How interesting to read what you've written about a ketogenic diet helping to reduce CO2 levels!

My Dad had idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis...."idiopathic" because the doctors could never figure out what had caused it. I personally always suspect it was due to inhaling microdroplets of stomach acid because Dad had gastric reflux for a couple of years before he was diagnosed with IPF.

After Dad's lungs deteriorated to the point where he could no longer manage without assistance, he came to live closer to me. I suggested he go on a LCHF diet to lose some weight and control his Type2 diabetes without medication...which he did, although he never went as ketogentic as I would have liked.

I observed that his lung function definitely got a whole lot better almost immediately but I never put 2 and 2 together.

Before moving here, he had reached a point where he could no longer even hold a conversation because he was coughing and gasping for air 24 hrs per day. Afterwards the coughing went away almost 100 percent and he no longer gasped for air. In fact, he got to the point where he could actually go shopping, go to church and to other social functions and even go for short walks.

I always thought he was doing SO MUCH better because, with me handling many things for him, he wasn't nearly as stressed. Plus I figured the weight loss had helped because he had less fatty tissues getting in the way of him breathing. His GERD also cleared up almost completely on the LCHF diet, which, I'm sure, didn't hurt.

My Dad passed away in January (at age 87) but he survived a full 10 years after being diagnosed with IPF. When he was first diagnosed, Dad was told that, at his age and in his condition, he would probably survive no more than 2 to 3 more years. From what you wrote, it sounds like he may have bought himself an extra 7 or 8 years by modifying his diet!

I have a cousin (early 60s) who also has pulmonary fibrosis. I'm going to share your information with him. Maybe he too can enjoy life a lot longer than the doctors currently think.

Thank you so much for writing!