What can i do to rid myself of this pressure ulcer/sore?

[dc10]

No i dont seem to have those spleen deficiency symptoms, especially the weight gain, quite the opposite.

I just spoke to my doctor on the phone and he has authorised the Zinc & Copper serum tests , so the bloods will be taken this Tuesday coming up, lucky i didnt take the zinc this morning!

I also questioned why, since the age of 14, i have weight loss and unable to gain weight, and which tests are appropriate, - he said hyperthyroidism, and has organised a test for this
- last year i had my TFT/TSH levels tested which showed slightly hyPO thyroidism, but we'll see what the results show.

im sure my weight loss is an underlying cause of all my problems, as i went from a stocky/chunky kid to stick thin (Yet my diet didnt change) and my weight has never recovered
- also around that age i noticed the onset of my MS symptoms - mobility/bladder.
- so its got to be connected somehow!


- as my blood tests were in range , would it be best to just stop all my supplements - Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, Copper, Vitamin B50, C, E, fish oil)
As i seem to be getting sufficient from my diet, based on the results

[jimmylegs]

i think your supplements are why your levels have tested well. but, you can stop for a while and then get re-tested to see if you diet really is sufficient. that would be a really good experiment.

good that you're looking at the thyroid. i'll keep scouting around for possibilities that could fit your scenario.

[dc10]

i think your supplements are why your levels have tested well.

But i did stop all of my supplements 5 days prior to having my blood drawn (but did take D3 day before test)?


so do you think i should stop ALL of my supplements until the zinc/copper text on Tuesday?

Or is it okay to kep taing the other vitamins and just Not zinc and copper,
So i would continue on Calcium, Magnesium, Fish oil, Vitamin B50, C, D3, E, Ocean kelp, Klamath Blue Green algae ?

thank you

[jimmylegs]

yes. you stop to remove the immediate influence of a supplement on your circulatory levels. after a few days it shows the background status you've achieved.

for example, when i first tested d3 my level was in the 70s. i had been supplementing on the order of 4000 IU per day for months, and at the time i had no idea about the zinc interaction.

then i megadosed d3. then i stopped taking it. then i re-tested. my new level was 149 nmol/L. even though i had stopped taking the d3 a couple of weeks before. the supplement regimen over the previous period had made a major difference to my basic status.

same thing with zinc. my first level came back 8.6 umol/L, i was supposed to supplement 100mg/d for a month then retest. instead i took it sporadically for three months, and then i stopped taking it to 'wash out' for my follow up test. when i re-tested my new zinc level was up close to 20 umol/L. in spite of the fact i had taken none for a week or two prior to the test.

i think you'll be fine taking your other supplements leading up to the copper/zinc test. maybe just take a couple days off everything, to be on the safe side re potential interactions.

it'll be good to see where you're at with these initial tests, at last

[dc10]

Hi JL,

I had more bloods taken on Tuesday to get my thyroid tested - as dr thinks could be cause of weight loss problem i have had since a teenager,
i also got them to test my serum zinc/copper again as they didnt test the copper last time - still awaiting results from the zinc - it turns out they did use the correct tube/solution last time for zinc (not copper though), just it takes longer to get the results for zinc

So i got the results for some of the other tests today:

IgE Serum (test for food allergies): 13, Unknown units, 0-120

Coeliac disease screen:
Anti TTG (IgA) 0.6, U/mL, 0-10
TTG = Tissue Transglutaminase assay
Note that false negative test result for Coeliac disease may occur in patients on gluten free diet.
IgA . . IgA is only measured if IgA deficiency is suspected from Tissue Transglutaminase (TTG) assay

- My dr knew i was gluten free but must not have known i cant be to have a accurate coeliac screen
do these results indicate i haven't accidentally eaten traces of gluten?
As i will never be eating gluten, does having the diagnosis (if i have it) make any difference?
i thought the treatment to coeliacs is being gluten free

Serum TSH level: 3.22, mu/L, 0.27-4.3



So im now just waiting for the serum zinc results -copper cant be done

thank you

[jimmylegs]

what eating gluten free does is allow your body to retain more zinc. that's why celiacs on gluten free diets get false negatives. even non-celiacs who go gluten free will see a slight (non-significant) increase in average serum zinc. i've posted the link to that study elsewhere - it was a good one.

looking forward to seeing the thyroid and zinc results! oh, copper can be done. i've had it done. if your docs won't do it, it's not the end of the world, but if you're on a high copper diet... something to keep an eye on if at all possible.

[dc10]

Well hopefully my zinc levels will be good , should get them next week, just i cant hav copper unless i go to the hospital for the tests, which is a long journey for me

I just googl'd foods high in copper, and the top two are Liver and Oysters,

I alternate between Liver and Oysters Every day! So Monday Liver, Tuesday Oysters, Wed Liver, etc

so maybe i am having too much copper, but is that a problem when im taking 50mg zinc picolinate ?


