[OldDragon]

Here are some stats for you, Andrew, taken this morning after 6 days/nights of IBT.

BP: 133/77
Pluse: 81
Body Fat: 49.7%;
Body Water: 35%;
Body Muscle: 47.2%;
Respiration 9 per min.
Calves: Left 40cms; Right: 41cms.
Weight: 14st. 12.8lbs (Stripped and taken using my own scales.)
BMI (Body mass index): 33.3.
Hours sleep previous night: 5 - woke naturally feeling refreshed again.
Pain level/location/s: Low grade, dull ache L4 - S1 region of spine. Low grade ache both feet/ankles. (All areas known to be affected by OA/previous injuries.)
Medication taken: 1 soluable aspirin. (Reducing to 1 per day from average of two every other day as experiment.)
Suppliments: 1 x 1 a day cod liver oil & glucosamine capsule. 1 x milk thistle capsule, 1 x cup nettle tea.

Weather: Damp & overcast but trying to brighten.

[Andrew K Fletcher (OP)]

Alun's photo after two weeks of IBT. Note the veins are fading from the top first. And they are becoming thinner as a result of avoiding a flat bed.

Link to High res photograph:
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb31/Andrew_K_Fletcher/Varicose%20veins/all-in-one-2week-vein-photos2.jpg

[OldDragon]

Those photos are really impressive, Alun. I've tried to take mine out on the back yard and when the flash on the camera doesn't kick in. It's been a case of trying to get the shots myself between showers, hence the odd angles. Lol

Anyway, after the first full week of IBT, here at the latest stats:

BP: 127/76
Pluse: 78
Body Fat: 49.7%;
Body Water: 35%;
Body Muscle: 47.2%;
Respiration 9 per min.
Calves: Left 39.5cms; Right: 39.5cms.
Weight: 14st. 11.2lbs (Stripped and taken using my own scales.)
BMI (Body mass index): 33.3.
Hours sleep previous night: 5 - woke naturally feeling refreshed again.
Pain level/location/s: Low grade, dull ache L4 - S1 region of spine.

Medication taken so far today: 1 soluable aspirin. (Having reduced to 1 per day from average of two every other day as experiment.)
Suppliments: 1 x 1 a day cod liver oil & glucosamine capsule. 1 x milk thistle capsule, 1 x cup nettle tea.

Weather in the valley: Very WET!

[OldDragon]

No problem, Alun, your points are very valid and useful. Which reminds me, Andrew wanted some photos of my finger & toe nails - if it ever stops raining, I'll try and get those. Lol (Now where did I put that manicure set someone once bought me a dozen Christmasses or more ago... []

[Carolyn]

Andrew - My Dad, as of today, is home from the hospital after having a heart attack and triple bypass surgery and having his aortic heart valve replaced.  I've been telling my mother about the Inclined Bed Therapy and she wants to give it a try. 

I'm curious to know whether there are any conditions where IBT would be considered unsafe.

He's still very weak and is on oxygen.  His feet are also quite swollen tonight, but he's also been up moving around probably more than he should have.

[Andrew K Fletcher (OP)]

HI Carolyn. Your father should be fine on IBT. Torbay Hospital now advise heart patients to put their beds on an angle.

It should improve his breathing and increase the amount of oxygen in the blood and also remove the oedema from his legs over a few weeks. It will slow down his heart rate by 10 to 12 beats per minute and his respiration by 4-5 breaths per minute compared to sleeping flat. This is due I think to a steady stronger heart beat emerging that empties the heart properly and this takes a little longer than a shallow beat. Same applies to the lungs, they appear to inflate and deflate more effectively on Inclined Bed Therapy again this takes a little longer than shallow breathing.

Circulation definately improves and can be observed with skin colour changes in hands and feet and also a warmer skin to touch confirms improvements in circulation. It has also been confirmed by a nurse at Derriford Hospital recovery room electronically.

RE unsafe: There may be a problem getting in and out of the bed for people that are very frail and unsteady on their feet to begin with so careful supervision is required during transfer from a wheel chair to the bed and the reverse.

Also where a collapsed vein is suspected, p[osibly due to varicose vein surgery then the affected limb may show signs of poorer circulation due to the lack of pressure to keep the collapsed vein open.

This is why I have asked for people who have not had surgery to come forward so that we can avoid this problem albeit very rare. I have only heard of one case where IBT has decreased circulation to a limb with a collapsed vein.

Important to avoid the feet pressing on a footboard as constant pressure during the night could comprimise circulation in the toes and feet as the bones apply pressure on the tissue against a foot board. So make sure he does not slide down to the bottom of a bed with a footboard.

A prediction for your Father using IBT.

Metal heart valves can be heard and almost always have audible fibrilation and often miss beats during flat bed rest.

Sometimes a blue tone in the skin appears on the lips, fingers, toes and nose indicating poor circulation following these implants.

All of which will resolve on inclined bed therapy in 4 weeks.

