Emphysema / COPD Scams

Emphysema is a factor in the progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a condition that limits the flow of air when you breathe out. Emphysema occurs when the air sacs at the ends of your smallest air passages (bronchioles) are gradually destroyed. Smoking is the leading cause of emphysema.

As it worsens, emphysema turns the spherical air sacs — clustered like bunches of grapes — into large, irregular pockets with gaping holes in their inner walls. This reduces the number of air sacs and keeps some of the oxygen entering your lungs from reaching your bloodstream. In addition, the elastic fibers that hold open the small airways leading to the air sacs are slowly destroyed, so that they collapse when you breathe out, not letting the air in your lungs escape.

Airway obstruction, another feature of COPD, contributes to emphysema. The combination of emphysema and obstructed airways makes breathing increasingly difficult. Treatment often slows, but doesn't reverse, the process. (Source: the Mayo Clinic)

Because Emphysema/COPD is difficult to treat, many people try to find a treatment outside of mainstream medicine. This makes COPD sufferers prime targets for predatory scammers who look for people with medical problems to exploit for their own gain.

There are two types of scam site to look out for: 

• The straight scam product
  
• The comparison scam site

Let's start with straight product scams. like the ones listed below.  These sites are all for a single product, each of which claims "guaranteed treatment" or "results within days" and list all sorts of herbs, -some of which may be dangerous- as ingredients.

The scam sites have a lot in common: there is no real contact information listed anywhere: No names of people, no phone numbers, no e-mail addresses. The contact information is a mail forwarding service, and/or an online form which you fill out, which gives you no e-mail address and no way to follow up. Every single scam site I have found (over 900!) uses CCNow to process their payments. Make of that what you will. I am just stating the fact.

Here is the list of scam products I have found for Emphysema and COPD. The product name is linked back to their site. If you click on the company name,  you will be linked back to my article on the particular company selling that product and why it is bad. Please be aware that most of these companies advertise directly on WebMD and other legitimate medical sites. This does not make their products  legitimate. Contrary to what WebMD would like you to believe, they do not verify all of their advertisers, due to a loophole in their advertising policy. 

Emphotab by Oslo Health Solutions (OHS)  -more on OHS, detailing the kind of garbage they put in some of their preparations here  and a little more info on them and the psychology of scamming here.

Emphotin by Berlin Homeo Products

Hismatax by Botanical Sources

Hysmeton by Gordon's Herbal Research Center

Phenofax by Healing Plants Ltd

Physmical by Solutions By Nature

Please don't buy any of the above products. They are all scams. None of them are based in the country they claim to be based. All of the addresses are mail forwarding services. If you receive any pills, they will arrive from Pakistan. I have received tons of feedback from readers who tell me this is so.

The other type of scam site is more sneaky.  These are the so-called "philanthropic" sites, the ones which want to "help" you find the "correct" cure for your "problem". These sites will list between two or four herbal treatments (all of which you will find listed above) in varying order, and will make an "independent recommendation" of which one they think is best.  Of course, the catch is that the "independent" evaluator actually owns all of the bogus cures in the first place, so they don't care which one you choose, as long as you choose one. They get the money regardless.

(And they think we are the ones who are sick?)

Here is a list of the scam evaluators, along with the link to my background info on them. 

Emphysema-options.com run by The Society for the Promotion of Alternative Health (SPAH)

Emphysema-products.com run by  Herbal Product Reviews

Emphysemahelp.org run by Towards Natural Health.  A little more on them here.

I have tried everything I can think to try and get these scams shut down; -and I am still trying, however, they are still operating. In the meantime, I am trying to get the word out as much as possible so that people won't buy these products and be ripped off (I still get e-mails every day from people who have been. Look at the comments on my articles).

Please spread the word that these products are scams. If you belong to a support group or messageboard, please let the other members know about these scam products, so that they are not conned into wasting their time and money.

Comments

[jack parker]

Wei Industries is also a scam

[John]

THANKS !!!

[bob beckner]

Good job! I've been conned 4 times and no more....I am using vitamins A C D3 E MSM Sulphur Q10 minerals andbeta Carotine plus a multi Vitamin...The only thing else I do is work out at the local Gym, lifting and treadmilling....If you have any other suggestions; throw thm my way. While at work I keep my oxygen flow @ 11/2 and raise it to 2 while working out. Thanks for your imput

[josh]

so a quick question is that if you exercise regularly 3-4 days per week you can minimize or possibly even prevent the growth of emphysema??

[One Sick Mother]

Jack,

I need more info. I tried to find Wei Industries but found several, none of which seemed to have anything to do with COPD.

If you could give me a link, that would narrow it down a lot.

John, You're welcome.

Bob and Josh. I'm afraid I don't have emphysema/COPD so I can't offer advice on living with it.

My specialty is rooting out scams. As there were a lot in this particular category, I put them together in one place in the hope that people might find them more easily beofore spending their money on garbage.

OSM

[John Ed]

So is there a cure? A legit cure?
Anyone????

[Jakey Hound]

I have COPD. This condition can be managed, not cured. The link below from the British Lung Foundation gives information and advice. This can help you to minimise further lung damage, maximise your health and improve your overall quality of life.

http://www.lunguk.org/you-and-your-lungs/living-with-a-lung-condition/copd-living-with-chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease-copd.htm