Do you have asthma?

I was recently DX. I can't stop the coughing spasm, I have constant indigestion & pain in my chest and arms. Are you doing anything holistically? I really don't want to take meds.

It gives mild relief but if you want to really get asthma under control, go see a doctor and let him prescribe asthma medications that work.
I see no need to walk around wheezing, coughing and gasping for breath when you dont need to.

You'll feel 100% better.

you just have to take the meds. Hopefully the asthma will respond quickly. I had to take meds regularly for six months, and then I was so improved that I was able to wean off. If I can avoid respiratory infections, I don't have any more problems. I realize I had a milder case and I'm probably luckier than many.
When my breathing improved, I started getting more exercise and lost some weight. That has also helped.
Good luck, and be well.

They use a combination of herbs, homeopathic remedies, diet -- and many work with regular MDs -- a holistic approach.

Check the Internet for directories -- In the Seattle area we have a Naturapathic college.

There is also Chinese medicine which helps some people.

I've gone the Naturapathic (sp?) route -- and can keep my asthma under control without the use of cortisones and other heavy duty meds. Some of the side effects are very scary.

I can't get the spelling of that health care specialty correct --and the spell checker doesn't help.

Asthma is serious and if you want to avoid the nasty meds with heavy duty side effect very often there are alternative medical practitioners who can help. These professionals go through years of training and apprenticeship -- and they really do study you as a whole person in order to help you find a way to cope with your illness.

As as my doc told me -- even if you follow all of their advice there are times you may need to visit the ER.

a la George Costanza.

I'm supposed to be on QVar, Atrovent and Albuterol, but rarely use them (I'm compliant about everything else, though). I have very good lung capacity and can blow 750 on a peak flow meter, but that's because I sang for years. I'd be better off if I used my damned inhalers, and you would be too.

But thankfully I haven't had an attack in a long time. My son is on Advair and Albuterol. But it's been so long since I've had any problems with it I've never been put on inhalers.

It's expensive, but your doctor can usually give you some samples, as the manufacturer is constantly giving them away. My insurance copay is 50% so my doctor is really nice about passing the samples my way.

I haven't gotten pneumonia once since I've gotten my asthma under control. And I'm quite active, so it shouldn't hinder you too much.

I tried acupuncture (which helped other conditions, but not this one) as well as other things (quercitin with vitamin C and zinc has been helpful in getting my allergies under control somewhat) - you might want to ask a your medical professional about that.

Good luck to you. :hi:

I got a home nebulizer and have only had to use it maybe 5 times in three years. After the first time I think it really helped kick the asthma's ass. Inhalers only work if you take them before there is a full blown attack (my dr.'s words) which is why he gave me the neb. Now, if I feel just slightly wheezy I hit the neb. and no more wheezing. He also talked about how most people are not taught to properly use inhalers (breathe in too fast and most of the medicine ends up coating the throat) and that is why they don't work very well. With a neb, you just breath normally, no huffing or holding your breath.

Sorry, I don't know of anything holistic. I know I hate to take meds and only do so when absolutely necessary. I have done yoga style deep breathing to help condition my lungs, and I think that has also helped decrease my number and severity of attacks.

Albuterol is a "rescue" inhaler that is to be used during an attack and is a bronchodilator, but the others, like QVar, Atrovent, Seravent, Advair, etc are steroids that help prevent the inflammation and bronchiospasm in the first place and are only useful if used every day as prescribed (see my above post where I don't follow my own advice). They wont do shit during an attack; that's what the albuterol is for.

I had a blood O2 level of 94%, or something low like that when I hit the ER and had been using my inhaler (this was before all the new daily use meds you mention were available); when he saw me use the inhaler is when he told me about how most people don't use them properly. Usually, according to my dr., people should only need one or two hits to stop an attack, but most hit over and over again to get the net effect since so little medicine actually gets to the bronchial tubes and lungs. Maybe he just told me that to make me feel like less of a dumbass, but that's all I've got to go on.

