I've always thought there is no cure for this condition and it's only manageable. However, the author Daniel Pecaut appears to think differently.
It makes for interesting reading, and he stated he is only sharing his personal experience and not medical advice.
To condense: He visits The Mayo Clinic, also has many allergies, and his recovery includes a plethora of various treatments.
He is a wealthy American businessman who obviously can afford all the treatments but the one thing I found of real interest was the method of breathing devised by a Russian doctor, Konstantin Buteyko in the 1920's originally to help athsma [Edited]. There are lots of books on Buteyko Breathing and I've now viewed demonstrations on YouTube. There are also classes throughout the UK but are very expensive.
Basically you breathe out more than you breathe in, keeping mouth closed and always breathing through nose (edit - and so raise CO2 levels). I tried this and found it way more difficult than you would think. I intend to keep trying though.
So just wondered if anyone had heard of this or tried it with a degree of success.
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Titian8
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"Bronchiectasis -How I Went From Diagnosis to Full Recovery in One Year."
Well we have quite a few residents on here who i hold in great esteem on the subject of Bronciectasis ,their knowledge and experience is vast.it will be interesting to hear the opinion of people such as Little Pom and fellow sufferers on this gentlemans claim xx..............skis and interested Scruffs
Yes I have practised Buteyko Breathing for years, but I think pneumonia damaged my lungs years ago so I still have problems. I have learned to breathe as gently as I can, belly breathing with a relaxed diaphragm.....and only through the nose.
The courses are expensive, you have to find a really good reliable teacher ....not just a franchise...I paid for two of my daughters so they could learn the Buteyko technique.. One teacher was excellent, the other not so good, and it was a lot of money.
But the exercises are not suitable for everyone , as they help to gain and keep up CO2 levels. Not for people with heart problems or transplants or I think pregnant too.
It's always wise to check first.
I have a couple of good Buteyko books, and one on Hyperventilation Syndrome also, written by a physiotherapist .
Sorry but it's very misleading to say that Buteyko's method works for all respiratory conditions. This is totally untrue. The basis of the method is to increase the CO2 in the body which could be disastrous for many with copd especially in the later stages. Neither does it produce a cure as you imply. When it works - and it does do for lots with asthma - it is a management technique. And there is nothing in the medical literature which can reverse bronchiectasis damage though if Buteyko helps control the condition then fine, which appears to be the case with this patient. But please don't misrepresent this improvement as a 'cure'.
You can search Buteyko through the forum and see further debates on it, it's arisen many times. I did the training to help with my asthma shortly before my copd diagnosis. It was working well for about 3 weeks then my heart beat starting becoming very irregular (an effect of too much CO2) and the improvement went into reverse. It became clear when I got the copd dx why this had happened.
I know we look for ways to improve our conditions but we have to be careful how we do this, and in particular the claims we make.
It never was my intention to imply Buteyko Breathing was a cure for all, just quoting from the book and how the author thought it helped his condition. Agree everything I've read on Bronchiectasis states it isn't reversible. I am sceptical about so called cures, and that is the reason for the question in my last paragraph.
Most people on here have much better knowledge than me on lung conditions and I would never intend to be misleading. I am relatively new to having Bronchiectasis and very interested in alternative therapies also.
It was simply thought sharing after finishing this book, never having heard of this breathing method and am very appreciative on the thoughts from others, whether for or against.
Titian8 it matters not that you have posted something a little controversial,in fact the whole point of this site is to debate/discuss issues,so absolutely no reason to defend your actions or reasoning.thank you for posting.............regards skis and scruffy
Sorry if I sounded too harsh Titian. Buteyko has been a contentious issue on the forum in the past and I felt confused as to how much credibility you were giving to the content of that book. Im like you - relatively recently dxd with bronch and there are many who have had it most of their lives who are far better informed than myself.
Im also interested in alternative therapies but I find i have to take care to separate out the good from the less proven and even snake-oily
No you weren't harsh at all O2trees, as I said previously, I value the opinions (as a novice bronch) and very much aware I have a lot to learn. This is all new to me and in unknown territory so am like a sponge right now, researching and reading about it, i.e. had no idea about Bubble Pep for lung clearance until mentioned on here recently and that was a definite 'find'.
