New Problem With Exercise

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Howdy. It's me, Angie. I've been exercising for several years and have had no problems except the usual muscle aches or having to work up to my normal workout potential after not exercising for a week or two because of life getting in the way.

Anyway, you all probably know I had a rough time with Mr. Pneumonia for over two months. It's been over three months now and I can now do my workouts that I've been doing like always, but now (like right now) I just got done with a 60 min cardio workout and I'm having a hard time breathing and my throat and upper chest feel tight with a lot if coughing. Am I having a problem with asthma now? Does anyone here have asthma and have this problem after exercising? I never had this problem until I had pneumonia. Does anyone know?

I think I have EIB - exercise induced bronchospasm.

I don't think I could do 60 mins of cardio regardless, but if I was struggling to get in enough air, and having a hard time breathing I would just use my rescue inhaler. I find it is always a lot easier to breathe in cooler air than hot humid air, so it helps me to workout in my cool basement.

Thanks for answering, Dr. House. (I loved that show.) I was given a rescue inhaler, but it doesn't do anything. I had to do an albuterol resp tx and it worked. I'm thinking I can do half of the resp tx before I exercise and the rest after I'm done exercising. I'm a mess. I just don't want it to scare me to where I stop exercising, you know?

Try doing some chest stretches as well, in a door way, as well as leaning backwards over a yoga ball with your hands stretched out above your head to open up your chest and make it easier to breathe. I use Bricanyl(Terbutaline) as a rescue inhaler. I only have to use it like 3 or 4 times a year though cause my asthma is mild. I find that Bricanyl isn't common and most people use Ventolin(albuterol) instead. Maybe ask to give Bricanyl a try instead as a rescue inhaler?

could you try a different method of breathing? switching from chest-breathing to abdominal breathing might help;
the latter gives you a bigger air capacity as well as more control and breathing power.

I myself have used abdominal for most of my life (as a musician), and i know that i can't do even 30 minutes of regular cardio on chest-breathing air, but with abdominal, i can do over an hour of heavy cardio without ever missing a breath