Showing posts with label vitamins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vitamins. Show all posts

Tuesday, 1 May 2018

Warning, I don't holdback and talk about how gross my nails can get because of DWD...

I have always had terrible nails. I have never not picked at my nails and throughout my life they look like raw meat: red, chapped, falling apart... I rarely have anything that goes past my finger to form a "nail" as in they never grow that far. I always thought it was my anxiety, as a coping method I pick my nails, especially if there is any hangnails and that happens ALL the time.

I recently saw in the Facebook Group that nails get the Darier's White Disorder treatment, meaning they get messed up. Now my thin, brittle, red, chapped fingernails make more sense. And my toes, oh dear, it's like a Victorian monster down there! Frankenstein's toenails! They grow weirdly, like on angles, split, ingrown... it's just, gross. And so my anxiety sets to work and I usually pick them down to the quick/cuticle. I used to paint my fingernails to give them more structure, but working at a historic museum I can't have painted nails as it's not exactly accurate :P But my toenails are ALWAYS painted so they don't look so gross, though it is weird to paint toenails that grow every which way - I usually trim my toenails down as far as I can to avoid splitting and showcasing those weird Franken-Nails. 

I have found that with the supplements I take to combat DWD it does end up helping my nails, (and hair!), as things like omega fats and zinc are good for that. My love of eating fish (hello sushi) helps too. But then I did a google search and found this:

Biotin (a.k.a. vitamin H) can improve hair that is splitting or thinning as well as strengthen weakened nails. Taken with zinc and the corticosteroid clobetasol propionate, biotin has even been used to treat alopecia, an autoimmune skin disease marked by the loss of hair.

Has anyone ever tried using Vitamin H as a supplement? I think I may have to ask my doctor about this! 

I also read somewhere that DWD nails are also susceptible to build up under their non existent nails and I have to say I believe it - I mean look at mine: I barely HAVE nails and I am typing all day so how do I get gross stuff under there?!


These are actually quite healthy for me with little to no splits and hangnails. I guess putting the zinc back in daily really helps. 

Do you have really sore or gross nails too? What do you use to help it?

Do you have monster nails?

Posted by Adrianna on 5/01/2018 09:08:00 am 7 comments

Warning, I don't holdback and talk about how gross my nails can get because of DWD...

I have always had terrible nails. I have never not picked at my nails and throughout my life they look like raw meat: red, chapped, falling apart... I rarely have anything that goes past my finger to form a "nail" as in they never grow that far. I always thought it was my anxiety, as a coping method I pick my nails, especially if there is any hangnails and that happens ALL the time.

I recently saw in the Facebook Group that nails get the Darier's White Disorder treatment, meaning they get messed up. Now my thin, brittle, red, chapped fingernails make more sense. And my toes, oh dear, it's like a Victorian monster down there! Frankenstein's toenails! They grow weirdly, like on angles, split, ingrown... it's just, gross. And so my anxiety sets to work and I usually pick them down to the quick/cuticle. I used to paint my fingernails to give them more structure, but working at a historic museum I can't have painted nails as it's not exactly accurate :P But my toenails are ALWAYS painted so they don't look so gross, though it is weird to paint toenails that grow every which way - I usually trim my toenails down as far as I can to avoid splitting and showcasing those weird Franken-Nails. 

I have found that with the supplements I take to combat DWD it does end up helping my nails, (and hair!), as things like omega fats and zinc are good for that. My love of eating fish (hello sushi) helps too. But then I did a google search and found this:

Biotin (a.k.a. vitamin H) can improve hair that is splitting or thinning as well as strengthen weakened nails. Taken with zinc and the corticosteroid clobetasol propionate, biotin has even been used to treat alopecia, an autoimmune skin disease marked by the loss of hair.

Has anyone ever tried using Vitamin H as a supplement? I think I may have to ask my doctor about this! 

I also read somewhere that DWD nails are also susceptible to build up under their non existent nails and I have to say I believe it - I mean look at mine: I barely HAVE nails and I am typing all day so how do I get gross stuff under there?!


These are actually quite healthy for me with little to no splits and hangnails. I guess putting the zinc back in daily really helps. 

Do you have really sore or gross nails too? What do you use to help it?

Monday, 23 April 2018

Update: all the changes and tweaks and ongoing therapy is working itself out! I'm not "cured" or anything but it is a helluva lot better than a few months ago when I had to hide under scarves and cry from the pain...

