Recognizing Livedo Reticularis
So many people spend their health gaining wealth, and then have to
Livedo Reticularis is an unrecognized, common disorder and has been linked to people with Sticky Blood, Antiphospholipid Syndrome, Hughes Syndrome, and in rare instances, people with Raynauds Syndrome. (extreme cold in the extremities) These are all Autoimmune disorders. All of these syndromes can also be associated with Levido Reticularis. In Sticky Blood, Antiphospholipid and Hughes syndrome’s, the immune system produces antibodies that attack blood platelets in blood, causing them to stick together.
Blood clots become an issue as people with these disorders are at increased risk of forming deep arterial and venous clots. This can lead to heart attacks or strokes. Blood thinning drugs like Coumadin or Aspirin are often prescribed. Sometimes symptoms can resolve themselves and disappear entirely. If you have Livedo Reticularis, be sure to fill out the LR Questionnaire. Livedo Reticularis Images
If your doctor has told you that you have LR, and you have a pattern that's similar to LR but it's only located on one extremity or side of the body, and you have pus-like sores, you may have a condition that's known as Necrobiosis Lipoidica Diabeticorum. Please read the referring page and have your physician look into this also! My own Reticularis started showing up when I was diagnosed with Epstein Barr Virus in the spring of 2004. Symptoms of Livedo Reticularis:
Yet I still had the symptoms and he offered me no further consultation or explanation. How often does that happen? Talk about frustrating! However, he didn't test me for Epstein Barr, but my own NP knew better. She suspected it and then tested me for the Virus and BANG! There it was! Epstein Barr! In full force too! It had been dormant for about 30 years and reappeared out of no where~ Since I knew that Mono and Epstein Barr were part of the HSV virus family, I decided to start taking L-Lysine for it. Lysine supplements not only helped me get well from the Epstein Barr faster, but the Reticularis faded and a lot over time as well. Maybe it was a coincidence? Or maybe these two conditions go hand in hand? I could not find any research on the correlation between the two, but I made a correlation in my own mind about it. I wondered if the Livedo Reticularis could be one side effect or symptom of any virus, [Or Epstein Barr Virus] in more people than just me? If you suspect Livedo Reticularis and don't know what's causing it, have your doctor check you for Epstein Barr or the other viruses. It could be that viruses trigger the syndrome. [Recently I have also added a new forum to this site, which includes LR! It's new so posts will be slowly coming in. You must verify your account before you can make posts. If you have any problems verifying your account, please email me from the forum site. (Link given.) I am hoping you will find lots of support here! You can reach it quickly and easily! Look Great Forums. You will find the LR forum in the Health Section.]Since I wrote this page a few years ago now, I've learned new information about Livedo Reticularis. My own LR has returned but at a low level for right now. I've also gotten more wonderful information from you, the viewer! Many people who have this disorder, report that their condition is not visible in the mornings after waking. (Some do however.) It is only throughout the day that the condition returns and becomes visible. This is very interesting to me, because many doctors have suggested that exercise is KEY to helping circulation, which in turn helps the disorder. Then why for many of us, is it better in the morning when we've been resting, not exercising? Interestingly too, that many physician's have also suggested that smoking inhibits circulation, therefore anyone with the disorder should stop smoking. How do they know that it will help? Seems like a bold assumption if exercise does not make the condition better too! Some of the suggestions below are from other sources and some of them I got from you. (Thank you for writing in and telling me your stories! Every contribution is very much appreciated! Blessings~) If you really want to help other people who have it too, please fill out this form about your experience. I am genuinely concerned about this disorder and the general LACK of attention it's getting from the medical community. *I am presently looking for an internist or a Rheumatologist to read the questionnaire page form results! If you know a doctor who might be able to help, please contact me. I have an NP who helped me develop the questionnaire but have not been able to find a doctor locally who is qualified to help us. Thank you! What I've Learned about Livedo Reticularis1) Exercise - If you have reticularis, it might help to get more exercise. Reticularis is a disorder that brings vessels close to the skin and makes the skin look red and blotchy. Exercise may help alleviate the symptoms if you are lethargic and don't move a lot. If it doesn't help relieve your symptoms, at least it will raise your endorphins and make you feel better temporarily! 2) Take an Aspirin everyday - Aspirin helps thin the blood. Reticularis has been discussed by Dr. Weil, whom I really admire. He calls this condition 'sticky blood'. His own mother had it. If aspirin doesn't help, then you may need a blood thinning drug such as Coumadin. See your physician if aspirin doesn't help. Another blood thinner, given to me from a viewer, is possibly black strap molasses. Also drinking apple cider vinegar mixed with water everyday helps to clean toxins from your blood and may help with the symptoms. 3) Take Natural Fish Oil Omega-3 fatty acids are important building blocks of all cell membranes, signaling pathways and neurological systems. They play an important role in many functions in the body and are essential for good health. Omega's also help with depression. Reports of depression with this disorder are sparse, but I have to assume that it would be a problem with most people who are suffering from Livedo Reticularis. I know I got really depressed when mine was full blown. I can only imagine how other's might feel if their condition is worse than mine. 4) Get a Massage - Getting a full body massage can increase circulation and promote relaxation. It can also reduce anxiety and stress and improve delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the body. 5) Take a Drink - Alcohol also thins the blood, so maybe having a drink a day will help keep the condition (and the doctor) away! Dark red wine's have the most nutritional benefit and also help to warm the blood. 6) Take Ginger Root 7) Try Glutathione 8) Steam Bath - Have you tried a steam bath? I have a portable steam bath in my home. I bought it when I had my massage therapy office. The cost is around $2000, however you can find slightly used ones on Ebay sometimes for much less.
