Hi, I was just wondering if anyone has tried any alternative medicine and what has been successful. Our daughter takes a probiotic (opposite of anitbiotic) which has been helpful, and a saline solution for her sinus congestion, but I was wondering what other things people have tried that may work. She is only 3 but I was wondering about things like yoga, massage etc. A non pill form trick would be great, because I don't think she will allow us to give her more than she already takes <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif" border="0">Thanks,Heather
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Alternative Medicine
- Thread starter anonymous
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I do yoga regularly and I love it. The breathing helps me move mucus out. I also get one or two massages every month. They really help with joint pain and muscle tension from coughing. I would recommend to anyone that before you began regular massage therapy that you get a bone density test done. It's simple and painless, but it's important to know what shape your bones are in, this goes for serious and intense yoga practice as well. CF osteoperosis is becomming a common problem. I have it in my spine, so I take it easy on certain moves. I also use aromatherapy and essential oils. Eucalyptus mixed with honey or cream in a bath opens up airways, and is also a good antibacterial when burned in an oil lamp, but don't apply it directly to the skin. It also has a cooling effect and feels great in a bath when there's a feaver. Lavender has so many uses! It is very soothing and relaxing to smell, and can be applied directly to cuts as an antisceptic. Tea Tree oil is good for zits and athleat's foot. Mix a few drops of Rosemary and lavender with epsom salt to make a muscle relaxing bath salt. Put a few drops of eucalyptus, tea tree and lavender in a bowl of hot water and inhale the vapors (keep your eyes closed) when sinuses are stuffy. I burn essential oils in a lamp to freshen my room. This eliminates the irritation from the chemicals in artificial air fresheners. I also use them as perfumes for the same reason. Different smells do stimulate you in different ways. Debbie22 yr old w/ Cf
My 15 yr old neice has CF. I have also been exploring alternative treatments. Her main problems are her sinuses as well as staph infection in her lungs (MRSA also). Have boiled eucalyptus oil to clear her sinuses. Also use tea tree oil as a spray disinfectant. I here great things about tea tree oil helping staph. Was just informed about oregano oil being even better & read an article on line last nite @ it working as well as vacamyacin. Of cource the DR.'s highly disapprove of taking it orally due to no trials on humans. It can be diluted & srayed though. Really want her to try but am scared about complications with the mixture of the many other meds she's on. It is a natural herb. Hard to make those decisions for a child. & don't know what I would do as an adult with that decision. Doin more research on it if anyone knows anything let me know please. I do encourage her to do massage therapy on her face for the sinuses as well as the yoga sounds to vibrate her sinuses. At her age she was a little hiper in yoga class. Thanks for any infor on Oregano oil.
Hi, I just healed a chronic sinus infection that I had for about 7 years, by drinking water. I am an adult, and I drank a gallon to a gallon-and-a-half a day, but I think that's more than most adults would need. (I live in a dry frozen climate -- minnesota winter -- and I have trouble staying hydrated. It also worked better for my sinuses when I added salt to some of the water -- 1/4 tsp per quart. (I added the salt to about half of the water I drank --- if I added salt to all the water I got constipated, too much salt per water intake for me. People are all different.) I got this recipe from the "watercure" website -- sorry don't know exact name but if you search on that, all one word, you'd find it. I don't know if your niece would need the salt if she gets enough salt in her diet -- I cook all my own food and was salt-deficient, so I could be different. But definitely, would help if she drinks a lot of water. Thick mucous that doesn't drain right is a classic sign of dehydration -- I know it is for CF too, but it wouldn't be good to have both dehydration and CF. And look into her salt intake -- if a person doesn't have enough salt, she can't absorb water effectively and the water will run right through her. Salt is how your body absorbs water, water is drawn into digestive tract cells by the salt. You might also do a search on salt deficiency and mucous, because I remember reading that a sign of salt deficiency is thick mucous in the lungs, which wouldn't be good on top of CF. (I've got gunk in my lungs from lack of salt and I don't have CF.) I also follow a diet, Peter D'Adamo's Eat Right 4 Your Type diet (think website is dadamo.com) -- it has been very effective over time, in strengthening my immune system. It's a "get healthy" diet, not a lose-weight diet, though some people lose weight on it. You also might want to research fatty acids, things called omega 3 & omega 6 fatty acids found in oils. Udo Erasmus' book "Fats that heal, fats that kill" is a great explanation -- or see his detailed website udoerasmus.com (I think?). Fatty acids are things most people aren't eating right, and they have an enormous impact on levels of inflammation and immune system function. Many people are deficient in omega 3 fatty acids especially, and I read that omega 3 fatty acids are antimicrobial against staph (can't vouch for whether that source was reliable, but it makes sense from what I know about fatty acids.) Anyway, someone deficient in fatty acids would surely have lower immunity to staph. Omega 3's are found in flax oil, so for an adult 1-2 tablespoons a day would help -- I put it in fruit smoothies. But read the Erasmus book -- it's important to know more. The balance of fatty acids in the oils is important, and a different oil like hemp might work better for some people depending on how they eat. It's not as complicated as it sounds. A great comprehensive book on nutrients is Garrison & Somer's "Nutrition Desk Reference" -- I make sure I get all the vitamins & minerals in there, and it's made a huge impact on my health. Lastly, I've heard that about oregano oil & staph too. I'm fighting a staph infection right now. Also check out olive leaf extract -- I'm reading it has strong antimicrobial properties, and might really help with the staph. It is helping me. Good luck with your niece! I was just stopping by, so if you answer I probably won't see it, but I wish you well. (o:
Hi, me again -- the water-salt-fatty acid person. Forgot to say on the oregano oil -- r.e. her other medications, ask her pharmacist. Oregano oil is pretty well known, and they should know if it would interfere. Pharmacists are supposed to have a big book that lists interactions, it's a legal thing in the U.S., and they can look this up. Also forgot to say on the fatty acids, a person would know they're short on them usually if hair is not shiny and skin is dry. I corrected my fat metabolism and my hair got shiny, at age 38!! My hair has never been shiny. Other nutrients can also affect how well a person digests fats, like zinc especially. Zinc deficiency would also reduce immunity to staph -- good thing to research -- if you are zinc deficiency lozenges are the best way to get it, pills don't digest right. But research it, because taking too much zinc is toxic so you need to know limits, Garrison & Somer's book would have them.I'm working on MRSA too.