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Hi list,
I received lots of answers (over 35)Thanks to all for your support.
First I must give you some precision on what triggered the episode that made
me sick. Last  Friday at work, they removed some carpets and put some new
floor covering. I was exposed to the strong smell of the chemical glue. When
I got home, I started coughing and I coughed for the whole week-end. Monday
I also started to have flu-like symptoms: running-nose, sneezing, difficulty
breathing, fever, burning sore throat, with a strange wheezing. Tuesday, I
went to see the doctor because of the fever almost 102 F.

His diagnosis was that I had an asthma crisis following the exposition to
chemicals. Because of the coughing, he said my lungs and my throat were
irritated and this caused a bronchitis and laryngitis, so he put me on
antibiotic (Amoxil) and recommended 2 different pumps.  One Nasonex and the
other I don't recall because I left the ordonnance in my file at the
drugstore.  I was a bit in shock because this was a bit sudden, that is why
I turned to the list to have more info on asthma.

I am convinced that my case is not severe (at least not yet).  I do have
short breath sometimes.  For years, I thought I was not in good shape
because of that.  When extremely expose to allergens such as dust, dogs et
chemicals, I will cough and have short breath.  But to get very sick, this
is very occasional, less than once a year.  So I will discuss further with a
doctor before deciding to use the pumps, because I am scared of side-effects
and I don't consider my case life threatening.

First here is a summary of some of your answer.

Many told me that asthma was an auto-immune disorder like celiac disease.

Many told me to look for allergies. (Yes I am allergic to many things)

Since I live in Canada, I was told that any pharmacist could tell me if
there is gluten in a product.

I was told that asthma could be manage by stress reduction and exercise and
proper sleep.

Someone mentioned to stay properly hydrated all the time, because asthma
could indicate that the body is de-hydrated..

Someone else mentioned that asthma can be induce by MSG and suggested the
book "In Bad Taste" by Dr. George Schwartz M.D. the MSG Symptom Complex.

I was also told that asthma could be induced by taking oestrogen.
Many suggested swimming and yoga to help breath properly.

Here is what one person told me he does to alleviate symptoms:  Suck on ice
cubes (as far back in my mouth as I can put them without choking). Sip very
cold liquids. That gets the swelling down in the bronchials. When the
swelling goes down, the air goes through Bigger holes and the knee-jerk
reaction of the body does not occur."

To my question: Is there any natural way to deal with that disease I was
told to see: http://www.gluten-free.org/asthma.txt

Many mentioned being themselves celiac and asthmatic or having an asthmatic
as close relatives.

Someone suggested acupuncture and actually, I am a strong believer in
acupuncture for many other problems. For instance, I was able to control a
very bad panic attack problem with it. (before I went GF). The same person
that suggested acupuncture also said: "I've also read that asthmatics
benefit from being g/f. I have severe allergies (which can be elevated if
you have asthma) and experienced 3-4 sinus infections yearly for my entire
life until going g/f about 1 1/2 years ago. Now I do not get them and have
heard the same from other list members."

I must say that I also used to suffer from chronic sinus infection and now I
rarely experience it.

That makes me realised that my overall health has improved a lot since I
went GF, even if at this present moment my box of Kleenex seems to be my
closest friend :o)

Here is what someone had to say about asthma and celiac:

" couple of people in our group have both asthma & celiac. They report their
asthma is better since they have been g.f.IgA antibodies affect mucosal
tissue--found in lungs & intestines so the two conditions do have something
in common"

As far as the medication goes, I understand from what I read from you all,
that there are different type of asthma, and most are very serious, so I
guess that in most cases medication is a must. So I let you make up your own
mind with the following, because there is so many names and types of
medication that I am lost!!!