Right now this is what it looks like:
 

Not too shabby! Of course the pink bumps are never going to be completely gone (or never say never? *hopeful*) but this is so much better than the red rash and open weeping sores I had this winter.

SO! What is my line-up of therapy and goods to bring my DWD under control? I'm so glad you asked:

-no cow dairy
-the least amount of sugar
-lots of water
*I do drink coffee, tea, and drink cider and wine but always in moderation/occasionally






Daily
-50 mg Pine Bark Extract pill
-Vitamin B (either B2 100 mg or a B100 complex) pill
-15 mg zinc pill
-100 mg magnesium (doctor said it will help with my headaches)
-lavender pillow mist + frankincense/lavender oil mix on pulse points (great for anxiety and to sleep)
-meditation 5 mins (needing to get this up to 10 in 6 months)
-Vitamin A 10000 IU pill (at night)
-Vitamin A cream (on affected area at night)
-SPF 15 or higher (depending on season and outdoor activity but ALWAYS at least 15)

Sometimes
-Multivitamin
-Vitamin D (on cloudy/stay inside days)
-probiotics
-CBD pills for anxiety; situational
-Germolene for spot treatment (when the pink bumps become redder)

So there ya go! That's what I'm doing, remember to talk to your dermo and/or doctor or health care professional when trying new things - and on that note what is working for you?

I haven't had to use Germolene in over a week! And I am glad of it, this stuff is potent and shouldn't be used daily.

I am drinking soy milk instead of any other dairy alternative so I can try and keep my hormone levels up too, at least that's the idea - I don't know if it's helping at all but tofu and soy milk are a part of my diet since I left birth control for an IUD.

I hope this helps you on your journey to wellness!




IT WORKS! An Update on how it's going

Posted by Adrianna on 4/23/2018 10:16:00 pm 11 comments

Update: all the changes and tweaks and ongoing therapy is working itself out! I'm not "cured" or anything but it is a helluva lot better than a few months ago when I had to hide under scarves and cry from the pain...

Right now this is what it looks like:
 

Not too shabby! Of course the pink bumps are never going to be completely gone (or never say never? *hopeful*) but this is so much better than the red rash and open weeping sores I had this winter.

SO! What is my line-up of therapy and goods to bring my DWD under control? I'm so glad you asked:

-no cow dairy
-the least amount of sugar
-lots of water
*I do drink coffee, tea, and drink cider and wine but always in moderation/occasionally






Daily
-50 mg Pine Bark Extract pill
-Vitamin B (either B2 100 mg or a B100 complex) pill
-15 mg zinc pill
-100 mg magnesium (doctor said it will help with my headaches)
-lavender pillow mist + frankincense/lavender oil mix on pulse points (great for anxiety and to sleep)
-meditation 5 mins (needing to get this up to 10 in 6 months)
-Vitamin A 10000 IU pill (at night)
-Vitamin A cream (on affected area at night)
-SPF 15 or higher (depending on season and outdoor activity but ALWAYS at least 15)

Sometimes
-Multivitamin
-Vitamin D (on cloudy/stay inside days)
-probiotics
-CBD pills for anxiety; situational
-Germolene for spot treatment (when the pink bumps become redder)

So there ya go! That's what I'm doing, remember to talk to your dermo and/or doctor or health care professional when trying new things - and on that note what is working for you?

I haven't had to use Germolene in over a week! And I am glad of it, this stuff is potent and shouldn't be used daily.

I am drinking soy milk instead of any other dairy alternative so I can try and keep my hormone levels up too, at least that's the idea - I don't know if it's helping at all but tofu and soy milk are a part of my diet since I left birth control for an IUD.

I hope this helps you on your journey to wellness!




Tuesday, 3 April 2018



So the past few months have been trying to say the least, and everything translates to my skin - you know that saying wearing your heart on your sleeve? Well I wear my "heart" aka stress on my neck, as that's where my Darier's manifests the most.

So I tried:

Bio Oil = fail.

Recovery Balm from Saje = fail.

So next I went back to what I know: lower sugar, no dairy, less stress (isn't that always the goal??) and of course the tried and tested supplements. I went back to taking Vitamin A gels at night, Zinc 15 ml at lunch, and ok, I admit, something new....

I vlogged about it! Check it out:



I ordered Germolene on Amazon: 
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B008D0MLGA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The Darier's White Disorder Facebook Group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/21860644983/ 



A video update! Things are improving with these three things...

