COPD and emphysema

3 remedies

See a doctor if

Worsening breathlessness, blue lips or confusion need emergency care. Herbs do not replace inhalers or oxygen.

Reference, not prescription. Nothing here is medical advice. Herbs can interact with medicines and be dangerous in pregnancy; tell your doctor or pharmacist about anything you take.

Limited evidence

Small or few trials, mixed results, or mainly lab and animal work.

Caterpillar fungus

Ophiocordyceps sinensis

Limited

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): systematic reviews of roughly 80–100 Chinese trials, mainly of the mycelium product Bailing capsule added to usual care, report better lung function (FEV1), exercise tolerance and quality of life, but trials were unblinded, adjunctive and at unclear risk of bias.

Common reed

Phragmites australis

Limited

Added to usual care, Lu gen-containing mixtures improved lung function (FEV1 by about 0.19 L) in patients with acute exacerbations of COPD or chronic bronchitis, according to the 2024 review; the authors call the findings inconclusive.

Sea squill

Drimia maritima

Limited

Persian medicine uses squill oxymel for thick-phlegm dyspnoea, chronic bronchitis and chronic cough. In an 8-week pilot trial in 42 COPD patients it increased six-minute walk distance, but groups differed at baseline and other outcomes did not differ from placebo.