What works for asthma ?

Hi all. So I've been struggling with asthma a few years now. I had it as a child and it came back as an adult.
So, it's worst when exercising and at night. I have some inhaler (fluticasone and salmeterol ) and tried montelukast.
The inhaler is expensive at $100 / month.

I know there's no cure, but there has to be something better available. I had another inhaler that I only needed to take once a week, but I stupidily threw it out when empty.

Any suggestions ?

I found this on Amazon :
www.amazon.com...=sr_1_51?keywords=salt+pipe+inhaler&qid=1684594870&sr= 8-51

Has anyone tried this? Also worth trying maybe?

a reply to: ancientlight

First you need to know what triggers it.

I have it too, and mine is worse around this time of year. It's allergy related. I try to keep my allergies under control as much as I can. Yesterday was a bit rougher because of the wildfire smoke blowing down from Canada. It was also plenty humid because of rain which can play a part.

I can usually get by with just a standard rescue albuterol. And when the real heat of summer or cold of winter sets in and we close the house up and use a filtered HVAC, things will settle back. But right now, with the windows open, I'm living a bit rough.

It is also possible to work with a specialist if the standard medical treatments aren't working, but that takes a relationship with your GP to where they will refer you.

a reply to: ancientlight
My niece used to get it really bad as a young kid,had to go to hospital a few times.
What worked for her really well was a thing called a "Salt Pipe."
Its a tube with salt crystals in the inside and you use it like an inhaler,but for as many inhalations as it takes rather than just a couple with the standard medical inhalers.
She used to get noticable improvements,proper breathing with no tight chest after about 5-10 minutes of breathing through it.

Info here:
www.healthline.com...

Not sure how it works,or if its a placebo in part-but it definitely stopped her having to go back to hospital and now she no longer gets asthma,although that may just be she grew out of it.

No side effects either-the regular inhaler used to make her get angry/stressed which isn't ususally her nature.
And they are pretty cheap and last for months/years.
May be worth trying

a reply to: ancientlight

There are so many underlying causes that you'll have to research and advocate for yourself. I was being treated for adult onset asthma for 2 years, yet continually getting worse. I didn't feel I was being properly diagnosed, so asked my primary if there was some sort of test to evaluate lung function.
She brought in a spirometer; I blew into it three times-and my lung function was low enough to qualify me for a lung transplant. Advocating for myself added a few years to my life!

If you haven't had an evaluation of your lung function it would be a good idea to do so to prevent further lung damage.

I'm surprised you weren't given a rescue inhaler, such as Albuterol. My grandchild has exercise induced asthma and using her inhaler before strenuous activity helps.

a reply to: Silcone Synapse
Thanks , I will give it a try. And they're on Amazon

If you are living in a valley or low lying part in a city, results of asthma can be worst in these areas. If living up on a hill somewhere, the air can be a bit cleaner in these parts.

a reply to: ancientlight

I have taken an herb called andrographis.

It's called "king bitter" and is used widely in Asia and India for respiratory illness.

I originally took it for a lingering infection and it greatly relieved symptoms. I took it again for the same and discovered that it also seemed to alleviate my asthma symptoms. I hadn't originally connected it to the absence of a slight wheeze and occasional irritation, because I also had the infections going on. You probably know a similar feeling when an attack may be starting, a "fuzzy" feeling in the chest. It would come and go and the wheezing along with it.

Dr Dukes Ethnobotanical Database is a USDA project that catalogs plant constituents and their medicinal qualities. It's a little more complicated to navigate than it used to be, but is handy for cross-referencing any herbal supplements you may see suggested to see if there are studies or ethnobotanical history of medicinal effect. Andrographis has many medicinal properties.

Now I take it when I'm having increases in symptoms for whatever reason. My asthma seems to change with seasonal and environmental factors like pollen.

