Q. As a child I had bouts of asthma and sniffed smoke from a burning powder called Kellogg’s Asthma Relief (Stramonium and Lobelia). I am now in my late 70s and I seem to have again developed mild asthma attacks. I would like to get some of this powder but have been unable to locate a source. Are you familiar with this product?
A. Kellogg’s Asthma Relief was an old-fashioned remedy for asthma. The ingredients you list were burned and inhaled to open constricted airways. They were sometimes combined with cannabis leaves (marijuana). There were even stramonium cigarettes for asthmatics to smoke.
Side effects of stramonium include dry skin and mouth, dilated pupils, problems with urination, rapid heartbeat and hallucinations. For these reasons, the FDA has not permitted medications with stramonium in years. Your doctor can prescribe far safer medicines for mild asthma.
