Hyposensitization for Nickel and Iron Oxide Allergies

You're allergic to Nickel and Iron Oxide?!
Isn't there an allergy shot for that?

I heard those questions so many times from people who really cared about my struggles.  It's possible that many friends were surprised that an allergy to Nickel and Iron Oxide would flare up in my eyes, of all places.

 

And oh, how I searched and hoped that there was some kind of allergy shot, like the way people with hay fever are treated.  It is a great way to build the immune system.  But the mainstream answer to the question is "No, there isn't any allergy shot for this allergy."

 

 

  The following video contains information about allergies in general.  And I believe there are some points that can apply to Nickel and Iron Oxide Allergies.

  Attilio Speciani is an Allergist and Immunologist (Master in Milan University in 1990) ; Anaesthesiologist and E.R. Doctor (Master in Milan University 1982); Professor of Nutrition for two different Universities (Bologna, and Milan)
and is teaching in Milan for the "Master in Phytotherapy" and in Bologna for the "Master in Phytotherapy in Gastroenterology".

 

 

 

So is there new information on something that works like an allergy shot for Nickel Allergy?

What is HYPOSENSITIZATION?

Administration of a graded series of doses of an allergen to atopic subjects suffering from immediate-type hypersensitivity to it. This must be done with great care to avoid anaphylactic reactions. The aim is to increase the level of specific IgG antibodies and/ or to diminish the level of IgE antibodies

What is HYPOSENSITIZATION? (Science Dictionary)

 

Hyposensitization with Oral Nickel

Studies have confirmed the role and benefit of hyposensitization with oral nickel in nickel allergy. It has been noted that oral tolerance to nickel sensitization can be obtained by feeding with nickel sulfate in nickel sensitive individual, and this has opened a new area of investigation for the treatment of nickel allergy. The suggested mechanism for oral hypo- sensitization in nickel-sensitive individual is the stimulation of the suppresser T-cell production by antigen excess.

In two controlled studies (each including 24 patients with contact allergy to nickel), where each patient was orally treated with 5.0 mg nickel sulfate once a week for 6 weeks, the degree of contact allergy, measured as patch test reactions before and after nickel administration, was noted to be lowered significantly.  In a different study,  where 30 nickel sensitive cases were treated with oral nickel sulfate in a dose of 0.1 ng/day following a low nickel diet, showed complete disappearance of the symptoms after 1 year of treatment in 29 cases; the remaining patient showed a partial alleviation of symptoms. Oral provocation tests with these 30 patients showed an overall increase of tolerance. Patch tests showed no variation in the 20 cases; a diminution was observed in 5 cases and the patch tests were negative in 5. Similar type of results were obtained by Bagot et al .

             Relationship Between Nickel Allergy And Diet

^{And another study is reported by Dr. Juan Carlos Ivancevich}

In 2009, our group performed a clinical trial of oral hyposensitization therapy with low doses of nickel in 67 patients affected by systemic allergy to this sensitizer. All patients reported a significant benefit in regard to both cutaneous and systemic symptoms, with the reduction or absence of itching and partial or complete clearing of ACD after the first 4 weeks of treatment. In fact, 70% of the patients completed the increasing phase (10 weeks) and the maintaining phase with the following results after the reintroduction of a nickel-free diet: 67% reported a complete remission of symptoms; in 23%, a clinical improvement was noted, with the rare appearance of cutaneous or digestive symptoms of lower intensity; and three patients also reported a reduction in weight. Adverse reactions were observed only in 18 patients: 12 patients with primary cutaneous dermatitis reported mild itching, and 6 patients with gastrointestinal manifestations reported digestive disorders of low intensity.
This systemic therapy led to favorable results both in regard to cutaneous symptoms and in regard to gastrointestinal histologic modifications induced by nickel allergy, in contrast to all other therapies that could only act on the dermatitis.

           ^{Topical and Systemic Therapies for Nickel Allergy}

^{Researchers Have Discovered That A Homeopathic Psoriasis Treatment Helps With Hyposensitization Of Nickel Allergy}

 A Tulsa Dermatologist, Dr. Steven A. Smith, MD, FACP, was searching for a better way to treat patients with nickel jewelry allergy.  He  formulated Psorizide(R) Forte. "Psorizide(R) Forte is a prescription, biochemical homeopathic tablet that is safe and completely steroid free."

