on 9/7/03 1:57 PM, Richard Harris at [email protected] wrote:
Excellent article. Where is your clinic located??
> Orchids to Dr. John Draper for this excellent, informative, important
> article re SSKI !
> Thanks, Dr. John,
> Richard Harris, 56 yr FL Pharmacist
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: John Draper [mailto:[email protected]]
> Sent: Saturday, September 06, 2003 11:39 PM
> To: silver-list
> Subject: CS>fw: ONE MINERAL CAN HELP A MYRIAD OF CONDITIONS FROM
> ATHEROSCLEROSIS TO "COPD"TO ZITS
>
>
>
> For those interested in using iodine for health, I found the following
> article very useful. I was not aware of some of the benefits
> mentioned here, nor some of the means one can apply it.
>
> - John
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> from: http://www.tahoma-clinic.com/iodide.shtml
>
> ONE MINERAL CAN HELP A MYRIAD OF CONDITIONS FROM
> ATHEROSCLEROSIS TO "COPD"TO ZITS
>
> (Reprinted From "Nutrition and Healing")
>
> If you've read or heard anything at all about potassium
> iodide, it's probably been in association with terrorist
> attacks or nuclear power plant disasters. Potassium iodide
> (usually taken in tablet form) is recommended by "public
> health" authorities to protect the thyroid gland against
> accumulation of radioactive iodine released by a "terrorist
> bomb" or by nuclear power plant "meltdown". But in reality,
> potassium iodide is a very effective "home remedy" with
> literally dozens of uses.
>
> Older readers may remember Mother putting "iodine" on cuts
> and scrapes. It kept infection away as well as any "modern"
> antibiotic ointment, with the added benefit of not inducing
> "bacterial resistance". But what else is potassium iodide
> (usually abbreviated by it's Latin initials "SSKI") good
> for? Read on
and then make sure to read the separate section
> about keeping SSKI use safe.
>
> Some years ago, a retired Indian physician told me about his
> use of SSKI during more than 30 years traveling from village
> to village in rural Africa. Most usually, the only drinking
> water available was from a local stream or river, muddy and
> contaminated. After removing sediment and debris by
> straining the dirty water through cheesecloth, he'd add
> several drops of SSKI, and wait two to three minutes. He and
> his team could then drink the water. In over 30 years, he
> never got an infection from contaminated water. The SSKI
> killed any micro-organisms present.
>
> Fortunately, the water available to most of us when
> traveling is considerably cleaner. Despite this, when Holly
> (my wife) and I travel, we always carry a small bottle of
> SSKI, and put one or two drops into any water we're not
> absolutely certain about. We've cut back considerably on
> airline travel this year because of the thoroughly
> un-American and extremely unpleasant "airport Gestapo"
> experience. But when we're forced to travel by air, we drink
> a few ounces of water with 10 drops of SSKI, and prevent any
> "airline sinusitis" or other respiratory infection that so
> often follows several hours spent breathing re-cycled, germ
> laden air. (SSKI rapidly accumulates in any and all body
> secretions, including in the sinuses, where it inhibits or
> kills bacteria, viruses, and fungi before they can cause an
> infection.)
>
> Although Holly has never had the experience, occasionally
> another woman at one of the conferences we attend has
> developed a bladder infection when far away from home and
> her own physician. Holly gives her our "back-up" small
> bottle of SSKI with instructions to take 10 to 15 drops in
> water or juice every 3 to 4 hours (while awake) until the
> infection is gone.
>
> [Although SSKI is close to 100% effective in the elimination
> of bladder infections, this is a "high dose"; make sure to
> read the section "Keeping SSKI safe". If possible, it's best
> to use the simple sugar D-mannose to eliminate bladder
> infections. D-mannose is effective over 90% of the time, and
> is very, very safe. For details, see D-mannose and Bladder
> Infection by Lane Lenard Ph.D. and me, available through the
> Tahoma Clinic Dispensary.]
