Winter is trying to kill me ...

1speed

1speed

Incredibly profound yet fantastically flawed
So this winter has been a bit of a dick punch this year. It started out with a stomach virus the the week before Xmas. And then, when I was feeling better, I spent the next week riding in the deep freeze, and that's when real trouble started. Since the beginning of January, I haven't been able to ride outside without suffering progressively worse asthma attacks, culminating with a trip to the ER this past Friday night around midnight for a nebulizer treatment when I couldn't get it under control by regular means. I was told on discharge not to do any exercise until I spoke to my specialist. I had no intention of riding outside until I did so but I kind of thought they were being overly-cautious in saying no exercise at all. I mean, I've been dealing with asthma for years and I ride thousands of miles a year - why would it suddenly become a problem now? I was pretty sure it was weather related, and when I saw my specialist yesterday, he agreed with that. I think I did some pretty nasty damage riding day-after-day between Xmas and New Years in sub-20 degrees. And a few of those rides were at a "spirited pace" with some strong local riders, which certainly didn't help. So I think I was already behind the eight ball when I hit January so every time I was going deeper into my lungs, they were responding like the pathetic sacks of shit they had become. The doc recommended I get myself a nebulizer so I don't have to go to the ER if this happens again, and I'm waiting on my insurance to find out how much of that I'll have to pay for now. He also told me to pre-treat before any ride with my albuterol inhaler. (Kind of disappointed in myself for not thinking of that earlier.)

So, now I have yet another reason to dislike winter ... it seems that it's actually trying to kill me. The upside is that if I play this right, maybe I finally have a trump card to convince my wife it's time to move to Arizona once and for all ...
 
hospital trips suck!
Pathetic sacs of shit - i see what you did there.
albuterol before riding - that is so pro :eek:
i continue to wonder, why live where it is cold?. it would be easy enough to visit cold. we aren't even north enough for aurora borealis - so no benefit.

the good news is it wasn't anything worse....
 
Welcome. My blood test last week revealed walking pneumonia on Monday.

Sick is sick. Sucks all around.
 
I would imagine that many people with kids have nebulizers laying around the house. You can probably score a cheap one on e-nebulizer-bay. I am sure we have/had one but when you move, that's the kind of shit you throw out.

Alternately, start sniffing glue.

HTH
 
Marty, that totally sucks! What are/were you doing to pre-warm/humidify the Air during cold air exercise? Cold and especially dry air does a number on the delicate tissue in the respiratory system. That’s why they produce mucous to protect itself. An example is hospitals pass oxygen thru liquid before you breathe it in because it’s so dry it can burn your lungs...or that’s how the nurse explained it to me anyway. Cold does the same thing. It’s like running a 5k with sand in your sock.... it just grinds away until everything is raw and reactive. Putting something directly over your mouth help for some... but I can’t do it, I just can’t. I feel like I’m being water boarded.

This is what I use..... (got the idea from @Kaleidopete) it’s a little too warm on occasions and I have to yank it off a couple times a ride, but it’s better then spending the two days wheeze’n.

https://coldavenger.com/products/cl...jMSGQcv81OcP1T302HWT_rL6dgvsO2NxoCWW8QAvD_BwE
 
fidodie said:
i continue to wonder, why live where it is cold?. it would be easy enough to visit cold. we aren't even north enough for aurora borealis - so no benefit.
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The two people I speak to most frequently are my younger brother, who lives in Rutherford, and a friend I grew up with who now lives in York, PA. And we have had this exact conversation at least once a week every week from December through the end of March for years. And yet we all still live here. It makes no sense. My one buddy wants to live in Florida, which I'm not interested in because I'm neither a deadbeat dad nor a pedophile. I want to move to the southwest because I like the desert and I think it would be exciting to live in a place where there's a very real and daily threat of being caught in a crossfire of cartel turf wars over distribution routes. My younger brother wants to move to Ireland, so I'm not sure he understands the concept of "warmer climate".
 
