The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it. (Chinese proverb)
Reverse Foot Gangrene Naturally: Amputation Defined
Warning: This page contains unpleasant photographic images of amputated gangrenous limbs which may not be suitable for sensitive people.
Dry foot gangrene, as a part of diabetes and/or atherosclerosis management, has become a major medical problem. This website is intended to allow you to manage your own care, ask the right questions, insist on adequate management and information, and seek an optimal outcome for yourself as an informed patient. Perhaps it will even help the health professionals - vascular specialists and foot doctors (chiropodists, podiatrists) - who are giving care to better understand and, hopefully, incorporate into their practice the nutritional approach to gangrene - its prevention and treatment.
Please note that this website is not intended for “most people”. It is written for those who want to stand out in self-health care. If you are such a person, we strongly advise that you give serious thought to all of the suggestions about how to stop the progression of gangrene, dry foot gangrene in particular. If you are tempted to think the suggestions are too complicated or too simplistic, or biased, we assure you they are not.
An amputation, one of the oldest surgical procedures, usually refers to the surgical removal of the whole or part of a lower or upper extremity - a foot/leg or a hand/arm.
Amputations are done for a variety of reasons, including:
congenital limb deficiency - when the limb is grossly deformed and useless
vascular insufficiency (peripheral vascular disease, or PVD) - ischemic conditions of the limb, such as
atherosclerosis and/or arteriosclerosis, predominantly diabetic, and usually resulting in dry gangrene
Buerger's disease (thromboangiitis obliterans) - acute inflammation and thrombosis (clotting) of arteries and veins in smokers, affecting the hands and feet; decreased blood flow (ischemia) leads to severe pain, skin ulcerations and gangrene of the digits (fingers and toes)
cancer - malignant tumour of bone or soft tissue, and
traumatic (crush) injury to the limb - due to transport and industrial accidents.
Amputation, however, should be attempted only after all forms of treatment have been exhausted.
In the United States people over the age of 60 account for approximately 85 percent of all amputations, the majority of which involve removal of a lower extremity.
Common Cause of Amputation
About 30-40 percent of amputations are performed in diabetics. The estimated risk for major amputation in diabetics is 15 to 40 times higher than the general population.
The vast majority of amputations are performed due to vascular disease or vascular insufficiency (decreased blood flow), especially in older men who smoke.
The arteries of the legs have become narrowed, hardened and, finally blocked due to a disease called atherosclerosis or arteriosclerosis.
Blockages in the arteries result in insufficient blood supply to the limb.
Because diabetes can cause vascular insufficiency, about 30 - 40 percent of amputations are performed in diabetics. In fact, amputations are an extremely feared complication of diabetes as diabetics often loose their protective sensation and may form ulcerative complications, such as osteomyelitis - an acute or chronic inflammatory process of the bone and its structures.
When narrowing or hardening of the arteries becomes severe gangrene develops and amputation may be the only option.
If left untreated - depending on the severity of someone's condition - infection can develop and threaten the life of the patient. If amputation is not performed, in these circumstances gangrene can be fatal.
Sometimes bypass surgery may help avoid amputation, but not all patients are suitable for bypass surgery.
Many patients with diabetes - by itself a risk factor for atherosclerosis - develop foot or toe ulceration. In fact, about 7 percent of diabetics have an active ulcer or a healed ulcer.
Ulcers are recurrent in many diabetic patients and approximately 5-15 percent of diabetics with ulcers require an amputation.
Ignored Foot Problem: Doug’s Story
Doug was typical of a diabetic who paid the price for ignoring a foot problem.
When he was first diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, he thought, "Oh, I feel fine, there's nothing the matter with me."
In late August [2005], he noticed a small "bruise" on his left foot but didn't think much of it. When the "bruise" began to spread, he soaked his foot in hot water, but didn't notice that he had scalded his foot badly, making matters worse.
Gangrene set in and he lost a couple of toes. Despite his best efforts, the problem only grew. Doctors said the only treatment was an amputation.
He was scared. He certainly didn’t look forward to losing part of his leg.
Unfortunately, while the amputation surgery went well, another complication of diabetes hit Doug.
He suffered a fatal heart attack days after the operation.
Amputations can be divided into two types: minor and major. Usually, before the operation (although not always) the surgeon decides at what level the amputation will be performed.
Minor or limited amputations are amputations where only a toe or part of the foot is removed.
A ray amputation is a particular form of minor amputation where a toe and part of the corresponding metatarsal bone is removed; and the wound is usually left open to heal. This sort of operation is performed frequently for foot infections in patients with diabetes. A partial foot amputation through the metatarsal bones is called transmetatarsal (TM) amputation.
Major amputations are amputations where part of the leg is removed. These are usually:
below the knee, called transtibial (TT) amputation, or
above the knee, called transfemoral (TF) amputation.
Occasionally an amputation of just the foot can be performed with a cut through the ankle joint. It can be an option in some patients with diabetes.
Above on the left, in below the knee operation (transtibial amuptation), the bone in the lower leg (tibia) is divided about 12-15 cm below the knee joint. This produces a good size stump to which a prosthesis can be fitted.