My childhood asthma came back later in life and they tried to give me many of the new inhaled drugs. I found them all really crappy. I don't see how inhaling a fine powder is really an ideal thing. I can't imagine taking them unless my symptoms were debilitating. They just seem to throw drugs at things without much hesitation now. Aside from an Albuterol rescue inhaler I don't use any. I've found the andrographis greatly reduces my reliance on the rescue inhaler when I'm on it. I've considered taking it as a daily supplement, but my symptoms are light enough most of the time that I don't need much intervention.

You should check with your doctor, but this herb has a history of human use that probably goes back thousands of years. I'm inclined to agree with the late Dr. Duke that herbal supplements are almost never harmful, especially relative to the frequency in which drugs cause harmful side-effects.

Good luck and I'd be interested in hearing if it works for you should you decide to try it. I have read testimony about it working for colds, but I haven't talked to anyone else that used it for asthma.

originally posted by: Ksihkehe
a reply to: ancientlight

I have taken an herb called andrographis.

It's called "king bitter" and is used widely in Asia and India for respiratory illness.

I originally took it for a lingering infection and it greatly relieved symptoms. I took it again for the same and discovered that it also seemed to alleviate my asthma symptoms. I hadn't originally connected it to the absence of a slight wheeze and occasional irritation, because I also had the infections going on. You probably know a similar feeling when an attack may be starting, a "fuzzy" feeling in the chest. It would come and go and the wheezing along with it.

Dr Dukes Ethnobotanical Database is a USDA project that catalogs plant constituents and their medicinal qualities. It's a little more complicated to navigate than it used to be, but is handy for cross-referencing any herbal supplements you may see suggested to see if there are studies or ethnobotanical history of medicinal effect. Andrographis has many medicinal properties.

Now I take it when I'm having increases in symptoms for whatever reason. My asthma seems to change with seasonal and environmental factors like pollen.

My childhood asthma came back later in life and they tried to give me many of the new inhaled drugs. I found them all really crappy. I don't see how inhaling a fine powder is really an ideal thing. I can't imagine taking them unless my symptoms were debilitating. They just seem to throw drugs at things without much hesitation now. Aside from an Albuterol rescue inhaler I don't use any. I've found the andrographis greatly reduces my reliance on the rescue inhaler when I'm on it. I've considered taking it as a daily supplement, but my symptoms are light enough most of the time that I don't need much intervention.

You should check with your doctor, but this herb has a history of human use that probably goes back thousands of years. I'm inclined to agree with the late Dr. Duke that herbal supplements are almost never harmful, especially relative to the frequency in which drugs cause harmful side-effects.

Good luck and I'd be interested in hearing if it works for you should you decide to try it. I have read testimony about it working for colds, but I haven't talked to anyone else that used it for asthma.

Thanks, I will certainly give this a go as well .

a reply to: ancientlight

This year my allergies are the worst they’ve ever been.
3 weeks ago, I could barely breathe at night and in the morning right after I woke up.
During the rest of the day, it was somewhat manageable.

My doctor gave me a steroid shot and prescribed montelukast and a albuterol inhaler.
In about 3 days I was feeling better.

I am ashamed to say that I am a smoker but I didn’t smoke the entire time I was feeling bad but now I am back to it but I am not smoking at the clip I was before the crap started.

Edit - the 200 shot Abuterol inhaler is about $40…2 puffs in the morning and 2 at night, now I only use it when I need it.

a reply to: ancientlight

I didn't see Albuterol listed on your medications there. The others can be used effectively to treat asthma flare-ups long term; you still need a rescue inhaler. Also, I would highly recommend speaking with an asthma specialist. They can recommend exercises to strengthen your lungs and help your breathing while also putting you on a medication management program.

a reply to: RazorV66
Albuterol is about $10 with insurance; you can also get on a pharmacy discount program. I still don't understand why it isn't over the counter here like in other countries.

a reply to: ancientlight

We have asthma in our family, it's starts at very young age and usually we grow out of it as we became teenagers, except with few. Most of our asthma is allergy related. I had immune-therapy as a child, my asthma was gone by the time I was 4 years old. My daughter had it till 8, she used inhalers from the age of 2. My niece still has it at age 28, due to allergies.

