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← Return to Albuterol to open airways
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MAC & Bronchiectasis | Last Active: 14 hours ago | Replies (27)
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I used to do triathlons and agree that open water swimming is far more psychologically stressful than the pool, add a negative association to that, like an injury and it makes perfect sense to me that the stress of open water swimming could trigger physical symptoms, such as shortness of breath in your case. In addition to inhalers, are you working on your mind? There are a lot of resources these days on sports psychology, mindfulness, etc. It may be helpful to add a daily practice, if you aren’t already, that you can call upon when you hit the open water.
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@bayarea58
Thanks for the feedback and your information is what MCC is all about! I do think I need to address this mentally not just physically. Everyone (doctors) wants to address it with medications, inhalers and tests.
I have been trying to say to my PCP and pulmonoligists that I think I am having a psychological response to the open water swim injury and then the breathing issue. The sprint triathlon swim is 1/4 mile. When I train I do a mile. One lap pool I use at middle goes to 6 foot 8 inches so is over my head. I have no problems swimming the mile but like you say swimming in a pool (espceially not having to sight) is nothing like swimming in open water.
Back in March I slid of a dock to enter water and tore up the back of both legs. I was wearing a wet suit so the injury started just below my thighs. I tore up both legs on barnacles on side of dock that no one knew about. Antibiotics and 3 weeks of recovery. Now have tremendous scars on both legs.
At the race I tried to swim even knowing I had injured my legs. However my legs hurt and then suddenly got shortness of breath (felt like I could not get enough air in) and had to be brought back to dock. As I was being pulled back I could see a lot of blood in water. How stupid I felt by trying to finish swim knowing I was injured. One fellow swimmer said "you are attracted all the sharks."
I agree with you on the psychological part of this. I do see a medication specialist for my PTSD/anxiety/panic disorder that I take medication for and has been in remittance for several years.
Can I ask you to provide some information on the sports psychology and mindfulness sites that you mentioned.
It took a long time to recover from injury. Then just when ready to try again came down with COVID (first time and took all shots and boosters) in June and out again for 3 moths. I was scheduled to do 2 Sprint Triathlons in November. One got cancelled due to permits and the other due to debris in water from hurricanes. So NO sprint triathlons in year 2024 since my attempt and injury back in March.