I am triggered by the cold and all I do is cough. I have little short puffs of exhales that I can't control before I let it get bad. I have been really struggling right now, sometimes all day and night. It's below 15 and wet. I can't afford Advair, what the doctor wants me on to maintain it but he gave me samples of Symbicort to last 2 months. I can't tell if it is working or not. I've been on steroids for 3 weeks and it just didn't kick it like usual, I'm still suffering. Today I found a good amount of relief for the first time in a while.

So I fervently searched for home remedies to help. I found today a list of supplements and herbs that I feel helped me pull myself out of a bad morning. I'll put this list on another comment for you because it is long.

I just started regularly taking omega 3', Vit. D, B complex, and magnesium creme (which is a natural relaxer). I was trying a program that has these in them and with my search I found at least 3 sites that said these were anti inflammatory supplements.
I took them and I used my magnesium and rubbed it on my chest, also on the soft skin on my inner elbow for fast absorption.
I drank a hot glass of herbal tea. Chamomile and Echinacea are good for relief.

It really did help. Oh, the biggest thing I found was to stop drinking raw milk or eating milk products. I have a hard time with this one but I stayed away from it and it helped.

I also have bad allergies right now. My face and eyes have been swollen and post nasal drip has been bad. So I think getting that in control helped the cough also.

I haven't coughed like I was. I still have trouble breathing normal but the constant coughing is gone.

If you look up this site and search asthma he has good suggestions. I use his info a lot.
http://articles.mercola.com
Another one,
This article was good. It talks about sports stuff but it was about anti inflammatory supplements and that's what my problem stems from.
http://www.thenutritionreporter.com/inflamsyndrome/supplements.html

Also this one.
http://www.raysahelian.com/antiinflammatory.html

I hope this helps. I know how the coughing gets old. It really disrupts my life.

Here is the list I compiled from the sites I found. There are some repeats and it was put together fast. It has dosage on it also.

Good luck.

The Best Anti-Inflammatory Supplements for Sports and Over-Use Injuries
By Jack Challem This article originally appeared in Physical magazine. http://www.thenutritionreporter.com/inflamsyndrome/supplements.html

Natural Methods- A handful of anti-inflammatory supplements moderate what is often the body's exaggerated response to an injury.
Essential fatty acids (EFAs). Daily dosage: 1-3 grams.
Gamma-linolenic acid. Daily dosage: 400-700 mg daily.
Vitamin E. Daily dosage: 400 IU
Vitamin C. Daily dosage: 1-3 grams daily
Flavonoids. (Pycnogenol and grape-seed extract) Daily dosage: 100-300 mg
B-complex vitamins.
Daily dosage: high-potency B-complex supplement with at least 25 mg of vitamin B1.
Glucosamine sulfate. Daily dosage: 1500 mg.
Methylsulfonylmethane. Daily dosage: 1-3 grams.
S-adenosyl-L-methionine. (SAMe-Sammy) Daily dosage: 200-400 mg.
The omega-9s are anti-inflammatory

http://www.massagetoday.com/mpacms/mt/article.php?id=10369
Curcumin is the active anti-inflammatory agent found in the spice turmeric.
Devil's Claw dosage is 100-400mg, one to three times per day
Quercetin is a bioflavonoid compound that blocks the release of histamine and other anti-inflammatory enzymes at supplemented doses (minimum 100-1500mg per day).
Bromelain The usual dosage is 400mg, one to three times per day.
Ginger Root Extract The usual dosage is 500mg, one to three times daily, standardized to a five-percent gingerol content.
White Willow Bark Extract The usual dosage is 20-40mg of salicin, one to three times per day. (Note that 100mg of white willow extract at a 15 percent standardized extract of salicin content yields 15mg of salicin per dosage.
Boswellia -- dosage is 150mg, one to three times per day. No known side effects.
Flax Seed Oil Flax seed oil can be a good addition to fish oil, especially if you are on a low-fat diet or have dermatitis dry, scaly, itchy skin.
Resveratrol Like ginger and fish oil, reducing the lung damage associated with this smoking-related ailment.
Bromelain Sports related aid. Not really for respiratory ailments.
Selenium Low levels of selenium have been linked in several studies to a higher risk of getting asthma. Possible daily dosages range from 100mcg to 200mcg.
Zinc 25 mg three times a day for three months decreased TNF-alpha, a cytokine that amplifies inflammation.






