Recent Struggle to Breathe????

[Sandy-9-17-17]

Lately, my breathing has become more labored when exerting myself, and it feels worse than ever with the most recent normal things I have been doing, such as;  walking from parking lot to the beach, climbing stairs, and bike riding.  My son and I took a speedy bike ride last night, nothing I have never done before, 18 miles round trip.  In the first 5 miles, I had to stop to use my albuterol inhaler that the doc gave me, as he says I have asthmatic symptoms more than he thought I have COPD. 

When I smoked, I never had the trouble of being winded like I do now, and never had to stop and rest. Seems as though it is worsening?  

Why would my breathing with exercise start becoming worse now that I have quit smoking for 9 months??? 

It's kind of scary!  My oxygen levels have always been good, so this is concerning!  Could something else be going on?

[Barbara145]

Good morning.  Congrats on quitting smoking. Quitting smoking didn't cause your symptoms, smoking did damage.  Keep up with all that exercise.  It is so therapeutic for your lungs.  Good you stopped when you did.

[AnnetteMM]

Could it be heat and/or humidity?

[Sandy-9-17-17]

I thought maybe humidity too, it definitely was humid, but we were also under complete cloud cover, so it wasn't heat!

[AnnetteMM]

I have trouble breathing in high humidity, that's why I ask.

[constanceclum]

It could be something unrelated. Nonsmokers get respiratory illness too. Plus, your dr. said your asthmatic. Sometimes albuteral isn't 100% effective. I don't know how old you are but everyone's lung function declines with age. If it keeps up, just talk to your Dr. about. With copd, it sounds like you're doing great to me.

Connie

[Barbscloud]

Sounds like several possibilities.  A speedy bike ride you never did before (18 miles!), humidity, asthma...   Since you have an inhaler, you might want to check with you doctor to be sure.  

[Sandy-9-17-17]

Barbscloud‌  Actually, biking is my thing....I haven't been doing a ton of it this year as I joined a gym after I quit!  But we have had a lot of hot weather here which I do not like to ride in!  I can do the elliptical at the gym, and don't get winded like I did last night riding.

It was pretty bad, and I have not experienced anything like it!  Kind of scares me a bit, because now I'm wondering if they should move my chest xray up, maybe things with ground glass nodules progressed.   I know I shouldn't think too much about that.   

I think I will check with doc!  He's a bike rider also!  And cute! LOL!

[Roller831]

I think it is a given to check with the Dr if he is cute.  LOL!

[Barbscloud]

Well that's even more reason to check with the doctor if you're used to that kind of activity.  And I agree, if he's cute....

Don't mean to be nebby.  Have you had a lung CT instead of an X-ray?