My wife has chronic asthma. She once spent 3 days in the hospital after a bad attack. The new meds have made all the difference for her. I have EIA. The opinion of our physicians is that an asthmatic should never (or almost never) have to use their Albuterol (rescue) sprayer. We concur with that belief. If you're using Albuterol, that means that you are having a breathing impairment. Every time you have a breathing impairment, your lung function is also impaired, even if very slightly. Enough of that and you get COPD.

Asthma is one of those popular diseases that everyone, including the wealthy get, so Big Pharma has been putting lots of money into drugs for it. If you're a sufferer, a pulmonologist will be your best resource for treatment. Research is moving pretty fast for the average doc to keep up with it.

My wife uses Advair, which is the cat's meow for chronic asthmas sufferers. Those of you who live in These Benighted States better have a good prescription health benefit or a good income if you want to try it. I use Flovent, which contains only the corticosteroid component of Advair, once every day. That pretty well controls it for me. Before rides that I know will be hard multi-hour rides with HRs at and above LT, I'll also take Serevent, which contains the second component of Advair. I almost never have to use my Albuterol, though I carry it with me.

What I say above about Albuterol is only for chronic sufferers: those who will suffer asthma again and again. If your doctor prescribes Albuterol to help your lung function in the lingering stages of a cold, flu, or lung infection, that's totally appropriate. Like the posters above say, you'll have to see when it works best for you.

For more information about Flovent and Advair, see:
http://www.gw-flovent.com/
For Serevent, see:
http://www.serevent.com/

I use my peak flow meter every morning at the same time in my schedule. I chart the results in my training software. This allows me to spot potential asthma problems before they effect my riding. My EIA changes with the seasons and what's pollinating. The flow meter is a big help.

The spacer is a good idea. My wife keeps hers by the bed, just in case she has a problem in the night, but neither of us carry the spacer with us. It's just too much of a hassle. It does work, however.