Juggernaut said:
Marty, that totally sucks! What are/were you doing to pre-warm/humidify the Air during cold air exercise? Cold and especially dry air does a number on the delicate tissue in the respiratory system. That’s why they produce mucous to protect itself. An example is hospitals pass oxygen thru liquid before you breathe it in because it’s so dry it can burn your lungs...or that’s how the nurse explained it to me anyway. Cold does the same thing. It’s like running a 5k with sand in your sock.... it just grinds away until everything is raw and reactive. Putting something directly over your mouth help for some... but I can’t do it, I just can’t. I feel like I’m being water boarded.

This is what I use..... (got the idea from @Kaleidopete) it’s a little too warm on occasions and I have to yank it off a couple times a ride, but it’s better then spending the two days wheeze’n.

https://coldavenger.com/products/cl...jMSGQcv81OcP1T302HWT_rL6dgvsO2NxoCWW8QAvD_BwE
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I'm the same way with the waterboarding feeling of wearing a mask. I do use a buff all winter because I believe I'm part lizard and lose most of my body heat through my neck (seriously, once I started using them, just that little extra bit of protection has vastly made the sting of cold air much more bearable.) But I can't cover my mouth. As anyone who has ridden with me in the winter knows, I'm a snot rocket sniper. I need to be able to blow out my nose or else I feel like I'm drowning. This has only gotten worse since I had the surgery to roto-rooter my sinuses in 2015. My sinuses run like a faucet anymore. So I can't cover my mouth or nose or else I'd drown myself.
 
1speed said:
I'm the same way with the waterboarding feeling of wearing a mask. I do use a buff all winter because I believe I'm part lizard and lose most of my body heat through my neck (seriously, once I started using them, just that little extra bit of protection has vastly made the sting of cold air much more bearable.) But I can't cover my mouth. As anyone who has ridden with me in the winter knows, I'm a snot rocket sniper. I need to be able to blow out my nose or else I feel like I'm drowning. This has only gotten worse since I had the surgery to roto-rooter my sinuses in 2015. My sinuses run like a faucet anymore. So I can't cover my mouth or nose or else I'd drown myself.
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I hear ya. Have you tried keeping your tongue pressed up against the back of your front (top) teeth (or roof of your mouth) on intake? I stole the idea from Graeme Obree, it helps.....a little.
 
1speed said:
I haven't been able to ride outside without suffering progressively worse asthma attacks, culminating with a trip to the ER this past Friday night
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We're in the same boat pal. For me it's getting just a little worse each year. Once that cold air hits my lungs the chest tightness begins and I can feel my bronchial tubes begin to close up. If i do choose to ride in the cold, i have to keep my HR way down. My rides lately are some of the slowest ever and it’s by choice over fear of suffocating.

So, I’m just not riding much in the winter. I have plenty of other endeavors to keep me occupied in the meantime, but I do long for more riding.

On another note. Back in December I was experiencing 24-hour chest pains (as well as a list of other weird symptoms) They haven’t gone away and I’m still experiencing them right now. Thought it was heart related but it turns out I suddenly have GERD now. And not just a mild case either - fucking Chronic. My esophagus is pretty damn enflamed and I am uncomfortable all the time. Doc put me on Omeprazole, I gave up beer, am eating less (but more frequent), drinking less coffee but im not feeling any improvement.

2018 is killing me to bro but Im still tryin to be positive!
 
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@Delish needs to read this thread because I think pretty much everything you describe here is what he experiences.
We, too, have been stuck in an endless cycle of colds this winter.
 
1speed said:
So, now I have yet another reason to dislike winter ... it seems that it's actually trying to kill me. The upside is that if I play this right, maybe I finally have a trump card to convince my wife it's time to move to Arizona once and for all ...
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NJ is a dreadful dreadful place in the winter

dJpVuDs.jpg
 
capedoc said:
We're in the same boat pal. For me it's getting just a little worse each year. Once that cold air hits my lungs the chest tightness begins and I can feel my bronchial tubes begin to close up. If i do choose to ride in the cold, i have to keep my HR way down. My rides lately are some of the slowest ever and it’s by choice over fear of suffocating.

