Diabetic Ulcers

Treat Diabetic Complications

Friday, August 13, 2010 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

At the Whitaker Wellness Institute, we routinely prescribe high doses of water- and fat-soluble vitamins and minerals to virtually all of our patients. However, for our patients living with diabetes, we bump up those amounts by at least 50 percent. The diabetic condition causes increased urination and essentially acts as a diuretic, washing away magnesium, zinc, folic acid, and other vital nutrients from the body. Supplementing with high levels of these vitamins and minerals helps compensate for nutritional deficiencies and protect against diabetic complications.

Take Roxann, a type 2 diabetic who had been on insulin for 16 years. She had retinopathy, angina, high blood pressure, a history of two heart attacks, and an open ulcer on her foot that refused to heal. But the most debilitating of her problems was neuropathy. Nerve damage left her with virtually no sensation in her feet, and she could barely get around on her own.

After hitting rock bottom, Roxann came to my clinic and started on a comprehensive nutritional regimen that included high doses of antioxidants, B-complex vitamins, zinc, magnesium, and targeted nutrients and herbs known to help control blood sugar. Given the severity of Roxann’s condition, she also underwent a course of enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT).

Within three days, the feeling began to return to Roxann’s feet. She had more energy, less pain, and a renewed sense of hope. By the end of her second week at the clinic, she was walking normally. In fact, she and her daughter did something that would have been unthinkable just three weeks before: They spent the next couple of days strolling around and sightseeing in southern California.

If you’re living with diabetes and are seeing a conventional doctor, ask this question: “Doctor, I understand that diabetes causes losses of many micronutrients in the urine. Would it be wise for me to be on a nutrient supplement regimen to counteract those losses?”

If your doctor says it’s not needed or gives you some garbage about lack of science or some other nonsense, run—don’t walk—to a physician with a different attitude toward nutritional supplementation and other natural diabetes treatments. You just might save yourself a whole lot of suffering.

For more information on treating diabetes or key supplements for diabetes, visit www.drwhitaker.com.

Diabetes Treatments: HBOT and EECP

Friday, July 2, 2010 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

If you’re living with diabetes, you’ll be interested in learning about these two treatments used at the Whitaker Wellness Institute—hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) and enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP).

HBOT and EECP are two powerful therapies that can help treat a variety of conditions. They’re both all about oxygen.

HBOT, which involves breathing concentrated oxygen in a pressurized chamber, saturates the tissues with oxygen and “wakes up” damaged nerves. Because many bacteria cannot survive in an oxygen-rich environment, HBOT also facilitates the healing of diabetic ulcers.

EECP increases oxygen delivery as well, but by a different mechanism. It rhythmically squeezes the lower extremities, which dramatically improves blood flow throughout the body. In addition, EECP stimulates the production of new blood vessels resulting in benefits that are enduring.

Although it is used primarily to treat patients with heart disease, EECP also benefits a long list of other conditions, including kidney disease and diabetes complications.

Sugar Dressings for Diabetic Ulcers  

Monday, June 21, 2010 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

J.J. was lying in a hospital bed awaiting a below-the-knee amputation, thanks to a diabetic ulcer that didn’t respond to intravenous antibiotics.

Five hours before his surgery, someone told J.J. about the Whitaker Wellness Institute, so J.J. checked out of the hospital against medical advice and came to see us.

Like all of our patients dealing with diabetes, J.J. was started on natural diabetic treatments, including a therapeutic diet and targeted nutritional supplement program (he was obviously unable to exercise). He also underwent a course of EDTA chelation.

In addition, we treated his infected diabetic ulcer—which was so far gone the skin was almost black—with sugar dressings.

When sugar or honey is packed on top of and inside of an open wound, it dissolves in the fluid exuding from the wound, creating a highly concentrated medium. Bacteria cannot exist in this environment, and infection is dramatically curbed. This natural treatment for diabetes related wounds also reduces swelling and encourages the removal of dead tissue to make room for new growth.

Over the next few weeks, J.J.’s foot began to regain its normal color, and eventually the wound healed completely. Today, he’s beating diabetes, is nearly 150 pounds lighter, and he walks several miles a day on his own God-given legs.

NOTE: Do not try this on a bleeding wound, as sugar promotes bleeding.

Sugar Dressing Protocol

Unravel a 4” x 4” piece of gauze into a long strip and coat it with Vaseline. Place it around the outside edges of the wound, like a donut.
Cover the wound with ¼-inch of sugar. (The Vaseline “donut” will keep it in place.)
Place a 4” x 4” sponge on top of the wound. Bandage it firmly but not too snugly with a cling dressing.
Change the dressing every one or two days. Remove, irrigate with water, saline, or hydrogen peroxide, pat dry, and repeat steps 1–3.

A Diabetes Success Story

Monday, June 14, 2010 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

R.B., a type 2 diabetic, had been on insulin for 16 years. She had retinopathy, angina, high blood pressure, a history of two heart attacks, and an open ulcer on her foot that refused to heal. But the most debilitating of her problems was neuropathy. Nerve damage left her with virtually no sensation in her feet, and she could barely get around on her own.