>
> When our children were teenagers, they always knew where to
> find the SSKI bottle. Whenever one of them "popped a zit",
> she or he would rub SSKI into it every hour or two. The
> offending "zit" would be gone in 24-48 hours or less; an
> innumerable number of social events were rendered "zit-free"
> by this approach.
>
> So far, I've been telling you about SSKI's ability to "kill
> germs" in one place or another. We'll return to this
> important "home remedy" use for SSKI, but let's digress for
> now to other uses.
>
> Many women develop "fibrocystic breast disease". In the
> 1970s, I learned from pioneering trace element researcher
> Dr. John Myers that iodine (a close "relative" of SSKI)
> would eliminate even the most severe cases of fibrocystic
> breast disease. [For the full details of this treatment, see
> pages 169-174 of The Patient's Book of Natural Healing by
> Alan Gaby M.D. and me.] In "medium" to "minor" cases, 6 to 8
> drops of SSKI taken in a few ounces of water daily will
> frequently reduce fibrocystic breast disease to
> insignificance within three to six months. Please do not do
> this without monitoring your thyroid function
see "Keeping
> SSKI Safe" on page whatever.
>
> One of our daughters and at least thirty other women I've
> worked with in nearly 30 years have helped ovarian cysts
> disappear within two to three months with the same quantity
> of SSKI. Again, make sure to monitor your thyroid function!
>
> It's very likely that SSKI helps eliminate fibrocystic
> breast disease and ovarian cysts at least partly through
> it's interaction with estrogens
.which brings us to another
> important use for SSKI (and other forms of iodine such as
> "Lugol's solution" and "di-atomic iodine"). All of these
> forms of iodine help your body to metabolize estrone (a
> slightly carcinogenic human estrogen) and
> 16-alpha-hydroxyestrone (a much more dangerous metabolite of
> human estrogen) into estriol, an "anti-carcinogenic" or at
> worst "neutral" form of human estrogen. I've reviewed
> literally hundreds of hormone tests in over 26 years which
> have proven this point. This testing and treatment usually
> requires the help of a physician skilled and knowledgeable
> in nutritional and natural medicine, who can also help with
> monitoring thyroid function. (See "Resources", page 8).
>
> "Dupuytren's contracture" and "Peyronie's disease" are two
> "fibrotic" conditions that can be helped considerably by
> SSKI. In Dupuytren's contracture, thickening (fibrosis)
> occurs along one of the tendons in the palm in the hand,
> pulling the related finger down towards the palm. As the
> problem progresses, the finger often can't be straightened
> any more.
>
> In Peyronie's disease, a very similar thickening occurs
> along the shaft of the penis, making erections increasing
> "curved" and painful. In both cases, rubbing SSKI into the
> thickened tissue at least twice daily softens and lessens
> the fibrotic area over a period of several months, allowing
> for more normal function.
>
> For these conditions, it's additionally helpful to take
> para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) 2 grams, three times daily,
> and to rub a mixture of Vitamin E and DMSO into the
> thickened areas, also. However, if "caught early", SSKI
> alone will often "do the job". (It's also advisable to have
> glucose-insulin tolerance test done, as there's an unusually
> high incidence of "insulin resistance" in people with
> Dupuytren's contracture or Peyronie's disease.
>
> "Keloids" are abnormally thick scars, sometimes as much as
> an inch thick, that can form after injury. Although anyone
> can get a keloid, they're more common among blacks than
> other ethnic groups. Rubbing SSKI into a keloid at least
> twice daily will ultimately flatten them down to a "normal
> scar", but it can take many months to a year for
> particularly bad ones. The treatment goes faster if SSKI is
> mixed "50-50" with DMSO.
