**Moderator comment: please be aware that supplements like this could be a trigger for asthma for some people. They are not a replacement for your usual medication and you should always check with a qualified healthcare professional like your GP or asthma nurse that supplements don't interact with any medication for any condition.
If you are struggling with asthma, please contact your GP, asthma nurse or hospital specialist and /or call the helpline before trying unproven supplements**
hello everyone
I have been looking at tiger milk mushroom supplements, supposedly offer respiratory support and good for asthmatics. As there are so many health supplements on the market I’m usually a bit dubious about trying them. On the other hand I am really struggling with asthma and thinking this might be worth a go. Has anyone else tried them?
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Yellow-dog
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I have not tried it. I am afraid I am a sceptic of all these things, other than taking vitamin D. I need to see large sample clinical studies and an endorsement from somebody like asthma UK.
I am more a believer in keeping a asthma diary to work out what is bothering my asthma, and am starting to explore breathing techniques, as pursed lip breathing seems to help me.
My asthma nurse has just ripped apart my inhaler technique again, which has made my alvesco more effective, which is good.
If your asthma is a bit out of control at present, I would ring the asthma UK helpline on 0300 2225800, office hours, and come up with a plan of how to start getting it back under control.
I haven't even heard of Tiger Milk Mushrooms let alone tried them, but I completely understand anyone who wants to try something as long as it's additional to their prescribed meds and doesn't interact with those meds.
I did find this small study, and the results for respiratory improvement looks good. But none of the volunteers had asthma or any respiratory disease. I haven't seen any warnings about TMM, so the only thing you're risking is a bit of money.
If you do try this out it would be great if you shared your experience in a few months time.
Given the size of the study (only 50 people) and the fact that participants didn't have respiratory conditions as you say, I'd be more cautious about risk for someone who does have asthma. My concern with these unproven supplements is not just the interactions with other medications or being used as replacement for medication -though those are major and valid considerations. It's also the possibility of them triggering asthma, which testing in 50 people without asthma is not going to capture. So I wouldn't say it's just risking money for everyone.
Also worth bearing in mind that while that study does use objective measurements, one person's experience is necessarily subjective and not evidence that this will actually help someone else's asthma. So worth reading this post before sharing or recommending that others share: healthunlocked.com/asthmalu...
I appreciate you're struggling with asthma and dealing with the system is not fun. However, there doesn't seem to be any good evidence for these supplements, and as Poobah and I have mentioned below, they could trigger asthma or interact with other medications.
If you're struggling with your asthma and your current medication isn't helping I would contact your GP or asthma nurse first, and the nurse helpline: 0300 2225800 or WhatsApp on 07999 377 775 Monday-Friday 0915-5pm.
If you're not already under hospital care then it may be time to consider it. If you are already under hospital care then are they considering you for biologic injections? Much as you probably don't feel like it (i never do especially when unwell), you may need to get pushy if no one is being helpful.
You may already be doing all this - and I really do appreciate how rubbish it is struggling with poorly controlled asthma. I just don't think unproven supplements are likely to be helpful, and could possibly be harmful.
Thankyou for replying. I am already seeing a consultant and respiratory physio. I’m hoping to be considered for biologics, but am told it’s expensive and there is a long waiting list.
I agree with what others have said. If it does have an effect, I would wait until the active ingredient is purified, chemically synthesized, and shown to be effective. Mushroom bodies can vary from one another in their composition and active ingredient content, and thus getting the reproducible dose is not possible each time.
That's a very good point too. Supplements aren't regulated like pharmaceuticals. So besides conducting the proper clinical studies to prove efficacy, which isn't required for 'alternative' treatments to be made available for sale, there's also no requirement to prove each dose contains the same amount of active ingredient.
It is quite appalling that supplements are not regulated. I come from the biochemistry background, and we use a compound called amanitin to inhibit gene expression. The compound is purified from the Death Cap mushroom by ether extraction. Concentrations of the compound vary depending on the season, how dry the weather was etc. I suppose, the hope in the alternative medicine is that the supplement will act as a placebo, i.e. have no medical effect, and thus is considered "safe" by definition.
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