Buteyko testimonials – success stories about breathing retraining

Asthma

From: Steve, 46
I was an asthmatic for over 30 years since my early teens. In my late teens, I gained about 40 pounds and got all kinds of awful health problems. I was on two different inhalers (10-15 times a day) and nebulizers (1-2 a day). I was in the emergency room every month. During each trip I felt miserable and disgusting there. When I found Buteyko, my CP was 8 seconds. I started to practice breathing exercises with my own DIY device 3 times per day and my morning CP went up to about 25 s after 4 weeks. I was truly amazed. Now I’m in control of my personal health again: no medication at all. I am not reacting to triggers like mold, dust mites or other airborne irritants anymore. Even if you had asthma for decades, the Buteyko therapy can make a big difference! All my symptoms are gone… I breathe shallowly through my nose, and that has been the foundation of my success. Thank you, Artour, for your care about simple people.

From: Margaret, 58
I’ve had asthma since infancy..… Solution? It involves breathing exercises practiced diligently until the body learns to breathe normally. This program (www.normalbreathing.com) with the DIY breathing device is phenomenal. I have not used my puffer once since starting a month ago, compared with 15-20 puffs a day prior. My initial CP was about 9 s! In 3 weeks I was getting up to 25-30 s of oxygen in the body… Every day I go for a 7 km walk and not once have I feel tired or short of breath. In fact I felt strong and could have kept going. Every other time I have needed to stop for breath and use the puffer. The secret was/is the nose breathing. Close the mouth and breathe exclusively through the nose, even when you exercise. It is a miracle in my life. I am very thankful to you Artour for this manual.

From: Ahmed Hussein, 45
I am 45 years old and have been an asthmatic virtually all my life. I have had sinus problems most of my life. I had my first asthma attack at the age of 28 and was in the hospital for 5 days after coming close to death. My breathing stayed very heavy since then: I’d be winded walking from my bed to the bathroom in the morning. My drugs were at about $1,000 dollars a month for years… I found the DIY breathing retraining manual on the internet and after the second day of intensive breathing retraining, my sinuses cleared, the tightness in my chest disappeared, my lungs cleared and the secretions stopped. In addition I felt more relaxed, alert and generally well. I have been off all drugs in 2 weeks. My CP tripled since I started the breathing exercises and I am determined to get up to 60 s CP. Please, let me express here my gratitude for your help.

From: Greg Neil, 34
I had extremely bad asthma: using a ventolin inhaler very frequently and taking becloforte (corticosteroid, 6 puffs 3 times a day); uniphyllin tablets (twice a day); and prednisolone tablets (another corticosteroid, 10 to 20 mgs a day depending on my state). I was hospitalized a few times, including two times in an ER: oximeter reading of 40, steroids and about 8 nebulizers in the ER alone with my pulse over 160. When I started Buteyko and DIY device exercises I had less than 10 s CP. I hated the idea of taping up my mouth but tried it. Now I tape up each night! It makes a huge difference in the morning. By the end of the first week, I stopped using ventolin and uniphyllin completely. In 3 weeks I have cut down all my medication, but my morning CP is still only about 18 s. The Buteyko method does require conscious awareness of our breathing for a year or more. Even if it takes longer than this to breathe shallowly automatically I will continue to apply the method and practice exercises with my breathing device as it has made such a huge difference to my asthma.

Multiple chemical sensitivities

From: Anna, 51
I used to get a stuffy nose very easily and had multiple chemical sensitivities. My sense of smell was increased and I was highly sensitive to semi-strong scents like cigarettes, perfume, and paint. I got tightness in my chest every once in a while and upon regular exercise got easily winded. I noticed that upon starting breathing exercises, my nose cleared up within days. The biggest problem that existed for about five years before the course was an allergy-like reaction to cigarette smoke. This problem decreased after a week of the breathing exercises. It used to be that I had to run from the smell if I was anywhere near a lit up cigarette. Now I can even be in the same car with someone smoking, and not have to worry because I react like a regular person. You have no idea how that makes me feel after years of suffering and feeling like an outcast due to it. There’s no way I will ever go back to the way I used to breathe. My morning CP is about 32 seconds. I am able to breathe normally around smoke without feeling sick for the first time in five years.