Always hoping there will be other 'finds in the future, therefore appreciate all your comments having no idea it was a contentious subject.
Hmm. Best That I don’t say all that I would like to say about this gentleman and his claims. When lungs are as damaged as mine are from numerous childhood pneumonias, or as others, whooping cough and lifelong chest infections no amount of these ‘treatments’ is going to mend them.
This is a condition which you live with and learn to control through various methods. Breathing properly is only one of them. When I was a child in the 1950s I spent years being regularly bullied ans schooled into how to use my diaphragm to breathe. Part of this routine instilled in me that I always breathe out just that little bit more than I breathe in. The basis of Buteyko breathing I believe. So nothing is new.
What I will say is that it is unconscionably cruel to hold out hope of a total cure when with bronchiectasis this is an impossibitity.
I suggest that this man finds out whether he actually had bronchiectasis in the first place.
I am learning my way into active cycle breathing and my flutter device, and beginning to feel how it works for me. In the past I've learnt to use my diaphragm to breathe (in non-health-related contexts), which has definitely helped.
Reading your post there I have been trying to breathe out more than in but don't really understand how to do that. Would you be able to explain it a bit, or should I just keep trying and/or do more research?
Hi Rachel, well I actually didn’t realise that I had been taught to breathe out a little bit more than I breathe in until I was reading about the problems which people with COPD have because they can’t always empty their lungs and so retain co2. This isn’t really a problem with us. If I am breathless with my bronch it is usually because I have an exacerbation and there is gunk in there which really has to come out so Ihave difficulty breathing in. It’s hard to describe because I do it automatically. I suppose that if the lungs are really empty it makes the breath in easier to do. You know when you are doing the breathing tests at the hospital you breathe out as far as you can, then a little extra push. So if you want to give it a go, try taking your normal breath then when you have breathed out just breathe out one tiny bit more. Nothing ferocious, just a little bit. Then the breath in may be easier and if you have the sensation that your lungs are opening sideways rather than upwards all the better. I hope that makes sense. It sounds barmy to me!xx
Thanks Littlepom, much appreciated. I've started experimenting with this. It's not easy to get the hang of but I think will get better with practice. I don't think my lungs do open very sideways, but I'll look out for it!
Sounds as though you are doing well. I remember when we were learning to breathe ( lying down) we did a set with our hands on our tummies to feel how it went up and down with the diaphragm working. Then we put our hands on the sides of our chest so that when we breathed in we had the sensation of filling our lungs sideways. Then when we breathed out we gave our chest a little squeeze at the end. I still do that now and especially when I am getting the gunk out.we used to isolate the top part of our lungs in the same way but I don't think helped much except to teach us control. Keep going. You will find what you like and wrll done!
If you are speaking about the same book that I read, with the same author and title, as a life long sufferer of Bronchiectasis, I found the book a complete waste of time reading it. He mentioned all the treatment he got from various doctors, but no mention of the medication or dosage he received. Unless there were pages missing from my book or I was dozing off when reading it, I don’t know why he bothered to write it.
As for the Buteyko method of breathing. I did a course with a reputable teacher and apart from learning how to control my breathing, I found it did not help. However, I have personally seen some miraculous improvements with this method for asthma sufferers.
Thank you Titian for bringing this to our attention.
I have not and probably would not read this book but I have looked on Amazon to see what it's all about.
I think the title is very misleading and should perhaps have read Managing Bronchietasis. It does not claim to cure as far as I can see.
Under product decription there is a comment from Laurel Shand. She is a lady who is possibly the most nowledgeable person I know with regard to Bronch, having had PCD all her life and having worked on the medical side also. I would put a lot of credence to her comments.
If you take a look at the contents there is a piece written by a Dr. M Jung in which he states this chap has indeed had scans and bronchiectasis. I don't like the comments Dr J makes about some people with brochiectasis, nor that he admits to dumbing down when talking to patients. He doesn't seem to realise that could be part of the problem.
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