I have had two stem cell therapy sessions and I found it helped me with my quality of life. I know there is more research needed but my quality of life improved immensely. It is expensive but the alternative of doing nothing is even more expensive. My breathing has improved and I can ride my trike without having to have oxygen. I am also playing golf again have to have my oxygen with me but I am at least getting exercise. I think we need the FDA to research this treatment and for insurance to pay for it.

I have talked to a guy that does the stem cell, here in Texas. He's done it twice. My doctor says it doesn't work. It might make you feel better (mental) but the numbers, like blood draws, breathing tests, etc., do not get any better from the stem cell treatments. My doctor has a patient that does it, she told me not to waste my money.

I too have had 2 stem cell treatments this past year. I felt the first one helped but with the second, my allergies were so bad I'm not sure it did any good. Your right, I feel the insurance companies should cover some of the cost for these treatments. These treatments are so expensive most people can't afford them. According to before and after test that I've taken, I haven't gotten worse, that in itself is a miracle. I do keep all my doctors ( Lung, Heart, and G.P. ) in the loop on all test they have me do, and make sure they each get copies of all tests. Would I do it again, most definitely.

There are no stem cell treatments for COPD that have been proven to work. The companies that offer them have lots of testimonials from people who would have you believe that they came to the center weighed down by their O2, on inhaler after inhaler, unable to do anything but cough and gasp, and after treatment, they threw their O2 away, tossed their meds and went skipping down the sidewalk. Ask the people fronting these organizations for any proof that their treatment works, such as, increase in FEV1, reduction in use of O2, reduced medications, improvement in 6 minute walk, or even improvement in quality of life as measured by any of the clinically approved measures (St. George, CAT, etc.) and they get very quiet. My friend, Dr. Robert Sandhaus, a world renowned pulmonologist at National Jewish in Denver, calls it "snake oil". There's a reason neither Medicare nor any insurance company will pay for the treatment. And there's a reason they're charging $3000 to $10,000 for treatment: they want your money.

That said, most of the clinicians and researchers in COPD I know believe that the cure will probably have something to do with stem cells, and there are remarkable things being done in regenerative medicine at a number of universities and research centers, so there is progress being made. There just aren't any treatments now that have had any success.

I would further refer you to this site: https://www.copdfoundation.org/Take-Action/COPD... on-Position-on-Stem-Cell-Therapy.aspx This statement was written and endorsed by all the pulmonologists on the COPD Foundation's Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee, as committee on which I have the privilege to sit. These men and women are some of the most respected physicians in the field. I also suggest this by the American Thoracic Society: http://www.atsjournals.org/doi/10.1164/rccm.195...

Stems cells may indeed hold the key to a cure, but we're not there yet!

Where did you get it done Jim