication used to work as I noted. I was just looking for an alternative medicine that possibly someone here has had some success with.

I have asthma all around, allergies trigger it, exercise triggers it, but I have good luck with my Albuterol inhaler...
A lot of people like yourself have good results with the Albuterol before exersizing both alone and in conjunction with daily medicine. Unfortunately for some reason the Albuterol doesn't help me much whether I use it before activity or if the EIA comes on during activity. I generally take it anyway before I bike ride.

When you use your Albuterol do you use a spacer in conjunction with the mdi? Do you take one puff 20 minutes before exercise and then another 5 minutes later?

When you use your Albuterol do you use a spacer in conjunction with the mdi? Do you take one puff 20 minutes before exercise and then another 5 minutes later?

I don't use a spacer but I believe I get good distribution to my lungs. I generally take one puff of Albuterol about 10-15 minutes before riding then another puff a minute or so later. Based on what you recommend and what I found in a search (link below) I can probably do a better job with the Albuterol as far as timing. However for those 10 years or so with the preventive medication I never needed the Albuterol. In fact I didn't fill the prescription for it until recently.

http://www.stockton.edu/ospreys/ATUpdateAsthma.htm

Pulmicort is not a bronchodilator. It won't help at all with EIA. It just helps overall by reducing inflammation in the lungs, but it doesn't help you breathe when you have an attack. This type of drug may not even help at all in the case of EIA, because this kind of asthma may be triggered just by the act of exercising, or breathing in more stuff while we are doing it. It's generally more a problem of bronchospasm rather than chronic inflammation (although you probably still need to pulmicort for long term control). What you may need is what is called a "rescue inhaler", generally referred to as Ventolin (although most people use a generic version). You use it before starting the exercise. It opens up your bronchial passages. This is assuming your problem is only EIA. I'm 54 myself. At that age, when you start developing something like this, where you find it harder to recover normal breathing after exercise, it might be worthwhile running that past a good family doctor. Might be wise to have other evaluations like a heart stress test just to be safe.

What kind of doctor do you have? I mean, it's hard to believe in this day and age that a person with any kind of asthma would rely only on a drug like Pulmicort and not have a prescription for a rescue inhaler... and be instructed in its proper use.

Pulmicort is not a bronchodilator. It won't help at all with EIA. It just helps overall by reducing inflammation in the lungs, but it doesn't help you breathe when you have an attack. This type of drug may not even help at all in the case of EIA, because this kind of asthma may be triggered just by the act of exercising, or breathing in more stuff while we are doing it. It's generally more a problem of bronchospasm rather than chronic inflammation (although you probably still need to pulmicort for long term control). What you may need is what is called a "rescue inhaler", generally referred to as Ventolin (although most people use a generic version). You use it before starting the exercise. It opens up your bronchial passages. This is assuming your problem is only EIA. I'm 54 myself. At that age, when you start developing something like this, where you find it harder to recover normal breathing after exercise, it might be worthwhile running that past a good family doctor. Might be wise to have other evaluations like a heart stress test just to be safe.

What kind of doctor do you have? I mean, it's hard to believe in this day and age that a person with any kind of asthma would rely only on a drug like Pulmicort and not have a prescription for a rescue inhaler... and be instructed in its proper use.

You are so far off I don't know where to start. How can you say Pulmicort won't help with EIA when it has up until the past few months preventing it successfully for over 10 years. Then you contradict yourself by saying it just helps in reducing inflamation. Well that is the point of it. To reduce inflamation so I don't get an attack. Make up your mind. If you bothered to read any of my posts you would of learned I not only have a "rescue inhaler" but have been using it.Unfortunately unsuccessfully Then you confuse me even more to say I should continue using the Pulmicort for long term control. Which is it? You say to see a good family doctor. Not great advise. Better yet see a pulmulogist which I have seen two. One of them is also my primary care physician. Then again not reading my posts you seem surprised that I would not have a prescription for a rescue inhaler. Well read again and you will have your answer. I hate when people just jump into a thread without bothering to read any of the posts.

