Canadian Asthma Prevention Institute

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The following comments are from participants in CAPI's Retrospective Survey. 

CAPI has no way of verifying the validity of any of the statements below, and cautions readers to realize they come under the category of "personal testimonials."

By themselves, the testimonials bear little weight, however, in combination with the participants reported results, a pattern of improvement appears to be suggested.

Many "Quality of Life" indicators are also present in the testimonials, and, as CAPI will be using Quality of Life Questionnaires in the RAINS Study, we decided to post the comments here to add insight into the perceived personal experiences of people who have previously used the Protocol Nutrients we are using in the RAINS Study. 

L.W. -

My son is 10 years old. Before (using the protocol nutrients), he was using a variety of medications in an attempt to control his allergy and asthma symptoms. 

Ventalin inhaler, Vansenase inhaler, Nasalcrom, Flonase, Prednazone (sp.) several times a year to help with bronchitis -- which he would always develop when he got a cold --and two allergy shots per week. 

Within 6 weeks he was off all of his medications, and, with the exception of using his ventalin for one day, after he decided he did not want to take "all those vitamins", he has remained off them. (He changed his mind immediately about taking (using the protocol nutrients)!) 

He has had a few colds, but absolutely no bronchitis or any wheezing at all. When he used to enter a house with a cat, his face and neck would swell, he would get hives, and usually end up in the emergency room for a breathing treatment. 

Now he is able to even pet cats, with the worst symptom being an occasional sneeze, if he should touch his face before washing his hands. (The protocol nutrients have) certainly changed his life...

J.M. 

(Using the protocol nutrients) has been a Godsend. My 3-1/2 yr. old daughter NEVER gets sick anymore - she takes the (protocol multi-antioxidant/vitamin/mineral complex and bioflavonoid complex) each day. 

This was a kid who was constantly sick w/colds & bronchitis. She gets nothing now! 

L.G. 

My 2 year old son has not been 'officially' diagnosed with asthma, but he does take albuterol [2mg] when he gets a cold.  

The (protocol nutrients) have helped him stay healthier, he used to go to the doctor every time he got a cold (5 times last years cold and flu season [Sept 98-March 99]) 

This season he's only had one trip to the doctor.

Our doctor doesn't promote the use of supplements, we found (the protocol nutrients) on our own.

N.J.

A... never had severe asthma.  He would only cough at nights when he had a virus... that ongoing hacking cough.  He had pneumonia at a year old and had a partial collapsed lung.  I think this was a reaction to his innocculation as he always wheezed after every shot.  

Nevertheless what I have noticed in him is that he has had so few colds this year,  They don't last as long and he doesn't get bronchitis with his colds.  

We haven't needed to used ventolin.  We give extra calcium and (bioflavonoid complex) only when he does get cold and it seems to work and keeping him well.

G... started wheezing after his first innoculations, that is when we decided to stop all innoculations as we didn't want the same outcome of pneumonia as the other two boys had had.  

G..., had bronchitis with every cold.  He resembled P..., but never got as bad.  

He had been in the hospital a few times because he couldn't stop coughing but has never been on steroids or ventolin for more than 28 days at one time.  

G... now seems to have no bronchitis with colds.  He doesn't cough much either... never with exercise... sometimes a little more at night.  

When I increase his calcium and give him an extra (protocol multi-antioxidant/vitamin/mineral) it seems to help.  I haven't needed to give him any medication but the occasional, once every month puff of ventolin.

P... has had the most benefits.  We are still not out of the red.  With every cold, virus, I wonder if he will need any intervention.  

Once in a while we need ventolin, sometimes even flo-vent... but P... use to be on Beclovent 4 times a day and ventolin.  

P... use to visit the hospital regularly.  He had terrible allergies that begun after his 12 month innoculation.  

He had had a pneumonia followed with 4 months of prednisone, hospital visits... until he was diagnosed with asthma and severe allergies to mold and other environmental things.  

P... couldn't walk out of the house without having a n attack.  We had to keep him indoors in a controlled environment with hepa filter running 24 hours a day.  

Before (using the protocol nutrients) we had made dietary changes.  We had taken him off milk, cause the doctors diagnosed him as lactose intolerant because it upset his stomach and caused major diarrhea.  This seem to disappear after taking the (protocol nutrients) for a couple of months.  

We also took P... off all wheat products, since his ears were full of fluid and a Naturopath doctor recommended that we try since our other option were tubes.  P's ears did clear for the first time in 12 months.  (He) now takes wheat products after 2 years and is tolerating them well.  

