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Asthma/Exercise Induced Asthma Anyone?

xks201

Senior Member
Messages
740
Just curious if anyone had anything from mild exercise induced asthma symptoms to full blown frequent asthma? Testing one theory...thanks ! :)
 
Messages
15,786
Just curious if anyone had anything from mild exercise induced asthma symptoms to full blown frequent asthma? Testing one theory...thanks ! :)
I was diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma following a respiratory infection (later thought to be pneumonia by a less-useless doctor, due to marks on my lungs in the x-ray). I was treated with levaquin, started feeling really awful soon after, as if it took a lot of effort to breath, and I'm not sure if I felt awful due to the pneumonia or the antibiotics.

It was tested via a methacholine challenge, and came up positive. But I'm not sure if was my airways reacting by the end, or if I was just exhausted after doing forced exhalations for a long time. Most asthma meds didn't help me at all - Intal was the exception. It went away after a year or two.

In retrospect, it felt an awful lot like the exercise intolerance I get from ME now, so I'm not sure it was actually asthma, versus a pre-ME episode.
 

eafw

Senior Member
Messages
936
Location
UK
Just curious

I developed quite bad asthma as a child, and bad through teen years into early twenties but mostly induced by allergy/infection/cold air/laughing. Sometimes exercise if other factors were building up, it would depend.

Has lessened a lot with age (better avoidance maybe ?) but the right trigger will still set it off.

Laughing too much - which is a form of exercise - is still a problem. Gives me gut spasms as well, not quite sure how it links.
 

SOC

Senior Member
Messages
7,849
I was diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma (based on symptoms) by a couple of different PCPs. A number of years later, a pulmonologist did extensive testing with some funky and fascinating equipment and determined I don't, in fact, have asthma and all the asthma meds the docs were giving me were useless. :rolleyes:

I have had Cpn and other pneumonias multiple times, which may have complicated the picture. The only thing that seems to keep my pulmonary symptoms under control is a lowish dose (2 tabs daily) of Equilibrant, so it appears my "asthma" is actually pathogen-related.

My daughter was also diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma, but has not had the more sophisticated testing. She, too, has not had asthma symptoms since she's been taking immune modulators including Equilibrant.
 

justy

Donate Advocate Demonstrate
Messages
5,524
Location
U.K
My experience is exactly the same as SOC above. I have had pneumonia nia few times and lots of lung infections - been treated for asthma since a child, but now they are saying I don't have asthma despite my symptoms of not being able to breathe.

I am positive for chronic CPN and recently mast cell activation, and just been tested for Babesia (not back yet) breathing seems to have been better since anti histamines, but still on high dose inhaled steroids.
 

xks201

Senior Member
Messages
740
It's pretty easy to test..go for a run (works even better if cold out) even if it is just for 1 minute and when you get out of breath if you feel that your lungs are on fire or ice and breathing is somewhat impaired then there you go. this data is all going very nicely with my theory.. hopefully we can get more people to respond.
 

Ruthie24

Senior Member
Messages
219
Location
New Mexico, USA
Have been diagnosed with exercise induced asthma by my cardiologist (post stress test) and a couple other docs. First symptoms of it started at age 16 (long before ME/CFS). Had one breathing test at my Allergist which showed asthma but others since then have not. I'm on a slew of meds for MCAS though, including singulair.

I remember reading one time, and I can't remember where, that they are now thinking that exercise induced asthma is not the same mechanism as regular asthma.
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
I have never been diagnosed with asthma or exercise induced asthma and exercised 3-4x a week with a trainer at a gym prior to getting ME/CFS from mono. I could run on a treadmill and breathe normally and now I cannot walk more than a few feet without a wheelchair (because of my breathing.)

While in hospital in Sept, I did not have enough air to even attempt a breathing test.

I am not sure how I would fit with your theory but I now have severe dysautonomia w/HR and BP and some allergy/histamine issues now (that I did not have at all prior to getting ill.)

Is your theory that everyone with ME/CFS had some form of asthma first? I am not criticizing it and just asking out of curiosity.
 

xks201

Senior Member
Messages
740
I can't lump every case into one theory but I am exploring the consequences of possible mutation or dysregulation in beta adrenergic receptor upregulation which also has consequences to the number of mitochondria produced.
 