I don't use a spacer but I believe I get good distribution to my lungs. I generally take one puff of Albuterol about 10-15 minutes before riding then another puff a minute or so later. Based on what you recommend and what I found in a search (link below) I can probably do a better job with the Albuterol as far as timing. However for those 10 years or so with the preventive medication I never needed the Albuterol. In fact I didn't fill the prescription for it until recently.

http://www.stockton.edu/ospreys/ATUpdateAsthma.htm

Well let’s see, the Albuterol comes out of the MDI at 55 mph and you’re trying to get into your lungs (have you ever tried to catch a bug out the window of your car while going down the road at 55 mph). Without a spacer you get about 5-10% in your lungs and the rest hits the back of your throat, goes to the stomach and becomes systemic (no help). With the spacer the medicine is suspended in the spacer and inhaled into the lungs getting about 95% in the lungs where it can work. The reason for waiting 5 minutes before the next puff is to let the first puff work and open the lung so the next puff gets down deep into the lungs.

Well let’s see, the Albuterol comes out of the MDI at 55 mph and you’re trying to get into your lungs (have you ever tried to catch a bug out the window of your car while going down the road at 55 mph). Without a spacer you get about 5-10% in your lungs and the rest hits the back of your throat, goes to the stomach and becomes systemic (no help). With the spacer the medicine is suspended in the spacer and inhaled into the lungs getting about 95% in the lungs where it can work. The reason for waiting 5 minutes before the next puff is to let the first puff work and open the lung so the next puff gets down deep into the lungs.
I've heard about the spacers but since I've never really needed the Albuterol until recently I didn't concern myself about them. Thanks for the explanation of how they work. Especially the 2nd puff opening up the lungs down deep. It makes sense. I'll definitely talk to my doctor about them. Maybe I am spoiled, as what I am really looking for is alternative medication to replace the Pulmicort that controlled my EIA until recently. Basically I just went down to the lot like everyone else, jumped on my bike and got a good ride in without worrying about any of this stuff. Until recently

I guess a question is, has the inflammation proceeded to the point that the pulmicort can't subdue it any more at your current increased dose, or has your body simply developed a tolerance for pulmicort and a different antiinflammatory will do the job. Advair has been a wonder drug for me, but not for others. Good luck.

I'm taking a roadtrip in a couple weeks to what has been a very trying environment, then I'll get to speculate more on the extent to which my recent recovery has been purely advair-related, or advair + relocation. (I've done the relocation alone thing before and it didn't work like relocation + advair, so now I get to revisit the original location with advair in hand, filling out the experimental design).

For me and advair, it may just be a matter of the slower/more efficient delivery of the diskus vs the flovent getting shot at x mph w/ mixed, let's say, quality of spacer use. So it might not be advair per se but rather steadier usage vs propelled flovent and serevent.

I guess a question is, has the inflammation proceeded to the point that the pulmicort can't subdue it any more at your current increased dose, or has your body simply developed a tolerance for pulmicort and a different antiinflammatory will do the job. Advair has been a wonder drug for me, but not for others. Good luck.

Not sure whether I developed a tolerance or the inflamation has gotten worse. I think the latter unfortunately. I have been tested recently but under the influence of the Pulmicort which had been working. I'll discuss all of these things with the doctor. I also remember at one point a few years back before I increased the dose where a few times at night I felt I couldn't take a deep breath. One of those cleansing breaths. Of course once I increased the dosage I didn't have that problem either. Or it just could of been my imagination. I'm tempted to go either get a stress test with a mask and/or go off the medication entirely for a short while to see where I am really at. All these things I will discuss with the doctor including the Advair. I had bronchitis a few months ago and for two weeks I was on Advair to help clear it up. I stopped the Pulmicort for those two weeks. I seemed to work well with it.

EIA is not caused by inflammation, hence the name “exercise induced asthma”. The bronchiole tubes spasm because of many reasons from the extra air being taken in. The “mdi, rescue inhaler” Ventolin generic name Albuterol is used to open the bronchiole tubes and help keep them open, relax the spasms. Pulmicort, Advair and other controller medicines are used to control inflammation associated with asthma. You could have other things that are causing the problem chronic bronchitis, heart problems, change in triggers for you asthma, etc. Have a pulmulogist run some test to make sure of your triggers, good luck.

You obviously need some instruction from a good doctor about what different kinds of inhalers do.

