08-10-05 08:53 AM - Post#131386    

After an evening spent with my extended family I see more and more than I am destined to varicose veins. My Grandfather has the worst case and apparently his Mother did too (she died before I was born). Most of my family members are somewhat sedentary, and *obviously* I am not.

I have 2 spider veins that I've had since high school. I contribute my love of iron from keeping more from forming. I know some say heavy squatting causes spider veins, but so far this has not been the case with me.

In my quest to fight my genetics, I'm thinking of taking horse chestnut. I'll try it for a month (or however long a bottle lasts) and see what happens. Upon searching the archives, I see that Lori and Laree have taken this at one time. Do you still take this today and how does it work? I've researched this and find various recommended doses. What do you take? I assume this is a supplement that you need to take continuously.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Re: Vein health - Varicose Veins
08-10-05 11:31 AM - Post#131387    

Hey, Ginger,

Yes, I still take it. I started to help with vein health in general because I was having trouble with blood donations, or even regular lab test draws. Varicose vein improvement was an unexpected side benefit, but it's not magic and they didn't go away completely. It's possible they would if I upped the dosage significantly, not sure... haven't tried. I'm sure I would have if my supplement regime wasn't already too hefty, lol.

Re: Vein health - Varicose Veins
08-10-05 12:13 PM - Post#131388    

Hey, I have no veins at all and I have a tiny nest of spider veins behind one knee that's I've had since I was a little kid, wonder if I should take that too?
Actually, I've got this ankle thing that I wonder if this will help. You know that ankle bone that sticks out? I've got a nerve or vein or something that goes over the top and if I touch it, it sends like and electric spark down my foot. Not pain, just like a jolt. I noticed it months ago and it seems to have gotten worse from or bigger from squating. Just wearing shoes will rub on it as I walk now. I've backed of weights lately and it hasn't changed. I wonder if the pills would have any effect on that nerve/vein thing? Anyone else have that thing from squatting?

..• ´¨¨)) -:¦:- ¸.•´ .•´¨¨)) ((¸¸.•´ ..•´ -:¦:- Kym -:¦:- -:¦:- ((¸¸.•´* Soap Maker

Re: Vein health - Varicose Veins
08-10-05 01:12 PM - Post#131389    

Laree, thanks for the info. I hate getting blood drawn, I have deep veins and it always hurts and leaves a nasty bruise. I'm interested to see if the horse chestnut will have any affect on this. I would assume by strengthening the veins, it would help with bruising. I'm hoping by starting this young (I'm 28) I can avoid some of things I see my 80 year old relatives going through.

Kym, your ankle sounds painful. I am no expert but if it's a nerve sticking up, I don't think horse chestnut would help. If it's a vein, it might. Do some research on line and see what conclusion you come to. Here's some info. http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Ency/Index.cfm/id/2110008
Hope you are pain free soon.

Re: Vein health - Varicose Veins
08-10-05 02:06 PM - Post#131390    

I have a huge vein in my one leg....tryed the horse chestnut but didn't see any help.....I wear support hose now....too much on my feet..wish I would have started wearing them years ago....Now I just try to cover them with the tan!!!:-)

Obsessed is a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated!!!

Re: Vein health - Varicose Veins
01-20-06 08:55 AM - Post#131391    

Sorry to bring up an old topic. But I wanted to report on my findings. A week or 2 after I asked this question I ordered horse chestnut. At the time, the company had buy 2 get 1 free or buy 1 get 2 free, don't remember which. I ended up with 3 bottles. I've been taking it ever since they arrived, 1 (300 mg tablet Standardized to contain 20% Aescin, 60 mg) in the morning and 1 in the evening.

I have 3 spider veins that are near each other. I decided to use them as my gage. 1 is the very first one I got, I've had it since I was a teenager, probably 15 years. The other 2 are not as old. After all this time 1 spider vein is gone! The middle one is disappearing and the oldest one is lighter. I've noticed that my legs no longer have the heavy feeling after being on my feet all day, sitting all day, etc.

So I conclude that this supplement works for me. I will continue to take it. I can find no research on bad long term effects, in fact it seems that there are little interactions with this supplement.

Laree, do you take any breaks with horse chestnut?

HTH someone.