Ruthie24

Senior Member
Messages
219
Location
New Mexico, USA
Interesting. I know with my mutations they all seem to involve more of the mito and energy production issues and less of the methylation, per se.

Let us know what you come up with please?
 

SDSue

Southeast
Messages
1,066
Fascinating. I was diagnosed "exercise induced asthma-like" and given asthma drugs and inhalers which did nothing. This came on during the 3 years of ongoing respiratory infections and 3 bouts of pneumonia.

Looking back, I believe that was the beginning of my ME and possibly one of my first symptoms. I'd run with the same partner for years, and suddenly I kept having to stop and catch my breath. I never again got to the point of being "in shape". My body could no longer be pushed. I just got worse and worse and the rest is history. (she says from her sofa)
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
I can't lump every case into one theory but I am exploring the consequences of possible mutation or dysregulation in beta adrenergic receptor upregulation which also has consequences to the number of mitochondria produced.

Can you explain what this means in non-sciencey terms? It sounds good but I don't understand it. Are you theorizing that people with asthma later got ME/CFS or that people in the early stages of ME/CFS were mis-diagnosed with asthma when they could no longer produce the same level of exertion due to mitochondrial issues?
 

SDSue

Southeast
Messages
1,066
Can you explain what this means in non-sciencey terms? It sounds good but I don't understand it. Are you theorizing that people with asthma later got ME/CFS or that people in the early stages of ME/CFS were mis-diagnosed with asthma when they could no longer produce the same level of exertion due to mitochondrial issues?
You didn't ask me, but that's never stopped me from putting in my 2 cents lol.

I think it sounds like many of us were mis-diagnosed as asthma, when there was really something much more sinister going on. I'm eager to hear what @xks201 says!
 

xks201

Senior Member
Messages
740
I'm contemplating writing a quick book on CFS as my fatigue is pretty much gone after having experienced it for 8 years or so. It's just a lot of information and studies to combine. My idea of treatment involves a lot of different things that so far I haven't seen well publicized (a lot of which is original). I almost have my degree in math/statistics from university and am moving onto grad school and I think I could probably just throw some different ideas out there with potential treatments.

I think multiple systems are breaking down in most cases from a combination of genetics and man made chemical toxins. I have done nothing but research this since I became sick and I have personal experience with all of the replacement hormones and would not list a method I haven't tried. I'm not a believer in cognitive behavior therapy as a real treatment for this. Again I'm sure there will be outliers but the underpinnings of fatigue are similar over multiple causes barring of course the individual chemical causes( multiple chemicals are aiding the disease progression in most cases).

Nothing crazy just maybe a piece I need to sit down for a week and write on my summer break to share because I don't feel I can do it justice in one forum post here. Perhaps some of you could read it and tell me what you think when it is done. I am not an expert in genetics (if that matters) but I am not claiming any specific gene causes CFS because no one knows the answer to that question.

By genetics I just mean that some people are more susceptible than others obviously through genetics. The systems that are affected though I have a lot of trial and error experience with fixing by making myself such a lab rat. What makes figuring out CFS especially hard is the way scientists who post original work that contradicts certain industries have their careers threatened..see the recent WHO study on Monsanto's round up pesticide as a modern example of this process.
 
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Vic

Messages
137
I'm contemplating writing a quick book on CFS as my fatigue is pretty much gone after having experienced it for 8 years or so. It's just a lot of information and studies to combine.
Take it from me, "quick book" is a pipe dream.
 

justy

Donate Advocate Demonstrate
Messages
5,524
Location
U.K
It's pretty easy to test..go for a run (works even better if cold out) even if it is just for 1 minute and when you get out of breath if you feel that your lungs are on fire or ice and breathing is somewhat impaired then there you go. this data is all going very nicely with my theory.. hopefully we can get more people to respond.
I have had this all my life - but respiratory consultant says I DO NOT have asthma, BUT I would like to add that he also thinks I have breathing issues because I have CFS and that CFS is all in the mind, ie psychological.