>
> "Fistulas" are literally abnormal tunnels through tissues,
> "tunnels" prevented from healing by chronic infection. Two
> not-unusual types are "peri-anal fistulas" (a "tunnel" from
> outside the anus to the inside of the rectum) and
> "recto-vaginal" fistulas. Although these fistulas can be
> treated successfully by surgery, they can often be healed by
> frequent swabbing inside and out with an SSKI-soaked
> "Q-tip". Patience is required: Complete healing often takes
> several months. The treatment appears to work better if the
> SSKI is mixed with DMSO, which enhances "penetrance". My
> colleague Richard Kunin, M.D. of San Francisco, is a "world
> class" expert on the use of SSKI and other forms of iodine.
> He has found that hemorrhoids will sometimes disappear
> literally overnight, when SSKI (20 drops) mixed with
> flaxseed oil (1 ounce) is rubbed in them at bedtime. He's
> also found that SSKI alone will do the same job, although it
> "really stings" when applied to a hemorrhoid by itself.
>
> When I was a pre-med student at Harvard University, the
> famous chemistry professor Louis Feiser made a point of
> demonstrating to all the pre-medical students that iodine
> and iodide would make oils, fats, and waxes (cholesterol is
> actually a wax) more soluble in water. He urged us to
> remember this in our medical practices, as he was sure it
> wouldn't be taught in medical school (he was right!). This
> known action of iodide likely explains why SSKI can be
> useful in the next two applications.
>
> Over 30 years ago, two ophthalmologists observed that a
> combination tablet called "Iodo-niacin" (iodide 120
> milligrams, niacin 15 milligrams) taken for several months
> could actually reverse atherosclerotic clogging of arteries.
> They proved this effect by taking pictures of clogged
> arteries in the backs of the eyes ("retinal
> photomicrographs") before and after treatment. The published
> photographs showed a significant lessening of the
> cholesterol-laden artery clogging in the "after" pictures.
>
> Amazingly enough, no follow-up study has ever been published
> (probably because niacin and iodide aren't patentable).
> Despite this, the published pictures speak clearly for
> themselves. I recommend 4 to 6 drops of SSKI and
> niacin-containing B-complex daily (along with many other
> things) for anyone with significant cholesterol-related
> atherosclerotic clogging. Thyroid function must be
> monitored!
>
> "Sebaceous cysts" are cysts which contain oily, fatty
> material. They usually appear rather suddenly on the face or
> in the groin or labia. Rubbing in SSKI mixed 50-50 with DMSO
> will almost always persuade these cysts to go away in a week
> or two; it appears that the iodide "dissolves" the fatty,
> oily material contained in the cysts, allowing your body to
> slowly re-absorb and dispose of it.
>
> Although it's not a common condition, from time to time
> someone will come to my office at Tahoma Clinic inquiring
> about alternatives to surgery for "parotid duct stone".
> These are "stones" which can form in the saliva-carrying
> duct(s) from the major salivary glands ("parotid" glands,
> located at the "angle of the jaw"). 3 to 4 drops of SSKI
> taken in water daily will almost always dissolve parotid
> duct stones within four to eight months.
>
> If you have chronic bronchitis and or emphysema ("COPD",
> "COLD") SSKI is an invaluable tool. SSKI "gets into" all
> body secretions, including often thick and hard to cough up
> bronchial secretions, which get infected very easily. SSKI
> takes care of both of these problems. It "loosens"
> secretions remarkably, making them much easier to "clear",
> and it prevents micro-organisms from growing easily. With
> regular SSKI use, bronchial infection is a much less
> frequent happening. Depending on the severity of COPD, I
> recommend 3 to 6 drops of SSKI taken in water once daily. As
> COPD is usually a chronic condition, SSKI use will usually
> be indefinite, so make sure to monitor your thyroid
> function! (See the August 2002 Nutrition & Healing for a
> more complete discussion of natural COPD treatment.)
>
> Now, back to other infections. For this group, using SSKI
> mixed "50-50" with DMSO works better, as the DMSO enables
> SSKI to penetrate much more deeply into the tissues and kill
> germs.
