For many months, night after night, I had a recurring nightmare: I am standing by the door to my house as if I am going somewhere or waiting for someone. My heart is racing out of control. I am grasping for breath. My lungs feel as if I am suffocating, but I cannot exhale. My mind is in total panic. I turn to my wife, Sasha, who asks me again and again if she should call 911. I say, “No,” though I know I should say “yes.”
I would then wake up in my bed, gasping for air and in ultimate fear. The fear would hit me because this nightmare was my reality. It was not a bad dream — it was my life. The worst part was that there was nothing at all I could do about it.
The coughing fits and episodes of near suffocation made my life a living hell. Most nights, I coughed for many hours at a time, praying for it to stop, and being more frightened than I have ever been in my life. Eventually it would stop, and for a reason that still doesn’t make sense to me, I would then feel safe. I must have thought it would never happen again, though that thought was not at all rational because the coughing would come back the next time I slept, the next time I went out into the cold, got too close to our dog, or tried to do any physical work or exercise. Almost anything could trigger the attack, even feeling stressed, which was an all-too-common experience at that point.
My Story
In 1978, I became sick with Legionnaire’s disease, which turned into a severe case of pneumonia. Although many people die from this illness, I survived. When it was over, the doctors said my lungs had been damaged and that I would be asthmatic for the rest of my life.
I was still in my twenties and soon felt healthy again. Once in a while, a flu or cold would cause my breathing to sound raspy. If it was particularly bad, I’d use a rescue inhaler, which would clear everything up and I would forget all about it. I would throw the inhaler into a kitchen drawer or a glove compartment, and it would be left there until I became sick again in a year or two.
I moved through my adult life as an active, energetic person. I achieved the rank of Black Belt in American Karate. I lifted weights and ran in competitions. I swam and surfed and played hard. I had mild asthma — “So what?” I thought. I accepted my inhaler as a necessary part of life. I got a little worse each year, but after all, I was getting older.
In 2007, when I suddenly became sick with a severe flu, I wasn’t surprised when I needed to use an inhaler. My doctor also recommended that I take a course of antibiotics. When the flu continued and I needed a second dose, I thought nothing of it. Another dose would help me get on with my life, or so I thought…but I did not completely recover. Instead, I routinely became breathless and continued to feel as if I was suffocating.
My doctor then recommended a stronger rescue inhaler. I agreed, expecting it to cure me. I also took all the medication that was now prescribed to me. Then, I was told that I had to take steroids. What followed next was a prescription for the stomach problems caused by the steroids. And then the dosages of all medications were increased.
My doctor then recommended a stronger rescue inhaler. I agreed, expecting it to cure me. I also took all the medication that was now prescribed to me, but my symptoms only increased. Then, I was told I had to take steroids.
I had heard of all these medicines before. Who hasn’t? It seems that every third commercial on television is about a new medication for breathing difficulties. On the screen are happy people, walking, dancing, or playing with kids. When the actors speak, they talk of the freedom they’ve found. “Just take your medicine, and you’ll be fine!” is their message to everyone.
I was not fine. At the beginning of the nightly attacks, these treatments provided some relief — at least for a couple of hours. As time went on, however, these moments of forced relief became very rare, until my rescue inhaler seemed to actually worsen the condition. I know my doctors and the pharmaceutical companies were doing their best, but unfortunately, that was not good enough; my symptoms only increased. I wondered if this illness, which already ruled my life, would be the death of me.
I felt as if something was not quite right with the whole logic of my treatment. My body was treated like a broken machine that produced unwanted symptoms. The doctors were comparable to army generals, who kept coming up with new tactics. Under their supervision I would go to a pharmacy, buy the best available weapons and fight against my symptoms. We were all trying hard, but the war wasn’t ending. Listening to the same TV commercials again and again, I became more aware of the voiceover warning people of endless side effects, including potential fatality, which these “miracle drugs” could cause.
Meanwhile, my illness became a part of our life. In some ways, it seems you get used to anything if it happens long enough. My family started rotating their lives around my asthma. Everything we did or did not do was dictated by how I felt. My wife’s experience with my illness was, in many ways, worse than mine. She was constantly trying to find something to help me, some home remedy that would provide, at least, a relief. I tried everything, hoping that something would finally work and make us both feel better. At night, I tried to hide my struggles. Of course, the moment Sasha realized I wasn’t in bed next to her she would search the house, filled with the fearful thought that she would find me too late.
Even now, as I recall this story, I strongly feel the pain and frustration of those times. I am also reminded of why, today, all my efforts are directed toward not only sharing the story of my suffering, but more importantly, the story of my success — my freedom from breathing difficulties.
The Cure
Does my story sound familiar? Perhaps you have gone through a similar struggle, or watched someone you love suffer from breathing problems. Let me share with you that life does not have to be this way. If you are plagued by asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, allergies or other breathing issues, what I have learned will change your life.
Sasha suggested I try the Buteyko Breathing Normalization Method and gave me a book. That’s how I first learned about Konstantin Buteyko’s discovery and his method. In 1954, Dr. Buteyko discovered that the cause of asthma and breathing difficulties, as well as some other diseases, was hyperventilation. Since hyperventilation can be lethal, the body does its best to protect itself from it.
One of the defense mechanisms is a spasm created in bronchial tubes, which leads to coughing fits and suffocation. Another one is excessive mucus. By doing this, the human body tries to narrow air channels and reduce air consumption. Dr. Buteyko created a breathing method which helps reduce air consumption. As a result, the person stops hyperventilating and his or her overall health is restored.
As I started learning the concepts of Dr. Buteyko’s discovery, I realized that I was indeed, hyperventilating. At first, I followed the book without any supervision or professional advice. The techniques helped somewhat, but I was not improving as much as I needed to. Since this was the only thing that seemed to help me at this point, Sasha and I decided to call the Buteyko Clinic in Moscow and find out if the doctors there could improve my condition.
We were fortunate enough to reach Dr. Ludmila Buteyko, the wife and the closest colleague of Konstantin Buteyko. As we were now convinced my asthma was incurable, Sasha tentatively asked Lyudmila Buteyko if there was any chance of improving my condition. “Of course, we can cure his asthma!” she replied. The strength and certainty of her voice came through loud and clear.
We immediately purchased airline tickets and prepared to leave for Moscow. Sasha is Russian, and had previously lived in Moscow, so we were able to stay with her family. I started my treatment in the clinic right away, with Sasha translating the instructions and advice for me. The medical director of the clinic, Dr. Novozhilov, personally took me through each step of the method, applying and modifying it to the specifics of my condition. With his supervision, I was doing various relaxation and breathing exercises both in the clinic and at home every evening.
It was amazing how quickly my symptoms vanished. The coughing and constriction was gone, and I no longer needed to be rescued by my inhaler or other drugs. Soon after, I was able to stop taking my medication. My fear of dying from suffocation also disappeared. My breathing was fine. My teachers, Ludmila Buteyko and Andrey Novozhilov, saved and changed my life.
Reprinted with permission of the author from Breathe To Heal, Break Through From Asthma by Sasha Yakovleva and Dr. A.E. Novozhilov (BreathingCenter.com)
Thomas Fredricksen is a psychologist, co-founder of the Buteyko Breathing Center in Crestone, Colorado, and an Advanced Breathing Normalization Specialist.
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