Posted by Adrianna on 4/03/2018 05:27:00 pm 6 comments



So the past few months have been trying to say the least, and everything translates to my skin - you know that saying wearing your heart on your sleeve? Well I wear my "heart" aka stress on my neck, as that's where my Darier's manifests the most.

So I tried:

Bio Oil = fail.

Recovery Balm from Saje = fail.

So next I went back to what I know: lower sugar, no dairy, less stress (isn't that always the goal??) and of course the tried and tested supplements. I went back to taking Vitamin A gels at night, Zinc 15 ml at lunch, and ok, I admit, something new....

I vlogged about it! Check it out:



I ordered Germolene on Amazon: 
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B008D0MLGA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The Darier's White Disorder Facebook Group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/21860644983/ 



Tuesday, 6 February 2018


What Works vs. What Doesn't  (...for me anyways)


So I saw Bio Oil on sale at Shoppers Drugmart and decided this was the say I try it. It was hyped a few years ago as "the thing" for skin ailments such as scars, stretch marks and dark spots and some skin issues.

BAD IDEA

I have never felt my skin on fire or itchy as much as I have on Bio Oil

 I took pictures of how it got worse and worse but instead of posting that, which isn't helpful, I decided to do a round up of what IS WORKING for me..



I also have fallen in love with my oil diffuser and essential oil therapy... I have been chatting with a friend who does oil mixology and the top skin soothers are frankincense and lavender. I have those oils 7 drops each in coconut oil applied by a roller vial like this:

So far it's not making it worse nor making it better but I like the way it makes me smell and feel so I will keep on trying it on my pulse points and behind my ears instead of perfumes.

So there's my overview, combine the above with low sugar intake, no dairy, low red meat, low/no cured meats. I do eat gluten and I do like wine and cider every now and then, but no beer, when considering my diet with all the above.

And I have to mention that I am on a low hormone IUD for the first time in my life and it is making my skin FREAK OUT so that is why I am trying all these things because I'm impatient and want a fix NOW instead of waiting out the hormonal flux that is happening now that I am off birth control and with that the regular hormones that came with it from the pill...

I also joined a group on facebook!  Maybe it's for you too? They talk a lot about the medical side of Darier's which I soon might have to look into as I age and deal with a loss of supplementary hormones.

Tell me what is working for you!

What Works vs What Doesn't

Posted by Adrianna on 2/06/2018 02:59:00 pm 1 comment


What Works vs. What Doesn't  (...for me anyways)


So I saw Bio Oil on sale at Shoppers Drugmart and decided this was the say I try it. It was hyped a few years ago as "the thing" for skin ailments such as scars, stretch marks and dark spots and some skin issues.

BAD IDEA

I have never felt my skin on fire or itchy as much as I have on Bio Oil

 I took pictures of how it got worse and worse but instead of posting that, which isn't helpful, I decided to do a round up of what IS WORKING for me..



I also have fallen in love with my oil diffuser and essential oil therapy... I have been chatting with a friend who does oil mixology and the top skin soothers are frankincense and lavender. I have those oils 7 drops each in coconut oil applied by a roller vial like this:

So far it's not making it worse nor making it better but I like the way it makes me smell and feel so I will keep on trying it on my pulse points and behind my ears instead of perfumes.

So there's my overview, combine the above with low sugar intake, no dairy, low red meat, low/no cured meats. I do eat gluten and I do like wine and cider every now and then, but no beer, when considering my diet with all the above.

And I have to mention that I am on a low hormone IUD for the first time in my life and it is making my skin FREAK OUT so that is why I am trying all these things because I'm impatient and want a fix NOW instead of waiting out the hormonal flux that is happening now that I am off birth control and with that the regular hormones that came with it from the pill...

I also joined a group on facebook!  Maybe it's for you too? They talk a lot about the medical side of Darier's which I soon might have to look into as I age and deal with a loss of supplementary hormones.

Tell me what is working for you!

Wednesday, 4 March 2015

So my January and February were both nuts. Seriously. I don't think I managed any downtime until this past weekend, the last weekend of February. I had a major major audition that made me live on edge for a week and then a final term paper due the day after. It was a stressful time.

So I needed to unwind! I went to a friend's cottage and kicked back a few beers and eat vacation food (read: sugar and fats) for 48 hours. Guess what happened?

This:


Yup. Sad Panda. 

