Wheezing????

Carl

 I've been thinking about this and doing some research but wanted to post and see what you thought.  

After St George I noticed I was coughing and wheezing ALOT.  Chalked it up to swallowing a ton of water during the swim and that was my bodies way of ridding it.

So now Wisconsin.  Swim was in eventful, then into the bike which I noticed a little coughing.  Finally the run-seemed like some deep inspirations but a negative expiration.  Do I was able to inhale deeply but on expiration it was like I had air trapping-like Asthma.    After the race it was the same events of St George-harsh exp wheezing and a dry hacky cough.  This went on for several hours then gone.

At no time was I light headed or have palpitations that I was aware of.  At no time during training do I ever experience this.

 

Thoughts????

 

thanks

Unknown

I'd go to the Dr. When I had problems with wheezing and pressure, it turned out that because of the allergens in the air, I was experiencing exercise induced asthma. Now I use an inhaler and it has made a world of difference because I'm not short of breath anymore.

Cary Blanco

Posted By Jocelyn Shaw on 23 Sep 2012 04:03 PM

I'd go to the Dr. When I had problems with wheezing and pressure, it turned out that because of the allergens in the air, I was experiencing exercise induced asthma. Now I use an inhaler and it has made a world of difference because I'm not short of breath anymore.

+1 See an allergist/immuneologist, they'll do a few tests and get you straight.

coop6

I think I coughed up the entire lining of my lung during and after IMSG. The hot, dry air was incredibly irritating. I knew I had asthma going into that though.

You can start with your primary care doc, get a basic eval and chest X-ray. If he thinks it's asthma, you might end up doing resting or exercise spirometry to confirm the diagnosis. You should definitely get it checked out. Is it possible this could be related to your job as a firefighter?

tgarson

Kind of different from what you're describing, but I often experience exercise-induced asthma like symptoms after intense workouts, but I always just use the old term and call it track hack.

I never really have any issues before/during training or racing, but definitely after a hard effort I will semi-regularly be prone to coughing fits shortly after finishing, usually lasting 20-30 minutes. Has happened enough times for me to easily correlate that it's exercise related, but seems to be mild and go away quick enough that I've never really worried about it.

Coach Patrick

I think there's a difference between “track hack” than what you're experiencing on race day. After all Ironman intensity is really not all that intense. I would deftly get this checked out as a could be something that's really holding you back on race day, or something that could have far worse implications. Please keep us posted.

ebe4zippy

I vote for an obstructive airway reaction to the lake swim. You get out on the bike in the aero bars and you "prop" your airways open with that postition (think of an old COPD'er leaning on the table to take a deap breath/exhale...posture is more about the exhale) then you stand upright and run...your arms are no longer holding your ribcage open and you are working harder than you were on the bike...My guess is that it may be hard to recreate the symptoms for a primary doc or allergist. Go ahead and get PFT's done and see where you shake out as % of norms. Likely you will be well above the normal limits and they will send you on your way. I would then get one of your doc friends to write you a script for Combivent (albuterol sulfate/ipratropium bromide) It is a longer acting agent than straight albuterol and will help you with the exhale portion a little more. Just my $.02 as the team respiratory thereapist :-)
Call me if you want more info

trisumai

 Typical symptoms of EIA begin 10-15 minutes into exercise so it would be a little strange that you were wheezing after you got out of the water and not while you were swimming.  Also given the duration of your coughing and wheezing (through the bike and run) seems to not correspond well to an asthma flare (especially as you have not been diagnosed with asthma) although one of the "tricks" for EIA is to do a light warm up to get a slight bronchospasm.  Afterwhich there is a refractory period that can last several hours in which an asthmatic will not flare.  Personally I tell folks to take a puff of their albuterol 20-30' prior to working out.  It just seems strange that you have only had two episodes and none during your long ride/run sessions leading up to the race.

 Back to you, I think that it would be reasonable to undergo pulmonary function tests with possible methacholine/histamine challenge (Should the initial PFTs be normal).  Exercise spirometry is reasonable but the story doesn't quite fit as EIA and is rather difficult to perform (not found at your typical hospital).  

As for the duration of albuterol being less than albuterol/atrovent, I am not sure that this is the case as both drugs are a 4x/day.  Additionally atrovent is not typically recommended as treatment for asthma.  Life-threatening asthma attacks, yes.  Run of the mill attacks, no.  If you are diagnosed with EIA options would include albuterol prior to workout or Singulair.  

jetskr

Carl, The allergens have been exceptionally bad this year, especially the mold count. I've had asthma and severe allergies my whole life and have really suffered this year. So much so that my asthma was one my primary concerns going into IMOO. I can vouch that race day was no exception to the unusually bad breathing conditions and had to use my inhaler 3 times that day. Once before the race start, once before the run, and the last time after crossing the finish. Still, I never felt like I was breathing all that clearly.

Go see a DR but it could just be the conditions.

cyberspin

I had that last summer while training. It seemed to occur when I was flip turning, coudn"t catch my breath. I am a swimmer so it just seemed odd to me. I went to Doctor and they did tests on treadmill. It didn't really simulate training though and I didn't get short of brreath. They wrote me a script for an inhaler and it improved my breathing tremendously. I have suffered with allergies for 45 years and they are worse in the fall. Doctor said years of bad allergies causes excercise induced asthma in some people. Get it checked out. I use my inhaler whenever I need it or remember it...:-)