http://www.raysahelian.com/antiinflammatory.html
Curcumin spice could act as an anti-inflammatory supplement.
CMO stands for cetyl myristoleate.
Frankincense is an herb that has been used as an anti-inflammatory agent.
Silymarin is a derivative from the Milk thistle plant that has been used for centuries to treat liver ailments.
Vitamin C and flavonoids have antiinflammatory effects and is associated with improved endothelial function.
Catuaba from the amazon
Serrapeptase
Zyflamend

Lycopene in tomatoes - exercise-induced asthma.
Magnesium Different sources quote varying dosages - either 300mg, 400mg, or 500mg of magnesium supplements, once per day. Aspartate and magnesium citrate.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids
flax oil and fish oil, salmon, tuna and mackerel.
Selenium Low levels of selenium have been linked in several studies to a higher risk of getting asthma. Possible daily dosages range from 100mcg to 200mcg.
Vitamin B6 Useful Supporting Nutrients and Supplements
In addition to the above mentioned supplements, there are also several compounds which could be helpful supporting elements for natural asthma treatments.
Antioxidants- vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene may be helpful.
Bromelain is an enzyme which has been found to reduce the thickness of mucus. This compound could thus be helpful for asthmatics.
Quercetin is a bioflavonoid found in plants which has anti-allergic and antihistamine properties. Asthmatics who also suffer from other allergies may thus find this compound useful. A possible dosage is 100mg, three times a day.
Thymus Extract boost overall immune function.
Vitamin C A 1g dose of vitamin C per day has been observed to reduce the possibility of spasm of the bronchial tract. The buffered version is better than the standard one.
Conclusion
For children, suggested dosages should be adjusted proportionately downwards, according to their body weight.

hi mom23grlz,

thanks for sharing your research. very sorry to hear you have to pay for your own advair; we are so fortunate in the uk that this is all free. i hope that you can lay your hands on the best medicine for you regardless of the cost. will the us health reform change anything for you?

I have been taking vitamin c 1000 soluble every morning (redoxon) and i think it may contribute to my improvement.

magnesium is interesting too; i have been getting more cramps than usual and that could of course be magnesium deficiency (or just a side effect of inhalers). i've never heard of magnesium cream; i'll try and find some.

i might try to avoid drinking milk; i consume a lot of milk products and although i have no allergies, maybe milk is not that good.

strange your research mentions ginger; i have been eating ginger like crazy lately. i seem to crave it all the time. maybe my body is telling me it is good for me.

maybe it's safer to stay clear of white willow bark - that's where aspirin comes from; aspirin may cause asthma attacks.
better be safe than sorry.

thanks again for your help and happy holidays
northerngoose

I also have cough variant asthma. I developed it following a respiratory infection 3 years ago.
I still am really sensitive to scents, smoke, overexertion, weather extremes, and even laughing. However I am much less reactive than I was when I started.
My medications are Symbicort, Protonix, Zyflo CR, and of course albuterol when needed. The asthma specialist at the Center for Advanced Medicine in my area recommended that I take lidocaine in my nebulizer to help with the coughing urge. I never tried it because my health insurance wouldn't cover it.
I also have passed out during coughing spells. It turns out that I also have Vocal Cord Dysfunction and when I get a heavy exposure to one of my triggers, my vocal cords close my airway until the coughing stops. I recover once I stop coughing but I am disoriented for a bit.

hi thp636,

thanks for your reply; that sounds so much like me. i have been wondering too about the vocal cord problem because very often i can locate the discomfort in my neck. i can feel something seizing up in there. i will ask the lung consultant next time i see him.

it is reassuring to see that your medication is along the same lines as mine: this has only been my regime for the past two weeks and i am definitely improving. i hardly cough indoors now.

my main trigger is cold weather. i have not been functioning well for the past two months and every activity outside is a challenge, even just letting out the dogs. however, i drove to town today for some shopping and although i was very tired and hoarse when i came home, i was not coughing my life out even though there is snow and ice.

laughing is another trigger, but its effect is only temporary. smoke is definitely bad. i also wonder about general dust and dirt. scents don't affect me much. i never thought about exertion as a trigger; maybe i ought to.