As I understand, the doctors prescribe two different kind of inhalers, the first is to open up the airways, the second is a specific medication (depending on your triggers).

For my niece, a simple allergy med stops the asthma attacks

As for the first inhaler, to open the airway, I found a really simple alternative: eucalyptus oil.
a few drops in hot water, inhale the steam and your airway will open up again.
It's cheap, simple and harmless so I really hope you try it!

a reply to: Ksihkehe

I have used andrographis a bit in the past, I think it helps.

Thanks for that link....I will have to check it out later.

FWIW, I've been having a lot of issues lately, mostly due to allergies. I have the usual inhalers and Advair that used to help but this year is really bad. I recently put an air purifier in my bedroom running it 24/7 and that seemed to help a bit.

I also started using "oil of wild oregano" 4 drops under my tongue in the morning and before bed. Supposedly, it helps clear the lungs of mucus allowing you to breathe easier.

The stuff tastes disgusting and burns like really bad whiskey, but I'll be damned that I haven't had to use my Albuterol once since starting the oil.

Who knows. Could be a coincidence, could be the placebo effect, or maybe it's the oil of oregano

originally posted by: nugget1
a reply to: ancientlight

There are so many underlying causes that you'll have to research and advocate for yourself. I was being treated for adult onset asthma for 2 years, yet continually getting worse. I didn't feel I was being properly diagnosed, so asked my primary if there was some sort of test to evaluate lung function.
She brought in a spirometer; I blew into it three times-and my lung function was low enough to qualify me for a lung transplant. Advocating for myself added a few years to my life!

If you haven't had an evaluation of your lung function it would be a good idea to do so to prevent further lung damage.

I'm surprised you weren't given a rescue inhaler, such as Albuterol. My grandchild has exercise induced asthma and using her inhaler before strenuous activity helps.

So, did you get a lung transplant or did they just alter the treatment?

Exercising increases histamine release from muscle stores...sort of like what tomatoes do...those stores are used to help create energy for the muscles and heart when you use your muscles. If your histamine level is already high, it can overload things. A moderately restrictive histamine diet might help her to have less of the exercise induced asthma events.

a reply to: RainyState

So, did you get a lung transplant or did they just alter the treatment?

Nope. There are far too many young people needing lungs for me to see doing so as anything but the ultimate act of selfishness. I did have a bilateral lung reduction, where they removed the upper third of each lung, making it easier to get around for a few years.

a reply to: ancientlight


My daughter has asthma and she was on all those inhalers and she says for her they seem to make it worse over time....so she stopped taking them...But keeps on hand for emergency...She now uses a portable neutralizer and natural supplements...I think key is to find out what triggers yours and try and fight/fix that first. I don't know all that she takes but I know a few....1 is RidgeCrest ClearLungs 2 is Flaxseed Oil ... Most recently she has found that CBD helps her a LOT....she said key was using CBD that has small trace of THC in it...any of the CBD with NO THC did NOTHING...Do some research and testing.....Best of luck to you.

Everyone is different, and I still need my allopathic inhaler and antihistamine tablets occasionally.

But as far as complimentary advice goes, the best is cardio exercise, as difficult as it may be at first.
I mean you can start with 3 minutes of rowing/running/cycling 3 times a week, and increase it to two 20-minute sessions, and soon you'll be doing spin classes without an inhaler.
Consistency is key.

For more seasonal/flu/sporadic relief, in SA (not sure of the distribution, but everything's online these days) there is a herbal/homeopathic syrup:

tibbherbals.com...

a reply to: ancientlight
My Daughter has seasonal asthma and we use a few drops of clove oil in water on the stove, heated so she breathes in the vapor. Works pretty well for her.