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Manuka honey

C

Cookiecrumb

Newbie
Messages
3
Type of diabetes
Family member
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi, I've just joined the forum today and would like advice/opinions on behalf of my lovely father-in-law. He's an active 87 year old that has been living with diabetes for a few years. It's managed by diet and lifestyle and his great determination and willpower! Several years ago he had a quadruple bypass and is on several meds, including Warfarin. In spite of all this, he's incredibly independent...he cooks every day, does all his own house work, washing, ironing, etc, bakes, paints...still drives...
Last October, he caught his shin on a sharp edge....and 6 months plus later he still has a wound. Obviously, he's receiving treatment from his surgery - he has it dressed a couple of time a week but also may have to dress it himself in between visits, as it does still ooze through the dressing. He's had to have a few courses of antibiotics and a couple of months ago he also developed cellulitis in the leg. Fortunately, the cellulitis has dissipated, however, although the wound area has reduced, it's just taking forever to heal....and it is starting to get him down naturally.
While I appreciate that with the combination of diabetes, poor circulation and being on an anticoagulant, healing is always going to be a nightmare, I feel something more proactive needs to be done. The nurses just use dry dressings...his skin also developed a sensitivity to dressings with adhesive edges. He keeps the dressings dry and uses E45 cream on the skin around the wound to soothe it.
I'm in the veterinary profession and Manuka honey is used with good success on certain wounds where healing needs to be promoted. At my request, my father-in-law has asked if Manuka would be appropriate for his wound...the first response was that it was too expensive for the NHS and when a second person was asked a few weeks later, they just didn't acknowledge his question. I'm more than happy to source and pay for a high grade version. I have looked on line and tried to do a bit of research but there are differing opinions - some say it's great and others worry about the absorption of the honey affecting the diabetes. I have emailed over a week ago a Diabetes group for advice on their general email address but as yet no one has replied. So I've registered here this morning with the hope that you would be happy to give me your expert advice and knowledge. My father-in-law is like my second Dad and I love him loads....really looking forward to any help. A huge thank you in advance :)
 
Cookiecrumb said:
Hi, I've just joined the forum today and would like advice/opinions on behalf of my lovely father-in-law. He's an active 87 year old that has been living with diabetes for a few years. It's managed by diet and lifestyle and his great determination and willpower! Several years ago he had a quadruple bypass and is on several meds, including Warfarin. In spite of all this, he's incredibly independent...he cooks every day, does all his own house work, washing, ironing, etc, bakes, paints...still drives...
Last October, he caught his shin on a sharp edge....and 6 months plus later he still has a wound. Obviously, he's receiving treatment from his surgery - he has it dressed a couple of time a week but also may have to dress it himself in between visits, as it does still ooze through the dressing. He's had to have a few courses of antibiotics and a couple of months ago he also developed cellulitis in the leg. Fortunately, the cellulitis has dissipated, however, although the wound area has reduced, it's just taking forever to heal....and it is starting to get him down naturally.
While I appreciate that with the combination of diabetes, poor circulation and being on an anticoagulant, healing is always going to be a nightmare, I feel something more proactive needs to be done. The nurses just use dry dressings...his skin also developed a sensitivity to dressings with adhesive edges. He keeps the dressings dry and uses E45 cream on the skin around the wound to soothe it.
I'm in the veterinary profession and Manuka honey is used with good success on certain wounds where healing needs to be promoted. At my request, my father-in-law has asked if Manuka would be appropriate for his wound...the first response was that it was too expensive for the NHS and when a second person was asked a few weeks later, they just didn't acknowledge his question. I'm more than happy to source and pay for a high grade version. I have looked on line and tried to do a bit of research but there are differing opinions - some say it's great and others worry about the absorption of the honey affecting the diabetes. I have emailed over a week ago a Diabetes group for advice on their general email address but as yet no one has replied. So I've registered here this morning with the hope that you would be happy to give me your expert advice and knowledge. My father-in-law is like my second Dad and I love him loads....really looking forward to any help. A huge thank you in advance :)
Click to expand...

This isn't an area I have expertise in, but when a friend was having issues with a tricky wound, she was visited by the Tissue Viability Team, which sounds scary, but they assessed her situation and recommended a specialist dressing (sorry, can't recall what the active "ingredients" were, which could then be applied by others.

Maybe worth asking if there is anything similar available to you FiL. He sounds like a wonderful man. I can understand you wanting to keep him doing what he does for as long as possible.
 
AndBreathe said:
This isn't an area I have expertise in, but when a friend was having issues with a tricky wound, she was visited by the Tissue Viability Team, which sounds scary, but they assessed her situation and recommended a specialist dressing (sorry, can't recall what the active "ingredients" were, which could then be applied by others.

Maybe worth asking if there is anything similar available to you FiL. He sounds like a wonderful man. I can understand you wanting to keep him doing what he does for as long as possible.
Click to expand...
Oooooh thank you so much....that team sounds promising...thanks again
 
My relative was greatly helped by the Tissue Viability Team, and at various times they used iodine dressings/silver dressings and slightly padded dressings which didn't have the usual really sticky adhesive round the border, but a much easier to remove 'gentler' adhesive. They were called Allevyn Gentle Border by Smith and Nephew and you can buy them online.
 
When i had my Femoral artery bypass done, 2 smallish areas didn't heal as well as the rest of the 3 foot scar. They used Tegaderm dressings which worked really well, i don't know if they'd be suitable, but it may be worth asking.
 
My 97 year old MIL had a similar leg wound following a fall. Over nearly 2 years we went through every type of dressing and every type of nurse, Tissue Viability included, all to no avail.
Eventually she was put on a different type of antibiotics after a bout of pneumonia, and hey presto the wound cleared up within a week!
Sorry I can't remember which as we didn't notice at the time, we were worried about the pneumonia and didn't check the leg so imagine our surprise to find it healed!
 
Thank you all sooo much for all your helpful advice....will start looking into all of your suggestions. Sorry about delay in answering your messages...the delights of shift work :rolleyes:o_O
 
I am sure that you are aware that there is far more Manuka honey sold than is produced.
[Much like Extra Virgin Olive Oil.]
However I am assuming that honey in general is still an effective wound treatment.
Hopefully a high grade version will have traceability.
 
LittleGreyCat said:
However I am assuming that honey in general is still an effective wound treatment
Click to expand...
It certainly is - I've used it all my life, sometimes for alarming-looking flesh wounds, and it is a terrific healer if used properly. Never any need for "manuka" as ordinary honey has been used in this way for centuries. However, it should be from an independent beekeeper and not pasteurised.

Please note I have no knowledge of how this would affect diabetics.
 
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