Surgical Judgement: Chance of Healing
Sometimes gangrene will only involve a toe or part of a foot and a limited or minor amputation can be performed. This is only worthwhile if there is a chance of healing.
One of the most important factors in healing of the wound is the sufficient blood supply to the tissues. If the blood supply is damaged or impaired it may not be possible for the tissues to heal even after a minor amputation.
If the conditions are right for healing the wounds can heal well over a period of 1-3 months and leave a fully functioning leg and foot.
Unfortunately, it is difficult to predict in every patient whether healing will take place. Physical exam, surgical judgement and experience, PVR (pulse volume recording), and segmental pressures are not able to make this prediction accurately.
The question whether a wound is likely to heal or not can best be answered noninvasively by a measurement of the pressure of oxygen on the surface of the skin, i.e., the transcutaneous oxygen pressure (TcPO2).
This pressure reflects the amount of oxygen coming out through the skin, which in turn reflects the amount of oxygen delivered to the skin by the blood. Studies have shown this test to be an accurate predictor of wound outcome.
Even so, the predicted outcome is wrong in 10 to 15 percent of cases as other factors in addition to oxygen supply can affect wound healing. The test can be applied equally well in diabetics and non-diabetics.
Normal TcPO2 at the foot averages about 60 mmHg, but 50 mmHg or greater is considered normal.
With severe arterial occlusive disease TcPO2 is decreased significantly. The average TcPO2 at the foot in patients with rest pain or gangrene is about 4 mmHg.
Wound healing is predicted, though not a certainty, for a TcPO2 greater than 20 mmHg and wound failure is predicted for a TcPO2 less than 20 mmHg.
However, studies have shown that wound healing can occur (though only in about 10 percent of cases) when the TcPO2 is zero.
Please note that falsely low TcPO2 levels may be measured
if the leg is swollen (edematous) or
if the central body arterial oxygen level is low (hypoxia).
Any wound requires more blood than normal in order to heal. If that extra blood is not forthcoming the wound never heals and, in fact, dies back.
Unfortunately, many people need to have an above knee amputation. This may be because the blood supply to the lower leg is too poor and a below knee amputation would not heal properly.
In this operation, the bone in the thigh (femur) is divided about 12-15 centimeters above the knee joint and the muscle and skin closed over the end of the bone with stitches.
However, an amputation stump will remain a potentially vulnerable area that requires lifelong care and attention.
Transmetatarsal (TM) Amputation
Transmetatarsal amputation - an amputation of the distal third of the foot - is most commonly performed for gangrene or non-healing ulcer of the toes. It is indicated, if:
amputation of more than two toes is required and
gangrene extends proximal to the metatarsal-phalangeal joint.
Gangrenous lesions may be due to emboli, atherosclerosis, or diabetic neuropathy.
Below on the left is a photograph of a diabetic foot with a transmetatarsal amputation taken three weeks after surgical intervention (the wound still visible).
Below on the right is a photograph of a diabetic foot with a previous healed transmetatarsal amputation that demonstrates an ulcer in the region of the ankle
Transtibial (TT): Below the Knee (B-K) Amputation
The following images contain pictures of long below-knee (B-K) amputation - an amputation of the lower leg between the ankle and the knee (in the distal third of the tibia), also called transtibial amputation. Pictures taken by Wayne Smith, RN in 2000 during his volunteer work at Scheer Memorial Hospital in Banepa, Kavra, Nepal.
PLEASE NOTE:
These photographic images may not be suitable for sensitive people.
Complications of Transtibial Amputations
Alterations in the amputation stump
Due to muscular atrophy and mobility between the tibia and the fibula, the prolonged use of prosthesis may generate alterations in the amputation stump.
The most frequently found alteration is the shortening of the distal diameter of the stump, which assumes a conical form and migrates towards the end of the prosthesis socket. This occurs by the approximation of the fibula behind the tibia due to socket compression, creating pressure points that may cause cutaneous (skin) ulcers and make prosthesis use impracticable.
Pain in the amputation stump
Another common complication is the presence of pain at the amputation stump. Its main cause is the presence of neuromas adhered to local scars. However, even on technically adequate amputations, the patient may have pain.
Frequent in conventional amputations are also intraosseous circulatory alterations on extremities. They result in a painful amputation stump at lower temperatures.
Impact of Limb Amputation
The loss of foot or leg is not like the loss of one's jewel or money. This type of loss is priceless. It means that you cannot walk or run as before.
After amputation of a foot or leg, the body weight of an amputee shifts to the other leg. The resulting wear and tear often leads to problems in the other foot or leg, and in a few years similar problems may develop, necessitating another... amputation. If this degenerative process continues, the results may be fatal.
Losing a limb has also a negative psychological impact. It leaves amputees feeling depressed, angry, or alone. They feel that they're no longer whole persons; or fear that others stare at them, or avoid them.
Loss of limb can be compared to losing a spouse or a child. The first time you see your body after the surgery will be very disturbing. You may be shocked to look down and see that a part of your body is missing. The trauma is deep and multi-layered. So it is not easy to adjust to the loss.