P... always had bad bronchitis almost pneumonia with every cold. He no longer has bronchitis.  When he has some wheezing, we wake him up give him water, extra (protocol nutrients).  Most of the time it works just as well as ventolin and he doesn't cough all over again at 5.  

P... would do better with (essential fatty acid complex).  He took it for a short time and it seemed to benefit him in other ways but it is hard to convince him to take it or disguise the taste,  I am  certain if allergy test were done again on P... the results would be dramatically different.  

I can't say exactly what contributed to the success we have had with P..., but I can say that (using the protocol nutrients) has helped.  He is no longer the same little boy who was constantly sick.  

He is well and growing lots.  

The only thing I would ever refuse is to take myself or the kids off the (the protocol nutrients) as I strongly believe this would be jeopardizing their health.  

We never want to go back to where we came from.  It wasn't an unusual picture to have 2 kids at the hospital at once and administering medication through a nebulizer 3 hours a day... I never want to go back to that place where I didn't know if my child would make it through the night.  I hope you will find answers to share with us in the research you do.

M.H.

Since my daughter started (using the protocol nutrients), her health has improved noticeably.  

She no longer is subject to frequent upper respiratory infections, sinusitis or tonsilitis,  she used to ""exhaust her antibiotics"" every winter, and continued to be ill long after the meds were discontinued.  

She has not had that experience since (using the protocol nutrients), any colds she picks up are short in duration and slight in intensity.  

She has not wheezed or struggled for breath. 

She has not renewed the Rx for the steroid inhaler and has not used the regular inhaler for so long that we have forgotten the name of the drug involved.  

Increased energy, resistance to infections and viruses - what a gift.  

P.F.

I have 2 asthmatic children.  One is a female 24 years old.  The other is a male 16 years old.  

Both have had significant improvements in their asthma symptoms as well as sinus conditions.  

My son missed 10+ days of school each year prior to (using the protocol nutrients).  

Both children have discontinued use of inhalers.
When I started (using the protocol nutrients), I had been taking other supplements for 10+ years.  

I was using 3 inhalers, 4 times each day; often used prednisone and made frequent visits to my doctor or the emergency room.  

Since (using the protocol nutrients), I have also been able to discontinue
using inhalers (except for the occasional use of salbutamol).

D.G.

The only medication I was on most recently for asthma was an inhaler.  I do not use it at all any more. (well on two occasions in the past 8 months)  

If I am exposed to colds or have allergy symptoms, I up my  intake of (protocol mineral ascorbate complex with the protocol nutrients), I feel these are the best for my problems of a respiratory nature). 

 I can get the startings of something and then it subsides.  

I used to get sinus infections all the time, have plugged ears, headaches etc.  

I have not had this for some time. When I started (using the protocol nutrients), my sinuses drained and drained - now I am clear.  

My asthma is seasonally caused allergies.  It is nice to get through the seasons with only minimal discomfort now.  

I will not ever quit (using the protocol nutrients) because these respiratory benefits are only some of the benefits I have had from taking the product.  It really does improve the quality of one's life.  

C.W.

We had tried everything nutritional, medicinal, chiropractic to holistic with our youngest boy. 

He was 3 weeks old when he was first on antibiotics. I am great friends with our Dr. and I talked him out of diagnosing him as Asthmatic. 

I have a niece and nephew who are and knowing what needed to be done. When he was 3 1/2 we started him on the (protocol nutrients) and the results were tremendous!

We live on a ranch in NW South Dakota and the nearest hospital is 75 miles away. I can vividly remember the frantic trips to the emergency room hoping we would make it in time! 

Since he has been on the (protocol nutrients) he has not had one hospital stay! He would always end up with Bronchitis/Pneumonia with his attacks and the amount of antibiotics that child consumed in his first 3 years is unbelievable! 

He still gets sick, but not as often or as severe. We can control it with adjusting his (protocol nutrients).

Our entire family is on the (protocol nutrients) and the health benefits/improvements are tremendous!

L.G.

I used to be sick 5-8 times a year. The 2 months before I started taking (the protocol nutrients), I was on 3 rounds of antibiotics for recurring respiratory infections.  I had extreme inhalant sensitivities and coughed most of the time.  I had done stained glass for several years and had not properly vented my work area.

The doctor tried all the normal asthma drugs on me and I had severe reactions to all of them, including Intal.  (I couldn't stand the propellants.) 

They tried a nebulizer and Albuterol makes me crazy.  The only inhaler I have found I can use is Serevent powder and I don't use it much (1 month supply in 6 months).

I had been unable to sing for 5 years.  After 7 months (using the protocol nutrients) I was able to sing again.  My overall health has improved and I have been sick only 4 times in 3 years.  When I have gotten sick, it hasn't been as severe and doesn't always go to my lungs like it did before.  Usually I get only head colds now.