After hitting rock bottom, R.B. came to the Whitaker Wellness Institute and started on a comprehensive nutritional regimen, which included high doses of antioxidants, B-complex vitamins, zinc, magnesium, and targeted nutrients and herbs to help control her blood sugar. Given the severity of her condition, R.B. also underwent a course of enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT).

Within three days, the feeling began to return to her feet. She had more energy, less pain, and a renewed sense of hope. By the end of her second week at the clinic, she was walking normally. In fact, she and her daughter did something that would have been unthinkable just three weeks before: They spent the next couple days strolling around and sightseeing in southern California.

R.B. is just one of many diabetes success stories. And, in 99 percent of these cases, people have been willing to try natural diabetes treatments, as opposed to conventional methods of treating this disease. Targeted supplements for diabetes, coupled with lifestyle modifications, are just a few of the natural methods used in treating diabetes – and they work.

Manage Diabetes With Vitamin D and Vitamin E

Monday, May 31, 2010 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

Vitamins D and E are great natural diabetes remedies.

Vitamin D deficiencies are linked with the development of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, as well as impaired insulin secretion. This vitamin also turns on genes that boost production of antimicrobial peptides called cathelicidins, which destroy viruses, bacteria, and other germs. Since people managing diabetes are more prone to infections due to diabetic ulcers and periodontal disease, optimal levels of this fat-soluble vitamin is important. Have your vitamin D blood level tested, and take enough vitamin D3 to bring it into the 40–60 ng/mL range. I’m reluctant to give an exact dose, but my average patient requires 5,000 IU of supplemental vitamin D daily.

Vitamin E, the body’s premier fat-soluble antioxidant, improves glucose control and protects blood vessels and nerves from free-radical damage, which is accelerated by the diabetic condition.

Studies have shown that high doses of supplemental vitamin E may even reverse damage to nerves caused by diabetes and protect against diabetic cataracts and atherosclerosis.

Additionally, research suggests that approximately 40 percent of people living with diabetes have a gene variation (haptoglobin (Hp) 2-2 gene) that increases oxidative stress and doubles or triples their risk of cardiovascular disease. Israeli researchers found that when these people took
400 IU of vitamin E daily, their risk of cardiovascular events such as stroke, heart attack, and death fell by 50 percent! Vitamin E’s benefits were so profound the study was terminated early so all study participants could benefit.

Oxidative stress also contributes to liver damage that, if untreated, can lead to diabetes complications such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The best-studied antioxidant for NAFLD also happens to be vitamin E, with doses averaging 800 IU per day. Everyone, regardless of health status, should take 400 IU of vitamin E every day.

Note: Take only natural vitamin E. You can tell it’s natural if it’s listed as d-alpha-tocopherol or d-alpha-tocopheryl. Synthetic vitamin E is listed as dl-alphatocopherol or dl-alpha tocopheryl (note the “l”).

Diabetes and Neuropathy

Monday, April 12, 2010 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

Neuropathy (damage to nerves and nerve function) is a common diabetes complications. This insidious, progressive condition is related in large part to the impaired circulation that most people living with diabetes experience.

Impaired circulation causes inadequate delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the nerve tissues. In addition, free-radical damage, inflammation, and glycation (which occurs when proteins bind to sugars and disrupt cellular function) also damage nerve cells and contribute to neuropathy.

Nerve damage related to diabetes (called diabetic neuropathy) often has serious consequences. In addition to pain and loss of sensation in the feet or hands, patients often experience weakness and loss of muscle control and coordination. They may also experience impaired digestion, carpal tunnel syndrome, erectile dysfunction, or other problems that are caused by nerve damage. And because they sometimes develop ulcers on their feet, which are very slow to heal and prone to serious infection, diabetic neuropathy is a leading cause of lower-extremity amputations.

Thankfully, adjustments to your diet and lifestyle are just a few of the effective natural treatments for diabetes that can help prevent diabetic neuropathy. Many of them have been discussed in this blog, as well as on my Web site.

Diabetes Complication #2: Foot Problems

Friday, February 26, 2010 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

Diabetes complications are vast, but one of the most common diabetes complications is problems with the feet.

For people with diabetic neuropathy, diminished sensation in the feet can lead to a host of problems, including an underestimation of wound severity. At the same time, impaired circulation makes diabetics more susceptible to infection and retards wound healing.

For most of us, small blisters or scrapes on the feet are minor problems that go away within days, but for people living with diabetes, they can spell disaster. This is why I tell people who are managing diabetes that they can never pay too much attention to their feet.

Here is a list of common foot problems that, if present in diabetics and left untreated, can increase risk of foot amputation.

Athlete’s Foot
Toenail Fungus
Calluses
Corns
Blisters
Bunions
Dry Skin
Foot Ulcers
Ingrown Toenails
Plantar Warts

Diabetic Ulcers Can Be Healed Naturally

Friday, November 27, 2009 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

If managing diabetes was simply a matter of controlling blood sugar, that would be one thing. But the condition is often accompanied by other troublesome complications, one of them being diabetic ulcers—wounds that heal slowly or not at all.