So if you could confirm your fathers current observations following surgery re his heart rate blood pressure,respiration rate, weight etc and share them with us we should be able to see marked changes if he were to test this theory.

Andrew 

Andrew - My Dad, as of today, is home from the hospital after having a heart attack and triple bypass surgery and having his aortic heart valve replaced.  I've been telling my mother about the Inclined Bed Therapy and she wants to give it a try. 

I'm curious to know whether there are any conditions where IBT would be considered unsafe.

He's still very weak and is on oxygen.  His feet are also quite swollen tonight, but he's also been up moving around probably more than he should have.

[OldDragon]

Carolyn, I do hope that your father feels better very soon. My mother had a quadruple by-pass and valve replacements some years ago, and made a marvellous recovery.

These are some of the things that I have observed during the 8 nights Ive now been sleeping on an inclined bed.

During 7 of the 8 nights, I have slept for at least 4 - 5 hours and woken naturally feeling REFRESHED by the sleep! That is a big change for me, as I often struggle to sleep at all and for days at a time and, having fibromyalgia, almost always wake feeling as if I've not slept at all. I actually feel as if I have some energy for a change... and that's a bit of a novelty for me!

The small, bobbly blue veins in my right ankle that resulted after a riding accident when I was 16 have disappeared!

The oedema in my legs/calves has reduced by up to 5.5cms and my legs have not been swelling during the day.

Tenderness in the area of my varicose veins has reduced considerably, and I have even risked kneeling down to do things a couple of times and with no problem at all. (In the past this action has usually resulted in a bout of phlebitis.)

The pain and inflammation, plus the fibro related 'hot spots' in my upper back (thoracic and lower cervical vertebrae) and shoulders has not affected me. (Immediately prior to the trial, I felt as if the area had been scalded and could hardly bear even a light T-shirt on that.)

The arthritic pain in my feet, ankles and knees has disappeared!

The low grade aching in my lumbar spine - L4 - S1 - appears to be reducing slightly now. (And an x-ray taken of that very recently showed considerable osteo arthritic activity and evidence of degenerative disc disease.)

My blood pressure has been steadily reducing - similarly my pulse rate and respiration.

I have lost a little over 3lbs in weight, and without any particular changes to my diet! (Which is a reasonably healthy eating plan, with a few naughty indulgences here and there. )

So far, I've not noticed any negatives. Even the dogs haven't complained about the change to the angle of their sleeping arrangements.

Would I go back to sleeping on a horizontal bed...? Not if I can help it! 

[OldDragon]

I think I over-did things yesterday and my lower back has really kicked off again today, and despite about 6 hours sleep last night. I know that you mentioned the back ache could get worse temporarily, but hard to say if it's as you predicted or because I pushed myself yesterday. Either way, have dug out an old back support today to see if that will help a bit. Have a fair bit of work/listing to get done today. Not done stats, as it's proven impossible to sit quietly even for 20 minutes without interruptions.

[alun006]

Old Dragon

I hope you feel better soon, sounds like you are having a hard day.

I know your health probs, can not be compared to mine.  But you may find that improvement happens quiet quickly at first, but then is not noticed as much for sometime many days after.

This is when you can get abit down and feel that was it working aswell as you thought.

I have went through spouts of feeling up then down, i think it can be quiet emotional at times. analysing everything that happens.

Hope you get well enough to carry on with the incline.

Regards Alun

[OldDragon]

Cheers, Alun, although I'm not considering stopping the IBT at all. Certainly not because of an aching lower back. I've lived with that problem for many years and am hoping that, long term, the IBT will benefit it.  []

Having a busy, rather than hard day, and have just walked down and back to see to the horses, and to try and get a bit of fresh air and exercise. Could have taken the car but trying to keep up with some simple exercise ideas, aching back or not. [] Lol I'd probably be more likely to get annoyed with myself than feel down if I didn't. []

One thing I didn't mention before, is that my haemorrhoids have been behaving really well since inclining the bed. []

I find it really interesting analysing the things that happen. The difference in your photos is quite amazing, and my mother has a varicose vein in a similar position to you, and has asked me to print off details from this thread now and show her your photos. She's going to incline her bed and keep us updated via my brother on her progress. Besides the veins and oedema, she also has an ulcer that has been troubling her for a long time and has been infected with MRSA, too.

[Andrew K Fletcher (OP)]

Sorry Alun I was advised of this over the telephone during a pilot study invloving spinal cord injury. It was an observation made by a lady who noticed her foot became blue when inclined and later confirmed she had an ongoing problem with a collapsed vein caused by varicose vein surgery.

Andrew

Could you give me any more information on the relationship with a callapsed veins and surgery, was interested to see this mentioned in the above thread.

Are patients that have had surgery for varicose veins, more prone to this even many years after as well ?

I know that if a patient has had surgery once on a vv, that the procedure is more involved next time, if it is not successful.

alun

P.S  I hope Carolyn's father gets better soon.