There are soo many different types of asthma and subtypes it's exhausting. If you truly had just EIA, then Pulmicort would not help. However, you must have a mixed and/or baseline type of asthma in order for the Pulmicort to be effective. Basically your asthma has an inflammatory component involved so the Pulmicort actually does work for you. I would stick with your current steroid inhaler and try adding the ipratropium component to your albuterol as pre-exercise therapy. The combination inhaler is called Combivent (containing both albuterol and ipratropium). I am not telling you with 100% certainty that this will work. The ipratropium may cause a 'drying' type effect. This works wonders in some patients and may actually worsen symptoms in others (they have dry asthma and thus causing even more dryness worsens the symptoms). It's worth a shot. Also as others have recommended, some proper inhaler use instruction may be beneficial. Even after 10 years of usage, you may be suprised that you 'could' have poor technique.

OK I'll throw this one in as usual.

Exercice Induced Asthma is a symptom of Magnesium defficiency. Yes something as simple as a mineral defficiency and it certainly doesn't need any drugs to fix.

See, http://www.healthy.net/asp/templates/article.asp?PageType=Article&ID=541

and, http://www.krispin.com/magnes.html

I've suffered from a difficulty in breathing when exercising which I KNEW wasn't normal because I have big, strong lungs. I used to think that it was a clorine intolerence because I experienced it when swimming. I now know that its magnesium defficiency and taking magnesium relieves the symptoms every time.

Regards, Anthony

For me, I've notice my asthma is partly an allergic reaction to milk and wheat/gluten. Cutting those out from my diet has reduced it significantly.

And I've found a long warm-up with gradual increases in intensity doesn't bring on the onset of EIA. Typically takes 30-45 minutes. If I try to push too hard in the first 15-minutes, the EIA flares up.

Then using Flovent twice a day according to the instructions removes the rest of the asthma. If I have any hints of it on the ride, I'll take albuterol just beforehand or on the ride itself.

OK I'll throw this one in as usual.

Exercice Induced Asthma is a symptom of Magnesium defficiency. Yes something as simple as a mineral defficiency and it certainly doesn't need any drugs to fix.

See, http://www.healthy.net/asp/templates/article.asp?PageType=Article&ID=541

and, http://www.krispin.com/magnes.html

I've suffered from a difficulty in breathing when exercising which I KNEW wasn't normal because I have big, strong lungs. I used to think that it was a clorine intolerence because I experienced it when swimming. I now know that its magnesium defficiency and taking magnesium relieves the symptoms every time.

Regards, Anthony
Thanks for the reply. I don't think it is a Magnesium deficiency because when I started serious riding a little over 2 years ago I used to get cramps while riding. So since then I am very careful to make sure I get plenty of electrolytes including Magnesium. Before and during riding I take a calcium supplement that contains a lot of calcium in addition I drink E-Lyte solution which also contains it. Not to mention I eat a lot of dates and figs while riding.

My wife’s asthma is triggered by GRD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease). When she has her GRD under control she has no asthma problems, but if her GRD get bad she has all kind of asthma problems.

A few people have suggested my EIA may of gotten worse from some triggers or food allergies. I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. I guess it must be hard sometimes to figure out what that is. If in fact that is part of the the problem trying to figure out the cause. I didn't have any asthma until suddenly about 10-12 years ago. I also found out at about the same time I am allergic to MSG which I used to consume with no problems before that. It gives me migraines. I also seem to get migraines from too much dark chocolate, but some is OK, certain nuts and too much red wine. Who knows what else?

I found my food-allergies through a comprehensive blood test and elimination diet done by Sage Laboratories (http://www.sagemedlab.com/). Before cutting out the dairy and wheat, the inhalers were perhaps 80-90% effective at removing the EIA, but not completely. Now, the asthma's completely gone between watching what I eat and taking the inhalers. :)

I found my food-allergies through a comprehensive blood test and elimination diet done by Sage Laboratories (http://www.sagemedlab.com/). Before cutting out the dairy and wheat, the inhalers were perhaps 80-90% effective at removing the EIA, but not completely. Now, the asthma's completely gone between watching what I eat and taking the inhalers. :)
How does this work? Does my local doctor take my blood and send it to them? How much does it cost and what else was involved?