The nebulizer is so much smoother and easier. It takes 10 minutes to get a treatment, but it is better than ending up in the hospital, where they give the exact same thing anyway. I guess it is more preventative of an attack like the new daily meds, since I have not had a true full-on attack since I used the neb. Might be anecdotal and not work that way for anyone else, but I love it!

came in and taught me how to use an inhaler for maximum effect, hooking the inhaler onto a plastic gadget that helps you get it deep into your lungs. I immediately christened it "an asthmatic's bong" and we kidded around a lot, which, with me laughing, slowed down the process a bit.

But, all kidding aside, the guy's advice was very helpful and I continued using the gadget at home until I was switched from the spray inhaler to the flying saucer (Advair.)

My doctor still just writes "reactive airways" on my chart, apparently trying to keep me from having one more damn diagnosis that will annoy my HMO. Obviously, I'm not having serious asthma attacks. I had them when I was a child and have little memory of them since the last bad one was when I was 6. I get panicky when I have bronchitis so I think the memories are still there. Since I have to take prednisone for lupus, that plus the Advair keep me in pretty good shape. It's been a couple of years since I've had bronchitis and I was having it a couple of times a year for about ten years. I've never had to go to the ER for asthma, knock on wood.

With oral steroid therapy, inhaled steroids would be overkill.

I don't do anything except the nebulizer as needed. the pills made my heart race out of control.

Glad you found what works for you, just goes to show that there is probably no one answer for asthma. It is a crummy disease.

Current thinking in managing asthma is more toward the low-dose inhaled steroids, but those medicines tend to be pretty damned expensive for those without rx coverage.

I am certainly better off than most. Usually it's only exercise induced unless i have bronchitis or something like that which causes a horrible week long slow attack (that's what put me in the ER). you seem to know a lot about it, I am just speaking from my own personal experience, so I hope anyone who reads it takes that into account.

Not being an M.D., R.N., or other health professional, I don't know if asthma can cause the indigestion and pain in the chest and arms you describe, but I know there are a lot of other things that can.

I've made a few trips to the ER myself due to gastritis and to chest pain that extends down my left arm, which has been conclusively DXed as mitral valve prolapse. Everything is under control with medication now.

I understand not wanting to take medications. I'd like to be off all of mine, too. Just don't beat yourself up over it if you can't be helped without medications.

I know I'm no wimp, having given birth and had cardiac catheterization and colonoscopies without anesthesia (my choice in all cases), but I can't deal with some medical problems without medication. We all have our limitations.

Someone here recently mentioned a bumper sticker that says "I tried alternative medicine but it turns out I don't have an alternative body."

to alternative. I quote Deepok Chopra & Andrew Weil. I do believe that the mind controls everything. For 25 years my acute/chronic Bronchitis is triggered by emotion.I spent 3 hours last night surfing for the answer. Asthma attacks are very occurrences from emotional upheaval. Its no surprise this all happened AFTER we lost on 11/2. I had so much invested in this election and it was an enormous disappointment. Cold and weather changes are 2 other BIG triggers. We have had all 4 seasons in the last month here in Denver & now it is snowing.
This time I think it was confusing because I had bronchitis with a probable inflammation or infection in the chest wall. I finally got a good night sleep and feel MUCH better today. I may need to get an inhaler..I'll wait a few weeks.
As for the chest pain; IT is GERD......acid reflux that is common in 80% of the asthma suffers. That started while I was recuperating from Breast Cancer. I eat badly and got no exercise. This problem reoccurs when I eat TOO much at one sitting and don't exercise after eating to get the food moving.
Hope this helps other people. I'm not very trusting with the medical community. I REALLY think they DO 'practice' medicine.Now that I know what it is, I can work to solve it myself.

http://health.yahoo.com/health/centers/asthma/158

I don't have the discipline yet or the resources (to find a Buteyko professional in this area) to try it, but I keep it in mind.

Dr. Buteyko had a unique way of looking at asthma--he felt that asthmatics have TOO much air in their lungs.

Look here:
http://www.buteyko.co.nz/

There are a number of other Buteyko sites as well. I found one once that told you how to do one of the exercises...unfortunately, I lost all my bookmarks after that. But there is a lot of info on the internets about it.