*************************************

*I too recently found out I have asthma. I thought I was just out of shape!
I use an Albuterol inhaler, but it makes me so shaky for 15 min. I try to
use it very little. I was taking Claritin but when I found out I had celiac,
had to eliminate it. I also took Singulair, which I liked but haven't been
able to contact the company, My drs said if you have to use an inhaler up to
4 times a day, you should try to use something like Singulair to stop it
before it starts.i'm extremely anti-drug, but these things do help. I do
believe the albuterol is clear for the GF as it's a straight chemical, no
carryovers that might be in pills(coatings, caking substances, etc.)I am
also very sure I take a scarf in the cold weather as that irritates me,check
your allergies, i found out the old ranch i live in has mold that's
irritating the asthma.Got rid of cats, etc that I found out I was allergic
to. I just try to avoid what causes problems.Lastly, the more irritated my
stomach is (i.e. before I found out I had CD)the worse it is,i try not to
eat big meals, and as my GF diet kicks in it's getting a lot easier to
handle.My Drs. even said this can be a big problem esp. with the heartburn i
was having, etc.bloating can push on diaphragm and irritate lungs enough to
have coughing fits.Hope this all helps,I do work with a woman who has tried
the steroid treatment, on for a few days, and weened off,she loved it and
thought it was great, I'm still avoiding serious treatment, and the inhaler
when i'm desperate is about all I like to use.Check on what kind of 'pump'
inhaler it is, i got to a pretty 'natural dr.'who directed me to herbal
tinctures that worked great, but they are made with grain alcohol from my
local herbalist. When those weren't completely calming things and i found
out about CD, I decided the Albuterol Inhaler is good for me.Watch out, your
Doc may have put you on a steroid inhaler. There are othertypes of meds
also, check around to get the least damaging.

********************

I use Serevent, Flovent and Proventil (albuterol) for my asthma. These are
g/f medications that I inhale. If you are referring to a nebulizer pump, I
don't know what brand of albuterol is used in those.The Serevent and Flovent
are used to keep inflammation from occuring. IfI'mcareless and do not take
these each day, I end up needing the Proventil inhaler.Asthma is a serious
disease. You can die from it much faster than from celiac disease.It is not
caused by emotions, (although these can trigger attacks) and my advice is to
disregard statements that say you can control it with biofeedback.If you
take your medication as prescribed, you can lead a normal life .People who
don't take care of their asthma can have such a bad attack that they lapse
into a coma and don't come out of it. The trick is to manage the
inflammation. Some things may trigger attacks no matter how diligent you are
in taking your medicine. But you don't want to end up like one of my
co-workers, who went into her basement and had a severe attack. She did not
have her inhaler with her, and she died. I don't have asthma so bad that I
carry my Proventil on my person at home, but I never leave the house without
it.

****************************

I have had asthma for about four years. It took me a long time to get a
correct diagnosis. My symptoms were continual unproductive dry cough and
shortness of breath. In hindsight, these are obvious symptoms of asthma,but
only recently it seems, has the cough been related to asthma.This is 'adult
onset asthma' and mine seems to be partly related to my allergy to hay and
horses. I raise Welsh ponies so you can see the problem I do not think this
is related in anyway to being a celiac .I have used several different
inhalers without any symptoms of gluten, so deem them all to be safe.
For the last two years I have been taking Singulair - one tablet a day -
also gf. They aren't cheap, about 22 cents a tablet, but have totally
relieved me of symptoms and the need to use an inhaler.Just recently, I
have been coughing more and using ventalin more frequently,but then, I
have been spending more time with the ponies, too.You might like to
visit www.drmirkin.com and check out his comments on asthma. Dr. Mirkin
says a lot of late onset asthma is curable with antibiotics and lists
dozens of journal references for you to printout and take to your
doctor.Please do use the medication. You will be so much more
comfortable (and safer) with it.

*************

I was told I had asthma seven months ago, before they discovered I had cd.I
was on three different inhalers, but when I went to the Mayo Clinic, they
tested me and said I didn't have "regular" asthma, mine was set off by
eating gluten. The doctor there told me to try going for a week without
Singulair and if no difference was noticed, eliminate my inhaler, then after
another week, eliminate them all. I still have one for emergencies, which
haven't happened since being gf. I was also told by Dr. Murray, at the
Mayo,that, since I don't have dh, I only had to be concerned about ingesting
gluten, not inhaling it or being exposed to it topically. In his words, "If
you don't swallow it, it can't get into your gut." I happen to be a
hairstylist, so I'm exposed to it with my chemicals all the time, but I feel
great, so he's right.

*****************************

I have had asthma since birth and was diagnosed withCeliac in 1997 - I am
now 42 yrs of age. I have been on preventer medication (puffers) since
childhood -the alternative doesn't warrant thinking about.

