About a year earlier, she'd tried mullein. Teas. Drops. Gummies. Spent a few hundred dollars after seeing people talk about it in her COPD group.
It didn't do anything, so she stopped.
I'd maxed out her Trelegy. Added Breztri. She'd done a full course of pulmonary rehab twice.
Last appointment, I told her we needed to start talking about supplemental oxygen.
This appointment, she had her phone out. Posts from her COPD support group already pulled up.
"I drink mullein tea every morning. Cut my inhaler use down by half in six months. I swear by it."
"Been using the drops under my tongue twice a day. I can finally walk to my kitchen without stopping."
I told her what I always told patients.
"There's no clinical evidence for any of this. It's placebo."
"Can you please just look into it for me? Please?"
I almost said no.
But she was at 41% and dropping. I had nothing left to offer her.
So I said I would.
I didn't expect to find what I found.