General/social anxiety

From: Marek, 27
Hello Artour,
Sorry for long message, but I would like to share my experience with the Buteyko method and also ask some questions if it is possible.
I am 27 years old from Slovakia and I’ve been suffering from severe general/social anxiety (very anxious and intrusive thinking, tightness in neck and chest, strong chest pain, pain in stomach, feeling of electricity and strong pressure in head, depersonalization etc. etc. ) for 6 years. During that time I’ve spent more than 3000 euros on frauds and charlatans working with methods like one brain, eft, hypnotherapy, acupuncture, regress methods, energies etc. During those 6 years, I’ve done more than 1000 hours of classic relaxation exercises. Also been attending psychologists with almost no success. Also, I’ve been attending psychiatrist for 3 years, just one antipsychotic drug helped me to some degree, but my anxiety was still there.

2 months ago I found Buteyko method that learned me that doing classic relaxation (3 sec inhale 6 sec inhale) is incorrect. I tried my CP and that was about 5 sec. My respiratory system was always at strong tense. I bought several books about Buteyko (included your Advanced Buteyko method, which is probably the best and the most educative) and I began to create air hunger all the days. At the beginning, it was extremely hard for me because I was always suffocated.

Although I used to weight lift 3x per week, my stamina/endurance was extremely terrible. Therefore, I bought a bike and stationary bike and I am working on it at least 30 min per day at pulse 130-150.

After a month I began to feel MUUUCH BETTER and today my CP is usually 20-25 sec.

(… His questions – for details, see https://www.normalbreathing.com/diseases-anxiety-disorders)

Thank you very much.

Bronchitis

From: Mike, 26
The breathing course has significantly changed my life. For over 3 years I was being treated for chronic bronchitis. I was getting more and more of steroids, antibiotics, and bronchodilators. Then I decided to try Buteyko breathing retraining using the DIY breathing device. Just after 1 month of breathing exercises with the DIY breathing device, I have had no bronchitis and no medication at all. I can easily go running now for 40 minutes with breathing only through the nose. My sleep and energy level are about 10 times better. I wish to thank you again for your sincere concern for helping us to overcome our various illnesses.

From: Cecilia, 47
I was panting at the slightest exertion, even from walking 50 m or climbing as few as 10 stairs. Since starting my breathing sessions (November 2009) I am now off all medication. This winter (2010) I have had no colds, flu or bronchitis. My immune system and general health has dramatically improved, all thanks to you Artour and to Buteyko.

From: Dorothy, 31
For 2 years I was desperate. I had severe chronic bronchitis. Winters were horrible: one bout of pneumonia or bronchitis after the other. My health was worsening month after month. One day I came across the Buteyko method on the internet. Then I downloaded the manual “Amazing DIY breathing device” from Artour. Within 3 weeks I reduced my medication to one puff in the morning. My general health has improved dramatically. I have not had a single infection after starting the Buteyko method. Thanks to you for committing your time to teach this valuable information.

Emphysema

From: Susan, 56
I only had 25% of my lungs left when I begun using the DIY water device I’m getting a lot better. Before starting this work, I was on a nebulizer machine every three hours 24/7 and that means I was up every three hours at night also and sometimes every hour. I was on every inhaler you can imagine. My doctors told me there was nothing else they could do for me. I was at the emergency room three times a week and in the hospital once a month sometimes for a week at a time and sometimes two weeks at a time. Today, it has been almost 3 years since I’ve used the DIY device. I started with a miserable 7 s CP. My lungs are now over 60% now and I can go days without using the nebulizer machine. If I have to use it, I will use it only once instead of 15 or 20 a day. For the first time in twelve years I’m beginning to have a life and hope, and it is all because of Buteyko. My morning CP is now about 25 s. I can take long walks now! I practice for 60 min every day (3 breathing sessions for 20 min with the DIY device) and will continue doing so. Thank you, Artour, for all your great work in writing and sharing this invaluable knowledge.

From: Arnold, 51
I suffered from sleep apnea for over 10 years and emphysema for 3 years. It got so bad that I was hospitalized 4 times to an emergency room. I was so breathless that I literally could do nothing more then lie on the couch while waiting for my wife to find me. I began the use of bronchodilators and steroids, as well as 24 hour O2 therapy. Once browsing the net, I downloaded the manual about breathing retraining and the DIY device. I re-read it 4 times. Within three days after getting the manual – I stopped bronchodilators and put aside the oxygen tanks. It has been hard but it works! In 5 months of practice I feel better than I have felt in 7 years. What are the changes? My sinuses are clear, no wheezing, no coughing; I have lost over 20 pounds, my sleep is great …

From: Mike, 68
I had emphysema and snoring with horrible mornings and foggy head. I used to wake 3-4 times in a night with a very dry mouth and need to get up to drink water. My medications before the Buteyko course: Pulmicort, Prednisone, Atrovent, Rani, etc. After one month of breathing through my favorite toy (the DIY device), I cut all medication except 2 puffs of Pulmicort per day. My sleep is now perfect. Now I am waking up in the morning with a clearer head (thanks to mouth taping and higher MCP) and have also stopped snoring. I will persist until I get my lungs normal and my CP is up to 60 s or more. It is very important to do breathing exercises daily and follow all other ideas related to lifestyle factors. Each of them (nasal breathing only, sleeping on the left side or chest, eating only when really hungry, proper nutrients, etc.) are crucial for success. Many thanks for all your help.

