she is in a lot of pain she suffers from sarcoidosis in the lungs therefore she suffers shortness of breath I wanted her to take OLIVE LEAF which is brilliant fro the immune system , unfortunately the two don't work well together ...is there an alternative that strengthens the immune system and additionally is there any other recommended product that is natural/herbal that she could take to help with pain management specifically arthritic pain which is exaggerated because of her sarcoidosis
Thank you
ps
she is on WARFARIN so whatever is recommended it has to work with a blood thinner its a ashame she cant take olive leaf...this has changed my life as a type1 diabetic..no more colds and flu for the last year since i started taking one tablet a day.whilst the rest of the family had plenty!! I really wished she could take these or something the equivalent I think your mom should try going to a naturopathic physician. It depends upon where you live whether there are good ones in your area. I have had sarcoidosis for 21 years and just yesterday I went to a naturopathic doctor. He gave me a cough preparation which has greatly alleviated the cough already. He said he was not completely familiar with what ought to be done for sarcoidosis but will be studying it until my next appointment. I do not know whether your mom coughs all the time, like I do, but I do believe in natural medicine and I know that I had an aquaintance years ago who advised me to seek a wholistic answer to my problems because she had been cured of sarcoidosis by naturopathic medicine. Good luck. Systemic lupus is an autoimmune disease. It seems to me the last thing in the world you want to do is "strengthen the immune system" since the strength of her immune system is what makes her short of breath and makes her hurt. I agree that her immune system is in hyper drive, rather than weakened. I take warfarin daily at high doses, but as long as there is a consistent amount of the K vitamins and soy products , every few days, she can adjust her dosing accordingly. It is consistency that is the key. I do home testing of my INR, so it is not a problem for me, but I'd hate to have a venous draw each time to adjust dosing. It takes about 3 days for a n increase in Warfarin to take full affect. Homeopathy
A few case reports suggest that homeopathic remedies may improve the general well-being of individuals with sarcoidosis. An experienced homeopath can prescribe a regimen for treating sarcoidosis that is designed specifically for each individual. The primary remedies used by individuals who reported improvements in their symptoms include:
Tuberculinum bovinum
Beryllium
Other homeopathic remedies that have been used clinically for the condition are as follows:
Carcinosin
Euphrasia
Graphites
Leuticum (Syphilinum)
Bacillinum
Sepia
Phosphorus
Arsenicum album
I suggest finding a homeopathic doctor in your area....
Actually my mother is being tested for this condition right now as well...... Be careful. Sarcoidosis is an auto-immune disease. Strengthening your mom's immune system may make the sarcoidosis stronger. Ask her doctor about taking Naltrexone -
FDA-approved naltrexone, in a low dose (only 3mg), can boost the immune system, helping those with autoimmune diseases.
LDN is currently under experimental use for many conditions. Preliminary results are very encouraging: Naltrexone increases the body's production of the beta and metenkephalin endorphins and blood tests have indicated that it can double or even triple the activity of natural killer cells.
Naltrexone is a prescription drug, so your mum physician would have to give her a prescription after deciding that LDN appears appropriate for her. You are messing around with a blood thinner so the only person to consult with is her practitioner or have her seek out the couseling of a Doctor of Naturopathy. There are too many complications that could come in effect with herbal medicine and blood thinners. Your mum should be eating a well-balanced diet with a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables
Drinking 8 to 10, 8-ounce glasses of water a day
Getting 6 to 8 hours of sleep each night
Exercising regularly, and managing and maintaining your weight
Quitting smoking
Avoiding exposure to dust, chemicals, fumes, gases, toxic inhalants, and other substances that can harm your lungs
If she has high levels of calcium in her blood or urine, she should be avoiding excessive amounts of calcium-rich foods (such as dairy products, oranges, canned salmon with bones), vitamin D and sunlight. Daily sunbathing is an example of excessive sunlight and should be avoided; sunlight received from activities of everyday living is acceptable.
Complementary therapies to deal with pain include reiki, tai chi, massage, chiropractic, and acupuncture.
Melatonin is sometimes used to help patients with sarcoidosis, but it is not compatible with warfarin.
A comprehensive treatment plan for sarcoidosis may include a range of complementary and alternative therapies. Ask your team of health care providers about the best ways to incorporate these therapies into your overall treatment plan. Always tell your health care provider about the herbs and supplements you are using or considering using, as some supplements may interfere with conventional cancer treatments.
Following these nutritional tips may help reduce symptoms:
* Try to eliminate potential food allergens, including dairy, wheat (gluten), corn, preservatives, and food additives. Your health care provider may want to test for food sensitivities.
* Eat antioxidant foods, including fruits (such as blueberries, cherries, and tomatoes), and vegetables (such as squash and bell peppers).
* Cut down on oxalate-containing foods, such as spinach, rhubarb, beets, nuts, chocolate, black tea, wheat bran, strawberries, and beans.