I don't cough much anymore unless I forget to take doses. OTC grapeseed extracts have no beneficial effect on my asthma and/or allergies, even at twice the mg. dose.

Over the last 8-12 years, I have been developing fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndrome, which are also partly controlled (using the protocol nutrients) products.  

I cannot imagine the pain I would be in if I didn't have these products.  Even 24 hours off (the protocol nutrients), I experience increased pain, allergies and asthma symptoms.

N.M.

I first noticed improvements when I found myself in a smoky bar and had no allergic reaction. A couple of months later I accidentally went to a house with a cat and it was the first time in 16 years that I did not get an asthmatic attack within 10 minutes.. I had a runny nose but that is it.  

After that incident I decided to check it out and went to other homes with cats and again the same thing.  I could not believe it as in the past I could only get relief with Ventolin  and antihistamine.  

The other big difference I noticed is just the way I breath.  I know I breath better.  I don't get out of breath walking up stairs, climbing a hill, running... I'm in better shape than I was at twenty.

H.S.

I am able to do a lot more strenous activity, warm and cold weather, without medications. RECENTLY SPENT HIKING AT 7500 TO 10000 FT HTS NO PROBLEM.

S.L.

I will increase the (bioflavonoid complex). when my asthma gets bad.  But sometimes I feel like I cannot take any more, like I am at my limit.   

I still have a hard time breathing out.  I have dreams where I can't breath, and wake up,  unable to get any air.  I have stopped taking all my medicine though, because I am able to get by a little better than before, and that medicine made me crazy!

I wish you could just make something that would let me exhale like a normal person again.  I have never had the same energy I had before.....now that I have asthma. 

It runs my life, and makes my heart ache too, ( I think because my heart doesn't get enough air)

The more pollution I am around, the more pain I feel in my chest, like when I am in NY city, I always feel like I am having a heart attack, and I think it is the pollution.

M.H.

It is such a relief to go through my days without using an inhaler, even though I carry it with me. I have discontinued use of the steroid inhaler completely.  

Upper respiratory infections, bronchitis, sinus and tonsilitis were my usual winter and spring experiences.

I usually exhausted my antibiotics, even though I was still ill.  

I have not needed days off from work, long rounds of medication or special diets since I started (using the protocol nutrients).  

I feel great, have lots of energy and for me, asthma attacks are a nightmarish memory. I haven't had one in 2 years. 

J.B.

I was on 4 inhalers and two pills. 

I am off all except Seravent & occasionall Flovent (1 puff QD). 

I haven't used Albuterol in 3 years. 

My repeat Bone Density has also improved--4% increase of bone mass of femur. ( I do take Fosamax 10mg QD but no steroids in 3 years!!!!!)

D.R.

My asthma symptoms totally vanished since I started the (protocol essential fatty acid complex and the protocol nutrients).

K.M.

My son C... is now 14 and a severe asthmatic since before he was approx. 6 months old. 

Over his life, we spent several nights in the hospital & emergency, and  missed too many days of school.  We could usually count on 4 to 6 life threatening attacks each year.

Since he has been (using the protocol nutrients), he has had two mild attacks in the last year. He is now away from home at school where he stays, and I am pleased that I do not have to worry about his breathing. 

He also has less colds, and sniffling too.

As a parent (using the protocol nutrients) has been a God-Send for my Family. I wish I had discovered (them) years ago. Now we all can breathe easier and get some rest at night.

C.K.

A...'s asthma has improved tremendously. He still has difficult days, however he is able to function. 

M.R.

I had tried other supplements with no improvement in my asthma/allergies.  I was skeptical when I first heard about (the protocol nutrients).  My symptoms are usually triggered by exposure to animals or smoky environments.  

I used to reach for my inhaler after 5 minutes when I was exposed to a house with pets or a smoky room.  I have recently been in several situations with animals and smoke where I have not needed my inhaler at all!  

If I am having difficulty breathing in the evenings, I will use my inhaler, but also increase my (protocol mineral ascorbate complex and bioflavonoid complex) intake. 

Also, if I know I will be visiting someone with pets, I will increase my dosages a few days prior to the visit to help boost my resistance (I have found this to work for me).  

My symptoms may not be as dramatic as other asthmatics, but (using the protocol nutrients) has truly helped me function normally in environments where I would not have  previously been able to tolerate very long visits, even with inhalers and anti-histamines!

P.A.

I no longer use any medication for the control of my asthma.  That means no more inhalers or courses of Prednisone.  

