Living with asthma: Come introduce yourself & meet others

I don't have the diagnosis of Asthma yet but just finished the pulmonary breathing test at Mayo Jacksonville. Wow, was that difficult, hard on the lungs, and I coughed for two days after.

I was having problems with breathing becoming difficult during the swim portion of Sprint Triathlon. If something went wrong (mask leaking, injury, being hit by others, rough water) my breathing would become very difficult and felt like I could not breathe in deep enough to continue to swim. Then the coughing and phelm being coughed up would pretty well stop the race for me.

I swim over a mile in a pool without any issues. One day had an argument with a use of a LAP SWIMMING ONLY pool who wanted to walk. The poos is designed for lap swimming and is deep to allow the push offs from ends. Did not think anything about it then started to do my swim and the same unable to deep breathe and coughing started and had not even swam a lap yet.

I looked at symptoms of Asthma and I had most of them. I am now following this group as I have all the symptoms and waiting for my pulmonary results. I did use an inhaler (albuterol) one time when I got bronchitis really bad and it was a dramatic improvement over symptoms.

My parents were all the time smokers and grew up in a house and cars full of smoke all the time. Had really bad bronchial infections and sinus infections for decades until had 3 sinus surgeries. Now it lookes like I have developed asthma. Do my symptoms seem familiar to others. The amount of phelm I cough up is drastic and the more I cough the more phelm.

You will feel better once you receive your diagnosis and have an asthma plan, assuming that applies. I was diagnosed with asthma as an adult. I take several nasal drugs for phlegm. They work great and keep the coughing down. Best of luck to you and let us know your status.

@mpeters
Thanks!
I just got an appointment with my PCP (Mayo) on 6th to go over my test results. Hopefully like you mentioned I will get the diagnosis of what is wrong and can get a treatment plan.

The pumonary test itself was brutal. I left exhausted with sore throat, lips, gums, chest, bronchial area and lots of coughing and phelm. But I finished all of it.

What did you learn at your appointment, @jc76?

@colleenyoung
How the heck do you keep up with all of us? Thanks for asking and remember all those posts?

The pulonary tests are brutal. Took about 1.5 hours and ended with coughing and a lot of irritation. But I finished all of it including the so called inhaled triggers. What my PCP said that the test did not reveal Asthma. He believed it was a larynix (spell) type issue but I question the symptoms of that which says you can't talk when it is triggered and I can.

He has order a CT scan now which I just had this morning (05/08). He did suggest Alberterol (spell) but was hesitant because I have Heart Failure and a lot of PVCs. Alberterol can make worse he said so he prescribed an inhaler to use prior to race called Atrovent. Very expensive but worth it if if prevents the onset as just can't continue swim when it occurs.

I truly think I have Astma or bronchitis triggered by emotions and/or stress. I don't think there is a way to duplicant those type triggers for rule out Asthma. I do fine swimming in pool. However the last two races I was injured in one that brought on the onset of symptoms and the other masks leaking (could not see) in a very deep lake swim.

My PCP is still doing tests and I hope we find a cause. I know I should not want asthma but I know this disease can be treated especially if caught early or caused by triggers. At least it would have given me a cause of the problems and a way to treat it.
Thanks again for asking, keeping up with us old gusy, and caring about us!!!

@jc76 The non prescription things that help my asthma (allergic asthma) are sniffing a good ole jar of Mentholatum (such as Vicks) for awhile or cough drops because they also have the same Eucalyptus in them and it kind of paralyzes the muscle spams in the windpipe temporarily allowing it to relax so mucous can move better, and I'm known to just put on a mask if I will be exposed to a trigger (like mold spores) when I need to be outside. I use HEPA filters inside the house which help. There have been times that my physical therapist has helped me breathe better by treating tightness in my muscles in my neck and chest with a hands on stretch. I do have neck tightness which can affect my breathing. I do my best to stretch on my own at home.