* Include foods rich in magnesium and low in calcium, such as barley, bran, corn, rye, oats, soy, brown rice, avocado, banana, and potato.
* Avoid refined foods, such as white breads, pastas, and especially sugar.
* Eat fewer red meats and more lean meats, cold-water fish, tofu (soy, if no allergy) or beans for protein.
* Use healthy oils, such as olive oil or vegetable oil.
* Reduce or eliminate trans-fatty acids, found in commercially baked goods such as cookies, crackers, cakes, French fries, onion rings, donuts, processed foods, and margarine.
* Avoid coffee and other stimulants, alcohol, and tobacco.
* Drink 6 - 8 glasses of filtered water daily.
* Exercise at least 30 minutes daily, five days a week.
You may address nutritional deficiencies with the following supplements:
* A daily multivitamin, containing the antioxidant vitamins A, C, E, the B-complex vitamins, and trace minerals such as magnesium, calcium, zinc, and selenium.
* Omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish oil, 1 - 2 capsules or 1 - 3 tablespoonfuls oil, one to three times daily, to help decrease inflammation and help with immunity. Cold-water fish, such as salmon or halibut, are good sources, but not substitutes for supplementation.
* Vitamin C, 500 - 1,000 mg, one to three times daily, as an antioxidant and for immune support.
* N-acetyl cysteine, 200 mg daily, for antioxidant effects. Higher doses may be needed, so check with your health care provider.
* Probiotic supplement (containing Lactobacillus acidophilus), 5 - 10 billion CFUs (colony forming units) a day, when needed for maintenance of gastrointestinal and immune health. You should refrigerate your probiotic supplements for best results.
* Coenzyme Q10, 100 - 200 mg at bedtime, for antioxidant and immune activity.
* Melatonin, 2 - 6 mg at bedtime as needed, for immune support and sleep.
Herbs
Herbs are generally a safe way to strengthen and tone the body's systems. As with any therapy, you should work with your health care provider to get your problem diagnosed before starting any treatment. You may use herbs as dried extracts (capsules, powders, teas), glycerites (glycerine extracts), or tinctures (alcohol extracts). Unless otherwise indicated, you should make teas with 1 tsp. herb per cup of hot water. Steep covered 5 - 10 minutes for leaf or flowers, and 10 - 20 minutes for roots. Drink 2 - 4 cups per day. You may use tinctures alone or in combination as noted.
* Turmeric (Curcuma longa) standardized extract, 300 mg three times a day, for pain and inflammation. (May interact with warfarin.)
* Cat's claw (Uncaria tomentosa) standardized extract, 20 mg three times a day, for inflammation. (May interact with warfarin.)
* Ashwagandha (Withania somniferum) standardized extract, 450 mg one to two times daily, for general health benefits and stress. (may potentiate barbiturates, avoid with sedatives and anxiolytics. Due to the diuretic action of this herb the following drug interactions are possible: increased risk of toxicity with anti-inflammatory analgesics; if hypokalemia occurs possible antagonism with antiarrhythmics and potentiation of muscle relaxants; may potentiate and/or interfere with antihypertensives; may potentiate lithium therapy; when taken with corticosteroids there is a risk for hypokalemia; may potentiate other diuretics and increase the risk of hypokalemia, antagonizes antidiabetic (hypoglycemic) drugs.)
Homeopathy
A few case reports suggest that homeopathic remedies may improve the general well-being of individuals with sarcoidosis. An experienced homeopath can prescribe a regimen for treating sarcoidosis that is designed specifically for each individual. The primary remedies used by individuals who reported improvements in their symptoms include:
* Tuberculinum bovinum
* Beryllium
Other homeopathic remedies that have been used clinically for the condition are as follows:
* Carcinosin
* Euphrasia
* Graphites
* Leuticum (Syphilinum)
* Bacillinum
* Sepia
* Phosphorus
* Arsenicum album
http://www.wellness.com/adam.asp?title=S...
Food additives such as nitrites, benzoates, and MSG are now known to exaggerate inflammation. Food colorings that give food an inviting appearance can also be harmful.
Foods in the nightshade family, such as eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers, are suspects. Allergic reactions are not uncommon to wheat, soy, dairy, corn, shellfish, and many other foods. Some herbs, such as echinacea, larch, ginseng, reishi, and astragalus, may be too stimulating to an already overactive immune system.
On the flip side, we now know that fatty acids, often found in fish, nuts and seeds and their oils, and fruits and vegetables can help prevent inflammation.
Evening primrose, flax seed and black currant oil, along with chamomile, licorice root, wild yam, and white willow, are just a few of an array of products that have been shown or are believed to help prevent or reduce inflammation. Vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, should not be overlooked either, especially Vitamins C and E, green tea, and beta-carotene.
(I don't know whether any of these interact with warfarin.)
For more information, see this site. It looks pretty interesting:
http://www.suite101.com/articles.cfm/sar...
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/sarco...
http://www.alternativemedicine.com/commo... |