if you don't mind, i would like to ask you some more questions. do you end up with weeks and months of heavy coughing or is it more days and hours?
and what about your peak flow? do you find it useful to monitor it? does it predict attacks or does it not fluctuate enough for that? i am not sure whether it is relevant for cva. i can feel quite unwell without a deep peak flow.

thanks for your reply
northerngoose

hi mom23grlz,
i went to buy some vitamin d and magnesium; it can't hurt to try! thanks for your advice,
northerngoose

Hi Northerngoose,
I'm no expert but I, like all of us who have had to deal with any form of asthma ,quickly learned what set me off.. As a result I know what to avoid and I manage things a lot better. That, and taking my medications, give me some control.
I have to say it's only some control, because you can't manage the actions of other people. Just one person with a heavy fragrance can cause me to cough severely...and I mean severely.
However I can go a long time without a serious attack if I can get away from the trigger exposure quickly. I also have to do my best to avoid getting sick.
Colds, flu, and respratory infections can be dangerous. I guess any mental or physical stressor can make matters worse.
As for peak flow meters, I don't know. I have one and I think that it helps... but my pulmonologist doesn't think that they do all that much.

It's interesting that you mention vitamin D. Like a lot of folks over 50, I have multiple illnesses. As a result I see a lot of doctors. My neurologist recently had my blood drawn and it indicated a serious vitamin D deficiency.
So I am now taking prescription level vitamin D for 5 weeks and then I am to switch to over the counter vitamin D supplements.

hi thp636,

yes, i think you are right about avoiding triggers. i have been fortunate not to have had any respiratory infection since last winter. my doctor gave me the h1n1 vaccination as soon as it came out as well as the ordinary flu vaccine and the pneumococcal vaccine - that's me covered!

my present bout of coughing started when my asthma nurse changed me from seretide inhaler to seretide discus. the powder formulations triggered coughing, as symbicort did last year.

the nhs in the uk doesn't tend to run general blood tests for vitamin deficiencies but vit d is a recognized a problem. i live at a latitude of 60 north and in winter the sun rises at 9 and sets at 3, barely above the horizon. moreover i don't go outside because i cough so i definitely lack sun light now.

i think my main triggers may be the cold and my emotions. i am fed up living on these remote, cold and lonely islands, although i have to admit that when i went to edingburgh for a week of christmas shopping and visiting attractions, i was coughing a lot too.

anyway, the days are lengthening, so we'll soon have more light.

thanks for sharing your experience with me. it helps a lot.
i hope you are keeping, well.
season's greetings,
northerngoose

Thanks for letting me know about the willow bark. I have chosen to use just a few supplements, the ones that were found on all the sites and consistent so to not over due on to many or to see what ones work best for me.

For the stress and emotions. A D-stresser that I have used and know works and at least 5 of my friends from the homeschool group use is called 5-HTP. It really helps with my stress and emotions. I take a supplement called Vitex that balances your hormones without messing with them. My girls say they can see a difference when I am on them. (I'm definitely going through menopause.)

My voice has changed since I have been on the steroids and symbicort. I have grown facial hair and my face has been so swollen. I have acne so bad all over my face and neck and they hurt and my skin is so thin.

I don't want to take the medicines that the doctors have for asthma. Each one changes something else in me and has side effects that are awful. So I am wanting to try anything else but medicines.

I'm so glad I have people to talk to. I like the help and experiences you all offer. Thank you.

hi mom23grlz,

thanks for your help. like you, i find it really to helps to let off steam on DS - you're all very patient and willing to help. it is not easy to find my way through asthma and the best care. Of course those around us who don't have it, find it all a bit boring and uninteresting.
I have never heard of 5-htp but i will see whether it is available in the UK. I can't take anything that touches hormones like oestrogen because very long ago i had breast cancer (totally cured, thank you). i just ignore my menopause and it seems to ignore me.

Like you, i would rather not take any medicines at all. I always seem to have the side effects few people get in theory; when i mention any side effects to my gp, his usual reply is:"hmmm, i've never heard of that happening to anybody".

For the moment I put up with the side effects of the asthma drugs because asthma is worse than the side effects. When thinks get better, I will be trying to reduce the doses again. I will have to try and not reduce too soon as I have done before.

Like you I have bother with the inhalers. My voice is certainly hoarse. I never made the link between facial hair and inhalers; I thought it was just my natural hairy disposition! There is definitely a problem with slower healing of skin scratches and more scarring than before.

I hope you're doing well
hugs
northerngoose