>
> Infected "hangnails" are perhaps the easiest to clear up
> this way, as are nagging bacterial infections around the
> edges of the toenails. Rub in the mixture several times
> daily, and the problem's usually gone in a few days. Herpes
> simplex ("herpes") ourbreaks can be "stopped cold" in the
> same way, but it often takes longer for the "sore" to heal
> itself over.
>
> If you have persistent "swollen glands" in the throat or
> groin areas, see a doctor first! These can very rarely be
> signs of leukemia, lymphoma, or another cancer, especially
> in older people. But if all tests and studies are negative,
> and the doctor says "it's just swollen glands", rub in the
> SSKI with DMSO. In a large majority of cases, the "just
> swollen glands" will gradually fade away.
>
> Fungus under the toenails ("onychomycosis") is a difficult
> problem to treat. Even "conventional" anti-fungal drug
> treatment takes months to work, and (for safety) monthly
> liver function tests are necessary. SSKI and DMSO rubbed on,
> around, and under the affected toenails doesn't work any
> faster, but it's just as effective, and definitely safer.
> Make sure to wear old socks, because SSKI and other forms of
> iodine leave an orange-brown stain. (Other safe and
> effective alternatives include geranium oil, oregano oil,
> and tea tree oil. These and other anti-fungal oils also
> require "help" from DMSO to penetrate the toenail and soak
> the fungus underneath.)
>
> SSKI can also help clear up vaginal infections. 20 to 30
> drops in water, used in a small "douche" once daily for five
> to ten days will usually do the job. (There's actually a
> prescription-only iodine preparation of available for
> vaginal infections, too.) However, iodine preparations of
> any sort for vaginal infections are often not popular
> because of the inevitable orange-brown stains they leave on
> clothing.
>
> What about SSKI to help a "weak" thyroid (hypothyroidism)?
> Even though iodine and iodide are absolutely essential to
> thyroid hormone formation, in most "developed" countries,
> hypothyroid conditions are not usually due to an outright
> lack of iodine or iodide. Still, hypothyroidism is
> occasionally helped by 1 drop of SSKI daily. Make sure to
> work with your doctor on this one!
>
> Lastly, there's a gastronomic use for SSKI: reducing the gas
> we all get from eating beans! If you're soaking beans before
> cooking them, add 1 or 2 drops of SSKI, and let them soak
> for an hour or more. (Pour offf that water before cooking,
> and add fresh water.) You'll be surprised at the reduction
> in resulting intestinal gas! (For those who want a technical
> explanation: There's a naturally occurring enzyme inhibitor
> in beans which interferes with starch digestion, producing
> gas. SSKI inactivates this enzyme inhibitor.)
>
> OBTAINING SSKI
>
> In the past, SSKI and other forms of iodine and iodide were
> available only on prescription, or through chemical supply
> sources. Since the mid-1990s passage of the Federal DSHEA
> law, we've regained the basic American freedom to buy and
> sell natural substances (narcotics exempted) without
> prescription. You haven't read or heard much about SSKI
> because (despite Federal Appeals Court decisions) FDA still
> maintains it's First Amendment violating policy of complete
> suppression of truthful product use information on package
> labels or in advertisements
.unless of course FDA is paid an
> enormous amount of money ($250 million minimum, according to
> Congressional testimony) for "approval". Since SSKI can't be
> patented
well, you know the rest.
>
> SSKI can be obtained without prescription in some
> compounding pharmacies, some health food stores, through
> "on-line" sources, and at the Tahoma Clinic Dispensary (with
> which I am of course affiliated) in a convenient travel-size
> dropper bottle.
>
> USE SSKI SAFELY!!
>
> There are three "hazards" to using SSKI: staining, allergy,
> and a very small possibility of thyroid suppression with
> longer-term use of "too much".