My thyroid results were in the list i got back - TSH (Thyroid stimulating hormone)=

3.22, mu/L, 0.27-4.3

So i think this level is a bit high, indicating underactive thyroid =hypothyroidism
And ive been taking seaweed supplement for the past few months, which are high in iodine (dried kelp & klamath bluegreen)
so i was expecting a more normal level.

last year i had a private TSH test which showed Hypothyroidism/ high TSH/ underactive thyroid,
the results were :
http://tinypic.com/r/jgiqu8/6


i thought the seaweed tablets i take would stop the underactive thyroid, but least this is not the cause of my weight loss as thats from hyper thyroidism,

[lyndacarol]

dc – Along with iodine (which you can find in iodized salt), Selenium is also important for the thyroid gland. Selenium-rich foods include mushrooms (button, crimini, shiitake) and Brazil nuts.

Other selenium-rich foods include:
Sunflower seeds
Fish (halibut, sardines, flounder, salmon)
Shellfish (oysters, mussels, shrimp, clams, scallops)
Meat (Beef, liver, lamb, pork)
Poultry (chicken, turkey)
Eggs
Whole grains (wheat germ, barley, brown rice, oats)

[lyndacarol]

dc – I just came across this paragraph in a newsletter from Dr. Joseph Mercola:

6. Sugar Can Help Your Wounds Heal

Not by eating it, of course, but rather by sprinkling it directly on the wound. Sugar is hygroscopic, which means it absorbs water that bacteria need to survive. This method has been popular among healers in Africa for generations, and it is reportedly useful for bed sores, leg ulcers, amputations and more.

A twist on this idea is to use honey, which will help draw fluid away from your wound and suppress the growth of microorganisms. Part of what gives honey its antibacterial properties is an enzyme called glucose oxidase, which the worker bees excrete into the nectar (this is found only in raw honey). Another part is the presence of beneficial Lactobacillus bacteria, found only in raw honey, which fight infection.

You might research this African treatment for bedsores, etc. – perhaps it is the answer to your initial question, "What can I do to rid myself of this pressure ulcer/sore?"

I seem to recall Dr. Oz mentioning that he had prescribed a raw honey (Manuka honey) for bedsores, too.

From the Oz website:

Manuka Honey
There’s been intriguing research looking more closely at Manuka honey. This darker, stronger-flavored honey is harvested from bees that gather nectar in areas populated with the Manuka bush, a type of shrub which grows in New Zealand. Manuka honey seems to hold particular promise as an anti-bacterial treatment and in helping to treat burns, ulcers and gingivitis.

Manuka honey is sometimes promoted to cancer patients as having miraculous anti-cancer properties. Patients should proceed with caution and absolutely speak with their doctors before adding anything to their health-care regimens.

[dc10]

Thanks Lynda,

I actually went through a week or so of using Manuka honey dressings on the ulcer,
i didnt notice anything good nor bad,

but the 7 days of abx seemed to clear the infection, i just need the wound to heal and vanish now

[jackD]

I would like to add the supplement Pycnogenol (pine bark extract) worked for me. I had numerous ulcers on my right leg. I did take two antibotics during the acute stages.

I have been taking 100 mg of Pycnogenol twice a day with Great healing results. I am taking it now to prevent any new infections.

Here are two abstracts that show how it works.

jackD

http://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/herb/pine-bark-extract (good general info and interactions/side effects))

Angiology. 2005 Nov-Dec;56(6):699-705.

Venous ulcers: microcirculatory improvement and faster healing with local use of Pycnogenol.

Belcaro G, Cesarone MR, Errichi BM, Ledda A, Di Renzo A, Stuard S, Dugall M, Pellegrini L, Rohdewald P, Ippolito E, Ricci A, Cacchio M, Ruffini I, Fano F, Hosoi M.

Department of Biomedical Sciences, Chieti-Pescara University, Italy. cardres@pe.abol.it

Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) causes a well-defined microangiopathy described as venous hypertensive microangiopathy (VHM) leading to venous ulcerations. VHM is mainly observed in the distal part of the leg, in the perimalleolar region. In VHM edema is the consequence of increased capillary pressure and reduced local clearance, and this affects local perfusion. The healing of venous ulcers is usually very slow. Many treatments are available, but there is still no standard. Oral Pycnogenol is effective in venous disease and particularly in controlling edema. The aim of this study was the evaluation of the local effects of Pycnogenol on ulcers healing associated with venous hypertension. The study lasted 6 weeks including 18 patients (16 completed the study) with venous ulcerations. The oral treatment with Pycnogenol was compared with a combination treatment including oral and local treatment. In subjects treated with the combination treatment (oral and local), venous ulcers healed better (there was a faster reduction in ulcerated area) in comparison with oral treatment only. According to this pilot study Pycnogenol appears to have an important role in local treatment of venous ulcers improving healing and signs/symptoms.


