Any natural asthma remedies?

[MyBlueLobsters]

My eldest son has been diagnosed with severe asthma. He is on steroids, advair, cingular and also has a rescue inhaler (which he uses several times a day) and a nebulizer. He has been up with horrible asthma attacks the last 3 nights and we can't seem to get this under control. We also took him off of dairy. I asked the lady at our health store what herbs they might reccomend, and they wouldn't reccomend anything. They said they 'don't touch asthma' (which I think means "We dont want to get sued) So for those who have BDTD, any suggestions?

[Pata]

My dh has had horrible asthma since childhood as far as I know there are no natural remedies. When his meds are good, he has very few problems. When he is off his meds or on the wrong ones, it's awful. I sympathize with you. There is nothing worse than watching the one you love unable to breath the way they need to. I hope that you all are able to find the medication that will get this under control!

[Frontier Mom]

Can't really help at this point but my oldest had severe asthma. I kept a journal and traced it to two things: allergies and sudden changes in temperature. Whenever there was a change of season where one day was 80 and the next 50, his would flare up. Keeping a journal really helped.

 

Long term solutions have been: He took allergy shots for four years. The doctor told us sometimes they work and other times they don't. Unfortunately, some people respond well to them and others not at all. However, since I was willing to try other solutions, we tried the allergy shots. For him, it was a huge success!! He doesn't have any flair ups of allergies and, consequently, has no asthma flair ups.

 

For the weather changes, we (my dr and I) put him on allergy medicine or singulair during those times when the weather is fluctuating. It has been like night and day here.

 

He still takes Singulair daily because he shows signs of "exercise induced asthma" while playing basketball. However, I am so glad he is at this point of maintenance now.

 

I know this won't really help at your current situation but just wanted to let you know some things we went through and were able to come out on the other side better. Hope you can find the same...

[abbeyej]

Well, there are certainly things you can do to help reduce inflammation in the body and reduce triggers for asthma attacks. That doesn't mean you'll be able to get off meds completely, but everything helps...

 

Basic diet can make a difference. "Trans fats" can increase inflammation in the body and make asthma worse, so it's worth trying to get *all* partially hydrogenated oils out of your child's diet. If you eat foods made from scratch mostly, that's easy -- if you eat a lot of convenience foods, fast food or crackers, it can be challenging.

 

Lots of fresh produce, on the other hand, reduces inflammation, and the more fresh fruits and veggies you can get him to eat, the better. (They'll also help him fight off colds and minor infections that can really exacerbate asthma...)

 

Check his room for potential allergens, especially dust. Cover mattresses and pillows in his room with allergy covers, get rid of curtains (replace them with blinds), place stuffed creatures in the freezer for 48 hours with some regularity... If you can get rid of carpets and rugs in there, do it. Otherwise, buy a product like "X-mite" that can be sprinkled on the carpet and then vacuumed up. If you have pets, it may be best that you keep them out of his room.

 

Consider a humidifier and/or air purifier for his room.

 

When you go out, encourage him to wear a scarf and keep his neck warm (even when the rest of his body isn't too cold)...

 

You might want to pursue formal allergy testing as well.

[Laura in OH]

So for those who have BDTD, any suggestions?

 

I have had asthma for the last several years, diagnosed as an adult. I've found that, for me, my "attacks" are definitely related to allergens, especially certain foods. When I avoid all dairy, mold & yeast, I feel much better. For me, that means (among other things) no dairy, canned soup, bottled juice (frozen is fine), bread, and leftovers. Yes, I said leftovers. Apparently there is enough mold on food left over even from last night's dinner to set me off. I make sandwiches with flat bread (which is less filling anyway) and get my calcium from foods other than dairy (see this very helpful chart: http://www.godairyfree.org/Health-Info/Calcium/Dairy-Free-Calcium-Chart.html

Now, I had to find out what I was allergic to by eliminating a lot of foods from my diet, wait for the symptoms to subside, slowly add them back in, and wait for the symptoms to come back. You may be able to tell your son's triggers by keeping a food (or other allergens) diary. Or, honestly, it may not be allergy-related at all. But it sure couldn't hurt to find out!

