Doctor Konstantin Buteyko: Direct Telephone Line Calls, 1997

- Updated on November 20, 2023

Doctor Konstantin Buteyko: Direct Telephone Line Calls, 1997 1By Dr. Artour Rakhimov, Alternative Health Educator and Author

– (Translation) Last updated on August 9, 2018

Russian National Newspaper Komsomol Truth, Recorded on 29 October 1997

“Buteyko speaking”

“Good day, Konstantin Pavlovich. This is Bobrov from Moscow. I have a grandson, eight years old. He is sick due to an allergy for 4 years.”

“I preach the medicine, which first finds the cause of the disease and then cures. The cause of allergy, bronchitis, asthma, and lungs’ diseases, I am sure, is excessively deep breathing. Only its elimination allows complete treatment of these apparently incurable diseases. I proved that 45 years ago…”

“How can I get rid of deep breathing?”

“You should learn the method under supervision of a practitioner exercising at least 3 days for 2 hours each. If practitioners do not have certificates and licenses, they are charlatans; they can bring only harm.”


“Is it right that even children with chronic asthma can be cured?”

“We can treat chronic asthma, in particular, in the most severe form, even faster than the usual one.”

“Why is it so?”

“Because the patient experiences improvement and practices seriously.”


“Could you respond to Krasnodar? My name is Irina Konopleva. What is most important in your method?”

“To decrease deep breathing (the volume of inspiration) until the norm. Not to hold breathing, but gradually normalize it. This is difficult, although primitive people and animals breathe like that. However, a man, if he is sensible, needs at least 6-7 hours. Or more than 1 month.”

“Can the man get accustomed to that?”

“He did not get accustomed, he learns. He gets to the normal breathing forever.”


“Good day, Minsk is worrying you. My daughter suffers from diabetes mellitus since she was 2 years old. Now she is 16, insulin-dependent, injections 3 times per day.”

“For people with diabetes, especially in the severe form, we can guarantee only relief. To cure diabetes, especially a severe one, immediately is impossible; time is required. The process of weaning off insulin is going to be slow and gradual, with mandatory control.”

“Can we find some literature?”

“There are publications, but I categorically against do-it-yourself approach. That is dangerous.”


“My name is Stanislav Fedorovich. I have a son 16 years old; he suffers from asthma for more than 11 years. Do you think that asthma can be cured completely?”

“If deep breathing is suppressed, he is going to be absolutely healthy.”

“Thank you. Can oncology be treated using your method?”

“Yes, but the more severe the disease, the harder the normalization of breathing and cure.”


“You are worried by Igor Dubrov from Ribinsk. I want to hear from the first lips about the influence of your system on the character, sleep and energy of a man.”

“The breathing and metabolism normalize; the immunity is restored. And hence, such diseases as bronchial asthma, hypertension, stenocardia, diabetes mellitus, allergies, and frequent colds disappear.”

“How do you breathe? Right?”

“I could die from deep breathing 45 years ago; I had malignant hypertension. The kidneys were failing. And I tested my ideas on my own organism. This year I am going to be 75, and I am healthy.”


“Good day, Konstantin Pavlovich. We are from Mogilev, Belorussia. Could you please explain shortly your principle of breathing.”

“Here it is: we know that deep breathing decreases the concentration of carbon dioxide in the blood, lungs, and cells. Russian scientist from Perm Vertigo discovered, already at the end of 19th century, the law, which is, as it seems, strange: fall of carbon dioxide increases the chemical link between oxygen and hemoglobin. As a result, it is more difficult for oxygen to get from the blood to the brain, heart, kidneys, and other organs. In other words, the deeper the breathing, the less oxygenation of the cells in the brain, heart, and kidneys. This law is in the foundation of our discovery. CO2 deficiency causes constant spasms in all organs. Hence, it is necessary to learn right breathing.”

“Are pills essential?”

“We use medical drugs only when it is necessary.”

“Ok. Thank you”


“Good day. I’ve heard that you can treat female frigidity. Is it so? And if yes, how?”

“How old are you?”

“Thirty”

“The most frequent cause of female frigidity is wrong breathing. Osteochondrosis is the second cause. When among the causes is an infection in teeth, and so on. Therefore, the goal is to eliminate the cause.”

“And one more question. I practice swimming. Naturally, breathing is deep. How dangerous is this?”

“I’ll explain now. Here is everything vice versa. Deep breathing is dangerous not by itself, but because it blows off carbon dioxide and causes carbon dioxide deficiency in the organism. Physical exercise helps to produce carbon dioxide.”

“Thank you very much”


“Good day, my name is Marina Tulupova. I am from Yaroslavl’. I read somewhere that official medicine did not accept you for a long time; you worked almost in secrecy. Was it so?”

“Of course, we had terrible persecutions. We worked in private apartments, practically illegally. In order to stop persecutions from militia – we treated them…That was because I proved that official medicine was standing upside down, doing everything vice versa. Although I am a candidate of medical sciences and a pupil of the First Medical Institute. An honor student. Only in 1983 did I get the author’s certificate and the patent to treat. That happened 21 years after the invention of the Buteyko method.”


“Good day. I have a question. I do not know if it is relevant. There is a disease: nasal polyposis. Should it be treated only using a surgery?”

…. (Some content was omitted – see the note below.)


The direct line was prepared and carried out by Valentina Terekhina, Anna Amel’kina, Anna Dobrukha, and Yaroslava Tan’kova.

Note: * The whole interview is included in the Amazon book (sponsored content): “Original Works by Dr Buteyko and 1988 Buteyko Breathing Manual” (Kindle Book and Paperback). You can also find the PDF version of this book on the page “Dr. Buteyko’s Original Interviews, Articles, Speeches, and Manuals“…..

Or go back to Breathing techniques