A clinical case study treating nickel allergic patients with oral nickel (Psorizide(R) Forte) has been completed with positive results. 81 percent (48 out of 59) successfully completed a 6 week course of nickel desensitization. All patients available for post-study analysis, 11 out of 11 (100 percent), stated that their nickel jewelry reaction had improved markedly. All patients were able to wear costume jewelry without any allergic reaction (data on file). "Psorizide(R) Forte is an effective, inexpensive, safe, and easy to use, unique prescription treatment. It is the first alternative treatment developed in decades for this problem and the only one that reverses the root cause," Dr. Smith said.  

^{Dermatologist Discovers 'Oral Nickel' Cures Most Common Jewelry Allergies}

 

 Hyposensitization for Nickel Allergy has been around since 1987.  It seems to have moved from the research phase to available treatment.  So it looks like a treatment worth discussing with my doctor. 


Have you been treated with Hyposensitization therapy? I would be interested in your experiences.

Supplements Can Help OR Hurt Nickel Allergies

Does Nickel Show Up In 

Vitamins, Minerals, and Supplements?

Some people take vitamins, while others don't.  I am a hefty vitamin/supplement consumer!

Each night my palm is heaped with various vitamins. And in the morning I take a smaller portion of about 8 supplements.  All of it really seems to help me manage hay fever, allergic responses, along with colds and flu.

It concerned me that nickel might be contained in my daily supplements.  After all,  I could be working really hard to avoid skin contact with nickel and iron oxide, but then defeat all this effort by consuming something that causes other reactions. 

The first direction I went to seek answers was with my friendly health food store owner.  She helped out by doing her own research.  It appears that multi-vitamins could be the greatest risk of containing nickel and iron oxide.  Singular vitamins like Vitamin E and Calcium have very little risk that they may contain nickel and iron oxide. 

 I decided to help my Nickel and Iron Oxide Allergies by beginning a detox to get rid of at least some of the toxins that were causing my allergic responses.  I selected the Ultimate Cleanse.  Some people also take Iron supplements while using this cleanse.  But I decided to leave that out, since I am still researching whether Iron supplements are a problem with my Iron Oxide allergy. 

I spent quite awhile researching online to find the answer. Most of the answers online seemed to be research results that were written for doctors.   And I try to sift through it to understand at least some of what is discussed.  And I have to say that my searching will continue.  Sometimes it feels like I find conflicting information from various research sources.

 

Today's post contains a selection of quotes from sources 

I discovered while attempting to find answers 

Vitamin C and Iron

The final, and probably least appreciated, factor in the effects of dietary nickel is absorption of ingested nickel. It has been demonstrated that vitamin C decreases absorption of dietary nickel, as does iron. Co-ingestion, or lack thereof, of these two nutrients can have a major effect on nickel absorption, even without alteration of the amount of nickel ingestion. Factors such as these highlight how little is understood about the ingestion and metabolism of dietary nickel and the factors that can affect it.

          Dietary Nickel as a Cause of Systemic Contact Dermatitis

Studies have found that taking a vitamin C supplement with each meal as well as eating an iron-rich diet can help prevent absorption of nickel in the body.  

            http://www.healthline.com/health/allergies/nickel#2

Other substances/physical states that interfere with nickel absorption from diet

1. Vitamin C, orange juice, tea, coffee, milk inhibit nickel absorption in human

2. Iron deficiency Anemia, Pregnancy and Lactation can enhance nickel absorption in human body

3. Adequate iron intake and status can reduce nickel absorption from diet in human.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3667300/

Zinc

Based on animal studies, some effects of nickel may be eliminated or reduced by supplementing with divalent essential metals. Weissmann and Menné reported cases of nickel dermatitis as having improved following oral administration of zinc sulfate (ZnSO₄).  One clinical study showed that the administration of ZnSO₄ could improve the clinical manifestations of nickel contact dermatitis and could eliminate or reduce the majority of patch-test reactions; intolerance to ZnSO₄ was not observed. The study showed that ZnSO₄ therapy is efficacious and safe.

