Reminder!

[LloydFranklin]

I was jogged into remembering this forum when recently invited by e-Mail to move over to the HealthUnlocked hosting. For a while I have been wanting to update my original post which I don't believe exists anymore.

Just in case this helps someone, I feel compelled or bound in some way to offer the suggestion that asthma sufferers might benefit greatly from reading this book:

Freedom from Asthma: Buteyko's Revolutionary Treatment (Hale Clinic health library) Paperback – 15 Apr 1999 This is still searchable and available on Amazon.

I watched a BBC QED documentary in 1999 called 'Breathless' (I believe) in which a group of severe sufferers did a Buteyko course and were apparently cured or dramatically improved.

At the time I had quite troublesome asthma which could be triggered just by laughing or coughing although I was actually quite physically fit. I was on the usual blue and brown inhalers.

I couldn't spare the time or money to do a course but I read the book above and began to treat and cure myself of Asthma, Eczema and Hay Fever. I was free of the blue dilator right from the start and the need for the preventative brown inhaler ended after a few years. I lost my eczema after about three years when even my fingernails had gone back to normal. Sometimes pollen and hair spray etc. can still get the better of me but it is very mild and not of concern, just a bit of sneezing.

It is some fifteen years now and I am very grateful that asthma has almost left my consciousness. My children had the potential for it at various stages but they were encouraged by me to never hyperventilate or mouth breathe. They both got some eczema but it was gone by adulthood.

I still have a great deal of empathy for sufferers and remember what a concern it is. I am not a doctor and would not like to be asked for advice on any particular issue. If you read the book and decide you want to try the techniques please discuss it with your doctor first. It is not controversial that I'm aware of, but it might be for you in your situation - so please let the right people know. I would not like to think anyone might be harmed by it.

I was able to comprehend and accept the science behind 'The Buteyko Technique' which is explained in the book in good detail. Professor Buteyko himself is very distinguished.

It was not particularly easy to do if I remember rightly, it had it's real challenges. I was always incentivized however by the immediacy of the progress and not having so many attacks and being able to cope with them without a dilator. Psychologically the liberation from carrying the inhaler was a powerful thing and I felt more confident in myself generally. I believe that by changing the way I breathed it made me a calmer person than before.

Because it did work for me I think it is worth passing on the potential tip for others.

[Riddickfan]

Definitely techniques worth knowing, and could potentially save your life if you ever have an attack and no meds to hand. I went a year trying alternative methods, including this breathing technique whilst laying off pharmaceutical medicine. It definitely helps, and people with very mild asthma might find to be some kind of a cure, but anybody with moderate to severe, I'm not convinced. When I eventually went back on the steroid preventer and sabutamol I realised, yeah, these are only real thing that makes a significant difference to my asthma. Which I consider to be mild/moderate.

So yes definitely try it and learn the techniques. Personally I'm hesitant to preach it as a cure. Breathing techniques are good, but the pollution in the air and other causative variables aren't going away any time soon.

[freefaller]

Thanks for that. I am glad you managed to find relief from using this method.