A flare up so bad that it hurt to wear clothes. The camera doesn't capture just how raw it is (because it's still flaring!) and how much it has grown. It has turned up along my neck again and all down my back. Does your DD move around your body too? Mine used to be thighs and neck. Now it's mainly neck and back? 

I am trying to eat clean: lots of veggies, oatmeal for breakfast, no processed/added sugar, a hault on all things alcohol. It feels like I'm back in detox. I haven't started the food journal but if it doesn't get better in a week's time I think I will have to start one up again - and that means really detoxing. I cycled in Vit E cream but I find it greasy and not as good as Vit A cream but I am hitting Desperate Levels at this point!

I need to remind myself that there is no overnight treatment, that it is every action I take - I need to meditate, eat clean, and drink lots of water. I need to make sure I don't skip vitamins and pine bark. This seems so simple but then a friend's birthday is here and the party is at a bar - pop and booze = ugh. You know this story. It's hard to always stay true to your DD. 

5 Things I Will Do For My Skin

1. Drink Water like I'm a camel
2. Keep up on my pill therapy: pine bark, Vit B, D, Multi, Probiotics, *Zinc and *Omegas (which I am bad at remembering)
3. Lots of clean eating, meaning easily digested and without a lot of sugar and fat (like brown rice, green leafy veggies, oatmeal)
4. Go back to taking my tea and coffee back (sad sigh)
5. Yoga and quiet times. Gotta get that stress down!

What do you do when you flare up?

Living with flare ups.

Posted by Adrianna on 3/04/2015 09:51:00 am 3 comments

So my January and February were both nuts. Seriously. I don't think I managed any downtime until this past weekend, the last weekend of February. I had a major major audition that made me live on edge for a week and then a final term paper due the day after. It was a stressful time.

So I needed to unwind! I went to a friend's cottage and kicked back a few beers and eat vacation food (read: sugar and fats) for 48 hours. Guess what happened?

This:


Yup. Sad Panda. 

A flare up so bad that it hurt to wear clothes. The camera doesn't capture just how raw it is (because it's still flaring!) and how much it has grown. It has turned up along my neck again and all down my back. Does your DD move around your body too? Mine used to be thighs and neck. Now it's mainly neck and back? 

I am trying to eat clean: lots of veggies, oatmeal for breakfast, no processed/added sugar, a hault on all things alcohol. It feels like I'm back in detox. I haven't started the food journal but if it doesn't get better in a week's time I think I will have to start one up again - and that means really detoxing. I cycled in Vit E cream but I find it greasy and not as good as Vit A cream but I am hitting Desperate Levels at this point!

I need to remind myself that there is no overnight treatment, that it is every action I take - I need to meditate, eat clean, and drink lots of water. I need to make sure I don't skip vitamins and pine bark. This seems so simple but then a friend's birthday is here and the party is at a bar - pop and booze = ugh. You know this story. It's hard to always stay true to your DD. 

5 Things I Will Do For My Skin

1. Drink Water like I'm a camel
2. Keep up on my pill therapy: pine bark, Vit B, D, Multi, Probiotics, *Zinc and *Omegas (which I am bad at remembering)
3. Lots of clean eating, meaning easily digested and without a lot of sugar and fat (like brown rice, green leafy veggies, oatmeal)
4. Go back to taking my tea and coffee back (sad sigh)
5. Yoga and quiet times. Gotta get that stress down!

What do you do when you flare up?

Thursday, 27 November 2014



I just wanted to say thanks: thank you for visiting this site and thanks for sending me your notes, comments and emails about your insights/triumphs/questions/answers/journeys. Thank you for telling your story.

I have a separate blog at my mental health website and I invite guest bloggers there to share their stories - I want to encourage community. And I think I want that here too. So many times I hear such great feedback or even a personal story of how you are dealing with Darier's that I automatically want to ask if I can report it as a blog here. Well, why not?!

If you are willing to share your journey please let me know and I will happily post it here to share to others. 


I have readers from around the world and it would be great to hear how others are doing. 

 I would love to know if you are using Pine Bark or if you have found something else that is working for you. If you have had great vs. poor results when following any kind of diet or prescription.

Not many are talking about Darier's White Disorder so we might as well start up our own discussion and fight this together.

Thanks again and I hope to hear from you,

Adrianna

Thank you for all your letters!