 

HTH

[MyBlueLobsters]

Thanks guys. The weather has been HORRIBLE here and I think that's been the main issue. It will be 80 one day and 50 the next. He has has asthma since he was 2, but it seems to be getting worse as he ages (NOT what I was hoping for) His attacks at night are so bad he can't even use his rescue inhaler, because he can't get in a breath deep enough to do anything. When he is showing 'no' symptoms, he is in the 'yellow' zone on his peak flow. He has never been able to blow into the green zone. His pedi just changed him to Adviar yesterday. Hopefully that will work. Thanks again ladies!

[JenneinCA]

As far as natural remedies go... no idea.

 

But my asthma improved significantly when we dealt with my allergies. I am allergic to mold, really really allergic. The humidifier left. We couldn't see any mold but apparently it was there. I am seriously allergic to dust, a case for the mattress and a special case for the pillow helped too.

 

 

I don't know if your son has environmental allergies, but if he does then dealing with them can't hurt.

 

Good luck

[Haiku]

Can someone recommend a good place to get a dust mite cover? I'd prefer something that's not vinyl or cheapo plastic.

 

When we were at the pulmonologist the other day, I asked the same question: are there natural remedies for asthma? I was told that dietary changes can help but that there generally are not any effective natural remedies. This is in line with what I was told by a homeopath and the people at my local health food store (who know me and my children well).

 

Tara

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

Can someone recommend a good place to get a dust mite cover? I'd prefer something that's not vinyl or cheapo plastic.

Tara

 

I *think* they are plastic or vinyl by definition. If they're natural fibers, then the mites would have a field day!

[5Youngs]

Hang in there!!!:grouphug:

We were there with our oldest 2 yrs ago.

He has been symptom-free for the last year.

The things that set him off were crunchy grass in the the spring and fall, animal hair, dust and laughing!

We had to get onto him for laughing too much, bc it would send us to the ER for breathing treatments.

Talk about feeling like a jerk~ "Braden, quit laughing before you have an asthma attack!" :001_huh:

He had to quit soccer, too.

We limit his dairy and wheat products. (he would LIVE on toast, pretzels, pancakes, and biscuits if we let him, so I have to FORCE food variety on the boy!)

He takes cod liver oil and colostrum EVERY day for the last 2+ years.

They few times that I have run out and not reordered it, he has had a relapse, so it's just a part of our life just like medicine.

They both help to reduce inflammation and boost the immune system.

Since grass was his main trigger, he would have no life whatsoever without them, bc I refuse to make him stay inside and be grumpy all of the time.

I get them online at http://www.vitacost.com to save money.

Symbiotics chewable colostrum (cherry or pineapple) (1 daily) and

Carlson lightly lemon chewable cod liver oil capsules (4 daily)

 

Ditto on the comment about fruits and veggies.

Any way that you can get them eaten, do it.

Yogurt and kefir (drink yogurt) are also anti-inflammatory, but watch out for mondo amounts of sugar and additives. The fewer ingredients, the better.

You can always add your own sugar to it.

 

This could be TMI for you, but we went through 2 yrs of asthma HE**, and I was ready to try anything.

He was on 4 asthma and 3 allergy meds a day at one point and taking a breathing treatment every hour, so I understand how stressful and scary it is!

The meds just weren't working on him after awhile, so we got desperate to try anything, and thank God we found something that worked for him.

Blessings~

[Elohcin]

Asthma has so many different triggers for so many people. My triggers are weather changes, molds, smoke, and dust. Foods do not seem to have a noticable effect. I think this is why what works for me may not work for you or what works for an adult may not work for a child. That being said, I also think it is one reason that the health food store people may not want to be helpful about it. It is not clear cut for everyone. You are also dealing with something that can kill you. I had a friend die of an asthma attack and a grandmother who almost did. She was saved because someone was in the room with her at the time.

Now all the advice that others shared I think is really helpful. Changes in diet or environment can make a huge difference in how much medication or any that a person needs.

