Mine started spontaneously when I was 25 and I had recurrent cases of pneumonia to go with it.  I was put on inhalers and Theo-Dur but managed to get myself off of those (my weight went up tremendously on Theo-dur).  By the time I was 32, I considered myself basically cured.  I did a lot of walking in all types of weather to strengthen my respiratory system.  I still keep an inhaler with me 24/7 though because the things that trigger mine are chemical related - especially chlorine bleach and industrial strength cleaners.

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Lindaru ;~)

Of course it's not nice to share chocolate.  How silly.

Mine started out of the blue, too, a few years ago.  But my cousin was born with very severe asthma.  We sat at her hospital oxygen-tented cot on many occasions, expecting her to leave us at any moment.

She's now just had her 21st birthday and, although still tiny (even shorter than me and can only children's clothes are slim enough to fit her), she's fit, healthy and her asthma has vanished.  

Toffee - I knew you'd be able to see the sense of it.  

Part-way up a mountain is definitely not the best place to be if you have an asthma attack.  Poor you.

My first one happened when I was back up home for Christmas.  We'd been to a friend's parents' house for dinner and had to walk a few miles uphill (but not up a mountain, thank goodness!) because the roads were impassable due to snow.  I hadn't been diagnosed yet, so didn't have an inhaler either.  Very scary.

Mind you, the second time (and the worst so far) happened when I did have an inhaler.  Unfortunately, it didn't help at all so I had to be taken to the emergency doctor.