Thanks for the reply. I don't think it is a Magnesium deficiency because when I started serious riding a little over 2 years ago I used to get cramps while riding. So since then I am very careful to make sure I get plenty of electrolytes including Magnesium. Before and during riding I take a calcium supplement that contains a lot of calcium in addition I drink E-Lyte solution which also contains it. Not to mention I eat a lot of dates and figs while riding.

Well if your taking a calcium suppliment, and a strong one too then Magnesium defficiency is even MORE likely. Calcium counters Magnesium and you wan't to be taking a Magnesium suppliment that deffinitely has no Calcium as Calcium and Magnesium compete for the same receptors.

I find that exercise consumes Magnesium so I can start off fine but by the end of the ride I know I need more magnesium. I find that I get more than enough calcium from foods and I take a magnesium suppliment only. Also if your exercising to help you lose fat then magnesium is required to burn fat and most of us are defficient in magnesium to start with.

EDIT: Also I've never used an inhaler in my life and I completely aleviate the symptoms of asthma by taking more magnesium.

Regards, Anthony

I've heard this before but when I went to look for magnesium it seems there are different "types". Which is the recommended one?

I've heard this before but when I went to look for magnesium it seems there are different "types". Which is the recommended one?


See this reference, http://www.krispin.com/magnes.html

He reccomends certain brands which I assume are available in the US of A.

Regards, Anthony

I'm 59 and I discovered I had EIA about 10-12 years ago. I was given Pulmicort inhaler at the time and it worked. I started with one puff a day and over the years gradually needed to increase the dosage every few years or so. Now I am at the maximum dosage of 4 puffs a day and it isn't working so well anymore. While I don't get a traditional asthma attack I find myself on tougher rides taking a long time to recover breathing after any effort. By the half way point in my club rides I am spent with no energy left. I'm seeing my pulminologist in a few weeks and would like to know what other riders with EIA have been successfully taking. I ride on average about twice a week totaling 75-100 miles.

I've had EIA and Asthma due to about everything else since 4 years old. I'm 68 now. Your condition seems inexcusable to me. You need a new doctor big time as your present treatment is sophomoric at best. You also need to educate yourself on your affliction and the latest Asthma treatments and take control of your life.

Why you are not on a time-release form of a Beta Agonist is the first issue I'd deal with. The others are what allergies (pollen, food, drink, etc) and life-style issues are aggravating your condition.

Your energy issue might be more of a nutrition issue than a breathing issue, so I'd look into that possibility.

Good luck.

Al

I've had EIA and Asthma due to about everything else since 4 years old. I'm 68 now. Your condition seems inexcusable to me. You need a new doctor big time as your present treatment is sophomoric at best. You also need to educate yourself on your affliction and the latest Asthma treatments and take control of your life.

Why you are not on a time-release form of a Beta Agonist is the first issue I'd deal with. The others are what allergies (pollen, food, drink, etc) and life-style issues are aggravating your condition.

Your energy issue might be more of a nutrition issue than a breathing issue, so I'd look into that possibility.

Good luck.

Al
I'm not in any position to agree or disagree about my present regimen in regard to my EIA.I'm not knowledgeable enough and the purposes of my post. However at this point it isn't working so something obviously needs to be done. It may seem inadequate or sophomoric and again I won't disagree with you but it was/is a relatively simple, safe, benien treatment up to this point that had been successful. I subscribe to "if it ain't broke don't fix it" policy. Now it is broken and needs to be fixed.

See this reference, http://www.krispin.com/magnes.html

He reccomends certain brands which I assume are available in the US of A.

Regards, Anthony

THANK YOU so much, Anthony!! I'm going to check on that as soon as possible! :) They even have it available in the Bay Area at Vitamin Express!! :D

You should look into taking vitamins to compliment your inhaler. Asthmatics are shown to have deficiencies in certain vitamins. Since taking the below listed my Ashtma symptoms have improved and I ditched my inhaler.