>
> Staining can be a big nuisance, but it's not a health
> hazard. When SSKI is applied to skin, it can impart a faint
> to moderate orange-brown color, which fades away once SSKI
> is no longer being applied. SSKI and other iodine stains in
> clothing can be semi-permanent or permanent, so don't plan
> to wear anything "nice" in the vicinity of recently-applied
> SSKI.
>
> Iodine allergy is a possibility, although in nearly 30 years
> of medical practice I've seen it only a few times. Usually,
> it causes a red, bumpy skin rash, which goes away after SSKI
> or other iodine is discontinued. Topical (applied to the
> skin surface) iodine allergy is almost never a serious
> emergency.
>
> SSKI or iodine can very occasionally cause acne, which also
> goes away once the source of iodine is dicontinued.
>
> The type of so-called "iodine allergy" that can interfere
> with breathing and occasionally sends us to the emergency
> room is usually not allergy to iodine or iodine molecules,
> but instead to much larger, possibly iodine-containing
> molecules found in lobster, crab, clams and other
> "shellfish". These molecules are not present in SSKI or
> iodine. However, if there's any suspicion at all of iodine
> allergy, it's best not to swallow any without testing for
> allergy or sensitivity.
>
> Too much iodine for too long can suppress thyroid function.
> Many of the uses described for SSKI in the accompanying
> article are short-term, from a few days or less to a week or
> two. If SSKI is then stopped, there's almost no chance of
> significant thyroid suppression. However, if SSKI is to be
> used for two to three weeks or longer, and especially if
> it's to be used continuously (for example, COPD or
> cholesterol-related atherosclerosis) monitoring thyroid
> function is very important. To find a physician near you who
> can help order and interpret thyroid function tests, consult
> the Resources section on page 8.
>
> Fortunately, in my experience with over a thousand
> individuals, internal use of than nine drops of SSKI daily
> has or less has very rarely resulted in thyroid suppression.
> On those very few occasions, discontinuance has resulted in
> prompt recovery. So far, I've never seen thyroid suppression
> result from "topical" (skin surface) use of SSKI.
>
> A final "safety" note: Dr. Kunin cautions (and I agree) that
> if you use SSKI or other iodine "long-term", make sure your
> diet contains plenty of essential fatty acids (both omega-3
> and omega-6) as well as the sulfur-containing amino acids
> methionine and cysteine. If you eat animal protein daily,
> that's usually sufficient as a source of these two amino
> acids, but if you're vegetarian (or close) and using "long
> term" SSKI or other iodine, then take 300-500 milligrams of
> each daily.
>
> IODINE, IODIDE, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?
>
> Iodine is a basic element, as are calcium, zinc, oxygen and
> other elements. The word "iodine" usually refers to two
> iodine molecules chemically "stuck together" (I2), just as
> the word "oxygen" usually refers to two oxygen molecules
> "stuck together" (O2). Since iodine is more reactive, and
> therefore more likely to cause problems, iodine is usually
> used as "iodide", a word which refers to one iodine molecule
> combined with another molecule such as potassium (KI) or
> sodium (NaI). In chemical terms, such molecules are called
> "salts"; the best known salt is sodium chloride (NaCl), a
> "salt" of chlorine (Cl2).
>
> The "SS" in "SSKI" refers to "Saturated Solution Potassium
> Iodide". Other medically useful forms of iodine include
> "Lugol's solution", invented by Dr. Lugol of Paris in the
> 1840s, which contains a mixture of types of iodine and
> iodide, and "di-atomic iodine", which is another name for
> iodine, but usually prepared as a solid in a capsule instead
> of a liquid.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> The silver-list is a moderated forum for discussion of colloidal silver.
>
> Instructions for unsubscribing may be found at: http://silverlist.org
>
> To post, address your message to: [email protected]
>
> Silver-list archive: http://escribe.com/health/thesilverlist/index.html
>
> List maintainer: Mike Devour <[email protected]>
>
>
>
