I really don't understand why your friend is scheduling a trip to the vet in a week. Why not immediately? All vets will see animals immediately in case of emergency - and this qualifies.
I never understood why some owners of reptiles will allow their pet to suffer another week, and look for home remedies that don't work, but wouldn't hesitate to rush their warm and fuzzy pets to the vet immediately.
Would you look for a home remedy for the dog or cat if they were in breathing distress and just wait to take them in, in a week? Hell, for that matter, if YOU were in breathing distress, would you just suffer for a week and hope that over the counter meds help while your lungs are filled with fluid? At least you can cough to somewhat help, snakes cannot.