Magnesium (1,000mg)
Vitamins B6 + B12, (75mg each)
Vitamin C (3,000mg)
Selenium (100mcg)
Fish Oil (3,000mg)
Multivitamin w/ Mineral Complex

I'm not in any position to agree or disagree about my present regimen in regard to my EIA.I'm not knowledgeable enough and the purposes of my post. However at this point it isn't working so something obviously needs to be done. It may seem inadequate or sophomoric and again I won't disagree with you but it was/is a relatively simple, safe, benien treatment up to this point that had been successful. I subscribe to "if it ain't broke don't fix it" policy. Now it is broken and needs to be fixed.

It's not broken. The body changes over time. You might consider an allergist. However, they can only help about 40 to 50% of sufferers. I've watched my allergy tests over the decades change, but it didn't matter as allergist could do nothing for me or my wife.

I've learned many of my triggers on my own by experimentation and by study. By the way, asthma is generally not anything to do to the lack of something like vitamins or minerals (that's a new one), but by things that need to be reduced or eliminated.

Your present regime is what I was on decades ago. You need to catch-up and then keep up. That's why I suggest a new doctor and learning on your own. There are Asthma forums and lots of data available through google searches. There are also books. Beware, everything you read on the web needs to be checked/double checked. That's where the doctor comes in; as an advisor.

Al

It's not broken. The body changes over time. You might consider an allergist. However, they can only help about 40 to 50% of sufferers. I've watched my allergy tests over the decades change, but it didn't matter as allergist could do nothing for me or my wife.

I've learned many of my triggers on my own by experimentation and by study. By the way, asthma is generally not anything to do to the lack of something like vitamins or minerals (that's a new one), but by things that need to be reduced or eliminated.

Your present regime is what I was on decades ago. You need to catch-up and then keep up. That's why I suggest a new doctor and learning on your own. There are Asthma forums and lots of data available through google searches. There are also books. Beware, everything you read on the web needs to be checked/double checked. That's where the doctor comes in; as an advisor.

Al
If you want to say it is "not broken" then it is at the very least "not working" In any case as you say I have to do something about it. Up until this point I can't really blame my doctor as with a relatively simple and safe regimen I had been event free for a long time. Just show up and ride with the group. Well that obviously has changed. I have an appt with my doctor for next monday and I at least should give him a chance. I have been doing a lot of research and was hoping since this is a bike forum I could get more specific recommendations as to what other bike riders are doing. What medicines, and how much they are taking on a daily basis and what people do to prepare themselves just before they ride. If you don't mind I'll ask you first.

I've learned many of my triggers on my own by experimentation and by study. By the way, asthma is generally not anything to do to the lack of something like vitamins or minerals (that's a new one), but by things that need to be reduced or eliminated.

Al

Here you go. References on Asthma and magnesium, http://www.mgwater.com/listb.shtml#asthma

Regards, Anthony

Here you go. References on Asthma and magnesium, http://www.mgwater.com/listb.shtml#asthma

Regards, Anthony

You can find dozens of so-called research results on the cause of Asthma. Strangely, many appear on sites or in publications that promote supplements as the cure to about everything that afflicts the human race. Yet these afflictions continually increase.

It's like the diet craze. Diet books are best sellers, yet obesity is pandemic. The supplement industry rakes in the Billions, yet our life expectancy continues to drop compared to the other developed countries. There's a clue here some where.

Go ahead, overdose on magnesium and see what happens.

Al

You can find dozens of so-called research results on the cause of Asthma. Strangely, many appear on sites or in publications that promote supplements as the cure to about everything that afflicts the human race. Yet these afflictions continually increase.

It's like the diet craze. Diet books are best sellers, yet obesity is pandemic. The supplement industry rakes in the Billions, yet our life expectancy continues to drop compared to the other developed countries. There's a clue here some where.

Go ahead, overdose on magnesium and see what happens.

Al

Yeah I was as sceptical as you are that magnesium cures everything :D but the longer I've been taking it the more of my long term health complaints clear up. It worries me sometimes too when I find something else that magnesium helps.:D

Mind-you some of your quoted post is funny.

Diet books are best sellers but the obesity epidemic continues. Yep, there's only ONE high fat diet book out there. ALL the rest are low fat.

The supplement industry rakes in the Billions, yet our life expectancy continues to drop compared to the other developed countries.