         http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/753985_5          

Bromelain

 Bromelain is used for reducing swelling (inflammation), especially of the nose and sinuses, after surgery or injury. It is also used for hay fever, treating a bowel condition that includes swelling and ulcers (ulcerative colitis), removing dead and damaged tissue after a burn (debridement), preventing the collection of water in the lung (pulmonary edema), relaxing muscles, stimulating muscle contractions, slowing clotting, improving the absorption of antibiotics, preventing cancer, shortening labor, and helping the body get rid of fat.

           https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/895.html

 Probiotics

Treating pregnant mothers, and then their infants, with select strains of probiotics -- bacteria present naturally in the body and sometimes added to food or dietary supplements to boost immune function -- may help prevent a skin condition known as eczema in children with a family history of allergies, particularly during the first 3 months of life, Dutch researchers report.

          http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/10/09/us-probiotics-skin-idUSTRE5985G520091009
 

 In 2003 a study of over 100 children from families with a history of eczema also found a benefit from probiotic supplementation, and just last year a study noted that daily supplements of probiotic foods may reduce the risk of eczema in children by 58 percent.

           http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/11/11/probiotics

Fish Oil

According to Mother Earth News,⁹ a German study published in the journal Allergy found people who have diets rich in of omega-3 fatty acids suffer from fewer allergy symptoms. A second study¹⁰ in Sweden found that children who regularly ate fish prior to age one had much lower allergies by age four. My favorite sources of omega-3 fatty acids are grass fed meat and eggs, and krill oil.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/04/18/allergy-season.aspx

 Quercetin

Quercetin is an antioxidant that belongs to a class of water-soluble plant substances called flavonoids. Although research is sketchy, many believe quercetin-rich foods (such as apples, berries, red grapes, red onions, capers and black tea) prevent histamine release—so they are "natural antihistamines." Quercetin is also available in supplement form—a typical dose for hay fever is between 200 and 400 mg per day. 

            http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/04/18/allergy-season.aspx 

I thought this was interesting side information:

Patients that are allergic to nickel may also be allergic to palladium, cobalt, and aluminum. 

          http://www.clarksnutrition.com/

So I feel like I've got a great start to understanding which supplements and vitamins are going to help my Nickel and Iron Oxide Allergies.  Most Nickel Allergy sufferers will be reasonably safe in taking the general supplements listed. 

In the case of my Iron Oxide Allergy, I still am not convinced that Iron supplements are a safe way for me to go.  For now, I will avoid that particular supplement. 


Have you found some other supplements that help with Nickel Allergy?  I would love to hear about your findings!

Until Next Time........

Sea Salt for Eczema and Nickel/Iron Oxide Reactions

One of the worst symptoms of Nickel and Iron Oxide allergies is the eczema and itchy rash that occurs after exposure.  Sometimes the reaction helps to draw attention to the fact that something is being an irritant to your skin.  Perhaps you didn't even know that a particular piece of clothing, or jewelry had nickel in it until you got the eczema reaction.

 

About 20 years ago,  Dr. Douglas Leavengood, an allergist based in Biloxi, Mississippi, noticed that many of his eczema patients improved  after spending lots of time in the ocean in the summer. So Leavengood’s daughter tried it out with her own kids who suffered from eczema. She gave them daily sea salt baths and noticed their skin became less red and irritated.

Leavengood now recommends daily sea salt baths (about a handful in the tub) for all of his young patients, and commonly sees an improvement in redness, itchiness and dryness in as little as a week to 10 days. “It’s the most impressed I’ve ever been with a home therapy for anything,” he tells Allergic Living.

Scientific study would be necessary to conclusively prove that the treatment really works, as well as how it works. (Leavengood wonders if the salt may somehow help the skin to stay moist, or if perhaps it acts as an antibacterial agent.) What’s more, Leavengood’s patients often have severe cases, so they still require prescription creams and antihistamines.
Still, he says, “for a lot of mild cases, try this and a good moisturizing cream, and you’re good to go.”

http://allergicliving.com/2012/02/08/using-sea-salt-for-eczema-control/

How Can Sea Salt Help to Reduce 

Eczema Reactions?

