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Alternative Asthma Treatments - Truth or Fiction

© Floyd Tilton

Last week I wrote about the traditional asthma treatments used by physicians. Many people, however, feel that the traditional treatments do not offer the benefits they are looking for, so they turn to alternative treatments. These treatments, which by the way should not be tried without consultation with your physician, range from aroma therapy to chiropractic care, and virtually everything in between. Let's take a look at some of them, and what they purport to offer the asthma/respiratory allergy sufferer.

There are many vitamin and mineral supplements that claim to be helpful in the treatment of asthma. One of these, Vitamin B6 is claimed to be able to reduce the severity of asthma attacks and reduce the amount of traditional asthma medication required by both children and adults. "In a study of asthmatic children, 200 mg per day of vitamin B6 for two months reduced the severity of their illness and reduced the amount of asthma medication needed. In another study, asthmatic adults experienced a dramatic decrease in the frequency and severity of asthma attacks while taking 50 mg of vitamin B6 twice a day," according to M.R. Weir in a study entitled, Depression of vitamin B6 levels due to theophylline.

Another supplement which is touted as a preventative for asthma attacks is magnesium. According to its supporters, "Intravenous injections of magnesium can stop an acute asthma attack within minutes." It should be noted that the effect of oral magnesium has not been studied, although it is also sold as a cure for an acute asthma attack by some health food stores.

Some people believe that Vitamin C reduces the tendency toward bronchial spasm, and it is claimed that 1 gram of vitamin C per day can cause improvement of asthma symptoms. There are even people who believe that if you put 3 tablespoons of Vitamin C in hot bath water and soak for 2 hours, it can relieve asthma and allergy symptoms.

Another supposed treatment is the ingestion of very high amounts of vitamin B12. It is suggested that dosages in the 1,500 mcg per day range reduce the tendency for asthmatics to react to sulfites. The supporters of this treatment link sensitivity to sulfites as a cause for asthma, and therefore if the sensitivity to them is reduced, the severity of an attack can be limited.

Herbal treatments are also offered as treatments for asthma. Among these are Ephedrine, an alkaloid extract which is supposed to reduce bronchial tightness. This can be bought as an over-the-counter drug and according to its marketers, serves the same purpose as a bronchodilator such as albuterol. Please note, this herb can cause irregularities in heart rate, and can be very dangerous, if not fatal.

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