Miracles happen, from time to time: I have been free of Clenil for 3 months now, and no asthma attacks for 2 weeks since giving up on Bricanyl. The background here is that I've had night time asthma for decades, all my life since childhood, I've had problems waking up around 4-5 am and needing a puff of my reliever several nights a week. Call it badly controlled asthma, really bad. I've been on two puffs of Clenil for as long as I can remember. About 4-5 months ago, the GP asthma nurse recommended I go up to 4 puffs a day, in order to make me sleep better. Which I did. The result was a terrible thrush infection at the back of my throat. At the same time, my right eye developed a condition known as central serous retinopathy "CSR" (fluid under the macula causing vision disturbances, and sight loss if not dealt with). I was referred to the local eye hospital immediately, where the ophthalmologist consultant advised to stop taking steroid sprays immediately, and, to never take them again, ever. He also advised to stop all sports, i.e. reduce stress levels on the body to absolute minimum, until the eye was healed. There is a direct link between CSR and steroid inhalers. It was a spectacular moment. Asthma or blindness? Go on, choose!
So I stopped of course, and took the reliever about once or twice a day. For about 3 months. The eye healed, as expected. I did a bit of research on how to ditch the reliever, and came across some blog which said, the first 2-3 nights were rough and you might not sleep at all because the asthma will be so bad. So I did just that. Went to bed with a slight desire to take the reliever, but resisted. Woke up with bad, bad asthma, had camomile tea, which helped a bit, went back to sleep, with asthma. Walked to the train station in the morning with asthma. It got better during the day at work. Same thing second night, just worse, up during the night for a long time, letting the asthma slowly slowly reduce. Hot tea is great, add Manuka honey. Left the house with asthma. 3rd night, at 5 am, after about an hour and half sitting in the kitchen, having had my camomile tea with honey, all of a sudden, I felt great. 4th night, I woke up in the morning, with NO asthma. After 35 years my friends!
In my view, I was addicted to the blue spray, for many years. I would take it even when feeling slight discomfort - I now understand from doing a bit of searching on google, that taking the reliever too often, can reduce the lungs ability to fight asthma, and increase mucous production. Another positive effect I've felt, is that I have not had any noteworthy phlegm in my lungs for the last 3 months - highly unusual for me, during autumn, and now winter.
Next step is to try some kind of exercise that will challenge my lungs. And for anyone wondering (like my dear mother) I still always carry the reliever (and I still panic when I don't).
I want to also add, that I gave up meat, egg, and dairy about 3 months ago, nothing to do with my asthma, but incidentally it may have had a positive effect - I do not know this for sure. I now eat a lot of fish, shellfish, veggies, fruit and brown bread, and very very small amounts of yoghurt - no more than a dollop with my weekly veggie burrito or curry from some place near the office. It's wonderful.
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So you think the Manuka honey and chamomile tea is helping your symptoms and other things your doing? I feel the same as you do about depending on meds. I did some digging on some info in other forums and I notice that most everyone always upgrade to a higher dose when they take it long term. I know some people have to take it ....I just try to take other alternatives to wean off of it as much as I can or not to take it as much so my body have time to adjust to heal itself.
Off course, change your diet is key and taking care of your gut is the most important. Healthy gut is a healthy immune system. Asthma is an autoimmune disease...I read some or heard some stories that, when they took care of their immune symptoms by changing their diet and keeping the gut healthy...their asthma went away. Of course the medical field won't teach you that or an advice on how to heal your gut and keep it healthy.
I try not to use my meds as much and I notice that my asthma does go away on it's on. I use buteyko breathing a lot...to maintain my symptoms...it helps me a lot.. Im also working on my gut to get my immune symptoms balance. I really believe that's key in most chronic diseases out there.