Eczema skin is diagnosed as being dry, not because it lacks grease or oil, but because it fails to retain water. Therefore, to correct dryness, water is added to the skin, followed by an emollient which can help to retain the moisture. This can be done by soaking the affected area in a basin of water with Dead Sea Bath Salts or soaking the entire body in a Dead Sea Salt bath for 20 minutes using warm water. Pat the skin with a soft towel to remove excess water, and immediately apply essential oil or cream to seal in moisture.


 Toxins in the environment, as well as airborne allergens can greatly effect eczema. Dead Sea salt baths can help in cleansing and detoxifying the skin by removing the irritants and impurities that are otherwise trapped, while restoring some of the skin's depleted minerals.


It's a common misconception that Dead Sea Bath Salts dry out the skin. Although this would be true of many of the other types of salt on the market, Therapeutic grade Dead Sea Bath Salt containing only 4% sodium provide minerals which the skin and body need. These minerals help to strengthen skin and balance out it’s PH levels.

 

 

Use Cream or Essential Oils to Seal in Moisture 

Following the Sea Salt Bath

Essential oils such as lavender, geranium, melaleuca, frankincense, or chamomile will provide soothing effects to reduce itchy, flaking, and possibility of infection.


Topical corticosteroids creams quickly help relieve itching and reduce inflammation. Barrier repair moisturizers help lock water into skin, repair damaged skin, and reduce dryness, redness, and itching. Topical immunomodulators can reduce inflammation without steroids. Many of these creams are OTC treatments.  Consult your doctor regarding which is best for you.

 

 

How Long Does it Take For 

The Sea Salt Bath to Work?

The severe itching associated with eczema usually subsides in 1-2 weeks when treated with Dead Sea Bath Salts, even if the skin has not yet shown much response. Visual clearing can take up to 6 weeks. Many eczema sufferers can slightly reduce the number of Dead Sea Salt Bath’s taken per week, once they have achieved their desired results.

http://thehealingbath.ca/about-the-dead-sea/dead-sea-salt-heal-the-body/

Detox #6 Plan for Nickel Heavy Metals

When I think of detox treatments, I usually think of INPUT: eating and drinking foods that help clean me out.  But today I'm writing about a detox method that involves OUTPUT: doing something that makes my body push out toxins in the process.

 

So what kind of detox method involves output? Sweating!

Yuck! Who wants to sweat?!?!?  Most of us do whatever we can to avoid perspiring and sweating.  It's not pretty.  But it IS a way to cleanse your body of toxins. Sweating actually has many important health- and beauty-related benefits. Your skin is the largest organ of your body, and serves important roles just like any other bodily organ. Something as simple as sweating could provide equal or even greater detoxification benefits than dietary detox plans.

All of these benefits promote general health, and recent research^1,2,3,4,5 has even shown that regular sauna use correlates to a reduced risk of death from any cause, including lethal cardiovascular events.

Read more of this article here

Quite a number of years ago, we visited Sweden, and got to stay in someone's home.  They had their own sauna built into their laundry room.  It was a big surprise to me to see such a room.  Our hosts said most homes had saunas included in their houses. That is the first time I seriously began to think of sauna treatments as a way to purify the body.

 The Different Types of Saunas

Today, there are three basic types of saunas:

1. The wet Finnish sauna, where steam is created by throwing water on hot rocks (the heat can be generated by either wood burning or electricity)
2. The dry Finnish sauna that uses electrical heating, and therefore does not employ water (these stoves are not made to have water poured on them. Doing so can result in short-circuiting)
3. Infrared saunas

The difference between an infrared sauna and the traditional Finnish-style saunas is that the latter heats you up from the outside in, like an oven. The infrared sauna heats you from the inside out.  The traditional wet sauna typically uses a small stove with radiant heat elements, i.e. resistive elements that heat up when current flows through them. These elements heat up the rocks piled on top. The temperature is regulated by a thermostat. Initially, the sauna will feel warm and dry, but once you toss some water on the rocks, hot steam is generated.