Chronic fatigue syndrome

From: Andrea, 27
I used to suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Since 2004 I had to stay in bed for weeks feeling totally exhausted. I was so tired, I could hardly move my body parts. Two weeks after starting the breathing retraining my chronic fatigue is gone. My initial CP was 6 seconds. By the end of the first week I had built it up to 20 seconds. Now it is in the mid thirties. I am much more calm and relaxed. My cravings for coffee and sugar are gone. I am a different person. I am in control of my health and life.

From: Ron, 59
My chronic fatigue started about 15 years ago. For the first 4 years my health was getting progressively worse. Previously, I enjoyed daily runs, up to 15-25 km per day for about 2 decades. After getting sick, my physical fitness was greatly reduced. When I tried light jogging for 20-40 min only (it was too hard to run more) in cold weather, I would get sick with infections for the next 2-3 days: fever (over 38 degrees), a very sore throat, a husky voice, a totally blocked nose and a lot of mucus. My sleep was up to 11-12 hours per night and it was horrible: waking up several times every night, tossing in the bed for 30-60 min or more, and I also had headaches… My first CP measurement was 7 seconds. In 1 week of breathing retraining I was up to 20 s. In 2 months, I was up to 50-60 s of oxygen in the morning. My sleep is down to 4 hours now: I fall asleep in about 1 minute and wake up in what feels like a moment later only to find out that 4 hours passed in a flash. After my sleep, I am again full of energy and have no desire to sleep more. I haven’t had a single infection after I started my breath retraining. What is even more surprising is that when I got over 40 s MCP, I started to crave physical activity. I do not run, I virtually fly above ground with … light nasal breathing. I go running for 1.5-2 hours every day and feel even stronger than I was 20 years ago! It is the most incredible health therapy I ever tried and experienced.

Epilepsy seizures

From: Sandra Henderson, 67
I was diagnosed with Grand Mal Epilepsy when I was 17. I am now 67. After taking Artour Rakhimov’s classes on Buteyko Breathing, I went off all medication. It has been 1 1/2 years and I am seizure free. My heart rate has gone down; I have more energy and sleep soundly through the night.

Sinusitis

From: Bret, 23
I had problems with sinuses for many years. My nose was totally blocked all the time. I lost all sense of smell. My initial CP was about 9 s. After finding out about Buteyko and his method, I got a manual and made my personal DIY breathing device. In a week I was able to breath through my nose most of the time. In less than a month I achieved over 20 s CP 24/7. I can now sense different smells and aromas and my nose is clear. I should thank Dr. Buteyko and you, Artour for this amazing method.

Chest tightness

From: Anonymous
I suffered from extreme air hunger/difficulty breathing/chest breathing/labored breathing for 14 years. All the tests run by my doctors came back normal and there was no help in sight. No amount of yoga, pranayama, or any other holistic living practices gave me any relief in terms of my breathing problem. Three weeks ago I found this awesome website. I started applying the breathing techniques and within 2 days I found immense relief. My constant chest tightness of 14 years disappeared like it never existed. I am breathing comfortably with the help of my diaphragm instead of my chest. I also purchased the Frolov Breathing Device. It accelerated my progress severalfold. My constant yawning and air hunger have dramatically subsided after just 2 weeks of Buteyko and three nights of Frolov. I feel alive again. I am so very grateful.

Singing

From: Rick, 37
I’m a singer, this is half the reason I bought the product… 15 minutes of using this product on the second day and it awakened my diaphram into into the full singing shape it was 2 years ago when I was getting daily voice lessons. I do not attribute this to muscle memory because I have been trying for weeks to get my diaphragm activated, I think you just saved my singing career…

Hypertension

From: Otto, 63
After three weeks of the DIY device practice my blood pressure went down to a normal level and it has stayed there ever since. My sleep and digestion have improved, I breathe easier and I can even run 5 km without feeling tired. It has been the most amazing change in my health and life! Thank you for your great work.