I am not sure how to determine specifically which product caused the result as I have never isolated them, and have taken them all together since the beginning.  

I have noticed a return of symptoms twice after not being in a habit of taking them.  Now it is part of my daily routine. 

G.B.

Recovery after exercise takes less time than it did a year ago. A skin condition that I have (itchiosis) has improved after beginning (the protocol nutrients). I used to have two to three colds a year. In the last year I have not had one cold.

D.W.

I have been taking the (protocol nutrients) since April 1999.  Over the past 10 months, I have noticed fairly significant improvements in my asthma.  Here are some details of what I have noticed:

At the age of 15 I was diagnosed as being a moderate to severe asthmatic.  I was treated with Ventodisk and Beclodisk (an inhaled steroid).  

This treatment seemed to help for several years.  However, my asthma seemed to get worse with each year, and I was eventually taking the maximum dosage of both inhalers.  

Finally in 1998, an oral steroid was added to my medley of medications.  At this point I was taking an oral steroid once in the morning, and once at night, and 2 inhalations of the Beclodisk, along with 4 to 5 inhalations of the Ventodisk.  

I was always tired and out of breath, even with all of the medications in my system.

In April 1999, I started (using the protocol nutrients). However, I was only on a fraction of the (protocol guideline) dosage due to a severe 'detoxification' reaction to the supplements.  

This small dosage lasted for 6 months (slowly working my way up to the full dosage).  

Within the second week of taking the (protocol nutrients), I noticed a slight improvement in my chest tightness & wheezing.  I was able to cut my Ventodisk inhalations to 2-3 per day.  

By the end of the first month on the products, I was able to cut down the Ventodisk to 1-2 inhalations per day along with remove all steroids from my treatment.  

To this day, I am still only taking 1-2 inhalations of the Ventodisk per day, and am determined to be symptom free within the next few years.

When I experience chest tightness or wheezing, or am getting a chest cold, I increase my (bioflavonoid protocol) intake to around 9 tablets per day.  I am in the process of adding (the mineral ascorbate complex) to my supplements to see if it helps too.

K.N.

Last May, he was showing signs of an asthma attack (May & June are typically hard on him), I was talking to a friend who suggested that I try (using the protocol nutrients).  

I started him the next day, the asthma symptoms quickly went away.   Since that time he has been (using the protocol nutrients) daily, he has had only one small asthma attack, had to use steroids only twice and is gaining strength and health. 

A.D.

My son has asthma. We had great results on the (protocol nutrients) with him.  Please send us survey, we would love to see it and thank you for what you are doing.  The (protocol nutrients have) far and above changed all of our lives. 

R.McG.

I've had such a wonderful experience with the (protocol nutrients) with my asthma symptoms.  After three weeks on the products I no longer have to take my inhalers at all.  

About 3 or 4 times in the past 2 1/2 years I have become a little wheezy but it has always been because I have run out of (the bioflavonoid complex) or because I went to Brunei when they had all the forest fires in Malaysia.

J.H. 

I am an asthmatic and two of my three sons are asthmatic. We have all been hospitalized from it. Also my brother died at age 22 from asthma.

I am 47 now and have not suffered asthma in many years but believe that with asthma "you remain guilty until proven innocent". If I mismanage my health or that of my boys we can all start having athma related breathing difficulties. 

(The protocol nutrients) play an active role in our asthma management. We have had great success to the point where my boys and I are totally medication free and have not seen a doctor in years. Not even for colds etc.

I.R.

I began this program to alleviate Chronic Fatigue Sydrome/Fibromyalgia symptoms and my migraines.  Because I was using the entire protocol, I have no way of knowing which products were causing improvement to which symptoms.  It has however been quite successful for me with the above ailments.  My asthma has been helped also but I can't honestly say that I was paying enough attention to it to know exactly when it started to improve.  I noticed an overall improvement in my health within a month.  It wasn't until a couple of weeks later that I realized that my asthma had also improved.

R.M.

I was asthmatic for the majority of my life.  Since I was 7 years old I was diagnosed with asthma and have been using a ventolin (salbutamol) inhaler anywhere from 4 to 8 times a day since.  When I was 16 years old I used flovent twice a day and the ventolin inhaler about once a day.  Since going on the (protocol nutrients) full-time I have noticed dramatic improvements in my condition.  I went on the (protocol multi-mineral complex, multi-antioxidant/vitamin complex and bioflavonoid complex) for a year before using the other products.  Those alone helped me to reduce my inhaler use very much and around 3 months of dedicated use I did not have to carry an inhaler with me.  It has been almost a year since I have used asthma medication. 

E.L-C.

