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Excercise and asthma after surgery?



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So I know losing weight helps with asthma for some people right? Well apparently I'm not one of those people.

For starters, I didn't even realize I had asthma. But I've been struggling at the gym, I've tried couch to 5k and even though I'm in much better shape and my body can do way more, my lungs can't take more than about a minute of running. I've been very sick twice since June, both times after pretty intense bouts of physical activity and this last go around the doctor and nurse practitioner I saw diagnosed me with Asthma. Obviously I don't have it to the point I've ever needed a rescue inhaler for prolonged period of times since I'm just now getting a diagnosis but it's still something I'm going to have to deal with.

Does anyone have any tips or suggestions for dealing with asthma and the gym? I'd still like to start running I just know I'm going to have to be careful and listen to my body. I'm not going to let this stop me from going to the gym, which I do 3-5 days a week and I'm going to push through.

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I have exercised induced asthma, and sleep apnea and didn't find that out until June when I started gaining all kinds of weight and couldn't get into my gym anymore because of it my doctor has me on Ventolin as needed but since I have gained so much weight from not being in the gym I am going with the sleeve so it will help me better with the asthma and sleep apnea.

So I know losing weight helps with asthma for some people right? Well apparently I'm not one of those people.

For starters, I didn't even realize I had asthma. But I've been struggling at the gym, I've tried couch to 5k and even though I'm in much better shape and my body can do way more, my lungs can't take more than about a minute of running. I've been very sick twice since June, both times after pretty intense bouts of physical activity and this last go around the doctor and nurse practitioner I saw diagnosed me with Asthma. Obviously I don't have it to the point I've ever needed a rescue inhaler for prolonged period of times since I'm just now getting a diagnosis but it's still something I'm going to have to deal with.

Does anyone have any tips or suggestions for dealing with asthma and the gym? I'd still like to start running I just know I'm going to have to be careful and listen to my body. I'm not going to let this stop me from going to the gym, which I do 3-5 days a week and I'm going to push through.

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I have sleep apnea as well and I was recently diagnosed. Apparently my nostrils are extra small. I laughed so hard at the news, the doctor probably thought I was weird. The upshot is of course I was not build to be an athlete. I could have told her that. Hello at 263 lbs, it's obvious. What I am trying to say in this round about way is: The size of your airways does matter. With weight loss those passages become wider easing the passage of air. But we won't know by how much until we lose the weight. This is what the sleep doctor tells me. She also said that even with moderate weight loss the pressure setting of the CPAP can be decreased. We all know that's a plus. After all, I am so done sleeping under the wind storm of the century.

I hope I'm one of the lucky ones, and you too, who do not require a CPAP after weight loss. The statistics I saw where 58% for my weight and height with 50% of Excess body weight loss. Your statistics are even better because you are younger (picture on profile) and have less excess weight then I do. I believe 50% is also the definition of success as far as weight loss surgery goes. If things go my way, I plan on telling my sleep doctor her CPAP machine cured me. It's the honest truth, I hate it so much I started researching weight loss surgery. It provided all the motivation to go under the knife. If that's not a cure what is?

Now I am not sure how this goes for asthma. I think, it's probably more complicated.

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I was born with asthma and to my frustration, it hasn't disappeared since surgery. I started my exercise journey by walking and using a recumbent exercise bike. This really helped with my lung capacity, and now, I only have to use my inhaler as needed. I tried the couch to 5k and hurt my knees, so please be really careful.

You mentioned going to the gym, are you doing any walking?

Good luck to you. :)

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I developed asthma around age 30. Now 44. The sleeve has helped immensely ! Haven't used my 3 inhalers since surgery.

I will tell you- and this sounds ridiculous - that my pulmonologist and PCP both feel that I had silent reflux and that exacerbated the asthma.

Considering the acid is getting better as I am on ppi and have not used inhalers or nebulizer. Maybe they're right who knows.

I would suggest you discuss with a pulmonologist asap to determine where your asthma is coming from

Can be excercise and you always had it or could be the acid creating it in which case a ppi can help you resolve it.

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Hi, I have had asthma since the age of 16. I'm on 3 pills for it and 2 inhalers plus a rescue inhaler. I've been told before I do anything strenuous to use the rescue inhaler first. This includes housework! I also use it before walking on the treadmill. If they haven't ordered you an inhaler they do have some over the counter ones, try a puff wait 15 min then exercise.

Or go back to your dr and tell them you need something before you exercise because your sob when you do it. I'd probably go with the dr first.

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@@Wallflower7522 sadly asthma is one of those things. If you know what triggers an attack for you, that helps. If it's exercise, that's tricky. You can use the inhaler before you start your work out, this way the medication is there and opens your lungs up as you increase your intensity.

I have had asthma my whole life and many things can cause an attack and for me oddly enough the thing that is the worst is the cold winter weather. When I walk outside in the winter even from my office or house to my car, I wear a scarf around my nose and mouth like a bandit. I do this because I know that if I don't the chances are 60/40 that I am going to have an attack.

Look for some yoga, and/or meditation breathing exercises you can learn to help control your breathing. This helped me tremendously through out my life. To the point now where I rarely need to use the rescue inhaler.

As I have gotten older and even though I have lost weight I am not on Singular since my allergies to just about every thing are another big trigger for me. It's horrible to not be able to breath and the more you panic the worse the attack can become.

Running is not all it's cracked up to be, save your knees and trot or walk fast. Unless you want to be in a race...take it easy, you will eventually get there the body is an amazing adaptive mechanism where there is a will there is always a way.

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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