PMID: 16327946 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

.

Clin Appl Thromb Hemost. 2006 Jul;12(3):318-23.

Diabetic ulcers: microcirculatory improvement and faster healing with pycnogenol.

Belcaro G, Cesarone MR, Errichi BM, Ledda A, Di Renzo A, Stuard S, Dugall M, Pellegrini L, Gizzi G, Rohdewald P, Ippolito E, Ricci A, Cacchio M, Cipollone G, Ruffini I, Fano F, Hosoi M.

Irvine2 Vasc Lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Chieti-pescara University and San Valentino Vascular Screening Project, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Germany.

Abstract

Diabetic microangiopathy leads to lower limb ulcers that are very slow to heal. Pycnogenol was evaluated on diabetic ulcers in a controlled trial. Ulcer medications were used in 4 groups (30 patients): (1) systemic Pycnogenol and local application; (2) local Pycnogenol only; (3) oral Pycnogenol; and (4) medications only (control group). Ulcerated areas and symptom scores were more reduced with the combined oral and local treatment (P < .05). Oral and local treatment were less effective, but still improved compared with the controls. Combined treatment produced 89% complete healing at 6 weeks versus 84% with local treatment and 85% with oral treatment; healing in controls was 61%. The combined treatment group and oral only group had better microcirculation after the combined treatment. Combined local and systemic application of Pycnogenol may offer a new treatment of diabetic ulcers. Local treatment also speeds ulcer healing.


PMID: 16959685 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[jimmylegs]

dc, i forget if you ever tried topical zinc? ie medicated penaten cream, 18% zinc oxide? just a thought..

[jimmylegs]

also can you pls remind me what you have in your regimen for daily intakes of vit a, vit c, and vit e8?

Nutrient Recommendations for Wound Healing
http://journals.lww.com/journalofinfusi ... ing.8.aspx

and here's a very unusual and interesting abstract (only n=1 but whatever, still a fun read):

Experimental Human Scurvy
http://www.cabdirect.org/abstracts/1941 ... 485FA1CE7F
Elaborate investigations were carried out on one of the authors who submitted himself to a vitamin C-free diet, supplemented by the other known vitamins, for a period of 6 months. No abnormal clinical 'signs appeared until the 132nd day, when hyperkeratotic papules appeared on the buttocks and posterior aspects of the legs. The papules resembled those of A deficiency, but the vitamin A intake was very high and dark adaptation was normal. The perifollicular, petechiae, typical of scurvy, appeared at 161 days. The ascorbic acid content, of the plasma was zero for 13 weeks before the appearance of clinical scurvy, whereas that of the white cell-platelet layer of the blood fell to zero shortly before clinical signs appeared. Wound healing, both macroscopic and microscopic, was normal even when the. white cell-platelet ascorbic acid. was 4 mgm. per 100 cc., but with total deficiency failure of wound healing occurred, which was shown to be due to failure of the fibroblasts to produce collagen. After intravenous injection of ascorbic acid healing commenced, and considerable collagen appeared within 10 days. No obvious changes occurred in the gums or teeth, but X-ray films showed interruptions of the lamina dura in early scurvy, and it is thought that X-rays might be useful in the' diagnosis of early scurvy. Surprisingly, there was no anaemia, in spite of four venesections (amounting to 6 litres). Towards the end of the period the capacity for aerobic work diminished though that for anaerobic work was unchanged. After aerobic work the rate of disappearance of blood lactate was abnormally slow. There was no evidence of any lowered resistance to infection, and the blood complement titre was normal at the end of the experiment. All the tests for capillary fragility were negaive throughout-another indication of the unreliability of these tests. Towards the end of the period there was a fall in blood pressure which was restored after' vitamin C [ascorbic acid] treatment. Chemical analysis of striated muscle showed a fall in the total phosphorus and an increase in the phosphagen. The signs and symptoms (e.g. fatigue) disappeared rapidly following intravenous injection of ascorbic acid. The ascorbic acid level of the plasma fell to zero 5 hours after the injection of 1 mgm. of ascorbic acid, and although the blood was saturated after 3 or 4 gm. had been given, the tissues were not. completely. saturated at this time, since the urinary output of ascorbic acid was still well below maximum. It is estimated that 4-6 gm. of ascorbic acid was the maximal amount necessary to re-saturate completely this individual.