You will have very strong pain after your amputation surgery because the surgeon has cut through skin, muscles, nerves and bone. Your limb will be swollen. Swelling can cause pain and limit movement.
After an amputation, the muscles in and around the residual limb shorten. This pulls your joint into a bent position. If it is left like this for long periods of time, it will become difficult to straighten, or even become permanently stuck.
Recovery is never a fast process. Each step is difficult: sitting up in bed, then sitting in a wheelchair, standing, then using crutches.
Most Important Risk of Amputation
Within 3 years, 70 percent of amputees having surgery for vascular ischemia (decreased blood flow) are dead.
In general, the more limited the amputation the lower the risks.
There are significant risks attached to undergoing an amputation, especially if you are elderly and have diabetes and/or narrowing or hardening of the arteries due to vascular disease (atherosclerosis/arteriosclerosis).
In this group of patients, the chances of dying in hospital after a major amputation (below or above knee) are somewhere between 10 - 20 percent.
In other words, between 1 in 10 and 1 in 5 patients who undergo a major amputation due to atherosclerosis, sometimes in combination with diabetes, will die in hospital.
This is why amputation is always a last resort and a surgeon advises a patient to undergo this operation only when it is absolutely necessary.
These statistics also mean that 4 out of 5 patients undergoing an amputation will do well.
However, 70 percent of amputees having surgery for vascular ischemia - due to atherosclerosis, diabetes, gangrene, Buerger's disease - are dead within 3 years.
Other Complications of Amputation
Other complications of amputation surgery include:
chest infection
angina
heart attack
stroke
pressure sores
wound infections in the stump
failure of the stump to heal
knee or hip joint contracture
deep venous thrombosis in the leg
phantom limb pain.
Phantom Limb Pain
Up to 50 percent of people who have one leg amputated because of diabetes will lose the other within five years.
Besides stress, tension, and anxiety, amputees experience pains due to the loss of limb. Here are the most common types of pain:
Immediate post-op limb pain - where skin, nerves, bones, and muscle have been cut; it is exeperienced by everyone after an amputation.
Residual limb pain - in the natural limb (stump) after the amputation and may be present long after the surgery as the residual limb is usually more sensitive than other parts of the body.
Unfortunately, there is no one method or treatment guaranteed to reduce or eliminate residual limb pain. Sometimes surgery is necessary. Sometimes nothing will help.
Phantom sensation or feeling - in the amputated "phantom" limb which has been removed, such as itching, tingling, warmth, cold, pain, cramping, constriction, movement and any other imaginable sensation; it is experienced by almost all amputees.
The brain is “remembering” the missing part of the limb, and is still “reporting” its feelings.
Phantom pain - in the missing or amputated part of the limb; it varies from person to person - a little annoying, very unpleasant, severe, or disabling; it is different from pain in the residual limb and experienced by about 60–80 percent of amputees.
Unfortunately, there is not one single guaranteed treatment to reduce or eliminate phantom pain. In most cases, it disappears within months, though most amputees (as many as 40 percent of them) may still experience phantom pain from time to time.
Management of post-amputation pain is a major problem and usually requires professional help; however, our understanding of the way at the brain handles pain and other sensations is still fairly crude.
Walking Again After Amputation
The possibility of walk after an amputation depends on a number of factors. For instance, a below knee amputation gives the patient the best chance of remaining mobile and successfully walking post-operatively with an artificial leg (prosthesis); 80 percent of below knee amputees will walk.
You more likely will walk after your amputation, if
you were able to walk normally before the amputation and
you do not have other illnesses, such as angina or breathing difficulties.
It can take between 6 and 12 months for full rehabilitation potential to be reached.
Most patients undergoing minor amputation (toe or foot) are able to walk after surgery virtually normally.
For the majority of elderly patients with a lower limb amputation the most important aspect is to walk again. Usually, rehabilitation from an amputation in an elderly person is a difficult process.
Unfortuanately, only 40 percent of above knee amputees walk. The factors which make it unlikely a patient will walk after their amputation include:
poor pre-operative mobility
age over 70 years
dementia
severe kidney disease
severe heart disease, or
stroke.
Over half of the elderly patients who undergo a below or above knee amputation never use artificial legs effectively.
In order to remain mobile after an amputation the majority of patients need the help of a wheelchair - especially those, who are very elderly or have had other serious illnesses, such as heart disease or stroke.
Medical Costs of Lifecare for the BK Amputee
Based upon the professional evaluation of medical doctors and an experienced lifecare planner, a convincing proof of an appropriate lifecare plan for the survivor of a below the knee amputation of the leg requires a combination of:
human services,
special equipment and
home modifications.
The estimated costs listed below are in addition to:
medical costs,
lost income,
life-altering pain and
the daily ramifications of the loss of a lower leg.
Please note that the following estimation while comprehensive, is not complete and requires further personalized consideration necessary in every case and to provide for special medical needs.