Even though I am very strict with my preventer medication I still end up on
cortison (prednisolone) a couple of times a year - this is a miracle drug
but has side effects. The side effects of the puffers are much less than the
ingested cortisone. Thrush in the mouth is one of the most common effects
from the puffers so in Australia we are told to rinse our mouth thoroughly
after using.

I don't believe there is any research regarding the connectedness of the
2 conditions but if you find some it would be most appreciated.  I
actually think my asthma has improved since being on a gf diet.  I have
tried several times to treat my asthma with homeophathics -
unfortunately we live in such a chemical world and I have always found
that it is not possible to go without the puffers altogether. A
combination of diet, medication, light exercise, and natural remedies
works best for me.  A lot of Australia's champion swimmers are
asthmatics and start swimming for the breathing exercise. I can't handle
the smell of the chlorine in swimming pools but for those who can the
exercise is great.

I believe that the puffers in Australia are gf - you might want to check
yours out.

I hope this helps. Please keep in mind that this is just my story and how I
deal with the 2 conditions -it's not provided as advice. Sadly, like most of
us with Celiac I have a few other conditions as well so it's mostly a bit of
a juggling act.

**************

I was also diagnosed with asthma in Nov of 00. My first reaction was that I
was getting tired of managing medical "stuff". The alternative, however, was
rather unpleasant, so I figured that I'd better soldier on. That done, I
decided to look at some practical areas .I wanted to take as little
medication as possible. I quickly realized that my body was going to make
some responses "independent" of me. Keeping calm was critical because I
could develop shortness of breath from reacting to whatever was in front of
me, or whatever I perceived a situation to be. That and keeping myself out
of smoke, really cold air, bad pollution, uncomfortable situations with
friends and letting my allergies get out of control are so far the things
that tend to set me off. After going through a bad patch when I first
started on the medication - a bad reaction to a couple of them and going to
the emergency room once - I've settled into some meds - Flonase for
allergies, Simulaire and Flo-Vent forasthma (just got off of Xopenex). After
my visit today, the doctor has decided to keep me on all of this for a
month, then will possibly take away the Flo-Vent to see how I do. I might be
ready for it, we'll have to see.I can't tell that there is a connection to
CD. The allergies that get me to wheezing, etc. and set up the asthma are
grass, trees, all kinds of growing things. I don't see that WROB is the
cause or associated with it. In mycase I think it's the above .I am also
hunting for natural ways to work with this disease. If I find anything I
will email you. However, so far nothing works, except that my house has
gotten a lot cleaner. This does help. I now have polyester pillows (ugh!).
The experts pretty much recommend fake versus natural bed linens for us.
Plastic over the box springs and mite proof covers on thepillows. Very hot
water used to clean all bed linens every two weeks. Your doctor should have
some info for you. Saw a recent article that said that there is a
possibility that the feather pillows aren't as bad as first determined. I
would bet that one must continually clean them.

****************

You can use products made by Nikken which use magnetic and far infrared
technologies. These products are non-invasive and have helped many people
with asthma. Check out my website: www.5pillars.com/mickiClick on my
products and look at the Supermini. This disc taped to your chest has been
found to help.

****************

Returning to your asthma, check with the manufacturer of your asthma meds, I
suspect it is ok. I would take it because the damage that can bed one
without treatment is irreversible. Make sure that you find out what triggers
your attacks and eliminate them from your life, this will help you be able
to reduce your need for the medications (even if you cannot eliminate them
completely being able to reduce the amount is a great relief).

****************

As far as I know there's no way to treat asthma without drugs except by
avoiding known triggers. I have had a terrible asthma condition for the last
9 years. However, in the last year it has gotten dramatically better due to
Flovent44, a steroid inhaler, which I take twice a day. I do not have any
side effects. My father, now 86 years old, has used steroid inhalers since
they developed them, I believe, in the '70s or 80s ???. He's in great
health. In fact his asthma was so bad that I'm positive that he would have
died or been severely disabled from it 20 years ago if it hadn't been for
the development of the steroid inhalers. Neither of us has ever smoked. My
asthma got better after I went on a wheat-free diet (I have wheat
intolerance/allergy, not CD). I think it's because of swelling throughout my
body while eating wheat. I had other conditions related to swelling that
have improved on this diet (e.g., voice-box polyps and carpal-tunnel
syndrome).