OK thats funny in anyone's book. The PHARMACEUTICAL industry rakes in MULTI billions of dollars yet our life expectancy continues to drop.

Regards, Anthony

. The PHARMACEUTICAL industry rakes in MULTI billions of dollars yet our life expectancy continues to drop.

Regards, Anthony

Most of the advances in medicine are in fact due to the pharmaceutical industry. That industry is why I can live a normal, active lifestyle with chronic asthma and chronic sinusitis. I'd say 95% of doctors treatments are drug based. Take away the drugs and there would be a lot of pain and suffering not to mention even shorter lifespans.

Your logic is faulty because you ignore the fact that those countries which we are falling behind in lifespan are using the same drugs as we are. And, they are getting them much cheaper than we are to boot. Take away the supplements, and no one would notice except those very few who has some dysfunction where they have been prescribed a supplement.

The Pharmaceutical industry has to meet government standards. It also must also go trough a government and a peer review process of their mandatory trail results. Unfortunately, of late these trials are funded and conducted by the maker of the drug. We can thank Congress for that one.

The supplement industry has zero required standards and zero scrutiny; it advertises and funds bogus studies. It has also lobbied successfully against any standards or regulation by the FDA when public interest groups lobbied Congress to impose some form of standards to protect the consumer. All that plus the fact that more and more of the raw materials (almost all of vit C for example) if not the actual supplements are imported from China, makes me avoid the stuff as much as possible.

Al

The logic in blaming suppliments for reduced life spans just isn't there.

On one level I agree with you. It IS better to get your vitamins and minerals from fresh, whole food. I certainly don't take vitamin suppliments. A synthetic vitamin isolate just doesn't cut it and I don't take them. I would prefer to get all my minerals from food as well but sometimes you just don't get enough. I DO consume magnesium rich foods such as bone broths, dark green leafy vegetables, brazil nuts and even the odd raw cocao bean but I still need more. In my case this has something to do with being poisioned by mercury and a life long defficiency of magnesium and those 2 conditions are linked. You cant detoxify heavy metals without magnesium.

I'm a "cause and effect" person anyway and that's where this all started. Bike riders who nominaly don't suffer from asthma get sympoms after hard exercise and rather than looking for the cause, which I'm suggesting is likely to be magnesium defficiency they instead go onto drug based therapies that cover the sympoms but do nothing to aleviate the cause.

Of all the people on these drug based therapies who has been cured?

No one!

Regards, Anthony

The logic in blaming suppliments for reduced life spans just isn't there.

On one level I agree with you. It IS better to get your vitamins and minerals from fresh, whole food. I certainly don't take vitamin suppliments. A synthetic vitamin isolate just doesn't cut it and I don't take them. I would prefer to get all my minerals from food as well but sometimes you just don't get enough. I DO consume magnesium rich foods such as bone broths, dark green leafy vegetables, brazil nuts and even the odd raw cocao bean but I still need more. In my case this has something to do with being poisioned by mercury and a life long defficiency of magnesium and those 2 conditions are linked. You cant detoxify heavy metals without magnesium.

I'm a "cause and effect" person anyway and that's where this all started. Bike riders who nominaly don't suffer from asthma get sympoms after hard exercise and rather than looking for the cause, which I'm suggesting is likely to be magnesium defficiency they instead go onto drug based therapies that cover the sympoms but do nothing to aleviate the cause.

Of all the people on these drug based therapies who has been cured?

No one!

Regards, Anthony
I really don't think I have a magnesium deficiency as I eat plenty of vegetable, fruits (my wife thinks I get too many of them between all of the fruits I eat and the 3 or 4 smoothies I get a week), whole grains and nuts. I also used to suffer from cramps (which I think was from lack of hydration) and take E-lyte during each ride. It provides multiple greater levels than sports drinks. The amount I consume during rides equals 86% of the mdr for magnesium. So all things considered I don't think lack of magnesium is my problem. That being said one can never be sure so I got a chelated magnesium supplement from a good manufacturer. So I started taking one a day which equals 50% of the mdr. Considering how I eat and the E-lyte I consume during rides I now think I should not have to worry about a deficiency.

The logic in blaming suppliments for reduced life spans just isn't there.