MEDICAL HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS. Access on an as needed basis (PRN) to
a combination of suitable and appropriate medical healthcare providers,
including:
Medical doctors (e.g., neurology, physiatry, orthopedics, psychiatry,
dermatology, otology, etc.), three to five times/year (4 times per
year median), $165.00 to $195.00/consult ($180.00/consult median).
Annual median cost $620.00.
Assessment and evaluation services (e.g., radiology, CT, MRI,
EMG, medical technology, orthotics, psychological and neuropsychological
tests and measurements, pain evaluations, etc.), $1,950.00 to $2,250.00
($2,100.00/year median). Annual median cost $2,100.00.
Allied medical-health specialists to deliver specific care (e.g.,
clinical psychologist, clinical neuropsychologist, physical therapist,
occupational therapist, kinesiologist, pain management, audiologist,
etc.), four to eight times/year (6 times per year median), $135.00
to $155.00/consult ($145.00/consult median). Annual median cost
$870.00.
Therapy and support services (e.g., physical and occupational
therapists, psychotherapy, cognitive remediation, exercise therapy,
pain therapy, orthotic-prosthetic therapy, etc.), a median of twelve
times/year, $135.00 to $155.00/intervention ($145.00/intervention
median). Annual median cost $1,740.00.
Alternative medicine treatment sources (e.g., chiropractic, osteopathic,
naturopathic, acupuncture-acupressure, ultra sound, hypnotherapy,
aromatherapy, yoga, aqua-therapy, massage therapy, etc.), a median
of twelve times/year, $105.00 to $125.00/consultation $115.00/consult
median). Annual median cost $1,380.00.
Pain center treatment program, $15,000.00 to $19,000.00/event
($17,000.00/event median), every two to four years (3 years median).
Annual median cost $5,666.00.
COMPANION AND ATTENDANT SERVICES from a licensed, bonded home health
agency for companion and attendant , eight hours/day (2,920 hours/year,
$18.00 to $22.00/hour ($20.00/hour/median). Annual median cost $58,400.00.
HOMEMAKER-CHOREPERSON SERVICES for physically demanding aspects of
housework, a median of four hours/week (208 hours/year) from a licensed,
bonded agency, $15.00 to $18.00/hour ($16.50/hour median). Annual median
cost.$3,432.00.
HANDYMAN SERVICES to assistance with maintaining the residence and
immediately adjacent property, one-hundred hours/year (1.9 hours/week),
$14.50 to $18.50/hour ($16.50/hour median). Annual median cost $1,650.00.
HEALTH CLUB MEMBERSHIP in a physical conditioning program, $50.00
to $60.00/month ($55.00/month median; $560.00/year median) and a certified
physical trainer (monthly interventions), $60.00 to $70.00/intervention
$65.00/intervention median; $780.00/year median). Annual median cost
$1,440.00.
ARCHITECTURAL MODIFICATIONS AND RENOVATIONS of the family home to
provide wheelchair and prosthesis accessible and barrier-free mobility.
Installation of two-person elevator and single person stairglide between
ground floor and upstairs; grab bars in the bath, shower and commode
areas; standing poles in the kitchen area; ramps and guard rails at
two entrances-exits; bath and shower stall renovation; modifications
to door hardware, light switches and plumbing fixtures for wheelchair
height access and floor surface changes to aid in wheelchair, walker
and prosthesis ambulation, $150,000.00 to $190,000.00 ($170,000.00 median),
with a fourteen year useful life. Annual median cost $12,142.00.
VARIABLY ADJUSTABLE BED SYSTEM, split-half, for independent position,
firmness and/or configuration control, as an aid to pain system management
and to provide the patient and her spouse an opportunity to share a
common bed, $4,950.00 to $5,495.00 ($5,222.50 median), with a fourteen
year useful life. Annual median cost $ 373.04.
ULTRALITE EVERYDAY BKA WALKING PROSTHESIS with flex foot features
and all inherent components, $12,500.00 to $14,000.00 ($13,250.00 median);
Ultralite BKA sport prosthesis with all inherent components and flex
foot, $13,500.00 to $15,000.00 ($14,250.00 median) and BKA aquatic prosthesis
for swimming and aqua-therapy, $11,750.00 to $13,000.00 ($12,375.00
median), with a two to four year useful life (3 years median). Annual
median cost $4,125.00.
STUMP PROTECTOR custom designed for use when prosthesis is not being
used, $550.00 to $700.00 ($625.00 median), with a three year useful
life. Annual median cost $208.33.
AMBULATION - MOBILITY DEVICES. Roll-about four-wheel walker, standard
caliper brake walker, crutches and related ambulation and mobility aids,
$950.00 to $1,100.00 ($1,025.00 median), with a five year useful life.
Annual median cost $ 225.00.
LIGHT WEIGHT COLLAPSIBLE WHEELCHAIR. Titanium framed, collapsible,
manual wheelchair for home use and more efficient out of the home ambulation,
$2,895.00 to $3,425.00 ($1,360.00 median), with a six year useful life.
Annual median cost $ 526.67.
WHEELCHAIR MAINTENANCE/REPAIR. Manual wheelchair maintenance and repair,
a median of $125.00/year. Annual median cost $ 125.00.
