Aaron's story  - Asthma Aaron's mother, Juliet, wrote:  My son Aaron, who is now aged 15, has suffered from severe asthma since he was six months old. Since then he has been on various preventative medication including steroids, and his dependence on asthma drugs was alarming to me. Aaron’s asthma has been a real handicap to him.

Before taking part in any sport he would take a few puffs of Ventolin, and would regularly have to stop because of the asthma. After any physical exertion he would stand bent over with his hands on his knees fighting for breath, like an old man.

During the past year or so Aaron’s asthma was getting worse, he was on regular courses of steroids, preventative puffers morning and night, Ventolin through a nebuliser and using about a puffer (200 puffs) a week of Ventolin. Asthma was even waking him up at night and he would have to take more Vntolin. I’m a nurse, and I was seriously worried about the long term effect of all the drugs he was taking.

I first heard about Buteyko Breathing a couple of years ago. A friend told me about her mother (a severe asthmatic) who did a Buteyko course and she believed it saved her life. So in January Aaron attended a course. 

On the day of the first session, Aaron had taken a total of 20 puffs of Ventolin, and was still wheezing. After attending the class, he practised  the exercises on the way home in the car. Before he went to bed that night he did the exercises, woke up once during the night and took two puffs of Ventolin. The next day he took no Ventolin at all, and when he woke up that night instead of reaching for his puffer, he sat on the edge of the bed and did the exercises for five minutes then rolled over and went back to sleep. By the end of the week, the improvement in Aaron’s asthma was phenomenal. He could hardly believe it himself. What’s more he liked doing the breathing exercises, as they made him feel so good. He was jogging and surfing and playing football and he was no longer using the puffers.

Aaron no longer needs any medication. He has no end of energy and feels fantastic. It has been nothing short of a miracle. This has helped my son so dramatically. In my opinion Buteyko should be promoted by all the health professionals. It should be shouted from the rooftops.

Brian's story - emphysema I have severe emphysema & I was sceptical that Buteyko Breathing could help. Three medical  specialists (one of them a professor) and my GP believed nothing more could be done for me. They were wrong.

After only five weeks of practicing the Buteyko breathing exercises, my use of medication has reduced dramatically. I do my breathing exercises regularly and as I improve I enjoy them more.

For the past five years I have been depressed because I had no energy and was constantly breathless. I could not even get up or down the stairs at our home. My improvement has been to such an extent that I am now on a high. I am no longer housebound.

Keep up the good work. Thank you.

Georgina’s story - Asthma  Buteyko has changed my life considerably. I was diagnosed as an asthmatic when I was 7 years old (I’m now 50) and was conversant with daily medication and nebulizers and almost lost my life twice to asthma.

For the past 7 years my doctor had had my asthma "under control" with Ventolin 2 puffs morning and night, whether I needed it or not, and with Becotide 2 puffs morning and night. If I started to wheeze the dose would be 2 puffs 3 times per day. This would increase to 3 puffs 3 times per day if I happened to get a cold.

On 11th May 1998 I started a Buteyko breathing course, and since that day I have had NO Ventolin at all. Three months after commencing Buteyko, my doctor took me off Becotide. I now take no medication at all, and have no asthma. It is fantastic.

The course cost me $400, which at the time I considered expensive. With Ventolin at $10, Becotide at $20 plus doctor’s visits to obtain scripts my money has been truly reimbursed.

I would recommend Buteyko to anyone who has a problem with asthma, sinus, hayfever or snoring. I am so glad that I invested in my own health. It was money well spent.

Louise and James' story - Asthma I have suffered with asthma all my life, had four admissions to hospital and numerous times taking oral steroids. There have been times in my life when I thought I would go to bed and never wake up. My son James is 8 years old. He was diagnosed with asthma at 12 months and has been in hospital four times and has been on lots of medication, including oral steroids. Having a child with asthma is very frightening. It’s awful to see them struggling to breathe.