Any other asthmatics here?

I had asthma as a young child. The doctor told my mom to put me in sports and it would likely go away. The doctor was right, but it's made a return in the past 4 years. It started as an exercise-induced asthma diagnosis, but eventually it got to the point that I was using my rescue inhaler 4-5 times a day in some instances.

I recently went to an asthma/allergy center and the doctor was pretty appalled at my breathing tests. Said they were awful (he wasn't a dick about it, just straightforward) and he recommended a preventative inhaler. He put me on Symbicort, and for the first time in a couple years I feel like I can breathe normally. I rode 12 miles on my bike yesterday without needing to use my rescue inhaler beforehand, which hasn't happened in about 3 years.

However, I don't like being dependent on medicine. Has anyone else been on any sort of corticosteroid/LABA combination, such as advair or symbicort? Does anyone have any tips/tricks. My only side effects so far are a pretty insane increase in hunger (guessing that's the steroid) and what seems to be skin sensitivity. Oh and possibly the most important thing, I can actually pet my dog again.

Just wondering if there is anyone else here that's gone through their asthma coming back and needing indefinite treatment.