POWER CONVEYANCE. Battery powered scooter or other motorized conveyance
for traversing long distances and for use in the absence of the prosthesis,
$4,500.00 to $5,995.00 ($5,247.50), with a six year useful life. Annual
median cost $ 874.58.
POWER CONVEYANCE MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR. Median annual maintenance
and repair cost of $250.00.
MODIFIED LIFT OR RAMP VAN. Ramp or lift van with suitable and appropriate
accessories, $43,550.00 to $46,225.00 ($44,887.50 median), with an end-use
equity after seven years of $4,500.00 ($40,387.50), less the cost of
a mid-sized automobile ($16,500.00), van cost differential of $23,887.50.
Annual median cost $3,412.50.
VAN VERSUS AUTOMOBILE COST/MILE OPERATIONAL DIFFERENTIAL. The difference
in the operational cost/mile of a van ($0.63/mile) and a mid-sized automobile
($0.40/mile) over 12,000 miles of driving is $2,760.00/year ($7,560.00
versus $4,800.00/year). Annual median cost $2,760.00.
PHARMACEUTICALS-NUTRACEUTICALS-PATIENT MEDICINES. For pain, sleep
assist and emotional-psychological issues (stress, tension, depression,
anxiety, etc.), $235.00 to $295.00/month ($265.00/month median). Annual
median cost $3,180.00.
In this specific example, estimated annual median cost for goods and services in 2003 dollars is approximately $105,000.00 for Northern California.
A study recently published in the JAMA states that fewer than 10 percent of all patient decisions are well informed.
All "medicate-and-cut" treatments of gangrene carry with them one main shortcoming: they do little to stop the underlying cause of gangrene, that is the nutrient and oxygen deprivation in the affected areas due to impaired blood circulation.
Also surgery (read: amputation) has its limitations. In some cases it cannot be performed as it may put patient's life at even greater risk! Then, such condition is being qualified as... hopeless. "We're sorry, but nothing else can be done," vascular surgeons keep telling relatives of patients'.
And this is true - but only from the medical point of view.
What makes gangrene, especially its "dry" version, responsive to the nutritional method is the fact that this type of gangrene involves the resultant obstruction only of the arterial blood supply without interference to the venous return.
In other words, in dry gangrene the blood flow (circulation) is only partially impaired and the other part (venous system) is still functioning, or ready to function. Therefore, it is able to cooperate by supporting any attempt to restore internally faulty circulation, especially in its arterial part.
The other factor making dry gangrene highly responsive to the nutritional method is the fact that this disease is characterized by a gradual progression.
In other words, due to relatively slow development of gangrene, there is enough time to support the body nutritionally in order to restore partially impaired circulation - in this case, to unclog arterial blockages.
These two factors - the partial impairment of the blood flow and the gradual progression of the disease - have been commonly overlooked, not to say ignored, by standard medical treatments of gangrene.
Clear-G Formula: The Nutritional Revascularization
Without improving the flow of blood to the affected limbs - amputation is a futile exercise, although it can be life saving at times.
Fortunately, there are people, including a growing number of doctors, who admit that there are successful methods to halt the progression of gangrene, other than temporary medical intervention.
One of the natural, non-amputation methods to effectively treat dry foot gangrene is the nutritional revasculatization.
Its first and foremost goal is to improve and - over a period of time - restore the impaired circulation in the areas wounded by vascular ischemia (decreased blood flow) - the most common cause of foot ulcers and/or gangrene.
The process of natural revascularization can be triggered with an application of nutritional - natural and essential - factors that - when presented in specific ratios and amounts - are able to correct longer standing deficiencies and imbalances which are known to contribute to the circulatory problems.
As opposed to standard medical methods of treating vascular ischemia, the nutritional revascularization helps to reduce the impact of factors that created the buildup of atherosclerotic plaque in the arteries.
Clear-G Formula: No Risk For Very High Gain
Any wound requires more blood than normal in order to heal. If that extra blood is not forthcoming the wound never heals and, in fact, dies back.
The natural restoration of blood flow to the arteries can be done with the help of Gangrene Clear-G Formula - a targeted, orthomolecular formulation providing a comprehensive support for the entire circulatory system.
Simply put, Gangrene Clear-G Formula works to improve and/or restore circulation. And improved circulation allows the body to heal itself.
What could be better than a nutritional supplement fixing the impaired circulation that develops in a diseased body?
There have been medical studies on the beneficial effect of nutritional supplementation on the circulatory system; it appears people with poor blood flow do benefit from specialty dietary supplements.
Nutritional factors - naturally occurring substances, not drugs whose substances are foreign to the body - are able to boost the body chemistry by
correcting possible deficiencies and/or imbalances and
providing optimum conditions for the proper functioning of the body's own intrinsic ability to heal itself.
As far as the cardiovascular system is concerned, according to orthomolecular nutrition, if the right building blocks (nutrients) are present in the body - in the right amounts and at the right time - the body will do the rest.
In other words, if you want to stop the progression of gangrene due to impaired cirulation you need to get to the root of the problem. By just pulling a dandelion out by its leaves, you are not going to get very far.