I personally get a lot of relief from magnesium and cod liver oil. If I don't take them, I have attacks. I hate taking the medicine associated with asthma, but I know that if I don't have an inhaler with me I could be in trouble. I also have come to terms with the fact that I have to take some other medications and usually nebs in the fall and spring and if I ever get a chest cold.

So try everything, but the the medications do work and they do keep you breathing which is obviously most important. But if you can use less or be weaned off because you find another treatment that works---great.

Good luck on your journey.

[JoyfulMama]

but chocolate is a natural remedy for asthma. HONEST!

I don't get severe attacks (or very often), so I don't always have an inhaler. An RPH girlfriend told me to always keep chocolate in the house, so I always have chocolate chips. And guess what... it works!!!

I have no idea if one type works better than another - but I use dark chocolate chips - not milk chocolate chips.

[yarrow]

since childhood. I used to regularly have ER trips in the middle of the night as a child. The best things that I've done to control it is reducing exposure to allergens (dust, mold, horses!) and taking supplements to reduce general inflammation. I currently take both quercetin as well as fish oil to control inflammation. I don't take any preventative meds (they ALL make my migraines worse). Our family doc once told my daughter (who is also an asthmatic) that if she ever wanted to be free of all her daily meds, she needed to exercise every day. My dd doesn't like exercise enough to try it but I have read about other asthmatics who were helped by regular exercise. I do know that I breathe better if I exercise regularly but it's a fine line between exercise and pushing too hard which makes it worse.

 

I have done some reading on herbal remedies and I think that http://www.mountainroseherbs.com might be a helpful site to search. If you try something herbal, don't eliminate regular meds and be aware that your child may be allergic to it. A park ranger also told me once that coltsfoot was smoked for asthma attacks in the "old days" but the idea of smoking would seem to me to make asthma worse.

 

 

Karen

[Mommyof4ks]

Many mattress stores have cloth covers for mattresses that can be taken off and washed in hot water to kill the mites. We bought them for our kids and that helped with allergies.

 

If outdoor allergies are the trigger try bee pollen for a local honey place. It will NOT replace traditional medicine, but it works much like allergy shots without the needle :), and at least with the meds that my son takes there are no interactions with the meds.

 

Hopefully he gets better soon! My son has the same issues when the weather changes (Sept, Oct, and Apr) and it seems to be worse every year. It is scary since he is only 5.

[Rosie_0801]

I'd have him evaluated by a chiropractor. Some (not all, obviously) asthma can be fixed right up by regular chiropractic treatment. The nerves to the lungs are located in the same place of our back that gets put out of whack by slouching. I don't know about you, but I haven't met many boys who didn't slouch!

Expensive treatment, but it is natural, and if it works...

Rosie

[MyBlueLobsters]

Thanks so much ladies!!!

[abbeyej]

You'd never believe it....

but chocolate is a natural remedy for asthma. HONEST!

 

Actually, there *have* been studies done on the theobromine in chocolate as a cough suppressant -- and yes, it does work to relieve coughing! I've never seen it mentioned specifically in relation to asthma, but I've certainly seen it calm coughing fits.

 

You want the darkest, highest cacao content you can tolerate...

[Spy Car]

I worked with a fellow whose daughter has severe asthma and they worked with a conventional doctor here in Los Angeles who had the girl doing saline irrigation rinses several times a day (possibly in addition to other things) instead of taking meds, and the girl did very well controlling the asthma.

 

I wish I had more info on this, but his family was ecstatic to find a natural method to control her asthma.

 

I wonder if a neti pot (see the active thread) would help?

 

Bill

[partyof5]

This may sound odd...

 

I grew up with severe asthma, and truth be told, it's back full strength.

 

But my years of middle school & high school were nearly problem free...why? Well, the doctors think it was because I was an active clarinet player in our school band. My numbers were so much improved during those years, that it was hard to ignore. I practiced daily and was in a highly competitive & active school band, so it was quite rigorous work, and I was reguarly practicing to hold my breath and exhale longer than usual, a serious workout for my lungs.