Click here to see a larger version  of the infographic

In 2012, researchers with the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute provided a meta-analysis on 24 studies and found that arsenic, lead, mercury, and cadmium weren’t only present in sweat but often present in greater concentrations than within urine or blood (where such toxins are usually measured).  They determined, quite simply, that “sweating deserves consideration for toxic element detoxification.”

             http://naturalsociety.com/sweating-detoxing-body-heavy-metals-more/



Personally, I can't figure out how to afford a sauna.  And I don't think I have room for one.  That is why I've opted for infrared therapy with mats.  When I use the mat, I actually DO sweat!
Read my previous post about infrared therapy

 

So now what?? I guess it is important to realize we can't protect ourselves from toxins; they are all around us.  What we can do is break a sweat by sitting in a sauna, using infrared therapy, or doing some exercise. That way we can work on getting more of the toxins and heavy metals like nickel and iron oxide out of our bodies.

Do you have an alternative detox plan that I haven't covered? I would really like to hear about it.  Please comment below.  

Detox Plan #5 for Nickel Heavy Metals (my favorite)

 Let's face it.... we are living in a toxic world! It is nearly impossible to completely avoid exposure to toxins in our daily life.  I don't know about you, but I can't pull off my life by living in a "bubble".  Yet, when I was diagnosed with Nickel and Iron Oxide Allergies, I realized my body was paying a price and it was now showing me how unhappy it was. 


And once I was diagnosed as having Nickel and Iron Oxide Allergies, I started researching basic info, sources of exposure, dietary approaches, and lifestyle changes that I would need to make. I wanted to get a handle on this allergy and reduce it's power to take over my life.


I have been writing about detox plans to help reduce the toxic levels within a person's body.  Today's article presents the most "out there" approach.  But it is the approach I most depend upon and use it daily.  

Dr. MyHill is a medical doctor in the UK.  She describes herself this way:

I believe modern Western Medicine has lost touch with patients. What patients actually want is an answer to the question why they have developed their particular problem followed by which nutritional, lifestyle or environmental changing factors need they put in place to allow improvements. In pursuing this object, I have become the Secretary of the British Society for Ecological Medicine, a medical organisation in which we have our own scientific journal, our own bi-annual scientific meetings at the Royal College of General Practitioners as well as running training meetings for GPs and Consultants. All the medicine that we practise has an excellent evidence base, but of course not the mega financial resources to sell this to the health industry in this country. 

 Hang in there, I WILL get to the detox in a moment.  Read a bit more of what Dr. MyHill says about daily exposure to toxins:

In the last fifty years it has been estimated that 5 million new chemicals have been created by man, of which 75,000 are in regular everyday use, of which less than 10% have had any sort of toxicity testing. These chemicals are now ubiquitously present in the environment, and are well absorbed through food, water, by inhalation and through our skins. Many of them are very fat-soluble and bio-accumulate in our bodies. It is now becoming very clear that the internal environment of our bodies reflects our external environment.

Furthermore, because we are at the top of the food-chain and because we live for many years, chemical burden is increasing each year. Studies done by the World Wildlife Fund and other such scientific bodies show that we all carry a heavy burden of chemicals. They are present in our fat in mg/kg (this would be similar to the sort of levels in blood if we were taking a therapeutic drug); persist for many years; and their effects are unpredictable.

Most of these chemicals are known toxins, cause cancer, birth-defects, damage to nerves and the immune system, to the liver and bone marrow, etc. Furthermore, we now know that cocktails of chemicals have much more serious effects than chemicals in isolation. Low-dose chemicals may be very much more toxic than we ever expected, partly because many of them mimic our own hormones, thereby disrupting the delicate hormonal balance within all of us.

http://www.drmyhill.co.uk/wiki/Detoxing__Far_Infrared_Sauna_%28FIRS%29

 

Detoxing Plan #5 Through the Skin

So Dr. MyHill is one of many holistic doctors who are recommending Infrared Therapy as a method of detox.  