Hypertension and anxiety

From: Mary, 45
Thanks to breathing exercises I learned how to control panic attacks (when I feel that they are approaching) and keep my blood pressure normal. I do not take any blood pressure medication anymore. My CP increased from about 12 to 30 s. Another of the benefits of the breathing exercises is that I sleep really well, only for 6 hours, and wake up feeling refreshed. In the past, 9 hours of sleep were not enough. I plan to increase my physical activity up to 1.5-2 hours per day and get an even higher CP.

Chronic cough

From: Huan, 27
I got problems with chronic coughing after severe carbon monoxide poisoning. On top of that weeks later I developed various digestive problems (bloating, irritable bowel, GERD, etc.). For over 3 years I tried almost everything: supplements, herbs, fasting, colonic irrigation, acupuncture, etc. Some of these things could improve by symptoms but only for a few days. While searching the internet, I stumbled over Buteyko, but I dismissed it. Finally, out of desperation, I tried the breathing retraining program from the DIY-device manual written by Artour (www. Normalbreathing.com) and within the first 3 days I started to sleep much better and my cough bouts become about 4-5 times shorter in duration. Eventually, when my CP got up to 30 s, all coughing has stopped. I have even more energy now than prior to Buteyko. Thank you, Artour, for your wonderful work.

From: Michelle, 29
My 9-year son developed a chronic hacking cough at 7. His mouth and throat were always full of mucus and required clearing. For two years we were going from one specialist to another (respirologist, ear-nose-throat, allergy) and they could not find the cause. None of the drugs they suggested and we tried worked. After practicing the breathing exercises (“Amazing DIY Breathing Device”) for just one month, his cough is absolutely gone!

From: Randy-Wayne: Fricke
I had been a 3 to 4 pack a day Marlboro Man for many years. I never had a cough while I was a smoker though. A cough developed AFTER I quit cigarettes. I went as pure as I could in my environment. Room air filtration systems, not being around other smokers, moving to the country, the works. Nothing seemed to help until I discovered Artour’s “Stop Coughing’ videos on YouTube. Since practicing his techniques my cough has subsided by at least 90%. I now can go for hours even days without coughing. Thank you Artour for your fabulous work.

“I have experienced the Buteyko breathing technique both personally and professionally and found it to be a very effective treatment for asthma. I experienced substantial relief and improvement for my lifelong asthma and rhinitis within 3 days of starting my treatment seminar and the results have proved to be long-lasting. I was so impressed that I have now trained as a Buteyko practitioner.”
Doctor Kevin Treacy, New Zealand

“Professor Buteyko’s principles are entirely consistent with the physiological facts established by medical research 120 years ago. The Buteyko system makes use of the person’s own resources and trains them in taking responsibility for their own health. They become less dependant on outside agencies such as hospitals, doctors, and physiotherapists, thereby reducing the costs to the health service”.
Doctor Godfrey Nelson, M.B.B.A, F.R.A.C, G.P., the UK

“I’ve been astonished and also very pleased with the excellent result. There is no disruption of their life at all by their disease: normal activities; not waking at night; not needing to use any reliever medications. It’s just great…75% control is about as good as anyone has got in any study of asthma. The neat thing about it is that it has no side effects. It’s very safe. The Buteyko technique certainly has been shown to be an important adjunct to treatment.”
Doctor Bob Cowie, Calgary Trial of the Buteyko Method, Canada

“It changed my life. Before I could barely walk up stairs now I can manage a 10-mile hike. I was using my puffer four times a day as well as steroids and now I”m off all drugs.”
Doctor John Stanley of the British National Public Health Laboratory. the UK

“The Buteyko Institute Method provides a comprehensive approach to achieving safe and effective asthma control. I find that the Buteyko Institute Method helps control asthma through simple breathing exercises and asthma education, rather than medication. the method respects the doctor-patient relationship, teaching patients to control their reliever medication, only stepping down steroids under rather than medication. The method respects the doctor-patient relationship, teaching patients to control their reliever medication, only stepping down steroids under medical supervision. This is in line with accepted ‘best practice’ asthma management worldwide.”
Doctor Anand, MBBS MRCGP, Newcastle upon Tyne, the UK

“Over the last two years, I have examined many patients before and after the [Buteyko] course and found the improvement to be repeatable to the degree that patients in over 90% of cases can stop medical treatment, or reduce it to less than half, of that, which was previously required. I attended the tutorials and found the approach, tuition and the method to be responsible and safe. As a medical doctor and Naturopath, I am impressed and surprised at the effectiveness and safety of this natural approach…”
Doctor Paul Ameison, MBBS, MD, DAC, ND, the UK