So far, we have introduced our proprietary Gangrene Clear-G Formula to our clients and customers in 40 countries: the United States (including Virgin Islands and Hawaii), Canada, Malaysia, Australia, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Thailand, New Zealand, Germany, Belgium, Trinidad, Mexico, Italy, Pakistan, Singapore, Mauritius, Suriname (South America), France, Bolivia, Russia, Croatia, Poland, Portugal, Denmark, Israel, Azerbaijan, Kenya, Bosnia, Malta, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Ethiopia, Greece, Spain, Kuwait, Germany, Venezuela, Colombia, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
This all-natural combination of 105 nutrients and phytonutrients (plant nutrients) not only keeps your blood flow to the affected limbs in check (as drugs do), but actually helps your body rebuild the organs and systems that control blood circulation - without side effects.
No wonder, our Gangrene Clear-G Formula can produce results that doctors have not seen before, even with hard-core prescription drugs. And, unlike pharmaceutical drugs, it is very body-friendly.
It takes 20 times more energy to heal a wound than to maintain a healthy foot.
Our proprietary Gangrene Clear-G Formula is a complete "multi" supporting healthy blood circulation. It has been designed to provide optimal concentrations of vitamins, anti-oxidants, lipotropic factors, chelated minerals, trace minerals, and digestive enzymes as they are all necessary to optimize the blood flow.
In other words, Gangrene Clear-G Formula does not "destroy" gangrene! It helps the body to eliminate its cause, namely, to stop the progression of gangrene through improving and, over a period of time, restoring impaired blood circulation that is known to contribute to gangrene.
In our clinical experience, Gangrene Clear-G Formula does that in a way of:
reducing the dysfunction of endothelium - the innermost arterial lining by stimulating the body’s natural built-in, internal free-radical scavenging system
overcoming peripheral vascular ischemia by improving and/or restoring circulation - blood flow to the wounded areas
encouraging vasodilatation - widening (dilation) of the lumen of blood vessels
promoting the body's ability to develop collaterals - new, small blood vessels in the problem areas
delivering more vital, oxygen-rich and nutrient-dense blood to the affected areas
producing the growth factors - the necessary for healing substances released by the body into bloodstream and stimulating the growth of tissue and skin
preventing and/or fighting off the infection of gangrenous tissues.
Clear-G Formula
Advanced Blood Circulation Support
Powdered Dietary Supplement
0.99 Lb / 452 Grams
105 Phytonutrients and NutrientsSUPPLEMENT FACTS: Amount Per Serving (1 Scoop)
1. Vitamin A (as Vitamin Palmitate [3,500 IU] and Natural Beta-Carotene [1,000 IU])
4,500 IU
2. Vitamin C (as Ascorbic Acid and Calcium Ascorbate)
1,000 mg
3. Vitamin D-3 (Cholecalciferol)
800 IU
4. Vitamin E (as D-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate and Mixed Tocopherols)
145 IU
5. Vitamin B1 (Thiamine Hydrochloride)
35 mg
6. Vitamin B2 (as Riboflavin and Ribloflavin-5-Phosphate)
15 mg
7. Niacin (as Niacin, Niacinamide and Inositol Hexaniacinate)
125 mg
8. Vitamin B6 (as Pyridoxin HCl and Pyridoxal-5-Phosphate)
100 mg
9. Folic Acid
1,000 mcg
10. Vitamin B12 (as Methylcobalamin)
200 mcg
11. Biotin
4,500 mcg
12. Vitamin B-5 (Pantothenic Acid as D-Calcium Pantothenate)
Our Mission: To Contribute to the Optimal Health of Others™
One of the best dietary supplements in the world™
This product is manufactured in a NSF GMP registered facility in accordance with cGMPs for Nutritional Supplements in accordance with USP 31. The laboratories are ISO 9001:1994 certified and ISO 17025:2005 accredited. Raw materials used in the manufacturing of this product are in full compliance with the Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002. Raw material safety and quality is ensured by the manufacturer's Supplier Qualification Program.
QUALITY & SAFETY ASSURANCE
Mix well 1 scoop in 4 ounces (½ cup) purified lukewarm water. Leave it for a few minutes, stir thoroughly and consume. Then pour in the same cup another 4 ounces of water, stir again and drink. For general circulatory health, have 1 scoop 2 times daily. This dose (1 scoop) may be taken three to five times per day (beginning after breakfast), or as recommended by a qualified healthcare professional.
Refrigerate the jar after opening.
DIRECTIONS
If you are under a physician’s care or taking medication, or if you are pregnant or nursing, consult your healthcare practitioner before using this product.
CAUTION
Quality and purity guaranteed. This product does not contain MSG, wheat, gluten, soy protein, fish, shellfish, milk/dairy, corn, egg, nuts, sugar, salt, starch, artificial coloring, preservatives, or flavoring.
PREMIUM PURITY
FULL OF HEALTH, INC. Since 1996 Clear-G Formula® : Advanced Blood Circulation Support (Rev-F)*
* This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Full of Health® and Clear-G Formula® are registered trademarks of Full of Health, Inc. BioPerine® is a registered trademark of Sabinsa Corporation.
