Has anyone found a way to manage their asthma symptoms naturally? I have heard good things about using cromolyn sodium - Ital for asthma .

[krylan]

I've tried several different inhalers all giving me side effects. So I'm trying to manage my symptoms naturally by changing my diet...no grains, dairy, sugar or alcohol. So far my symptoms are lessen. I also have heard about people taking Ital in their neb for maintenace. I'm trying Nasacrom as I've heard it has a lesser amt of cromolyn sodium in there and has worked for some. Your thoughts?

[d2read]

Hi, Krylan,

While I applaud your effort to get healthier and avoid triggers, avoiding asthma medications without the knowledge/supervision of your doctor is terribly risky. Asthma is not just one disease - it’s a spectrum, and very complicated. The reactions your body has always had to say - sou - maybe headaches, vomiting - could be a FATAL anaphylactic reaction the very next time you encounter EVEN THE TINIEST amount of soy!

There’s no way to predict it, which is why it’s so important for you (and your doctor, together) to monitor your triggers and reactions, as sometimes that can give you “warning signs” of a worsening reaction to come.

I would strongly suggest you discuss your side-effects and improvements in controlling dietary triggers (congratulations! That’s a huge accomplishment!). Your doctor can help you identify safe alternatives/possible combinations that might reduce or eliminate your reactions.

One example of mine is inhalers. I have what’s called a hyper-reactive throat (intubations and other problems have made it quick to start choking or even closing - not necessarily from an allergic reaction, but because it’s irritated). The propellant used in many of the inhaled corticosteroids and the pressure its fired under frequently trigger bad choking/coughing spasms - which prevents the drugs from reaching my lungs. Rather than stopping the inhalers completely, my doctor got me a spacer - the plastic air chamber where the inhaler is inserted at one end, discharged, the medication mixes with the air in the chamber, and then I inhale THAT. It’s worked!

Also, I can’t use cromolyn sodium or Breo because they use a fine powder - which again triggers that response. But my doctor’s worked with me over the years on this and lots of other problems, making her my best partner in my healthcare.

Please be careful making the changes - it’s so easy to do something that seems simple and benign, but then has catastrophic or even fatal outcomes. I’ve seen it too often.

Good luck!

[krylan in reply to d2read]

Thanks for your reply and I appreciate your concern. I am under the care of my dr, as well as with my pulmonologist regarding my asthma and I do understand how quickly it can go from 0-100. Take care.

[Tree20862]

I was on Intal inhaler a long time ago. It didn't seem to help my asthma as much as the other inhalers. It is worth a shot to try. Everyone responding differently.

[IChoose]

When I was in my 20s my allergist prescribed nasalcrom and intal via nebulizer and I did get good results. As I got older and had more triggers, viruses, etc. my treatment plan did escalate and in a sense i grew out of cromolyn.

I too can be very sensitive to the side effects of Medication.

Even doctors can make mistakes. One thing you need to be mindful of is the components of asthma - construction, spasm, and inflammation. It is not enough to open your lungs and feel better, you've always got to treat the underlying inflammation with something. Western medicine uses stearoid inhalers. Some people supposedly reach a point where they stabilize mostly on to the stearoid inhaler. Those supposedly are low on side effects, but it's really hard to even decrease those dosages once you're stabilized.

Someone once told me a story of a college student who went to college without his medication and died of an attack.

My experience with remissions, which I have had, is that I am in remission until I'm not. It's a miserable chronic disease.

That does not rule out alternative medicine, however. If anything like acupuncture work please share your experience on this forum.

I'm Catholic and have received anointing of the sick lots of times.