[smile357]

I have a question regarding Kirkman labs. I called and asked about anything for helping RSD and I was told they didn't know anything about RSD. But I noticed their products are recommended alot here. Can you give me advice on some things that have worked for RSD type 2. Any recommendations from people would be great. I like the fact they are very reasonably priced and from the U.S.

[mrsD]

The main product I recommend trying is the magnesium cream.

Here is the link:
http://www.kirkmanlabs.com/ViewProdu...ct_ID@124.aspx

Apply this over the area of discolored tissue, to try to open up the blood vessels that are being constricted by the nerves overfiring. What may be happening with RSD patients is that when those blood vessels start clamping down, nutrients cannot get INTO the area and toxic waste products cannot get OUT.
Another thing that sometimes helps is soaking in epsom salts to get the magnesium that way.

Kirkman is typically used by the gluten free community and the autism community. But that does NOT imply some of their products can't help others.

The Kirkman cream comes with a measure since the cream is made at the concentration of 100mg/gram. The RDA for magnesium in adults is around 400mg a day of elemental.

So one should not overuse the cream. Excess magnesium in the blood can build up if you have any kidney malfunctions. This cream is not like cosmetics or moisturizers. It is a therapeutic thing that needs to be used with care and understanding.

If this opens up the circulation for you, you can then add some oral magnesium to get to the rest of your body.

Here is may magnesium thread:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread1138.html

I think another thing to try is grapeseed extract. Vicc from the past (may he rest in peace), used to use this antioxidant at 300mg a day, to prevent RSD spread. Given the recent posts here about cytokine levels, and RSD (inflammation response), the grapeseed is a very benign thing to try, which may help with this inflammatory aspect of the RSD. There is an RX "medical food" that also does this, recommended mostly for arthritis, but it works on the same principle== Limbrel.
If you are interested in the complex rationale for anti-inflammatory agents that block Cox-2 here is the link from Limbrel that explains it.
http://www.limbrel.com/professional/pro_metabolic.php

Limbrel is rather expensive, and typically not covered by insurances. One can arrive at similar actions with other antioxidant supplements like grapeseed extract.
Other Cox -2 blocking supplements are Fish oil, or the new krill oil.
Another interesting thing along these lines is Lipoflavinoids.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipoflavonoid
This supplement was originally designed for the tiny blood vessels in the ear...but the concept of the tiny vessels in the RSD presentation are similar, and this product or one like it may help RSDers too.

The term bioflavinoid is associated with Vit C products. There is a Ester C with bioflavinoids that I use that is very good.
I have alot of inflammation with my arthritis, and this helps me quite a bit.
This is an example:
http://www.iherb.com/American-Health...aps/11126?at=0
( I use the Ester C brand--I purchased at Sam's Club)

Vit C has appeared in a few studies from Europe as preventing RSD in patients with foot or wrist trauma/surgery. I've posted the papers here many times... so it is worth using. The papers have used 500mg for 52 days, or 1000mg daily for 45 days following the trauma of surgery and found it reduced RSD risk considerably.
This is one of them:

Acta Orthop Belg. 2002 Dec;68(5):481-4.
[Vitamin C and prevention of reflex sympathetic dystrophy following surgical management of distal radius fractures]

[Article in French]

Cazeneuve JF, Leborgne JM, Kermad K, Hassan Y.

Service de Chirurgie Orthopédique et Traumatologique, Centre Hospitalier, Rue Marcellin Berthelot, 02 000 Laon, France.

Reflex sympathetic dystrophy is a major complication following surgical treatment of fractures of the distal radius. Its pathogenesis is related to lipid peroxidation which damages vascular endothelial cells, increasing capillary permeability. Vitamin C is a natural antioxidant. The authors have made a comparative study of two groups of patients with isolated closed displaced fractures of the distal radius, which were reduced and stabilized by intrafocal pinning. Group 1 included 100 patients who were treated from 1995 until 1998 and who did not receive any vitamin C supplementation; group 2 included 95 patients who were treated from 1999 to 2002 and who received daily administration of one gram vitamin C orally during 45 days, starting on the day of fracture. The incidence of reflex sympathetic dystrophy was five time times lower in group 2 (2.1% versus 10%). This is in line with previous observations and lends credit to the value of vitamin C administration as a prophylactic measure to prevent the occurrence of reflex sympathetic dystrophy in patients who undergo surgical treatment of a displaced fracture of the distal radius.

PMID: 12584978 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

This study used 1000mg a day. A previous one used 500 but didn't show this better result.

So if anyone wants to try this at this later date...there are no guarantees, of course, but it may help. I'd choose the Ester with bioflavinoids to get more antioxidant actions. There is very little or no risk with these products, so trying them, is worth it, IMO.
High dose Vit C may impair the excretion of some drugs...so check with your doctor if you decide to use it. It carries a warning about using Coumadin. The other antioxidants only carry a vague warning with strong blood thinners like Coumadin or Plavix. Fish oil is an example of this, so anyone on Coumadin should have doctor supervision and blood work regularly.

Here is a long monograph on Vit C (from the research center using Linus Pauling's name)
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocente...mins/vitaminC/