“There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the Buteyko Technique works,” said Doctor Bob Cowie MD, resident Respirologist at the Foothills Hospital and Manager of Calgary Buteyko Clinical Trial. “The results of this study shows it is a wonderful adjunct to conventional treatment of Asthma. We had super results that no one else has been able to match even with the best medication.”
Doctor Bob Cowie, Calgary Trial of the Buteyko Method, Canada

“As lung specialists, we know from clinical experience that even spending a small amount of time teaching patients how to manage their condition and control their breathing appropriately can reduce both the number of asthma attacks and improve their quality of life.”
Dr. John Harvey Chair of the British Thoracic Society communications committee, the UK

“This method was originally designed to help people overcome asthma, yet the benefits extend to many different maladies. If you have asthma, snoring, sleep apnea, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, high blood pressure, chronic cough, anxiety or panic, insomnia or any other stress-related condition, I would encourage you to learn more about this. If it sounds a bit like snake oil, it’s only because breathing, specifically poor breathing technique, is the cornerstone to so many breathing disorders. Learning to breathe properly can result in a dramatic improvement in your health and significantly reduce the amount of medication used for chronic conditions.”
Dr. Larry Greenblatt, family and sports medicine physician, Issaquah, WA, New Zealand

“Having heard remarkable reports from my patients who did the Buteyko course, my son and I tried it out. I learned how to eliminate a migraine headache and my son’s asthma, made worse by cold and exercise was noticeably better just by doing the exercises. At the six weeks follow-up everyone had made progress, e.g. from asthma, fatigue from sleep problems, snoring, sleep apnea, anxiety, panic attacks and improvement in athletic performance. And there was a sense of confidence that the exercises could continue to provide relief of symptoms. I noticed my sleep quality was better too. I feel confident in recommending this course to my patients who have asthma, sleep problems, anxiety and panic attacks and sleep apnea. I believe every health professional should experience the course for themselves. The theory in itself is well worth hearing as it makes sense and its practical application is the evidence of its efficacy. It’s quite possible that Buteyko breathing could have much wider health applications.”
Anne O’Reilly MB BCh FRNZCGP, New Zealand

“I work in General Practice and the knowledge that I gained from Glenn’s course has been invaluable to my understanding of some the health problems presenting in the people I see. I cannot imagine practicing medicine without the understanding I now have of the impact of faulty breathing on health. I highly recommend the Buteyko Course. It is very useful for asthma but also chronic hay fever and snoring and has a role to play in the management of anxiety.”
Mimi Irwin MBCHB, Dip Obs, D MF Homeopathy London, Fellow of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners, New Zealand

“Glenn has helped many of my patients and empowered them to move beyond their asthma. With his Buteyko techniques, they have been able to reduce inhaler use significantly. He has been particularly successful with children – they love Glenn’s enthusiastic style. I have no hesitation in recommending Glenn and his techniques to patients.”
Graeme Kidd MBChB, FRNZC, GP Howick, New Zealand

“As a General Practitioner for twenty-five years, I have often been dissatisfied with the disease control and quality of life achieved by my asthmatic patients. The common thread despite their use of medication correctly has been poor perception and attitude towards their illness, often with fear of loss of control. All of my patients who have been referred to Buteyko have returned with a much stronger attitude towards monitoring symptoms and controlling their condition. This has for every patient resulted in much greater self-confidence and improved enjoyment of life, often with the reduced need for medication, especially during exacerbations. I have found Glenn extremely consultative about my patients, completely professional in his approach, and especially co-operative about my recommendations for medication. At no time has he suggested an alteration to inhaler programmes without full consultation and I have been impressed to find that his suggestions have invariably been wise treatment changes. I, therefore, have complete confidence in referring my patients to him for Buteyko teaching and enjoy their renewed enthusiasm for life and control of their asthma.”
Graeme F Washer MBChB, FRACS, New Zealand

“The ability to produce marked reductions in asthma-drug utilization suggests that the pharmaco-economic implications of BBT merit further study. Clarification of the mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of BBT is a further goal, given that BBT appears to represent a safe, efficacious alternative for the management of asthma…All published studies on the Buteyko breathing technique, including one which we performed in Gisborne, have shown positive results. Reductions of reliever medications averaged 85 to 95 percent and reductions in preventer medication 40 to 50 percent.”
Doctor Bruce Duncan MB, ChB, MSc, MRCGP, MFPHM, FAFPHM, DCH, Gisborne Hospital, Australia
Doctor Patrick McHugh, BMedSc, MB, ChB, DipGUMed, Dip MSM, Emergency Department, Gisborne Hospital, Australia