With a reduced lung-capacity Carl found gardening and other activities increasingly difficult, despite his swimming and exercising conscientiously. His doctor gave him various types of medication, mostly inhaled, but they offered only slight relief. After trying many drugs, Carl's condition was stabilised with Atrovent Forte which he took three times a day, but his life had to slow down to accommodate his breathing problems.
When he saw a newspaper advertisement for a public seminar on the Buteyko method, Carl's curiosity was aroused and he went to hear about the new drug-free control techniques. "I decided to take the course by way of an experiment, " he says. "I felt I had nothing to lose and it sounded interesting."
After learning the method Carl has been able to reduce his medication by half, and yet feels that his condition has stopped deteriorating. He can now achieve more than he did before the course, feels more energetic and is not as breathless while working in the garden. "Buteyko has been helpful and has obviously done me good. I am glad I now have it to rely on."
“You get out of Buteyko what you are prepared to put in. No more coughing half the night. My mucus is a quarter of what it used to be. Less medication used.” Grace
Three years ago Sandra was desperate to find a way of relieving her serious asthma and bronchiectasis. "I was looking for anything that would make some difference. I had no energy - even hanging out the washing was exhausting and lifting up my arms to do my hair was an effort". She felt worn out walking up steps, and life itself seemed like hard work.
Sandra also had trouble sleeping at night, and was unable to relax with her heart racing. She was constantly thirsty, and her limbs were often numb - feelings that she believes were side-effects from the heavy doses of medication. She was unhappy and didn't feel 'herself'.
But these are now problems of the past. After seeing a newspaper advertisement, she attended a Buteyko course and learned the control techniques that changed her whole approach to the asthma that had previously dominated her life.
"Within a week of learning the Buteyko method, my energy levels increased and I just felt so much better", she says. She followed the programme conscientiously and soon found her asthma symptoms were disappearing. She was able to tackle the daily chores with new vitality, and friends and family commented on the change in her health. Soon Sandra was able to cut down on her medication and now controls her asthma with a minimum amount, with her specialist's approval.
"Vacuuming, gardening, walking - I can do it all now as a normal part of daily living without having aching muscles," she comments. "My hayfever has greatly improved and I feel so much more positive. The changes came after the Buteyko course; it seems hard to believe that something so simple could make such a difference to me. Once the theory behind the exercises was explained to me, it really made sense. I continue to practice the exercises because they work."
"After three months of using Buteyko technique I still find it very effective in controlling my emphysema." Marcia
When Eric was told by his doctor that he had only 30% of his lung capacity left, he was determined to help himself live his life to the fullest. The drugs he was taking stabilised his condition but never improved it; Eric decided he would try some alternative treatments.
He found acupuncture to give some temporary relief to his feelings of breathlessness and tiredness, but they were not long lasting. The acupuncturist told him about the Buteyko method, and Eric decided to try it.
"When I first attended the course, I found I scored really low in the exercises ," he remembers. "But I am a very stubborn chap, and soon I was able to reach very high scores indeed. The tutor Russell told me I was working myself too hard!" Eric's determination paid off, because after three months of using the Buteyko method his lung capacity had actually improved, which is uncommon for sufferers of emphysema.
"There is no question that it helped," Eric comments. "After three or four weeks I clearly noticed an improvement - quite a big difference. I felt I had extra lung-power; I started walking again and soon I was able to walk up to five kilometres in under an hour. That may not seem very fast, but compared to how I felt previous to learning Buteyko, I think its wonderful. The method did me a world of good."
“I have bronchiectasis, which has not improved with Buteyko and there is infection there almost permanently. Antibiotics are now of little use in clearing it, only suppress it a little, and it keeps flaring mucus up. But with all that, what asthma I do get is now very mild. Thank you for all your help.” Althea
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