The good news is that there’s a far better natural treatment for these painful, persistent sores than today’s antibiotic therapies, and it’s one I’ve been using at the Whitaker Wellness Institute for more than 20 years. It’s a simple sugar dressing.

When white sugar or honey is packed inside and on top of a diabetic ulcer, it dissolves in the fluid exuding from the wound and creates a hyperosmotic, or highly concentrated, medium in which bacteria cannot exist. Scientists have tested the viability of many types of bacteria, including Klebsiella, Shigella, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus pyogenes, and none of them have been able to survive in a honey or sugar solution.

In addition to curbing infection, this therapy facilitates healing in other ways. It draws fluid out of the wound, which reduces swelling. It provides a covering or filling and therefore prevents scabbing. It encourages the removal of dead tissue to make way for new growth. It promotes granulation, which is the formation of connective tissue and blood vessels on the surface of a wound. Finally, it supports the growth of new skin covering the wound.

Although we use them specifically to heal diabetic ulcers, sugar or honey dressings can be used to treat any kind of open wound or burn. However, they will not work on abscesses or pustules that are covered with skin. Also, do not use them on a bleeding wound, because sugar promotes bleeding. (By the way, sugar and honey are perfectly safe to use on diabetic wounds because they do not enter the bloodstream.)

Here’s how to use sugar to treat a diabetic ulcer:

• Unravel a 4” x 4” piece of gauze into a long strip and coat it with Vaseline. Place it around the outside edges of the wound, like a donut.
• Cover the wound with ¼-inch of sugar. (The Vaseline “donut” will keep it in place.)
• Place a 4” x 4” sponge on top of the wound. Bandage it firmly but not too snugly with a cling dressing.
• Change the dressing every one or two days. Remove, irrigate with water, saline, or hydrogen peroxide, pat dry, and repeat steps 1–3.

This is one diabetic complication you don't have to live with. Give this approach a try. I think you’ll be happy with the results.

Reduce Complications from Diabetes by Replacing Stolen Nutrients

Friday, October 2, 2009 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

As I’ve said many times (and conventional medicine continues to ignore) diabetes is a nutritional wasting disease. As a result of the continual nutritional losses that occur in people with diabetes, body parts simply fall off.

Diabetes is our number-one cause of blindness, amputation, and kidney failure. It dramatically increases the risk of both heart attack and stroke. And if you have pre-diabetes or metabolic syndrome (also called syndrome X), you’re on the road to significant complications if you don’t address these nutrient losses with high-dose, targeted supplements for diabetes.

Folks, it’s not complicated. If you were to give a healthy person an osmotic diuretic every day and did not replace nutrients, you would produce the same complications suffered by those living with diabetes and related conditions.

Let’s examine some of these losses and what they mean for you.

Magnesium. Excessive urination washes out magnesium. Low magnesium levels are present in 25 percent of those with diabetes, and even those with levels considered to be “high” don’t reach the average levels of those without blood sugar concerns.

Magnesium is involved in glucose transfer across cell membranes and improves insulin sensitivity and glucose control. When magnesium goes down, glucose control deteriorates. That’s because magnesium is essential to normal carbohydrate metabolism.

Low magnesium levels are associated with the diabetic retinopathy. Said another way, if you have diabetes and you have very low magnesium, you are at the greatest risk of going blind. Low magnesium levels are also connected to high blood pressure and heart disease. Now, shouldn’t everyone living with diabetes be taking magnesium supplements to reduce or completely avoid such devastating complications?

Zinc is another water-soluble nutrient that is flushed from the body, and as a result, diabetes produces low zinc levels. This complication can impair the immune system, particularly T-cell function, which could lead to more infections and non-healing ulcers. Zinc deficiency also can cause hair loss as well as diarrhea, which triggers further nutrient losses still. All together now, shouldn’t everyone with diabetes be taking zinc supplements?

B-complex vitamins. B6, B12, and folic acid are also water-soluble and vulnerable to loss via excessive urination from diabetes. This leads to increased homocysteine levels and dramatically increased risk of heart disease.

Low levels of B6 can cause glucose intolerance, depression, cracked lips, and dry skin. A B12 deficiency may exhibit no obvious symptoms at first, but over time can produce mental disturbances, anemia, and impaired nerve function. A lack of folic acid may bring on depression, forgetfulness, insomnia, irritability, and fatigue. Repeat after me. Shouldn’t everyone living with diabetes be taking supplemental B vitamins?

Diabetes complications are as frightening as the disease itself--which is growing exponentially in this country. Given these facts, you’d think the most basic aspects of this illness would at least be understood, if not one of the primary focuses of treatment. Sadly, this isn’t happening.

It’s up to us. I’ll keep spreading the word. And if you have diabetes, you owe it to yourself to get on a high-dose supplement program as soon as possible, with a particular emphasis on these water soluble nutrients.