Posted by Adrianna on 11/27/2014 10:35:00 pm No comments



I just wanted to say thanks: thank you for visiting this site and thanks for sending me your notes, comments and emails about your insights/triumphs/questions/answers/journeys. Thank you for telling your story.

I have a separate blog at my mental health website and I invite guest bloggers there to share their stories - I want to encourage community. And I think I want that here too. So many times I hear such great feedback or even a personal story of how you are dealing with Darier's that I automatically want to ask if I can report it as a blog here. Well, why not?!

If you are willing to share your journey please let me know and I will happily post it here to share to others. 


I have readers from around the world and it would be great to hear how others are doing. 

 I would love to know if you are using Pine Bark or if you have found something else that is working for you. If you have had great vs. poor results when following any kind of diet or prescription.

Not many are talking about Darier's White Disorder so we might as well start up our own discussion and fight this together.

Thanks again and I hope to hear from you,

Adrianna

Tuesday, 14 October 2014

A new kind of flare up has been happening the past month:


The little red dot I'm used to. But the blotchy pancake thing - what the WHAT?!

I have taken this to mean that I am not eating right (I have been stress eating and just this past weekend was Thanksgiving in Canada so there was much imbibing and silly foods that made it into my stomach... I regret most all dairy items...!)

Plus I have been majorly stressed out with going back to school, online classes, work, filming, auditioning, getting a puppy and - hey, that's life! So how am I supposed to live my life and not be stressed?

I think I have to start a plan on curbing my stress, because even though I adore to be busy I shouldn't be stressing out my system. I bought some stand alone Zinc to take 

Advice? Have you seen these types of flare ups before?




Ew Flare/New Flare

Posted by Adrianna on 10/14/2014 09:43:00 pm 2 comments

A new kind of flare up has been happening the past month:


The little red dot I'm used to. But the blotchy pancake thing - what the WHAT?!

I have taken this to mean that I am not eating right (I have been stress eating and just this past weekend was Thanksgiving in Canada so there was much imbibing and silly foods that made it into my stomach... I regret most all dairy items...!)

Plus I have been majorly stressed out with going back to school, online classes, work, filming, auditioning, getting a puppy and - hey, that's life! So how am I supposed to live my life and not be stressed?

I think I have to start a plan on curbing my stress, because even though I adore to be busy I shouldn't be stressing out my system. I bought some stand alone Zinc to take 

Advice? Have you seen these types of flare ups before?




Thursday, 17 October 2013

This whole journey started way back when I was working at Davids Tea and a woman scoffed (rather loudly) at a book we had on our shelf beside the teas. It was a book about what you can eat to defeat cancer. She was very audible about hating the notion that cancer could be cured by just eating more leafy greens.  I stepped up to serve her and, seeing she clearly wanted to rant about healthcare, I asked her how one should attack something like cancer which led to a conversation about my skin disorder.

She grabbed the receipt tape and jotted down some things for me to take. The thing that I latched on to was the maritime pine bark pills. And I still take them to this day. It's been about 5 years since this chance encounter with "Nadine" and I am so happy that we happened to chat that day.

Here is a visual of what I'm taking now: 5 years later.

Internal:

Vitamin B 1xday
Maritime Pine Bark 1xday
Greens+ 2xweek
Vitamin D  1xday
Probiotics 2-4xweek

And a multi-vitamin geared towards woman's health 1xday

Topical:

Fragrance free moisturizer
gentle/fragrance free foam cleanser
FX make up
gentle Toner
Tea Tree Oil (spot treatment)
Vitamin A cream

Pine Bark = my best friend

Posted by Adrianna on 10/17/2013 06:42:00 pm 1 comment

This whole journey started way back when I was working at Davids Tea and a woman scoffed (rather loudly) at a book we had on our shelf beside the teas. It was a book about what you can eat to defeat cancer. She was very audible about hating the notion that cancer could be cured by just eating more leafy greens.  I stepped up to serve her and, seeing she clearly wanted to rant about healthcare, I asked her how one should attack something like cancer which led to a conversation about my skin disorder.

She grabbed the receipt tape and jotted down some things for me to take. The thing that I latched on to was the maritime pine bark pills. And I still take them to this day. It's been about 5 years since this chance encounter with "Nadine" and I am so happy that we happened to chat that day.

Here is a visual of what I'm taking now: 5 years later.