Ginger

Re: Vein health - Varicose Veins
01-20-06 12:16 PM - Post#131392    

Hey, great news, Ginger!

No, I don't take breaks with it. In my case, I used to have capillaries breaking in my fingers when doing heavy pulling, and had problems with blood donation. That's when our doc friend suggested horse chestnut extract, and after a few weeks on it the problems decreased noticibly. Vein health is vital and I seem to need some support in that department.

Re: Vein health - Varicose Veins
01-20-06 12:59 PM - Post#131393    

OK, so I just gotta ask this:

Anal varicose veins are also known as hemorriods...will that horsey stuff help hemorriods?

Re: Vein health - Varicose Veins
01-20-06 03:16 PM - Post#131394    

Quote:

---

Laree said:
No, I don't take breaks with it.

---

Laree - what do you mean? As in, you don't STOP taking it? You take it full time?

I wasn't around for the original question, but I have horrible V. veins... Not sure is HC will even help them. Got them with my 2nd pregnancy.

My PL friend was laughing at me the other day as I was doing SL DL saying that my VVs were popping out as I straightened up. Dont think thats a good thing.....

Re: Vein health - Varicose Veins
01-21-06 02:56 PM - Post#131395    

That's right, I take one or two horse chestnut extract capsules daily. Another thought: I had the best results when I took the [extremely foul] tincture, but I never figured out if that was because I started with that and just had good initial response or if it was the tincture over the capsules. Everything tells me there's more of the extract in the capsules, but the tincture seemed to work better upfront. It would take more experimentation to figure that out, which I may or may not bother with.

Re: Vein health - Varicose Veins
01-21-06 07:12 PM - Post#131396    

Varicose veins are not the spider things, but large veins that begin to surface with bulges along the length of it. It is the saphenous vein that causes the problem. My father had them and I knew that I could get them. I sit at work, so that wasn't a cause. Frankly, I did everthing and nothing helped. Eventually, I had both legs stripped. The good news is that the operation is simple and nothing changes as far as being able to workout. I can run or whatever better than before. Cosmetically, my legs are perfect. I wish I had done it sooner. I was back at work in a week.

John...Pointcove

Re: Vein health - Varicose Veins
01-21-06 07:26 PM - Post#131397    

I certainly don't have the 'spider things' but the bulging ones.

Re: Vein health - Varicose Veins
01-21-06 07:35 PM - Post#131398    

Doctor John...

As to stripping veins in the legs...Just a thought from my lady's experience.
She ended up with a poor job done by an alcoholic surgeon years ago....we had no idea at the time, and the local medical community was tight-lipped on that subject. Also, her quadruple bypass was without the veins he took, so she waited for cadaver's donations.

I'm ignorant on the subject if she could have kept her original veins, appearence not withstanding, and had a more healthy replacement with her own tissues. Please inform me...and most important....other IOL'ers on this medical situation...
Bowing deeply,
George

Re: Vein health - Varicose Veins
01-22-06 01:49 AM - Post#131399    

You are quite right, having the superficial vein occluded or removed has virtually no effect on circulation to the leg muscles as deeper veins (which are better supported by the surrounding muscles) take over the task of return flow quite nicely. The latest, though presently rather expensive procedure is to insert a laser into the saphenous vein and then internally sclerosing and thereby occluding the vein along its length. I hear its fun to watch in a dark room, as the laser can be seen firing inside the vein. Virtually no discomfort, and the ability to return to work the next day. About a week in full length orthopedic support hose, and the need to avoid any pounding movements like running or jumping during that time. Pretty dramatic results on the folks I've know who have had it done.

Still at it

Re: Vein health - Varicose Veins
01-23-06 08:13 AM - Post#131400    

George, as you know in my work, I watch the surgeons harvest the saphenous vein daily. You did ask a good question, but varicosed veins are of no value to the cardiac surgeon. They are too large with bulges all along the lenth to be used for the bypass graft. The blood will not flow properly through these to the heart muscle. So if you have them, don't be afraid to have them removed. What can be done as an alternative graft is to use the radial artery (cadaver vein use is controversial as I explained to George before). All this is assuming you are unlukcy enough that the cath lab can't angioplasty your blockage and you end up seeing me.

John...Pointcove