Coffee for asthma?

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I'm always hearing something new about ways to treat asthma, the latest one I heard involves drinking coffee to treat asthma. According to a New York Times article, caffeine has a substance that acts similar to theophylline, which is a drug used to treat asthma.



Can caffeine replace theophylline? The Times article says that coffee can result in a small improvement in lung function for 2-4 hours. But it also says that the improvements are very slight, not enough to act as a replacement for medication.


If you are having problems breathing, I would not suggest drinking coffee! Use your inhaler! If you feel like your inhaler isn't working, call your doctor. The majority of people (medical personnel included) don't use their inhalers properly. So, you may not be getting as much medication into your lungs as you think you are. Simply changing the way you use your inhaler can improve your asthma dramatically. Click here to view an asthma telehealth by David Young, a pharmacist who discusses common mistakes people make when using their inhaler. (Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on "In the World of Asthma, Device Matters")


Also, if you suffer from heart problems or other issues, you need to be careful about your how much caffeine you drink. Especially if you are drinking coffee after using your inhaler. That can be too much stimulation for your heart.


So, bottom line? Coffee can have a minimal effect on asthma, but is not a substitute for your asthma inhaler. And too much caffeine combined with the inhaler can affect your heart.


Be skeptical! There are some weird claims floating around......

Comments

  1. Actually, started giving my son coffee for his 6 months after he was diagnosed and was continuing to have issues and he quit having problems altogether. It was a hail Mary play as didn't have the funds right then for all his meds. That was 10 years ago and he hasn't had a problem since.

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  2. Hi Amy, thanks for visiting my blog!

    I'm glad that worked for him. Every case of asthma is different. And he may be one of the lucky kids that could "outgrow" his asthma. No such luck for us, my asthma is lifelong since I have allergies too.

    Many doctors don't recommend coffee (or even caffeine soft drinks) if their patients have heart conditions.

    Sounds like your son is doing well! I'm glad he doesn't have to deal with asthma for the rest of his life! :)

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  3. I was never a coffee drinker but started going through the drive up on my way to work after a move. I didn't know anybody in the area and was living alone and enjoyed talking to someone in the morning even if it was just to order coffee. So I started getting a cup of coffee each morning. I have asthma and noticed that the coffee seemed to be making it better. Next time I was at the doctor I said this may sound weird but I started drinking coffee and it seems to make my asthma better , does that make sense. He then explained that coffee has a bronchodialater in it ...do I saw improvement from drinking coffee.

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  4. I was never a coffee drinker. I moved to a new community by myself and didn't know anyone. Their was a coffee drive up a few blocks away so I I started going there and getting a coffee each morning s9 I could say good morning to someone. When I started drinking coffee I q
    Quickly noticed a difference in my asthma. My symptoms decreased. I thought it was weird but it seemed the coffee was helping. On my next doctor visit I mentioned it to her and she explained it made sense because coffee has a btonchio dialater in it. I would never replace my inhaler but a cup of coffee each day has reduced my need to use an inhaler. I used it daily and now I rarely use it

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    1. Hey there Arctic Teacher, thanks for stopping by and I am glad you are getting to know people in your new community.

      I wrote a post about this a long time ago, so probably time to update it. But, this is a post about coffee and asthma

      http://asthmamomlife.blogspot.com/search?q=coffee

      Glad you are doing well!

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  5. after my son have been admitted because of asthma i let him drink coffee and aftwr that its like my son doest even have a asthma ever..that was two years ago and now no matter how he play or wer ever we go his asthma is not even showing up

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    1. Hey there, just a reminder that asthma doesn't go away. That is a myth. Some kids can have Reactive Airway Disease (where their airways are smaller than normal and the airways grow as the child grows) - leading some people to think their child "outgrew asthma".
      https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/asthma/expert-answers/reactive-airway-disease/faq-20058010

      Always talk to your doctor about stopping medication! :)

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  6. I have asthma since my childhood. I was in a camp meeting during our college days. The place we were sleeping was up in the mountain and it was very cold. I was not carrying any asthma medicine and was not using any asthma medicine during that time but I was already used to my chest tightening up sometime at night. It was a very cold night. Suddenly while I was sleeping I started to feel a mild asthma attack or my chest was tightening up and I could hardly sleep. We were just visitors in the house and I saw a kettle in the kitchen and boiled immediately some water n prepared some coffee and drank it. Suddenly, I felt I could breath better. From that time on I realized for me , coffee could give some relief for my asthma and still drinking it today sometimes for some relief.I still use my prescribed medicines if needed. Coffee has some chemical related to theophylline which is a drug for asthma. By God s grace and lots of prayer, I m still coping today and still learning about herbs and other things about health improvement. We should remember that while coffee gives some relief.it is a strong stimulant and we should be careful about consuming it. God bless. edward Oct.8/11 pm

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    1. I'm glad you are staying on your prescribed medicine.

      Remember that coffee does NOT replace asthma inhalers. The dose of theophylline in coffee is NOT equal to a dose of Albuterol from an inhaler!

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