Internal:

Vitamin B 1xday
Maritime Pine Bark 1xday
Greens+ 2xweek
Vitamin D  1xday
Probiotics 2-4xweek

And a multi-vitamin geared towards woman's health 1xday

Topical:

Fragrance free moisturizer
gentle/fragrance free foam cleanser
FX make up
gentle Toner
Tea Tree Oil (spot treatment)
Vitamin A cream

Sunday, 9 December 2012



Having a flare up this month - I think it's because (sorry gentlemen but) I'm starting new birth control pills and my hormones are everywhere. Plus I'm stressing about work, and not watching my sugar intake. Or it could just be that I'm getting older and my skin is not as resilient as it used to be. 

I went to see my useless dermatologist who asked ME what was working. Huh. 
The only thing he said that was useful was about Vitamin A - I forgot it is one of the top vitamins in skin rejuvenation. So I passed on the hundred dollar cream and went and got that cream you see above at the health food store for 9.99$ So far so good. The only thing is, it has "fragrance" - which could mean an irritant. But so far that hasn't been a bother to my skin. It actually smells nice! But it is very light - made for wrinkles apparently - so it absorbs fast and I usually like heavier creams like the Lifebrand vitamin E cream. 

Anything working for you?


Vitamin A creams

Posted by Adrianna on 12/09/2012 07:27:00 pm No comments



Having a flare up this month - I think it's because (sorry gentlemen but) I'm starting new birth control pills and my hormones are everywhere. Plus I'm stressing about work, and not watching my sugar intake. Or it could just be that I'm getting older and my skin is not as resilient as it used to be. 

I went to see my useless dermatologist who asked ME what was working. Huh. 
The only thing he said that was useful was about Vitamin A - I forgot it is one of the top vitamins in skin rejuvenation. So I passed on the hundred dollar cream and went and got that cream you see above at the health food store for 9.99$ So far so good. The only thing is, it has "fragrance" - which could mean an irritant. But so far that hasn't been a bother to my skin. It actually smells nice! But it is very light - made for wrinkles apparently - so it absorbs fast and I usually like heavier creams like the Lifebrand vitamin E cream. 

Anything working for you?


Wednesday, 6 October 2010

My friend Christine vouched for this as a great brand and supplement. As I mentioned before stress is a huge trigger for my flare ups - so I took 2 from her to see what I thought about it and ya, I like it!  I would like to buy my own soon and see if it's better than my B complex for everyday stress. Women need more Vit B than men! So ladies - get on it! Any way you can have more B do it!

the link for this particular brand is here: http://well.ca/products/vivitas-woman-stressless_12454.html
It has these ingredients:

PHELLODENDRON BARK (Phellodendron amurense)

Latin: Phellodendron amurense
Chinese: Huang bai

WHAT IT DOES: Phellodendron bark is bitter in taste and cold in action.  It reduces inflammation and dampness, especially from the lower parts of the body.  It has broad-spectrum anti-bacterial and anti-viral activity.

SAFETY ISSUES: Do not use during pregnancy.  Avoid long-term use due to alkaloid content.

STARTING DOSAGE:
• Dried powder: three to10 grams per day
• 4:1 dried decoction: one to three grams per day

Magnolia

Magnolia extract is rich in the phytochemicals honokiol and magnolol, which have numerous health benefits. One of the most impressive benefits is their ability to alleviate stress while producing a calming effect. Dozens of animal studies have shown that they act as a non-addictive, non-sedating anxiolytic (anti-anxiety and anti-stress) agent at low doses.
That means a small dose of Magnolia extract can help calm your nerves and alleviate anxiety, without making you sleepy. The beauty about these two phytochemicals is that honokiol exerts an anti-anxiety effect, and magnolol exerts an antidepressant effect

 So then what is Relora?? Here's the thing - when I went looking for Relora it turns out it's just the combination of these two things?
"Relora ®is a proprietary, patented, standardised extract of 2 plants - Magnolia officinalis and Phellodenron amurense. Studies have shown Relora to be a safe, effective, rapid-acting, non-sedating supplement, which promotes relaxation, calm and a feeling of well-being."
http://www.relora.co.uk/what%20is%20relora%20page.htm

DO NOT TAKE RELORA UNTIL YOU HAVE TALKED TO YOUR DOCTOR:
  • If you are pregnant or nursing
  • If you are currently taking an MAOI prescription medication
  • If you have been diagnosed with a serious health issue like severe anxiety, depression or other mental health disorder and have not yet consulted with your physician about taking a dietary supplement
  • If you have an autoimmune disease and are currently taking medication
 So maybe this isn't an everyday thing like Vit B - maybe this is during stressful times I take this instead...



