Wednesday, May 18, 2011

HPV Treatment #1: Folic Acid

At some point in the near future I am going to have a LEEP procedure done. I am hoping to help out the removal and healing  process as best I can. According to Tides of Life, folic acid helps promote the cellular relining of the cervix, which is needed to reduce DNA abnormalities. My desired result would be that the folic acid will help repair my cervical wall more quickly.


There are two reasons for this:

One, I am continually having "scrappings" and samples taken from my cervix each time my gynecologist follows up with me; and each time I have at least some bleeding. On top of that, my next procedure is a LEEP procedure where they will use electricity to purge the cellular growths they have found in my cervix. Some of the risks include scar tissue which will make future growths within my cervix difficult to see (cellular growths can hide behind scar tissue). Plus, injury to my poor little vaginal area promotes yeast infections, and I am currently fighting off one.

The Plan
  • Castor Oil Packs: daily
  • Sitz Baths: daily -- recipe found on link and future posts
  • Tampon of Calendula Tea: daily
  • Echinacea Tea: daily
  • Vitex berries/burdock root: yet to be decided
  • Folic Acid: 2 mg (or 5x400 mcg tablets) daily
The Plan is meant to be done all at once, everyday, but because I am still missing some items I'll only be starting the folic acid today. I'll be using a brand that I admittedly had not researched ahead of time. It is a small tablet without any coating, because I prefer pills that dissolve quickly so as to be more effective. I also choose it because of its size: 250 of 800 mcg. Ideally, I would have preferred the 400 mcg with 100 tablets so that I could get exactly the recommended amount of 2 mg a day, but again, because I travel, I wanted to be sure I would not run out -- plus it was cheaper this way. If all goes well, I'll be doing this for 3 months with a daily dosage of 1.6 mg of folic acid, then reducing it to .5 mg daily.

Problem
Aliment: Cervical Dysplasia, grade 2
Secondary: Post Surgery Scar Tisssue Development
Symptoms: Visibly none
Duration: Unknown, diagnosed today

Solution
Active Ingredient: Folic Acid
Brand: Solgar -- dietary supplement tablets
Dosage: 2 tablets (1600 mcg or 1.6 mg) daily for 3 months, then .5 mg daily
Availability: Vitamin Shoppe (hard time finding it at Whole Foods)
Price: $11.29
Special Note: Folic acid is essentially vitamin B. It naturally occurs in some veggies. Take with a meal.
Risks: According to some websites, the daily upper limit for folic acid is 1000 mcg. Though they say it is not very likely that you will absorb all 1000 mcg, they do note that overdose can "mask Vitamin B12 deficiencies" and render some anti-epilepsy medications ineffective. Also, some might develop allergic reactions or experience nausea, bloating, insommia, etc. See link for more details.

Variables
Other medications: Nope, impending LEEP procedure
Other Supplements: probiotics
Recent Procedures: biospy, colposcopy, impending LEEP procedure 

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