[GoneGirl]

I was wondering if anyone has noticed a change in the rate at which they heal from a cut or injury as a result of shifting their hormone balance away from testosterone?

Clara

[flamesabers]

I was wondering if anyone has noticed a change in the rate at which they heal from a cut or injury as a result of shifting their hormone balance away from testosterone?

Clara

Can't say that I have noticed a change.

For Misty though, I think the opposite is true, if I recall correctly. Testosterone has been a help with her healing from her back surgery.

[wizzness]

If you're taking msm it could explain it

[EvaMarie]

I have noticed my skin in addition to being much softer and smoother that I scratch much more easily and minor little scrapes and scratches do take much longer to heal...

[GoneGirl]

I ran across this report that suggests that higher estrogen levels cause slower healing:

Estrogen is responsible for slow wound healing in women

It's certainly not conclusive, but raises questions about the differences in healing rates between males and females.

Personally, I have always healed quickly, but it seems like that is no longer true. Is it my age? Is it my suppressed T level? Is it my elevated estrogen level (miroestrol)?

Clara

[❇ Abby ❇]

Mmmm interesting. I found these report that implicates estrogen as well.

Estrogen, not intrinsic aging, is the major regulator of delayed human wound healing in the elderly.

Role of sex hormones in acute and chronic wound healing.

Denita

[Karren]

I've slays been a fast healer....

[GoneGirl]

Mmmm interesting. I found these report that implicates estrogen as well.

Estrogen, not intrinsic aging, is the major regulator of delayed human wound healing in the elderly.

Role of sex hormones in acute and chronic wound healing.

Denita

Fascinating, Denita. The 2nd reference suggests that reduced testosterone levels improves wound healing response in males:

Androgens also have important functions in the skin. For example, the male genotype is a strong positive risk factor for impaired healing in the elderly and studies have revealed that castration of male mice results in improved cutaneous wound healing, associated with dampened inflammatory response and increased matrix deposition. The maintenance of levels of androgen that inhibit wound healing in conjunction with reduced local and systemic oestrogen may contribute to impaired healing in elderly males.

That tells me that NBE induced hormonal shifts may improve wound healing rate, at least for skin wounds of us older men....lol.

Clara

[AnnieBL]

I'm finding this a most interesting thread, since I've come to have an interest in wound healing issues, and in particular in wound healing issues in relation to my hands, feet and lower legs. I was first referred to a wound healing specialist in 2005 for a large ulcer on my shin and smaller ulcers on my toes which were refusing to heal, and he taught me techniques for getting them to heal, to which I have since added some wrinkles of my own. This was before I discovered NBE and the ulcers were probably the result of chronic venous insufficiency in my legs aggravated by peripheral neuropathy, itself probably caused by impaired glucose tolerance although I was never more than marginally prediabetic, and certainly my fasting glucose and A1C levels since I started on NBE have been very well below the prediabetic threshold. Since then I have found that the biggest influence by far on my rate of wound healing is the level of water retention by my body (which seems to vary on some kind of fairly long cycle I have yet to understand, but is also much influenced by diuretics and liquid and sodium intake), with high retention resulting in slow healing and greatly increased results of injury. Another important factor is the thinning and softening of my skin since I started NBE, again increasing proneness to injury (I have had an exceptional number of minor splits on my fingers and heels this winter), but whether this is due more to testosterone suppression or phyto-estrogen enhancement or both I don't know. I suspect both are involved. The second reference that you cited, Denita, seems at first sight to be inconsistent with your first reference and your reference, Clara. I need to think this through a bit further.

[GoneGirl]

I'm finding this a most interesting thread, since I've come to have an interest in wound healing issues, and in particular in wound healing issues in relation to my hands, feet and lower legs. I was first referred to a wound healing specialist in 2005 for a large ulcer on my shin and smaller ulcers on my toes which were refusing to heal, and he taught me techniques for getting them to heal, to which I have since added some wrinkles of my own. This was before I discovered NBE and the ulcers were probably the result of chronic venous insufficiency in my legs aggravated by peripheral neuropathy, itself probably caused by impaired glucose tolerance although I was never more than marginally prediabetic, and certainly my fasting glucose and A1C levels since I started on NBE have been very well below the prediabetic threshold. Since then I have found that the biggest influence by far on my rate of wound healing is the level of water retention by my body (which seems to vary on some kind of fairly long cycle I have yet to understand, but is also much influenced by diuretics and liquid and sodium intake), with high retention resulting in slow healing and greatly increased results of injury. Another important factor is the thinning and softening of my skin since I started NBE, again increasing proneness to injury (I have had an exceptional number of minor splits on my fingers and heels this winter), but whether this is due more to testosterone suppression or phyto-estrogen enhancement or both I don't know. I suspect both are involved. The second reference that you cited, Denita, seems at first sight to be inconsistent with your first reference and your reference, Clara. I need to think this through a bit further.

I'm glad you posted, Annie. I, too, am prediabetic and suffer from water retention in my feet and ankles. Fortunately, I do not suffer from slow healing sores on my lower extremities yet, so healing hasn't been an issue for me. I currently have rather low blood pressure, a genetic pre-disposition, hovering around 105/65 in the morning. I took a diuretic recently to gauge its effect on my foot and ankle edema and didn't notice much of an improvement. If anything, it may have induced a further lowering of my BP, I'm not sure. Anyway, getting further off the topic of this thread, I'm thinking of trying the diuretic again to get a better handle on its effect. I know that Spironolactone is a diuretic sometimes used to treat visible water retention, and since it also works as an AA, it might be useful in that regard as well. But because it also is used to lower blood pressure, I suspect it would not be appropriate for me. I do plan to discuss this with my doctor, but I'm interested in any thoughts you might have.

Clara