*sorry for the poor resolution - my iphone sometimes is mean to me.

How about this supplement?

Posted by Adrianna on 10/06/2010 07:14:00 pm 1 comment

My friend Christine vouched for this as a great brand and supplement. As I mentioned before stress is a huge trigger for my flare ups - so I took 2 from her to see what I thought about it and ya, I like it!  I would like to buy my own soon and see if it's better than my B complex for everyday stress. Women need more Vit B than men! So ladies - get on it! Any way you can have more B do it!

the link for this particular brand is here: http://well.ca/products/vivitas-woman-stressless_12454.html
It has these ingredients:

PHELLODENDRON BARK (Phellodendron amurense)

Latin: Phellodendron amurense
Chinese: Huang bai

WHAT IT DOES: Phellodendron bark is bitter in taste and cold in action.  It reduces inflammation and dampness, especially from the lower parts of the body.  It has broad-spectrum anti-bacterial and anti-viral activity.

SAFETY ISSUES: Do not use during pregnancy.  Avoid long-term use due to alkaloid content.

STARTING DOSAGE:
• Dried powder: three to10 grams per day
• 4:1 dried decoction: one to three grams per day

Magnolia

Magnolia extract is rich in the phytochemicals honokiol and magnolol, which have numerous health benefits. One of the most impressive benefits is their ability to alleviate stress while producing a calming effect. Dozens of animal studies have shown that they act as a non-addictive, non-sedating anxiolytic (anti-anxiety and anti-stress) agent at low doses.
That means a small dose of Magnolia extract can help calm your nerves and alleviate anxiety, without making you sleepy. The beauty about these two phytochemicals is that honokiol exerts an anti-anxiety effect, and magnolol exerts an antidepressant effect

 So then what is Relora?? Here's the thing - when I went looking for Relora it turns out it's just the combination of these two things?
"Relora ®is a proprietary, patented, standardised extract of 2 plants - Magnolia officinalis and Phellodenron amurense. Studies have shown Relora to be a safe, effective, rapid-acting, non-sedating supplement, which promotes relaxation, calm and a feeling of well-being."
http://www.relora.co.uk/what%20is%20relora%20page.htm

DO NOT TAKE RELORA UNTIL YOU HAVE TALKED TO YOUR DOCTOR:
  • If you are pregnant or nursing
  • If you are currently taking an MAOI prescription medication
  • If you have been diagnosed with a serious health issue like severe anxiety, depression or other mental health disorder and have not yet consulted with your physician about taking a dietary supplement
  • If you have an autoimmune disease and are currently taking medication
 So maybe this isn't an everyday thing like Vit B - maybe this is during stressful times I take this instead...



*sorry for the poor resolution - my iphone sometimes is mean to me.

Monday, 4 October 2010

I have had some lovely people contact me over the internet regarding DD and I asked Nicole to share our emails so that what we were talking about may come out and perhaps help others with their understanding of DD.

Here are our emails unedited:

Hello again Adrianna
quick question - I noticed that you alternate supplements

the latest I read was
b6 b12 - 100 mg. daily
vita D - 1000 IU daily
pine bark extract - 30 mg. daily

every other day
zinc 15 mg. 
omega ( I am using borage oil and salmon oil) - do you have other favorites
calcium (how much)
vitamin C ( how much)
probiotics - ( I am going to try "Bio - K") do you have other favorites.  as I too can't have yogurt- dairy

Why alternating some supplements?  and other's daily? 

Thanks so much, I hope I'm not being to pesky with my emails.  

PS- how is the acting going?  I would never have the guts.  

Keep smiling, 
Nicole 
 Aug 24
2010
Hello :)

I find that some of these are too harsh for my system to take every day. Through trial and error I have found out that Vit E makes me break out - so why take it? I find that I eat a lot of fish so I don't need to take Omegas every day. Zinc is very heavy and hard to ingest so I don't have it everyday. Calcium makes me have white spots/calcium deposits in my skin if I take it too often. Vit C makes me nauseated if I take too much and I only take Vit A at night if I have taken Zinc as it helps to ingest it. Probiotics I am taking more frequently because I found a brand (the same as the Pine Bark actually) that doesn't go through my system like a laxative (hey you asked!)