[OldDragon]

Just to give you the promised stats and after the 12th night of IBT...

BP 109/79
Pluse:71;
Body Fat: 49.8%;
Body Water: 35.1%;
Body Muscle: 47.2%;
Respiration 9 per min.
Calves: Left 41cms; Right: 41cms.
Weight: 14st 12lbs. (Can't believe I've gained a little, and after all that exercise yesterday! Will have to pretend it's muscle, even if the other stats don't agree!

No changes in medication/suppliments.

[Karen W.]

Hey Al.. I could not find one of those gadgets at the pharmacy any other ideas..?

How are you feeling today? I hope you are ok... I was thinking of you in the night and was a bit troubled in my thoughts.. did you not sleep well or over do it a bit yesterday?

I hope you feel well today and have a great day!

[OldDragon]

I'll try and find out if that pharmacy have a website and can supply to the USA when I take the post up the road later, Karen.

Yes, I did over do things a bit, as expected, but actually went to bed quite early for me and slept well, and for a bit longer than usual, too. My back and right hip ache today, but not too badly.

[Andrew K Fletcher (OP)]

Al Your Stats are looking very interesting and Following the same pattern that Karen reported when she tilted her bed. Many others have also reported the blood pressure reductions. Your pulse is also fining a lower rest rate.

I noticed on your start photographs that you wear some kind of stocking that leaves a visible pressure mark in your skin. Try not wearing these types of socks and if you do need to wear them cut the elastic at the top. This should help move the fluid faster.

[Carolyn]

Dad's bed has been inclined now for 3 days.  The swelling has almost disappeared in his feet, his face is starting to turn back to it's normal shade and he's not using the oxygen nearly as much. 

I had planned on inclining my bed when I get home from Georgia in the hopes that it may help with the pain of the Fibromyalgia and possibly will help hubby's night leg pains, but after looking at mom and dad's bed, I'm not so sure hubby's going to go for it.  The feet of their bed was already 6 inches off the the ground and then we raised it another 6 inches.  That's a pretty steep incline....erhm...I would think that would make sex a little difficult!

[OldDragon]

Andrew, me and socks are a saga! Lol Pet hate is the ones that slide off into my wellies or boots, and I detest cold feet. Finding the balance between ones that stay up without too much pressure and yet don't end up in my boots is a mission impossible, I believe. Going to remove the elastic from my track suit bottoms, though.

Carolyn, I have it on good authority (from my goddaughter) that inclining the bed 6" at the head end seems to give her husband extra 'energy' in that department! [] Mind you, they have been known to raise the height of the kitchen table and experiment...  [] Whatever, she has told me that the bed they bought recently, and inclined, has brought a whole new dimension to their love life, even though they've retained their old waterbed, too! The elderly uncle who lives with them is talking about needing a holiday so that he can get some undisturbed sleep... []

[OldDragon]

I'm find it really interesting reading your posts and progress, Alun. Like you, I too have hayfever, but it's a few days now since I've felt the need to take antihistamines, despite the pollen count rising.

Today my stats are:

BP 113/81
Pulse:71;
Body Fat: 49.7%;
Body Water: 35.1%;
Body Muscle: 47.3%;
Respiration 9 per min.
Calves: Left 40cms; Right: 40cms.
Weight: 14st 11.4lbs.

No changes in suppliments.
No aspirin taken today.

Minimal, low grade aching L4 - S1 spinal region.

[OldDragon]

Well done, to your son, Alun. []

I don't know about your legs getting sexier, but that vein certainly looks to be reducing steadily.  []

My GP and the consultant at the cancer hospital are both showing an interest in the changes I've been noticing since commencing the IBT. I'm hoping that, by the time I next see the GP my veins and oedema will really leap out at him by their lack of presence. []

[Andrew K Fletcher (OP)]

Hi Carolyn
Thank you for posting this report on your dad's progress using Inclined Bed Therapy. I am currently corresponding with 10 Downing Street, My M.P Adrian Sanders and the National Health Service in a bid to have this study mirrored in a controlled environment.
I hope that some of them are taking on board what is happening here.

You may find that IBT has an aphrodisiac affect too if you get my drift. Furthermore my wife and I can personally testify to having a healthy active sex life sleeping on an incline.

Fibromialgia should respond well to IBT

Dad's bed has been inclined now for 3 days.  The swelling has almost disappeared in his feet, his face is starting to turn back to it's normal shade and he's not using the oxygen nearly as much. 

I had planned on inclining my bed when I get home from Georgia in the hopes that it may help with the pain of the Fibromyalgia and possibly will help hubby's night leg pains, but after looking at mom and dad's bed, I'm not so sure hubby's going to go for it.  The feet of their bed was already 6 inches off the the ground and then we raised it another 6 inches.  That's a pretty steep incline....erhm...I would think that would make sex a little difficult!