Regards, Anthony

Read more carefully. No one yet has blamed supplements for a reduced life span. You are the first to mention it.

Al

OK I need to make a correction. I DO take some vitamin suppliments. I take Halibut liver oil (cod liver oil) for vit D and A. It is a natural, traditional suppliment so it slipped my mind. It is much better than say a vit A +D pill which I don't take.

Regards, Anthony

<I have been doing a lot of research and was hoping since this is a bike forum I could get more specific recommendations as to what other bike riders are doing. What medicines, and how much they are taking on a daily basis and what people do to prepare themselves just before they ride. If you don't mind I'll ask you first.

I take Singulair at night, and Q-Var every morning. On days that I'm exercising, I take Foridil, and I carry an Albuterol rescue inhaler. It seems to have helped alot with my EIA

I take Singulair at night, and Q-Var every morning. On days that I'm exercising, I take Foridil, and I carry an Albuterol rescue inhaler. It seems to have helped alot with my EIA
Thanks, this is the type of information I am looking for. Just curious do you have asthma with EIA or just the Excersized Induced Asthma alone. Also you seem to take a lot of medication do you have what would be considered a severe case. As a comparison I consider mine mild.

Thanks, this is the type of information I am looking for. Just curious do you have asthma with EIA or just the Excersized Induced Asthma alone. Also you seem to take a lot of medication do you have what would be considered a severe case. As a comparison I consider mine mild.
It would be good to hear what others are taking for the exersize induced asthma.

I've had asthma for 35 years, induced by exercise (even very light activity in cold air) and certain things I'm allergic to. It was very severe earlier on -- periodic emergency room visits -- but has been steadily getting less intrusive in my life. Probably a few reasons, but one thing I found helped was AVOID USING THE INHALER unless it's really necessary. I had an "as needed" prescription. The more I used it, the more I needed it. When I switched strategies to allowing myself to rest and accepting some discomfort while giving things a chance to get back to normal on their own, maybe with focused breathing techniques and some strong coffee, I began having milder and much less frequent problems.
I'm not giving anyone else medical advice, I have no qualifications to do so, but that's what worked for me.

I found my food-allergies through a comprehensive blood test and elimination diet done by Sage Laboratories (http://www.sagemedlab.com/). Before cutting out the dairy and wheat, the inhalers were perhaps 80-90% effective at removing the EIA, but not completely. Now, the asthma's completely gone between watching what I eat and taking the inhalers. :)How does this work? Does my local doctor take my blood and send it to them? How much does it cost and what else was involved?Yes, I had my doctor take the blood and send it in. They have different types of assays so the cost will vary. It ended up being covered by my insurance, so I don't know the exact total.

Thanks, this is the type of information I am looking for. Just curious do you have asthma with EIA or just the Excersized Induced Asthma alone. Also you seem to take a lot of medication do you have what would be considered a severe case. As a comparison I consider mine mild.

I thought it was mild too, but as I've mentioned before, studies are showing that untreated asthma earlier in life is being attributed to emphyzema later in life - 80's. So, my doctor doesn't want to mess around with it. It is just EIA.

Anyone else. I am seeing the doctor this afternoon.

If your doctor gives you a prescription for a rescue inhaler, fill it and carry it with you. It's like buying car insurance, you don't get the insurance because you intend to have an accident, just incase you do. The same with the rescue inhaler, you don't carry it because you intend to have an asthma attack, just incase. If you have a bad attack it's the only thing that will save you. If you're prescribed a controller medicine use it. Repeated attacks can cause lung remolding and lose of lung function. If you are using your rescue inhaler for attacks more than twice a week, then your asthma is out of control. Anyway talk it over with your doctor and call the American Lung Association, they have people who are trained in asthma control.

I had trouble earlier this year, in the late winter/early spring. The cold air just killed me; lungs would feel like they were on fire, couldn't breath in/out very well. I had all kinds of tests, the lung function test showed that I had normal capacities/function (but it wasn't done when I had been exercising).

Dr gave me a scrip for a resue inhaler and advair. I also think pollen was a big contributor to my problems, as it was really bad in NC. I've not had any problems since late May, haven't used anything to open airways or the like. I'm sure later this fall, as the weather gets cooler I'll have to start using something, but till then....