Also there is the money issue - some of these things are expensive and they all add up - I'm a Canadian stage actor that isn't a well known - I don't have a medical plan and most of these wouldn't be supported anyway. So I have to make that call health vs wealth. Its a sad choice but true. This is why I haven't tried the Co q10 Enzymes - thankfully my list seems to work for me right now so its ok. If I find that my body changes over the years and finds this regime ineffective then I will try a new combo :)

Yoga, pilates, reiki, exercise and meditation also helps - its about relaxing your system as the Dariers is a reaction to stress on your body whether it be a tangible thing like food and medication or work load or any other stress - At least this is what I have found. My main food trigger is sugar - it stresses my system so I can't have too much of it in one sitting.

I hope this helps - I'm going to post this on my blog since it was a great question!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nicole to Adrianna Oct 3 2010

yes, of course.  :) The supplements do seem to be helping - I still have a bit of rash, but it is much less itchy.  I've also incorporated Spirulina ("NOW" brand is great)  into my supplements regimen.  I did sneak some sugar - okay a lot of sugar and I paid for it later.  I'm also trying gluten free.  I tried gluten free (no wheat, rye, etc) for about six weeks and figured it wasn't making any difference and so I had my favorite wheat cereal and the itching was much worse for about 3 days after. You mentioned some foods on your blog and I find that foods do really make such a big difference. Thanks for your blog.  Seeing you be so proactive about this disease has really made me even more invested and hopeful in my research.
ttfn :)
Nicole  

DD Community

Posted by Adrianna on 10/04/2010 09:49:00 pm 1 comment

I have had some lovely people contact me over the internet regarding DD and I asked Nicole to share our emails so that what we were talking about may come out and perhaps help others with their understanding of DD.

Here are our emails unedited:

Hello again Adrianna
quick question - I noticed that you alternate supplements

the latest I read was
b6 b12 - 100 mg. daily
vita D - 1000 IU daily
pine bark extract - 30 mg. daily

every other day
zinc 15 mg. 
omega ( I am using borage oil and salmon oil) - do you have other favorites
calcium (how much)
vitamin C ( how much)
probiotics - ( I am going to try "Bio - K") do you have other favorites.  as I too can't have yogurt- dairy

Why alternating some supplements?  and other's daily? 

Thanks so much, I hope I'm not being to pesky with my emails.  

PS- how is the acting going?  I would never have the guts.  

Keep smiling, 
Nicole 
 Aug 24
2010
Hello :)

I find that some of these are too harsh for my system to take every day. Through trial and error I have found out that Vit E makes me break out - so why take it? I find that I eat a lot of fish so I don't need to take Omegas every day. Zinc is very heavy and hard to ingest so I don't have it everyday. Calcium makes me have white spots/calcium deposits in my skin if I take it too often. Vit C makes me nauseated if I take too much and I only take Vit A at night if I have taken Zinc as it helps to ingest it. Probiotics I am taking more frequently because I found a brand (the same as the Pine Bark actually) that doesn't go through my system like a laxative (hey you asked!)

Also there is the money issue - some of these things are expensive and they all add up - I'm a Canadian stage actor that isn't a well known - I don't have a medical plan and most of these wouldn't be supported anyway. So I have to make that call health vs wealth. Its a sad choice but true. This is why I haven't tried the Co q10 Enzymes - thankfully my list seems to work for me right now so its ok. If I find that my body changes over the years and finds this regime ineffective then I will try a new combo :)

Yoga, pilates, reiki, exercise and meditation also helps - its about relaxing your system as the Dariers is a reaction to stress on your body whether it be a tangible thing like food and medication or work load or any other stress - At least this is what I have found. My main food trigger is sugar - it stresses my system so I can't have too much of it in one sitting.

I hope this helps - I'm going to post this on my blog since it was a great question!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nicole to Adrianna Oct 3 2010

yes, of course.  :) The supplements do seem to be helping - I still have a bit of rash, but it is much less itchy.  I've also incorporated Spirulina ("NOW" brand is great)  into my supplements regimen.  I did sneak some sugar - okay a lot of sugar and I paid for it later.  I'm also trying gluten free.  I tried gluten free (no wheat, rye, etc) for about six weeks and figured it wasn't making any difference and so I had my favorite wheat cereal and the itching was much worse for about 3 days after. You mentioned some foods on your blog and I find that foods do really make such a big difference. Thanks for your blog.  Seeing you be so proactive about this disease has really made me even more invested and hopeful in my research.
ttfn :)
Nicole  

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