Phlebitis
phlebitisPhlebitis is inflammation of a vein, usually caused by a clot that forms in the vein due to poor circulation. When the clot forms, blood flow is blocked, causing pain and swelling.
Often, someone who has phlebitis can actually feel a lump under the surface of the skin where the blood-distended vein is bulging. It may feel like a hard, painful knot or a sore, bruised spot. If the clot occurs very close to the surface of the skin, a red streak may be visible.
If you suspect that you have phlebitis, you need to get a medical diagnosis, followed by appropriate treatment. With the type called deep-vein phlebitis, there is a risk that the clot will dislodge and move to your heart, brain, or lung, where it can do extensive damage. Don’t delay having it diagnosed, monitored, and treated by your doctor.
If you’ve had phlebitis in the past, however, there are ways to prevent a recurrence. Just moving around can help. So can elevating your legs when you sit down to rest, getting regular exercise, and wearing surgical pressure stockings.
If you’re prone to phlebitis, you don’t want to sit anywhere for very long. Sitting still for more than a couple of hours at a time can cause phlebitis in someone who’s susceptible to the problem.
Along with those precautions, some supplements may help prevent phlebitis. They can reduce the tendency of your blood to clot, improve blood circulation in your legs, and help keep your legs from swelling with fluid. Just be sure to check with your doctor before trying these remedies.
Take Bromelain to Stop Clots
The blood-thinning and anti-inflammatory properties of bromelain, an enzyme derived from pineapple, work together to help prevent a recurrence of phlebitis, says Decker Weiss, N.M.D., a naturopathic doctor at the Arizona Heart Institute in Phoenix. In a study of 73 people with a severe kind of phlebitis who took bromelain along with a pain reliever, researchers found that all symptoms of inflammation decreased, including pain, swell ing, and elevated skin temperature.
"Bromelain is a potent inhibitor of platelets, components in blood that promote clotting," Dr. Weiss says. The enzyme prevents platelets from sticking together and also helps keep them from adhering to the sides of blood vessels.
Bromelain also declares war on fibrin, which is a protein at the core of the clotting process. By breaking down fibrin, the enzyme counteracts clot formation.
Dosages of bromelain typically range from 500 to 1,000 milligrams a day, says Dr. Weiss. To get the best effect, take a divided dose four times a day on an empty stomach, he advises. If it’s taken with food, bromelain will simply act as a digestive enzyme rather than helping to prevent clotting.
Spices and Herbs as Add-Ons
Curcumin, a yellow pigment that comes from the Indian spice turmeric, acts as a strong natural anti-inflammatory and anti-clotting agent, says Dr. Weiss. Its anti-clotting properties resemble those of aspirin, which is commonly prescribed to help thin the blood and improve blood flow. "I like to use a mixture of curcumin and bromelain instead of aspirin with my patients," he says.
Dr. Weiss first prescribes a mixture of bromelain and curcumin, along with anticoagulants (blood thinners), to dissolve a clot. Once the clot is dissolved, he advises people to continue taking bromelain and curcumin. At the same time, he keeps them on an exercise program that includes yoga, and he prescribes hot and cold packs after the blood thinners have been discontinued. Usual doses of curcumin are 400 to 600 milligrams a day, which can be taken for up to three months without adverse effects, says Dr. Weiss. Do not take curcumin supplements if you are pregnant, however.
Ginger is another spice that can help prevent a recurrence of phlebitis. It also has strong anti-clotting and anti-inflammatory powers, Dr. Weiss says. You can buy ginger in capsules. To reduce inflammation, you may need to take about 2,000 milligrams a day of dry powdered gingerroot, he says.
Vitamins to Help the Flow
Researchers now realize that an amino acid by-product called homocysteine can harm the insides of blood vessels, increasing the risk of athero sclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Homocysteine can also raise your chances of developing a blood clot, according to research.
In one study, researchers were able to reduce high homocysteine levels using 5 milligrams of folic acid, 400 micrograms of vitamin B12, and 50 milligrams of vitamin B6. "I recommend B vitamins to all my patients with heart or circulatory problems as part of a high-potency multivitamin," Dr. Weiss says.
The same antioxidant nutrients that are recommended to help prevent heart disease are also good if you have phlebitis, he adds. Vitamin E helps to reduce platelet stickiness, which means that you’ll be less likely to have clotting. Studies suggest that reducing platelet stickiness with vitamin E could help treat people who have traveling blood clots, particularly those who have type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes and thus are at higher risk for clotting problems.
Vitamin C is essential because it helps to regenerate vitamin E, and both vitamins also help to reduce inflammation. Dr. Weiss recommends 400 to 800 international units a day of vitamin E and 1,000 to 3,000 milligrams a day of vitamin C in divided doses. Before you take that much vitamin E, however, you should check with your doctor, particularly if you are taking anticoagulants or aspirin.