Side effects of asthma and allergy medications—and medicine-free cures

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, May, 2006 by Marjorie Roswell

What are the side effects of Proventil (Generic Albuterol)?

http://www.BuyGenericAlbuterol.com/albuterol-side-effects.html

"More common side effects of Generic Albuterol may include: aggression, agitation, allergic reaction, anxiety, back pain, chest pain or discomfort, chills and fever, coordination problems, cough, decreased appetite, depression, difficulty speaking, diabetes, diarrhea, dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth and throat, excitement, fluid retention and swelling, flushing, general bodily discomfort, headache, heart palpitations, heartburn, hives, increased appetite, increased blood pressure, increased difficulty breathing, indigestion, irritability, labored breathing, leg cramps, light-headedness, muscle cramps, muscle spasm, nasal inflammation, nausea, nervousness, nightmares, nosebleed, over-activity, rapid heartbeat, rash, respiratory infection or disorder, restlessness, ringing in the ears, shakiness, sleeplessness, slowed movement, stomach ache, stuffy nose, sweating, swelling of mouth and throat, taste sensation on inhalation, throat irritation, tooth discoloration, tremors, unusual taste, urinary problems, vomiting, weakness, wheezing."

It seems to me that BuyGenericAlbuterol.com should have the words "Do Not" in front of the URL. (Actually, you can find this list of side effects from this common asthma medication on close to a hundred websites.)

Six Ways to Avoid an Asthma Attack

http://www.doctoryourself.com/asthma.html

I've talked to several people who have completely cured life-threatening asthma simply by removing all processed foods and animal products from their (or their children's) diets. If only I had recorded them when they shared their stories! Theirs were true life-or-death tales with a happy ending. (I also had a next-door neighbor who died of asthma, a terrible ending.) Doctor Yourself suggests in the list that we "eat a lot of fresh, raw foods such as vegetable salads and fresh fruit." Perhaps we in the alternative health community need to start a video web page of patient success stories.

Raw Food Support

http://www.rawfoodsupport.com/

Raw Food Support offers recipes and information on sprouting and kitchen equipment, and allows you to keep a raw diary, share success stories, place a classified ad, and discuss special topics such as kids and teens on raw food.

Raw Family

http://www.RawFamily.com/

In her book, 12 Steps to Raw, Victoria Boutenko offers this restaurant card. You can design to suit your tastes, make copies, and hand one to your waiter or waitress. Chefs often like the creative challenge, and more likely than not, both you and your fellow diners will admire the resulting platter.

The WaterCure

http://www.watercure2.org/

The WaterCure is essentially water with sea salt. One poster writes, "I started on the WaterCure plan on Monday. This is Friday, and my asthma and allergies are gone!" Another says: "I have battled asthma, allergies, and sinus infections for 25 years, and this is a miracle." Note at the bottom of the Asthma/Allergies page, the $50,000 reward offered by Bob Butts to be shared among children who are not completely cured by the WaterCure. I'm guessing Mr. Butts never had to pay that reward. The ad also mentions the related site: http://www.watercure.com/.

Curezone

http://www.curezone.com/?t=59493

"Educating, instead of Medicating," this site is so content-rich that a good place to start is with the find button in your browser. I'll review more fully in a later column.

Do Patients with Mild Asthma Need Daily Inhaled Steroids?

http://general-medicine.jwatch.org/cgi/content/full/2005/422/1

Access to full content on Journal Watch is costly, but you can review this summary, along with links to the Medline references, for free.

Advair Side Effects

http://www.medications.com/index.php/se/Advair

Browse Drugs

http://www.medications.com/go/drugs

At the time of this writing, there are 515 Advair side effect reports on the site, spanning 52 pages. One says "I am a professional vocalist and lost my voice." Most, but not all of the reports are negative. One with a positive result with the medication writes breezily, "Relax, you guys. You all sound like you're having panic attacks, not side effects."

Injured by Advair?

http://www.yourlawyer.com/topics/overview/advair/

The law firm Parker & Waichman, LLP has a wealth of information on side effects.

Bad Advice

http://boards.webmd.com/webx?THD@309.zrTpaL0xnzi.0@.8939330b/0!thdchild=.8939330b/1

In this unfortunate note, a certified pharmacy tech encourages a singer to continue taking Advair despite hoarseness. (I replied with the previous two links.)

Drug Information Online

http://www.drugs.com/

http://browse.drugs.com/condh.html

Drugs.com is a database of information on more than 24,000 drugs. One helpful resource is the ability to search for the name of the drug by health condition.

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The Internet Drug Index

http://www.RxList.com/

http://www.RxList.com/cgi/generic/albut1_ad.htm