Buteyko theory - your opinion of? - Asthma Message Board

Kanapali · 01-06-2003, 09:22 AM

Has anyone heard of this breathing method? Anyone taken the workshop course? Is it as they claim or Asthma cure quackery? I'm thinking about taking the cousre but it's $500 and I'm trying to research it to avoid being taken in by something that's all hype and no help.

Would appreciate any comments/opinions/insights. Also if you are a Buteyko instructor and/or profiting in anyway form the program, I'd rather not have you respond. Thanks.

[This message has been edited by Kanapali (edited 01-07-2003).]

ksg · 07-06-2003, 05:47 AM

I can't tell you how strongly I feel about this, I did the Buteyko course last October, I have gone from using an entire ventolin puffer every 3 weeks, (8-10 puffs a day), to 8-10 puffs in the last 8 months - almost all of which were when I was away for a week - (mould or something in my sleeping bag I think).

I still think that they overcharge for the course, but when I did it we were not actually asked to pay until the last night, by which stage you would not have been there if you were not convinced - (everyone I did the couse with was still there )

I'm not asthmatic any more though, having been asthmatic for 20 years ,- so I guess thats worth $600 AU - some australian health funds cover it - I don't know if US ones do. I had adult onset asthma, which no one I had met had been very helpful about

Incidently, my resting pulse has dropped by about 20 beats per minute, into a much more normal range, (this was a predicted result of the course)

I had previously read a book and had a video about Buteyko, neither helped me much

2 people that I did the course with were snorers, both had stopped before the week was out

kellie2 · 07-06-2003, 11:05 AM

I have heard about this, and am also a firm believer in breathing correctly and do some exercises myself here at home. But I don't understand how breathing can 'cure' asthma? Can you maybe explain how this happens? Asthma is spasms and inflammation - how does breathing make these go away? Or do you simply breathe differently to cope with it when it happens? I also was diagnosed with adult-onset asthma last year and it's very mild so it's not much of a nuisance for me to deal with as I simply use 100 Advair and I'm fine, but as anyone here, I am interested in anything that has been proven to help it.

Thanks so much.