 Chemicals can be excreted directly through the skin and by exhalation. These excretions happen when the body gets hot & chemicals are released, passing through the sweat. 

There are a few ways to detox through the skin:

• Exercise 
• Saunas, Turkish baths & spa therapies
•  Far Infrared Sauna (FIRS)

Sorry to keep quoting, but this one is needed.  Dr. MyHill describes how Far Infrared Sauna (FIRS) works:

Far infra red rays constitute the main energy-source that comes from the sun and are responsible for warming our skin when we sit in direct sunshine. The rays penetrate several centimetres through the skin and heat up subcutaneous tissues. With enough sun on the skin, the skin will sweat; chemicals from subcutaneous tissues will be mobilised and pass out through sweat. The sunshine does this without heating up the core temperature (although if you lie in the sun for long enough then the core temperature will eventually rise;) therefore chemicals can be mobilised and excreted without causing systemic poisoning. Dr Rogers describes many case-histories in her book of patients who, for example, have severe heart-disease who would certainly not tolerate a sauna, but who can tolerate FIRS very comfortably. 

 Infrared sauna treatments are the top recommendation of holistic doctors.  However, it is difficult to find places to get this treatment.  AND it is very expensive to purchase.






My kineselologist/chiropractor told me about using a infrared mat that is made by Therasage. Studies have shown that it takes about 15 minutes of infrared heat to warm up the tissue to start improvement.  Some doctors believe by going 5 minutes longer, you are working on the actual healing and repair. 

                                               

I started using the Therasage mat daily to help heal my knee following surgery. Now I also include daily treatments on my front torso &  back torso.  It truly has become my favorite way to detox!

The Therasage FIRS mat is available at Amazon and at   http://therasage.com/

 

Happy Detoxing! 

 

Please leave your thoughts in the comments section below.  I have a Facebook page and you can find me on Twitter. Follow my Nickel Allergies board on Pinterest.

 

Detox Plans #1 and 2 for Nickel Heavy Metals

For some people struggling with nickel allergy, all that is needed to stay "clean" is to avoid skin contact with jewelry, kitchen utensils, zippers and metal buttons.


But those with more severe nickel allergies have to also avoid nickel exposure in their diet.  Either way, avoiding nickel exposure requires a lot of thought about how you live and what you touch.


I try to avoid many foods that are known to contain a lot of nickel .  But every so often, I'm in a position where I just cannot avoid it. For instance, we are eating dinner at a friend's house and several of the foods served contain a lot of nickel.  Most likely, I'm going to eat the food and suffer later.


When doctors told me there really weren't any pills I could take to get rid of the nickel in my gut and body, I decided to look toward more natural treatments.  Heavy metal detox techniques seemed to be the path I needed to take.

Is there anything I can do to get a nickel detox?

There are a couple of safe and easy ways to remove heavy metals by using natural supplements and foods. PLEASE NOTE that most detox techniques for heavy metals focus upon mercury, lead, and aluminum. Nickel commonly is not listed. But when I checked a bit further I found this:

Nickel (Ni) is a nasty toxic metal and a known carcinogen. It is one of the metals we see most commonly in toxicity tests
 Doctor Myhill 

In terms of degree of interest, the chief heavy metals of note in the environmental science literature are lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium, copper, manganese, nickel, zinc, silver.

The Encyclopedia of the Earth

  Detox Chelation Plan #1

Chelation is a very effective way to treat heavy-metal poisoning. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved prescription chelation therapy for the treatment of lead poisoning.
http://www.webmd.com/balance/tc/chelation-therapy-topic-overview


Until recently, all chelation was a formal medical procedure, usually supervised by a doctor but sometimes carried out by dentists. But recent research has revealed a more natural way to perform chelation.This detox plan uses  cilantro, also called coriander or Chinese parsley.