As you can see, the Gangrene Clear-G Formula consists only of the natural factors vital to the cardiovascular system and present in specific ratios and amounts in order to correct longer standing deficiencies and imbalances that are known to contribute to the common circulatory health problems.
This superior dietary supplement has mitigative, preventive and protecting properties. However, there is no one "miracle" ingredient in the Gangrene Clear-G Formula. It is a special and unique, orthomolecular combination of all of ingredients that helps to accelerate the inner self-healing effect.
In many individuals, Gangrene Clear-G Formula has also been able to
reduce and stabilize the blood sugars, therefore,
lower insulin requirements (in many cases, better than most prescription drugs).
And there appears to be no harm in taking the Gangrene Clear-G Formula.
Thermography:
The following thermographic photos are of a 57-year-old man whose feet were thermally "amputated" due to poor circulation.
This man considered himself fairly active and on a good diet. He was on the nutritional revascularization program for six (6) weeks.
Before:
A thermographic photo of both feet of a 57-year-old male, prior to the nutritional revascularization program.
After:
A thermographic photo of the same feet of the same 57-year-old male, after six (6) weeks on the nutritional revascularization program.
The follow-up thermographic photo demonstrates a glowing picture of the feet with all toes visible. The increased temperature in this area was made possible by improved circulation (blood flow).
Within six (6) weeks, vascularity in this man's feet was increased by 86 percent, and pulse volume - by 50 percent. Considering the fact that impaired cirulation in the extremities is difficult to treat, to see such a high degree of response in only six weeks is most significant.
Plethysmography:
The following plethysmographs are of both feet of the same 57-year-old man.
The first graph shows the signs of poor circulation, such as decreased size of the waveform, the oval peaking, and the indistinct low volume peaks - prior to the nutritional revascularization program:
The second graph demonstrates the signs of improved circulation, such as increased size of the waveform, the sharper peaking, and the distinct high volume peaks - after six (6) weeks of the nutritional revascularization program:
Within six (6) weeks on the nutritional revascularization program, vascularity in this man's feet was increased by 86 percent, and pulse volume - by 50 percent.
Considering the fact that impaired cirulation in the extremities is difficult to treat, to see such a high degree of response in only six (6) weeks is most significant.
Thermography is a photographic technique that measures and records infrared heat patterns. It can be used to detect areas of poor circulation in the body.
Plethysmography is a technique used to measure blood flow volume in the body. In atherosclerotic or diabetic disease, the vigour of the blood flow is seriously decreased.
Testimonial: "My Father Was Getting Ready to Die"
BEFORE (1/1)
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Dear Andrew:
I contacted you last year in early December about my father's condition.
He had undergone 2 different surgeries on his right foot: one to remove the 2 outside toes, and then a year later the 3 middle toes. At that time, they also did a bypass and thought my father would be OK.
He had tried IV chelation a few years ago, and I think that helped him some. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to continue the treatments.
Early December, when gangrene in his right foot set in, my father was getting ready to die. The only option he was given by the doctors was below the knee amputation without any guarantee of success. He turned that down. The surgeon had also told my father that basically all his arteries below his knee were “just hanging there like strings.”
I had read enough even then to know that without treating the underlying problem, at best everything being done was no more than putting a band-aid on a huge problem.
Fortunately, as I was looking for information on managing the pain for gangrene, I ran across your website.
Today, he is still walking OK and there is no smell (only 2 months after the gangrene began to set in). He is relatively pain free and hopeful that he has some time left (he says he is too ornery to die).
When I first spoke with you, you said there was perhaps a 50/50 chance that your Formula would help my father, so he agreed to try it.
As far as I am concerned, if not for your product, he may not have made his 80th birthday earlier this month, or if he had, I don’t think he would have been as relatively pain free and in a good condition as he was.
When I ask him, he comments that he is sleeping well at night, without foot pain waking him up. I know when his toes were gangrenous and pain at night was a big problem for him.
My sister, who does not see him as frequently as I do, also commented that his color was looking better than it has in a long time.
Thank you for your product. I believe that it is responsible for giving my father some additional time with good quality.
I have attached a picture of his foot from the bottom. While I am certainly no expert, it seems to me that the foot is healing. I was even able to remove a large section of dead skin off of the top of the foot this morning and underneath the skin seemed pink and healthy.
I am so thankful for this Formula and plan to share the results my father has had with the podiatrist he had been working with. He works with many diabetic patients and is open to alternative therapies. He might find this interesting.
Thank you again. I'll let you know how things go in the upcoming months.
Karen Gibson
Hermitage, TN
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
AFTER (1/2)
Dear Andrew:
I just wanted to let you know that my dad's foot now appears to be TOTALLY healed.
The 'scab' came off about a week or so ago and the tissue is healthier than it has looked in years.
Here are the pictures of his foot as it is now.
I took my father to see his podiatrist last week and he was very happy to see the condition of my father's foot. I brought him an empty jar of your formula.
AFTER (2/2)
This doctor works with a lot of diabetic patients, perhaps he can steer others your way if they develop gangrene.