So, I’m just not riding much in the winter. I have plenty of other endeavors to keep me occupied in the meantime, but I do long for more riding.

On another note. Back in December I was experiencing 24-hour chest pains (as well as a list of other weird symptoms) They haven’t gone away and I’m still experiencing them right now. Thought it was heart related but it turns out I suddenly have GERD now. And not just a mild case either - fucking Chronic. My esophagus is pretty damn enflamed and I am uncomfortable all the time. Doc put me on Omeprazole, I gave up beer, am eating less (but more frequent), drinking less coffee but im not feeling any improvement.

2018 is killing me to bro but Im still tryin to be positive!
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Yeah, funny you mention that - I was thinking about how bad this year would be for you specifically when I was sitting in the hospital waiting. I figured you were probably sidelined until April or so with the way it's been. I remember how it hit you so bad a couple years ago and was really hoping I wasn;t heading down that same road. But GERD is no joke -- deal with that if you can. I had a friend in college who had that and it eventually put him the hospital for esophageal issues.

Dominos said:
@Delish needs to read this thread because I think pretty much everything you describe here is what he experiences.
We, too, have been stuck in an endless cycle of colds this winter.
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Definitely tell to get checked if he's never been diagnosed with asthma but has these symptoms. For the most part, asthma is entirely controllable, but if you don't manage it, it can mess you up - can become COPD (which is horrible) and can even increase risk for CHF as you get older. I am on two chronic meds (Singulair, or its generic version now, and Dulera) and I have a rescue inhaler that I rarely needed until this season. For the most part, I don't deal with too many issues, but before I started on the meds, I was having attacks about once a month for a year and didn't know what was going on - the first time it happened, I thought I was having a heart issue because I was so short of breath while just sitting in my living room.
 
1speed said:
I figured you were probably sidelined until April or so with the way it's been.
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Not totally sidelined. Just need to keep it slow and easy. Part of that means avoiding riding with groups. days when it's in the 20's or below, I just don't even bother.

Was in the emergancy room back in October. ER visits are 2/3 times a year.

Hope you feel better pal!
 
1speed said:
For the most part, asthma is entirely controllable,
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Not in my case. I take Symbicort, singular and 10mg of prednisone every day. I see the doctor every 3 months and it's still not controlled. Sometimes Albuterol and nebulizer doesn't even work when I'm having difficulty.

I think we've tried every asthma medicine in existence. You should see my medicine cabinet.
 
capedoc said:
Not in my case. I take Symbicort, singular and 10mg of prednisone every day. I see the doctor every 3 months and it's still not controlled. Sometimes Albuterol and nebulizer doesn't even work when I'm having difficulty.

I think we've tried every asthma medicine in existence. You should see my medicine cabinet.
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yikes - daily prednisone....do you taper off that in the summer?
 
fidodie said:
yikes - daily prednisone....do you taper off that in the summer?
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Nope. I'm supposed to take it all the time. When I'm having difficulty the dose will be increased to about 80mg then taper back to 10. Hopefully my bones don't desintigrate.
 
capedoc said:
Not in my case. I take Symbicort, singular and 10mg of prednisone every day. I see the doctor every 3 months and it's still not controlled. Sometimes Albuterol and nebulizer doesn't even work when I'm having difficulty.

I think we've tried every asthma medicine in existence. You should see my medicine cabinet.
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That must be allergy-induced or you're actually allergic to cold air - something is causing your alveoli to just shut down even after you get treatments. You may legitimately only be able to get that under control if you move to a new climate. That's pretty extreme, but I've heard of it before. There was a contractor at my office whose daughter was dealing with that sort of thing and they moved to Florida because it turns out that she was actually allergic to cold air. I didn't think that sounded real the time I first heard it, but apparently that was her diagnosis. The guy still works with us and he says she's been fine ever since they moved. That kind of thing might be the only option you have eventually to get off chronic prednisone. I'm on prednisone right now and while it's not a particularly harsh drug, the side effects can suck -- specifically, I can't sleep through the night right now. I wake up every couple of hours.
 
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