Before I started taking the (protocol nutrients), I would go into anaphylactic shock 5 or 6 times every summer. I was also totally dependant on inhalers. I can keep these symptoms under control as long as I take the (protocol multi-mineral complex, multi-antioxidant/vitamin complex and bioflavonoid complex).

G.M.

H. was 18 months when the doctor finally diagnosed Asthma. He had had difficulty breathing for awhile. Especially as seasons changed. He had a cough that just would not go away, and there were times when he just couldn't catch his breath. 

When the doctor told me asthma, my heart just broke. I have adult onset asthma and I did not want a lifetime of drugs and suffering for my little boy.

She wanted to start him on a ventilator medication right away. I chose instead to take a different route. He was already on the (protocol chewable multi-vitamin/mineral complex), and we started giving him the (bioflavonoid complex). 

We told him it would help him feel better and breathe easier. He willingly chewed that bitter little pill because he knew that he felt better. He has never had to use medication of any kind. 

When the new chewable (protocol calcium/magnesium/vitamin D complex became available), we gave him that as well. H. will only take (the protocol bioflavonoid complex) when he is feeling ""sick"" i.e. cannnot catch his breath and coughing a lot. He can feel the difference in less than a day.

We have had only a couple minor asthma attacks that required my active little boy to take a nap and have a couple quiet days. To him it was almost a death sentence, but what a relief to a parent.

(The protocol nutrients) saved my little boy a lifetime of drugs and suffering. He is healthy, happy and so loved.

G.M.

I had just been diagnosed with asthma when I started taking (the protocol nutrients). I had had whooping cough a few months earlier and the cough never seemed to go away. 

Got married in May and by June on was using an inhaler 6-9 times a day, just to catch my breath. I went back to my doctor and got a stronger inhalant prescription. 

Instead of filling it, my husband convinced me to try (the protocol nutrients). I have not looked back since. 

I had many other health problems. All have been relieved, including my asthma. I haven't used and inhaler in nearly FIVE years.  

I have three health children, when I was told it was not wise to have any. 

My hypoglycemia, tendonitis and fatigue problems have all but disappeared.

(The protocol nutrients) have given me back my life and helped me to have the health to live it to its fullest potential. 

R.A.

I was doing six puffs a day in a bad session when I began (the protocol nutrients). 

I tapered down to zero puffs in four days. 

That was in September 1999. I have not used my inhaler since that time.

M.S.

I have had sensations of an onset of Asthma about six times.  When that has occurred, I have taken my Albuterol, only one whiff and not two, and, I have increased my (protocol calcium/magnesium/vitamin D complex and bioflavonoid complex) by taking two capsules, at that time.  

The symptoms immediately go away.  After that I have made sure that I have taken my (protocol nutrients) as directed.

B.O.'H.

My cat allergy has gone (contact with a cat used to trigger a major attack in moments and I would have to rush to hospital)- I can now rub my nose in a cat's fur and nothing happens!

I am still slightly allergic to cigarette smoke (but not cigar or pipe tobacco smoke!) and to sudden icy cold air drafts - not too common in Queensland . . . 

My arthritis has gone.

My recovery from physical exercise is astonishing - no more aches and pains after a heavy stint at gardening. 

My blood pressure has dropped from a dangerous level to an extremely healthy level - even though I am at least 10kg overweight. 

My cholesterol level has also dropped from very high to slightly above optimal - I am working on that!

I used to be extremely susceptible to flu epidemics and colds which usually developed into severe bronchitis and/or pneumonia. I have had one short cold since starting to use (the protocol nutrients) and that was in Hong Kong last year in the middle of a very dangerous flu epidemic! Wow!

I am delighted with the amazing changes in my health since starting to use the (protocol nutrients). I must admit to being somewhat skeptical about "vitamins & minerals" before I started on (the protocol nutrients), as I had tried innumerable brands before and none of them made the slightest difference to my health, except for a very good brand of Aloe Vera juice which reduced my blood pressure for a while.

However, (the protocol nutrients) have had a stunning effect on my health and I now recommend them to everyone I know.

One more thing, I am rarely on the recommended dosage as I usually forget to take them at the proscribed times - even after two years. 

When I do remember to do exactly as they are prescribed, I find that even the small wheezes that I occasionally get in the evenings, disappear also. 

I just hate taking pills - maybe it's a subconscious desire to resist admitting having a weakness - who knows!

Once I went off them for a short while to test whether my improved state was just due to different weather conditions, but within a day or two my asthma symptoms returned. 

I understand that the nutrients do not store in the body, but are used as needed daily. As soon as I went back to taking them, everything came right again.