A  researcher named Dr. Yoshiaki Omura discovered that some patients excreted more toxic metals after consuming a Chinese soup containing cilantro, the leafy part of coriander, an herb whose seed is a familiar culinary spice in African, Middle Eastern, and Indian cooking. In China, cilantro is called Chinese parsley, and it is used mainly as a garnish rather than seasoning.  Cilantro is also common in some Italian dishes. It is a member of the carrot family and has a distinct taste that most people either love or hate.
http://www.kitchendoctor.com/herbs/cilantro.php

Cilantro is best used in conjunction with chlorella because it, “mobilizes more toxins than it can carry out of the body, it may flood the connective tissue (where the nerves reside) with metals, that were previously stored in safer hiding places.” This can cause retoxificaiton if another binding agent isn’t used to help rid the body of the heavy metals that are ‘found’ in their hiding places throughout the body.

http://naturalsociety.com/proper-heavy-metal-chelation-cilantro-chlorella/

 

Cilantro offers chelation benefits:

• Highly effective metal toxin binding agent and mobilizer.
• Powerful anti-inflammatory.
• Antibacterial.
• Increases HDL cholesterol and decreases LDL.
• Prevents gas and bloating.
• Wards off urinary tract infections.
• Eases hormonal swings during menopause and menstruation.
• Can reduce nausea.
• Adds fiber to the digestive tract – an effective bulking agent.
• Fights anemia with high levels of iron, and magnesium.
• Reduces minor swelling.
• Promotes liver health.
• Can be used as an expectorant.

 

 

Dr. Mercola suggests combining cilantro chelation with other supplements :

 Cilantro alone often does not remove mercury from the body; it often only displaces the metals form intracellularly or from deeper body stores to more superficial structures, from where it can be easier removed with the previously described agents.

 

 

The properties of chlorella lend themselves nicely to aiding cilantro for detoxifying the body:

• Chlorella is antiviral.
• It binds to dioxins and other environmental toxins.
• It repairs the body’s detoxification functions.
• Improves glutathione – the bodies ‘master’ antioxidant.
• Binds to heavy metals exceptionally well.
• Alpha and gamma lineolic acids in chlorella help increase the intake of fish oil and other important fatty acids.
• Methyl-coblolamine repairs the nervous system and damaged neurons which often suffer from heavy metal poisoning.
• Chlorella contains the most easily absorbed form of B12 and B6.
• Chlorella is high in amino acids, and thus ideal for vegetarians.
• Chlorella is able to open cell walls, which is necessary for detox processes.
• Chlorella restores healthy gut flora.
• Chlorella is still being studied for its detoxifying effects, since science cannot fully understand how it has developed over millions of years to be so effective in ridding the body of unwanted substances.
• This PDF describes very specific chelation dosing when using chlorella.

 Dr. Mercola supports the use of chlorella in chelation:

Chlorella is an important part of the systemic mercury elimination program, as approximately 90% of the mercury is eliminated through the stool. Using large doses of chlorella facilitates fecal mercury excretion. After the intestinal mercury burden is lowered, mercury will more readily migrate into the intestine from other body tissues from where chlorella will effectively remove it.

Chlorella is not tolerated by about one-third of people due to gastrointestinal distress. Chitosan can be effectively used as an alternative in these individuals. Chitosan makes up most of the hull of insects shellfish and also bind metals like mercury from the lumen of the intestines.

 

Detox Chelation Plan #2

Dr. David Williams has used natural chelation treatment extensively.  He suggests consuming at least 1/4 cup of tightly-packed fresh cilantro stems and leaves per day during a detox.

Since cilantro may release more heavy metals than the body can efficiently remove, and to prevent any metals from being deposited in the colon, I also recommend using a form of calcium bentonite clay called Pascalite. While using the cilantro for a detox period of two weeks, take 1 to 2 teaspoons of Pascalite mixed with water three times a day between meals.
 http://www.drdavidwilliams.com/cilantro-clay-for-detoxification/

Please note, just be sure your magnesium levels are high before starting any serious chelation program, since this trace mineral helps to promote ‘relaxed’ arteries and can make elimination of toxins easier on the body.

http://naturalsociety.com/proper-heavy-metal-chelation-cilantro-chlorella/

Check back for my next post showing two more ways to detox and help with your nickel allergy.

Please leave your thoughts in the comments section below.  I have a Facebook page and you can find me on Twitter. Follow my Nickel Allergies board on Pinterest.

