This is a really interesting and helpful thread. Particular thanks to detritus21 for the expert bits. I hope the various Emmilous and Hopeys are sorted out and feeling better by now/very soon.
For my tuppenth worth (and this is just experience, not medical advice etc)... bit of back ground..I've had asthma fo 15 years. At times I've been properly out of action (in bed/stuck in house) for days to weeks and not able to do any exercise (bedroom-bound exercise included!) for ages. I didn't run between October and March for several years as it sent my lungs loopy. I've been on purple (magic but they wont' give it to me again for cost reasons I guess), brown and blue inhalers (I'm not going to try and spell the chemicals) at various points. I've now found (tempting fate here...) a way of managing it and haven't been ill for a while. I now have a peak flow of 580 which I believe is reasonably good. I can't comment on the pleurisy side of things though. Thought I just say how I've been able to manage my asthma but I do appreciate it's all different.
I'm prescribed the blue still and carry it religiously (I have four in various places and never leave the house without one) especially when running. When it's very cold/damp I normally take a puff 5 minutes before running but haven't had to do this for a while now. I've been able to run for the past two winter seasons including pre-sunrise sessions: I
cover my mouth and nose with a buff when I set off so that I don't lose too much moisture to the drier cold air when breathing;
keep my chest warm even if everything else is cold (pertex has changed my life!); I
don't stop/change my breathing pattern as this causes me breathing problems; I stand in the coldest room in the house before I leave and when I get back so that I
minimise temp changes; wear a buff around my neck (dunno why that helps!). All that has made every difference to me. I'm also prescribed the brown puffer but only take it when I sense a codl coming on/am going camping at the weekend/prior to doing other stuff I know might bring on a lengthy episode. The nurse seems happy with me dealing with it that way as I hate taking it continuously. If I need the blue I *always* take it immediately - the long term damage isn't worth braving it out now.
sorry if that's a bit lengthy and tedious, I just wanted to tell you that there is hope and not to get too down about it guys - I've come out the other side!
but like I said, I've not had pleurisy recently...