*************

I was diagnosed as celiac and asthmatic about the same time. When I asked my
Dr. if there were any correlation's he said that he was not sure but he was
also not sure enough to say no. How is that for "practicing" medicine?I was
on a nebulizer for a few years. My current meds are Theophylline,Zyrtec,
Accolate and allergy injections. I know that when I cheat too much, I more
than likely am headed for an "incident" as I call my asthma attacks. My
husband freaks out too much if I call them attacks LOL!

*************

My 5 year old daughter has CD and asthma. She uses the Albuterol inhaler,
Intel inhaler, and a home nebulizer with Albuterol drops without any adverse
effects. Also I believe that on a recent listing I read that the Primatene
Mist Inhaler that is sold over the counter here in the states is also gluten
free. As soon as I can find the listing to verify this I will gladly send it
to you.

************

I call DEY Albuterol Sulfate Inhalation Solution Manufactured by Bausch
&Lomb.About a year ago and they told me that it was gf. Folnase nose spray
(sp?) is not gluten free. The manufacture told me that it has wheat in it.

****************

I would highly recommend getting tested for delayed food allergies. I was
SEVERELY short of breath for over 2 years, and was on breathing treatments
four times a day, and hospitalized for IV steroids, and on steroids by
mouth.My breathing was so bad that we went to Disneyworld in 1998, and I had
to rent a wheelchair everyday we were there because I couldn't even walk in
the door. I was tested for food allergies, and found that I have allergies
to 23 different foods besides gluten. Going off of these foods cured my
breathing problem! We went to disney last April, and I walked 12 hours a day
with no shortness of breath! Their web site is www.betterhealthusa.com.
Call1-800-684-2231 and ask for Lisa Durrow. She will send you free
information about the testing. And, get this: IF YOU DON'T GET BETTER IN 3
MONTHS, THEYGIVE YOU YOUR MONEY BACK!! I am a nurse, and have never heard of
thatbefore!! They have a dietician work with you for a year also, included
in the lab fee. Food allergies are very common with celiac.

*******************

There are different medicines for asthma, you should be able to find a
gluten free inhaler.In my experience, there are 3 things that will help
asthma that don't involve medicine. As much as possible avoid all allergens.
Even if an allergen doesn't directly cause an asthma attack, if your system
is already dealing successfully with allergens that cause asthma, adding any
allergen can be the "straw that broke the camel's back". Reduce stress.
Stress is known to aggrevate asthma. I have triggered an athma attack by
getting upset when I was already having problems. Stress still impacts my
asthma but I haven't triggered an attack by getting upset for several years
.Get enough sleep. This may sound wierd but when I am tired I have more
asthma problems when nothing else has changed. I have found that extremely
cautious use of ephedra provides better, longer lasting symptom relief with
less side effects than any inhaler.I say extremely cautious use since there
have been documented cases of problems from ephedra, enough that one of the
Wild Oat's in Salt Lake won't sell any product with ephedra. I frequently
open a capsule, dump out some of the ephedra and take the partial dose. I
want just barely enough ephedra to provide symptom relief.

***************

Welcome to the wonderful world of asthma. I've been diagnosed with it this
past year, and also that I have DH and am now glutenfree. I seem to be
bothered mostly at this time of year. I'm taking Albuterol, without seeing
much benefit. Your question made me realize thatI don't know either if it's
GF. My twin brother also has discovered asthmain his later life (both old
codgers of 64). He told me this past week that albuterol did nothing, and
that an "asthma specialist" in the large city of Rochester NY swears that
"Flovent" is the most effective. I'm going to ask for that prescription, and
I'll also see if it's GF. I'll let you know if I find out.

***************

Asthma, is a manageable disease. But, it can be very dangerous if poorly
managed. I would advise you to stick strickly to the treatments your doctor
precribes. "Natural treatments" are notoriously unreliable in both dosage &
rate of delivery and therefore could be dangerous for a condition as
sensitive as asthma. Pharmacy grade asthma prescription medications are
prepared with exactness & precision and are therefore much safer. You are
better off safe than natural! Just my humble opinion.

************

Well thanks again to everyone, especially for your supportive comments....
Johanne.

Montreal QC Canada