Zendocrine essential oil blend supports the body’s natural ability to rid itself of unwanted substances. This powerful blend combines Rosemary, Cilantro, and Juniper Berry, known for their detoxifying properties and ability to support healthy liver function, while Tangerine and Geranium have purifying effects against unhealthy substances. Zendocrine helps cleanse the body of toxins and free radicals that can slow the body’s systems down, leaving a heavy, weighted feeling. - See more at: http://doterrablog.com/essential-oil-spotlight-zendocrine-detoxification-blend/#sthash.Ri6RluEI.dpuf

Zendocrine essential oil blend supports the body’s natural ability to rid itself of unwanted substances. This powerful blend combines Rosemary, Cilantro, and Juniper Berry, known for their detoxifying properties and ability to support healthy liver function, while Tangerine and Geranium have purifying effects against unhealthy substances. Zendocrine helps cleanse the body of toxins and free radicals that can slow the body’s systems down, leaving a heavy, weighted feeling. - See more at: http://doterrablog.com/essential-oil-spotlight-zendocrine-detoxification-blend/#sthash.Ri6RluEI.dpuf

Zendocrine essential oil blend supports the body’s natural ability to rid itself of unwanted substances. This powerful blend combines Rosemary, Cilantro, and Juniper Berry, known for their detoxifying properties and ability to support healthy liver function, while Tangerine and Geranium have purifying effects against unhealthy substances. Zendocrine helps cleanse the body of toxins and free radicals that can slow the body’s systems down, leaving a heavy, weighted feeling. - See more at: http://doterrablog.com/essential-oil-spotlight-zendocrine-detoxification-blend/#sthash.Ri6RluEI.dpuf

The Basics: Lifestyle and Home Remedies

Lifestyle And Home Remedies

A few simple treatments may help to improve your contact dermatitis from nickel allergy.  If you find these treatments don't help or the allergy gets worse, contact your doctor. 

 

 

Here were the immediate lifestyle changes I made after I was diagnosed as having a nickel and iron oxide allergy:

Stop touching my face with my hands. "Touching doesn't cause the following but most definitely worsens acne, contact dermatitis and herpes simplex," explained Dr. Shamban, board-certified dermatologist and Heal Your Skin author. "Bacteria, viruses and allergens transfer from fingertips onto the skin. Also, repeatedly rubbing the skin can do some real damage."

Washing hands frequently, in order to lessen nickel exposure. Or at the very least, you can shorten the exposure time.

 


Wearing gloves when I cannot avoid touching nickel (such as a workplace exposure).

 

Home Remedies That Can 

Ease Nickel Allergy Rashes

• Use soothing topical treatments to ease itching:calamine lotion, lavender essential oil, roman chamomile essential oil.
• Moisturize regularly to build up a barrier for your skin.Your skin's natural barrier is disrupted when it reacts to nickel and other allergens. Using emollient creams, lotions, or essential oils could reduce your need for topical corticosteroids. Try petroleum jelly, mineral oil, or essential oils to build this barrier. 
• Apply wet compresses to help dry blisters and relieve itching. Soak a clean cloth in Burow's solution, an over-the-counter medication containing aluminum acetate; diluted white vinegar (1 ounce of white vinegar to 16 ounces of water); or tap water. Place the compress over the rash for 15 to 45 minutes. You can repeat this process several times a day. Oatmeal compresses can help too.

• Topical corticosteroids (hydrocortisone) can lessen itching and improve the rash. Try to apply the over-the-counter cream to the affected area before applying a wet compress. This could allow better penetration into the skin. Talk to your doctor about how long you can safely use the product because your skin can become addicted to it. Read this woman's story about it. 
• Try over-the-counter oral antihistamines, such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl), which may help relieve itching for a short time, but tend not to be effective for this type of allergy.

Avoid certain over-the-counter ointments, such as antibiotic creams, which may contain ingredients — particularly neomycin — that can worsen an allergic reaction. 

Read more recommended remedies from Mayo Clinic:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/nickel-allergy/basics/lifestyle-home-remedies/con-20027616