I have used Buteyko breathing since Nov 2017 and my asthma calmed down. Last week from out of nowhere I had a bad asthma flareup. I use Pulmicort Turbuhaler 100 once a day, ventolin once or twice a day and take 10 mgm of prednisone for 3 days during the flareup. This clears it up and I continue to do Buteyko meditation and shallow, relaxed breathing. I continue on the pulmicort but no oral prednisone. The low dose for 3 days does its job. I self medicate because the docs overprescribe and really for me that make it worse and for awhile my asthma was completely out of control. I think this flareup I just had comes and goes once in a while but then more normal breathing comes back. For me, the relaxation with shallow and controlled breathing and breath holds has really helped my asthma despite the occasional flareup.It takes a lot of focus and commitment. 1/14/18
That’s wonderful for you! I’m from the US, I keep having to say that because my meds have either different names or are totally different period, than the UK’s. I do want to WARN anyone that every body is different, and not all can do what you did. My asthma is considered severe, but not just during the night. In fact the nights are usually too bad. Though it does happen. Here we call them rescue inhalers, lol. And our usual one is albuterol, of some sort, some mixed with other meds. I take albuterol, Flovent which is a corticosteroid, I think, and a nebulizer of the medicine that used to be in foradil. That inhaler is no longer available to us. Anyway it’s still available in nebulizer form. So I’m trying to get used to a nebulizer. 1 thing I want to caution anyone about is their gut. I totally agree with you there, but I have a very large hiatal hernia, and have been on proton pump inhibitors for years, I’m now being told how bad they are for you. And it’s not easy going off of them. Ugh. I’m just starting to read about them. So I want to wish you, and everyone else the best! I’ll be around, lol
Thank you for your comment and input. I really do appreciate everyone's reply on my post regardless if I agree or dis-agree. I would really look seriously in getting off the proton pump inhibitors. If you look at the topic on stomach acid, according to the health summits on that topic. Most people don't have enough acid in their stomach and make a mistake by taking meds and over the counter pill to reduce it....long term.. it makes it worst. If you think about it - your body will create more acid in the stomach if you don't have enough to begin with and then causes acid reflux. The problem is the body goes over board and produces more than it needs. We need stomach acid in our stomach...look it up on what it does and how it helps us. More than just helping us digest our food. Our body is amazing...if we alter our bodies natural healing with junky diet and other stuff we ingest in our lifetime. I believe that's why I have my issue with my health and I'm working on trying to heal it as natural as I can....basically I'm still working on it. But I have learn a lot...why we have so much chronic diseases.
They are natural remedies that will help with that... than messing up the natural acid balance worst with OTC meds. We sometimes need to be our own Doctor and search for a solution. We have to be Open Minded to Alternatives.
I really believe it starts in the GUT. I hope you will find the healing you need from your search and proper action to try to heal yourself. Sometimes we have to think out of the box and try something that might help us.
Thank you for the info. It's always good to hear what others are doing. At this stage I am not ready to try completely without it (even with the inhaler nearby) but after reading everyone's replies I think I might start by trying to improve my gut health and diet and when I'm stronger we'll see how we go.
PS I'm addicted to sweet foods so I'd probably end up eating the manuka honey without the chamomile!!!
I did not in my wildest dreams imagine this was possible. I have tried before and failed, although I did a lot of running at the time, which meant I really got asthma a lot. As for diet, if you need inspiration, something to kick you into action, get a copy of the China Study by Campbell (it's not about Chinese medicine). It's a refreshing, but at times uncomfortable read, if you've lived on a typical western diet all your life.
I agree with you Tugun.....I love it when they share what's working for them. Yes, it starts with your gut and let me know how your doing. Search, Search, Search.....and ask a lot of questions...LOL. You'll be surprise on what you find.
I follow a vegetarian diet. I try to have at least 7 portions of fruit and vegetables daily. I also have as little dairy as possible. I daily take a vitamin D3 and probiotic daily. Being 77 years young and being the sole carer of hubby who is disabled I agree that gut health is very important.
Off the topic my daughter who has severe rhematoid arthritis became an organic vegetarian took health supplements and after 10 years can enjoy life again.
I know I will never be able to not take my puffers but apart from that I am doing fine health-wise.
Good for you starveycat....my wife is vegetarian now for 6 years and trying to eliminate gluten...and made a big difference in her life. We are all here to help each other on what works and does not work. Not everyone is going to agree on our input...or findings. Bottom line we have a choice. My goal is to learn from you all and share what I have learned.
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