Benefits * Improves circulation and metabolism. 9) Body Cleanse - I did a nutritional health cleanse to see if it would help. It didn't help the appearance of LR, but I felt better afterward. But it's a great way to clean the toxins out of your body. I am always looking for natural holistic ways to improve it. There are several types of cleanses available. Toxins are prevalent in the world in which we live. If you feel toxic, you just might want to try one too. Acai Cleanse 10) Some of you who have filled out the questionnaire, have told me that there doctor suggested an infection in your body of some kind. I am presently taking Olive Leaf Exract 11) - Some people with autoimmune disorders [which I fully suspect LR to be), have shown good results with Acai Berry Products Livedo Reticularis is also associated with Sneddons Syndrome. If you want to read more about Sneddon's, read this page. Something else I've tried is called Oil Pulling. I don't have any definitive answers yet, but I'm more hopeful now than I've been in a while. You can read about oil pulling here. Another way to increase circulation and increase lymphatic flow in the body, is the do regular skin brushing. Please be sure to get the essential nutrients you need. I have recently redone all my vitamin supplements pages. Please read them all! Extra supplements are needed to combat other things such as Cancer, and may be key in helping to keep your Reticularis to a minimum!!! (We all need them anyway, so be sure to get what your body needs!) *Update (May, 2008) - I am getting so many new filled out forms that it's hard to imagine the people who haven't found my site yet. I want to email each and every one of you, although that seems impossible right now because there are so many. I really was thinking 'foundation' time until I found out you had to have a minimum of $10million to start one. HA! Maybe I should consider starting a charity to start raising money for the foundation. We need someone to help us! My own Livedo Reticularis looks about the same most days but even at it's worst it's not as bad as some of the people who have filled out the form. I want to hug all of you! Thank you for taking the time to fill this form out! I am hopeful one day it'll be recognized by the medical community. *Update (February, 2009) - My own LR comes and goes. When it's warm it's always better. When it's cold, it gets worse. I've started noticing my face has red splotches especially when I get out of the shower. They disappear but are nerve racking. Thank God for makeup. There have still been no doctors to come forward to help us, but I will keep this page up as long as it takes. Someone, somehow, will notice that we need help. Also, LR seems to affect women more than men, but recently I've gotten 2 posts from younger men who have it. One of them had Epstein Barr Virus just like me, when he noticed the LR too! Hmmmmm......
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- Fish Oil taken daily also thins the blood and could be a great help, just like Aspirin. If you can't take aspirin for any reason, fish oil is a viable alternative. I take a soft gel that is a mixture of Flax, Fish, and Borage Oil together. Olive Oil is also an alternative. (Make sure it's Cold Pressed!) These oils are high in Omega Fatty Acids. 
, 
, or Cayenne - Ginger root, Garlic, and Cayenne help to 'warm' the blood, and that helps circulation. Follow manufacturers instructions for dosage, or increase it. You cannot OD on these supplements. 
- Glutathione is a tripeptide that is made in the liver in abundance when we're young. As we age, the production goes down, down, down. 
and the other is 
. Please refer to my 
and 
have shown great results for most people. 
just to see if it has any benefits for me. Olive leaf extract gets rid of 
. Acai is a dark purple berry indigenous to the Amazon rainforest, and a nutritious and powerful fruit, valued for its rich nutrients. With a high ORAC (oxygen-radical absorbance capacity) value, it has twice that of blueberries. Acai could be considered the berry of choice for good health. It won't work for everyone, but it's worth a shot. It's inexpensive to buy, so it won't break the bank. 
is a one of the best Acai products on the market. Many people who take Acai reported feeling much better than they did before, with some symptoms not present anymore. 
