**Moderator comment** When replying to this post, please be mindful of the community guidelines and don't post about unproven diets which claim to help or cure asthma. Any replies of this kind will be immediately removed in line with community guidelines, which can be found here: healthunlocked.com/asthmalu...
Hello, i have had asthma for about 5 years now
I started treatment with inhaled steroids but i had some side effects. Brain fog, morning sickness, low energy, not feeling «good»
There are few alternative treatments, ive tried montelukast wich is ok but does not fix the problem.
Is there anyone that have tried diet for asthma and have had any success?
Written by
Asthmaquiter
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Hi, personally I keep my sugar intake low, try to avoid additives and generally do the exercise I can manage with adjustments to how I feel. I've never had those symptoms with an inhaler. I would go back to the GP so s/he can eliminate any other issues and/or perhaps change your inhaler. P
Hi, as peege has said I think you need to go back to your GP, though I appreciate you've said there aren't many treatments available. However, those symptoms may be due to something unrelated to the steroid inhaler, or as a result of poorly controlled asthma, so it's important to discuss them with a healthcare professional. I would also say that knowledge about asthma varies, so it may be worth trying to see a different doctor if possible, if you aren't getting on with the one you've been seeing or you don't feel they know about what the asthma treatment options are for you.
As far as I'm aware (happy for other users to correct me with *clinically proven* information), there are no specific diets proven with good clinical evidence to help with asthma. Obviously, you should avoid foods if they trigger your asthma (some foods or drinks for example contain sulphites or histamine which can be triggers, and I have to avoid some fruits which trigger me). Some people may have found what works or doesn't work for their asthma diet-wise, in discussion with a healthcare professional - but it may not necessarily be right for someone else, so it's hard to safely advise on here. Here's the ALUK page on healthy eating in general: asthmaandlung.org.uk/living...
What I would *not* do is try going on any kind of diet where you cut out an entire food group without medical advice or good reason (such as, you're lactose intolerant, or allergic to dairy or wheat, or you're coeliac), because someone has made vague claims that it's 'inflammatory' or 'promotes mucus' on the basis of very little good evidence. If you do need to modify your diet substantially then ideally you should be seeing a dietitian so they can advise on how to do this in the right way. (I'm talking for asthma-specific health reasons here, I don't want this to get into the benefits or drawbacks of vegetarian/vegan/gluten free etc diets more generally as this isn't the place for it).
I'd normally advise calling the asthma nurse helpline, but I saw that you're in Norway so this may not be possible. If you can it may still be worth it, but bear in mind they won't be able to advise on the Norwegian healthcare system or what medications you can get: Call us on 0300 2225800 or WhatsApp on 07999 377 775 Monday-Friday 0915-5pm
It might be worth trying another inhaler if you are not doing well on the ones you already tried. The first one I was given actually triggered an asthma attack as I had a reaction to one of the ingredients, then I had one which worked but not terribly well and the third time, I ended up with one that works well for me.
As for diet, apart from keeping an eye open for potential triggers, I just focus on eating as healthily as possible and trying to keep to a healthy weight. I do try to track how I'm feeling and compare it against diet, routine, weather etc, so that I can spot anything that might be causing a flareup and work to eliminate it. It really is a case of keeping an eye on your symptoms and trying to link them with specific things because we're all different. It's not possible to say that everyone needs to avoid/eat a specific food because what is beneficial for one person could be a trigger for another!
I do not think any diet can replace my inhalers, which mainly keep me out of hospital.
However, I think diet is important, at present I can do twenty or so minutes activity before becoming breathless, and am pretty shattered. It would be very easy for me to eat too many sugary things and become overweight.
So I am trying to eat more whole grain, more fish and less rubbish. I am also learning to breathe better and doing the asthma UK harmonica course.
Have a chat with an asthma UK nurse on 0300 2225800, re your side effects.
I have never been a fan of specific diets, to me it is all about eating a full range of foods, minimising the processed and sugary items, maximising fruit, veg, whole grain and fish. But also avoiding the foods that cause issues, for me, mushrooms and my asthma do not get on.
The trouble with specific diets for me is that firstly they are hard work and secondly in a family cooking situation it gets complex.
Try keeping an asthma diary with your peak flows, asthma symptoms and possible causes. It helps to pick out what may be causing trouble, for me it is dust mites, pollen, detergents, raw mushrooms, bread flour, and the weather. You can then plan accordingly.
I needed to lose weight some 20 years ago, new with COPD and heart problems, my Asthma was a lot worse then,
I stopped suger. I was able to go for walks then - I ate no meat, I ate fish and some veggie foods that did not have hard fats. I liked chips, I had oven chips - Low cal soups - I lost weight. I had no plan from a nurse of GP. to be honest I may not have stuck to one, I planned my own and it worked, believe me I needed to lose weight.
I would say the diet I have been on properly for about 4 months is fasting with a minimum of 12hrs and I go to the gym in this time as well and I have found I have so much more energy, I will add it's difficult to begin with but you do get used to it, now I will add I'm 50 so my metabolism is a lot slower now, which I think helps and finally I will add this isnt for everyone but I works for me
My son favours fasting,you,DannyQ.he doesn't have asthma but has joint probs,and has done a lot of research relevant to him,and feels better for fasting periods x
For some asthmatics, some foods and drinks can be a trigger, but your asthma team should be your first port of call in discussing what these could potentially be. If you believe that you're reacting to something you've consumed then keep a note and raise the matter with your asthma team and say you want to understand what things to avoid. As for weight, it can be an issue for some asthmatics, but again, your GP or asthma nurse should be able to refer you to an NHS health coach who can guide you through what is best for you.
I think diet is hugely important and can have a significant impact on symptoms, particularly where there are food sensitivities. Some people also use supplements to support their health. I’m really not sure why the guidelines for this group prevent any discussion about nutraceuticals. It’s very strange because other groups allow people to freely exchange information and experience around complementary therapies. I flagged this with an administrator but they didn’t bother to reply, which speaks volumes!
Moderator Comment: Hi figster, your message was received. I have been on leave this week and am waiting on a reply from the support team at Health Unlocked to ensure we have all advice correct before formulating a response to you privately. All our advice follows UK guidelines for asthma from NICE, BTS/SIGN and GINA.
Hi Patk1 - NLGA answering that is going to be against the guidelines, sorry! Please see the message and community guideline links within the main post if you need more information. (Please note for everyone reading that 'promoting' in this context doesn't always have to mean selling a product or actively telling other people to go and buy something; it can also include 'I tried this supplement/diet/remedy and it was great for my asthma'.)
It’s very prescriptive and yes we are all adults. We can read the NICE guidelines ourselves!! I wonder what the administrators are so scared of?? I find this type of censorship, namely freedom to share information, very concerning.
Just wanted to say there’s a lot of info about processed foods leading to inflammation so eating better generally could help, if it doesn’t help the asthma would just be healthier anyway. So I would just try and eat healthier I’ve been trying to do that as well.
I’m sorry but I have to disagree with the administrators definition of promoting something. Promoting is actively encouraging someone to try something. That is not what happens when adults freely share information about things they have tried to support their health. The administrators have in my opinion incorrectly defined ‘promoting’, which is stopping free and open discussion between adults.
The ability to reply to this post has been turned off.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Azelaic acid and asthma 
Lifestyle approach to asthma and nasal polyps
Join us NOW for Ask Me Anything with our Asthma Expert Dr Andy 🙋
Newly discovered allergies and link to asthma