Thank you again for the work you have done to create this product!
Karen
P.S. Finding your formula was a specific answer to a specific prayer...
* The testimonial above is a true, documented story. It has been reviewed by Full of Health Inc., however, it is the sole opinion of the listed individual.
Testimonial: "Ulcers On His Legs Completely Healed"
Thursday, July 19, 2007
On behalf of my family and myself, we would like to express our gratitude to your company for developing the Gangrene Clearing Formula.
My father is a diabetic and due to poor circulation to his legs, he began to develop sores on his legs and foot. The sores on his foot eventually turned black as he developed dry gangrene.
After repeated visits to a podiatrist and a vascular specialist, the dry gangrene began to spread and he had to be admitted into the hospital.
Both doctors suggested that my father's left leg be amputated from the knee down.
I immediately researched the internet to educate myself on what the doctors were stating, to confirm their recommendation. Fortunately, I found the website for Full of Health Inc. and decided to start the treatment and postpone the surgery.
After three weeks, the ulcers on his legs completely healed and the black scabs on his toes began to fall off and revealed healthy new skin.
The nurse that has been cleaning my father's wounds daily has expressed complete amazement and requested Full of Health's phone number to recommend it some of the patients she treats.
The progress that my father has experienced after three weeks of taking the Gangrene Clearing Formula has saved his leg, lifted his attitude and made him feel more energetic.
Thank you again for helping families that are faced with loved ones that are only given the option of amputation.
And thank you for all your insight and information you provide to my father and I.
Best regards,
Rafael E. Cervantes
Miami, FL
* The testimonial above is a true, documented story. It has been reviewed by Full of Health Inc., however, it is the sole opinion of the listed individual.
First, let me thank you for the unique way you created your web site. It was very easy to find and your words were sincerely understood.
I’m living proof that gangrene can be reversed.
In April 2005, I was in a hospital bed, and about an hour away from a scheduled amputation of the fifth toe of my right foot.
Right from the hospital bed I called your toll- free number and asked you if it was possible to reverse gangrene even though I was told earlier that morning that bones in my toe were also infected, and the answer was “yes.”
I declined the amputation, and two days after taking Gangrene Clearing Formula, the gangrene portion of my toe began to fuse with the non-gangrene area. The rest is history.
My toe is healed and the infection is completely gone. No one can believe it. Many are calling it a miracle, especially since the doctors at one of the most well known university medical centers told me that an amputation was the only remedy.
Day after day as I changed the dressing on my toe, I was amazed to observe steadily growing white healthy tissue. Eventually the gangrene of the affected part came off and the remaining part of the toe healed nicely.
I’m happy to have saved most of my toe, in light of the fact that the surgeons wanted to amputate it all the way up to the metatarsal bone in my foot.
I must admit that it took courage and close to five months for a complete healing, but it was well worth it. The most important thing here is that the gangrene was REVERSED!
Your Formula specifically targeted the problem and is very potent. It really works!!!!!
I might add that you were always available to me for personal support. Also, my sugar is now under control without insulin.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Denis Wedge
Pennsylvania, USA
* The testimonial above is a true story. It has been reviewed by Full of Health Inc., however, it is the opinion of the listed individual.
The best way to get control of your health is to take action - move forward and do something about it.
Therefore, it is important for you, or someone you love or hold dear, to be decisive about what you want to do about your condition, rather than to be vague or unsure. The consequences of your indecisiveness could be detrimental...
At Full of Health Inc., we hope that you will give the nutritional approach serious consideration; it can help you get and keep gangrene in your feet or legs under control without humiliating surgery.
Think, feel and act positive. Be more concerned with what is right than with who is right. All-in-all, gangrene is a serious, life-threatening condition!
When gangrene develops dire calls for medical help often are too late as standard interventions are only temporarily and - most of the time - minimally effective.
Discover what many people still don't know, or do not want to know about nutritional gangrene control; your life, or the life of someone you know or hold dear, may depend upon it!
By sharing this information, you can discomfit those who desperately want to believe that conventional medicine has all the answers worth considering.
We hope everyone with a relative or friend with diabetes or atherosclerosis effecting the brain, legs or heart, will at least open the door to them to alternatives.
The nutritional approach to gangrene is for you - if you have courage, good will and persistence, and are not afraid to take your health into your own hands.
As opposed to amputation, the nutritional gangrene control is something you can do on your own - and get results.
So far, we have introduced our proprietary Gangrene Clear-G Formula to our clients and customers in 40 countries: the United States (including Virgin Islands and Hawaii), Canada, Malaysia, Australia, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Thailand, New Zealand, Germany, Belgium, Trinidad, Mexico, Italy, Pakistan, Singapore, Mauritius, Suriname (South America), France, Bolivia, Russia, Croatia, Poland, Portugal, Denmark, Israel, Azerbaijan, Kenya, Bosnia, Malta, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Ethiopia, Greece, Spain, Kuwait, Germany, Venezuela, Colombia, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
The best way to get control of your health is to take action - move forward and do something about it.
1. 705. 876. 9357 (US/Can)