Hello :)

My sister had asthma since she was a little girl and after years of using inhalers my mother slowly got her off them. Recently she started coughing wetly. Though my mother seems to think that her breathing irregularly has a large part to do with her coughing wetly. I wondered if this Buteyko Method was as great as it is known to be, and if anyone could sum up the exercises for me, it will be greatly appreciated :D

I'm so sorry if this makes no sense at all, as I'm not very good with words.

Thanks alot :P

I have heard a lot about that method, but personally have never tried it. [ removed ]

I'm all for trying anything that works, but I just wanted wanted to point out that Buteyko is a commercial venture just as much as medications are - if you do it right with the approved materials and instruction its definitely not free. There are a lot of people who have had amazing results from it, but there are a few things in the program that can be quite dangerous (ie like refusing oxygen when your O2 sats drop in an emergency). Some of the 'science' of the program simply doesn't doesn't stand up to any sort of scrutiny. However, the breathing excercises themselves can't do any harm so I think you take the good stuff and sift out the rest and if it works for you you've got reason to celebrate.

I'd have to agree with charleyhorse on this one. A few of Professor Buteyko's theories have been proven wrong:
1. Refusing o2 when sats drop. In a severe asthma attack, the sats are VERY low. Low o2 sats are the main cause of death in status asthmaticus, therefore, refusing o2 can kill you.

2. He says to keep accumulated asthma mucus in your chest, as this will prevent hyperventilating. This will also give you various infections and further narrow your airways, sometimes to the point of developing atelectasis.

3. "Inhaled steroids will make you more vulnerable to chest infections" - Wrong. Studies have proven that inhaled corticosteroids do NOT make one more susceptible to chest infections.

4."Asthmatics are constantly hyperventilating" - also wrong. Take me for example, I'm asthmatic, and if I'm constantly hyperventilating, why are my oxygen saturations 90-91 on a good day?

I'm sorry, but I'm a skeptic.

I'm not saying don't give it a try - I just want to throw in a word of caution. My info comes from a naturopath that I worked with for a number of years. He went through the book with me and pointed out his concerns, and the 02 item was a very big issue for him. My GP had the same reaction. The idea that asthma is caused by hyperventilation really doesn't add up and that's seems to be the issue that most doctors have trouble with. However, like I said, the breathing exercises certainly can't do any harm and if they help someone cut down on their meds, it certainly gets my vote.

I'm not saying don't give it a try - I just want to throw in a word of caution. My info comes from a naturopath that I worked with for a number of years. He went through the book with me and pointed out his concerns, and the 02 item was a very big issue for him. My GP had the same reaction. The idea that asthma is caused by hyperventilation really doesn't add up and that's seems to be the issue that most doctors have trouble with. However, like I said, the breathing exercises certainly can't do any harm and if they help someone cut down on their meds, it certainly gets my vote.

Oh! Don't get me wrong, I'm all for reducing steroids, by all means!. It's just that Professor Buteyko didn't sound very smart to me, especially by saying to keep asthma mucus in your chest - I have a bad problem with mucus production. I'd try it, if I knew exactly how to do it. :p

I think its really good to have disucussions about things like this. Asthma seems to be a very individual disease - we all have different triggers, different degrees of severity and different responses to treatment. I think that's why research into many meds and techniques is quite inconclusive. What works for some folks doesn't work for others. I think as long as we're careful and keep close contact with really knowledgable medical people its good to explore as many possibilities for treatment as we can afford. I have severe. brittle asthma that has almost killed me a few times so I don't take too many chances on treatment but I think I have tried pretty much every medication and complementary treatment that exists - all with varying degrees of success. The more we share ideas about treatment, the better chance we find something that works for us.

Just few corrections :

I'd have to agree with charleyhorse on this one. A few of Professor Buteyko's theories have been proven wrong:
1. Refusing o2 when sats drop. In a severe asthma attack, the sats are VERY low. Low o2 sats are the main cause of death in status asthmaticus, therefore, refusing o2 can kill you.

Correction: Buteyko does not say to refuse o2: when in emergency situation one should be treated as the situation demands. There will be time to do exercises once the life-threatening situation is well over.
2. He says to keep accumulated asthma mucus in your chest, as this will prevent hyperventilating. This will also give you various infections and further narrow your airways, sometimes to the point of developing atelectasis.

Correction: Does not say to keep accumulating mucus in the chest. Does say not to cough it out forcefully. If must - cough it softely, as coughing is a self-agrevating cycle.
3. "Inhaled steroids will make you more vulnerable to chest infections" - Wrong. Studies have proven that inhaled corticosteroids do NOT make one more susceptible to chest infections.

Correction: Acctually, cortisol is the only medication supported by Buteyko - WHEN NEEDED! there are special Buteyko indications for this.
4."Asthmatics are constantly hyperventilating" - also wrong. Take me for example, I'm asthmatic, and if I'm constantly hyperventilating, why are my oxygen saturations 90-91 on a good day?

Correction: The only way to improve oxygen saturation is by facilitating it. Co2 is the inner-body facilitator, breathing a-la Buteyko - elevates Co2 level.I'm sorry, but I'm a skeptic.

does this method works, someone is selling asthma e-books online and I bought it and all it talks about is this method, what a waste of $$, anyway they gave me a refund since i didnt think it was worth it.