 

All the hard work of breathing & diaphragm "exercise" was perfect for my asthma. As soon as I dropped the instrument in college, my symptoms worsened again. I played for 2-3 years as a few years ago in a community band and found improvement again.

 

This might be something to consider if high-exertion exercise or sports is out of the question, which it was for me.

[M&M]

I'd have him evaluated by a chiropractor. Some (not all, obviously) asthma can be fixed right up by regular chiropractic treatment. The nerves to the lungs are located in the same place of our back that gets put out of whack by slouching.

 

 

About 8 years ago we started going to a chiropractor. It took awhile, but gradually my asthma has gotten better. I have a rescue inhaler that has been sitting in my purse for a year, my only trigger now is cat dander. I cannot believe how much better I am. If I am feeling a little tight in the chest, I will put an icepack on my neck and it usually clears up.

 

Hope you find a remedy.

[lighthouseacademy]

I posted about severe asthma on my blog.

Also, my Sensei, whom I spoke of, was having major asthma from some sort of allergen. The apple cider vinegar is a natural antihistamine which is probably why that helped initially.

 

Good for you for getting him off dairy. Truly, there is not an asthmatic on the planet who should be eating dairy. It causes mucus to build, especially in the lungs and thus restricts air flow. It may not be the trigger for some people, but it certainly helps lessen severity.

 

Another site to search is http://www.herballegacy.com

[MJN]

asthmatic issues in the past, but since we have stopped the dairy products, their episodes have been almost non existent. Also, using a nasal spray often during the day to wash the sinuses has helped also. We use one by NOW. It has xylitol in it. Works wonders for our whole family. Lots of Ester C, magnesium, fruits, veggies, no wheat also helps.

[Haiku]

We have struggled mightily with my son's asthma issues for the past few years. In the last six months, his asthma has been well-controlled with Singulair, which had not worked for him in the past. We do many of the things that have been mentioned in this thread, even though I didn't know that some of them can affect asthma.

 

How would I know if/when it was ok to see whether my son's asthma could be controlled without Singulair?

 

Tara

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

How would I know if/when it was ok to see whether my son's asthma could be controlled without Singulair?

 

Tara

 

I just took my daughter off Singulair. Her asthma used to be from severe to critical. She had two collapsed lungs (at different times, always the right one, never the left one). She had six week-long hospitalisation within 18 months. Singulair made all the difference for her. After two years without a single asthma attack, I asked to get her off Singulair. The doctor actually wanted to up her dosage, but she listened to me and agreed to try. We have to be very careful whenever she gets a runny nose. We double her doses of Flovent, and she gets Nasonex as soon as she starts sniffling.

She's been off Singulair now, since the beginning of September, has handled two colds like a pro. Oh the joys of seeing your child with a normal cold!

 

I would not have tried to go without Singulair if she had not had perfectly controlled asthma for those two years.

[Ottakee]

FIRST, if you have not done so already, go to a TOP NOTCH pediatric pulmonologist. This is beyond your reg. ped. Once we messed around with asthma attack for a MONTH before seeing a pulmonologist and in just a couple of days she was better.

 

I would also see about allergy testing---foods were a HUGE one for my friend's kids. They went from 2-5 nebulizer treatments per DAY EACH to 2-5 treatments a YEAR between the 4 kids. Her kids had allergies to eggs, wheat, corn, soy, dairy and a host of other things (different kids, different things).

 

For my dd, http://www.omegabrite.com 3 capsules per day and http://www.houstonni.com 1 of the Supremadophillus per day has really helped. In fact, I think we used the nebulizer once this past year.

 

I would NOT though mess around until you see the pediatric pulmonologist and get a better handle on what is going on. Like they told me in ER once (when dd's O2 as at 74%) "if you can't breathe, NOTHING else matters".

[Haiku]

I also discovered that a pediatric pulmonologist was much better prepared to handle our son's asthma. His asthma was never well controlled until a friend mentioned that he should see a pulmonologist. My son has been doing fine since we did that. I love our pediatrician, but she was not able to effectively address the asthma issue.

 

Tara