So I’m somewhat of a worrier when it comes to my health. I’ve been in and out of hospital (mainly checking myself in) with various mystery conditions ranging from tick bites (the possibility of contracting Lyme Disease) to tingling nerve sensations all over my body.
I’m on various medications for my anxiety, depression and slight psychosis; I’m perfectly mentally stable…however my mind does wander, usually on to my health.
A few years ago I noticed an outbreak of these little red spots all over my body. Immediately I was worried, thinking I had some exotic disease or some part of my body was failing. I saw many dermatologists, chief haematologists and general doctors and they all called these red dots Cherry Angiomas or Campbell de Morgan spots.
The little red dots you can see are an example of Cherry Angiomas (Campbell de Morgan spots).
They all agreed that they were benign malfunctions of the skin and I had nothing to worry about. However, they all said it is unknown what causes them.
So me being me, I was determined to find the cause. Because in my mind, the strange onset of literally hundreds of these tiny red spots has a cause, either internally or from environmental factors poisoning my body.
They are sometimes large, but sometimes a lot smaller – almost the size of a pin head (or prick).
What I think causes these red dots
While there are many things that are know to cause cherry angiomas such as age, hormone imbalances and even exposure to mustard gas, the less documented and most probable cause is bromine toxicity.
Maybe I’m getting more that most people because I’m currently taking an antidepressant called Citalopram Hydrobromide (aka Celexa) which is Citalopram bound to bromide.
What is bromine?
Bromine is a chemical element that is found in many processed food sources such as bread. It is used to make food last longer before going stale and increase the shelf life.
Bromine was actually used during the World Wars to suppress the sexual drive of service men overseas.
Bromine is toxic to the human body and can be somewhat carcinogenic.
Bromine can build up in your body and take over cell iodine receptors because the atomic structure of bromine is so similar to iodine that the human body is mistaken. Eventually there will be nowhere to store this excess of bromine and from my own research and studying have realised that it is finally stored in the skin, thus resulting in cherry angiomas or Campbell de Morgan spots.
There is only really one way to flush your body of bromine and that’s by consuming good sources of iodine.
Why do we accumulate excess bromine?
We really have no way to process excess bromine and with modern day diets, we eat foods containing less and less iodine. A long while ago, companies started to add iodine to salt (iodized salt) however with the health scares of using too much salt on our foods, we are not getting enough iodine.
The RDA of iodine in the United Kingdom is currently set at 100 micrograms (100 µg). However, from research it is found that the people of mainland Japan are taking in as much as 12.5mg (12500 µg) daily from food such as sea kelp and certain kinds of fish.
The Japanese are one of the healthiest nations with extremely low cancer rates and low thyroid function problems. Could this be why?
Iodine rids the body of bromine and heavy metals, halides and toxins.
Every cell in our body is programmed to use iodine in one way or another. Iodine is also the partner to the programmed cell death and generating new cells in the body. Most of our iodine is stored in our thyroid gland and this gland uses the most iodine for its functions.
What’s the difference between Bromine, Bromide and Bromate?
Bromine is a base element, which bromide and bromate can be formed from.
Bromide is the ion. Formula is Br- (with the – at the top). Can be ionically bound to another ion, e.g. sodium bromide, NaBr.
Bromate is another type of ion, but there are oxygen atoms as well. Formula is BrO3- (with the – at the top).
Iodine and iodide has the same relationship between bromine and bromide.
- From Yahoo Answers
What can I do to get rid of these spots and clear my body of bromine?
Well I’ve recently started taking iodine supplements in high dosage.
I’ve started on a dose of 50mg per day for a period of three months. This will saturate my body with iodine and kick start the detoxification and repair process. Once optimal saturation has been reached I’ll then stay on a steady dose of 12.5mg for the rest of my life.
Along with iodine, I’m also taking a mixture of many vitamins to help the detoxification process.
The quote below is the suggested method for iodine supplementation, as recommended by a group of researchers – this was publicized at an iodine conference in 2007.
Recommended Iodine Supplementation program
- 50 mg Iodoral minimum for breast cancer (may start with 12.5 mg). – You can pick up Iodoral 50mg from Amazon here or 12.5mg here.
Some practitioners may recommend another form of iodine such as Lugol’s solution. – You can buy Lugol’s solution here.
Iodoral is the Lugol’s formula in tablet form especially designed to avoid gastric irritation. - Vitamin C – 3,000 mg per day (more may be necessary to detox bromide). Get the Solgar brand here.
- 300-600 mg magnesium oxide (Iodine Investigation Project participants prefer magnesium glycinate or magnesium citrate.) I actually prefer the Chelated Magnesium by Solgar; it’s the most absorbable version for maximum benefit. Grab it here. If you really want almost 100% absorbtion, you should use a “Angstrom” or ionic magnesium suppliment. You can pick up a great one here.
- 200 mcg selenium. The selenomethionine version is preferred by many. – Get the Solgar brand here.
- 500 mg niacin (B3) twice a day (NOT niacinamide). Start lower to avoid flush. - Solgar 500mg tabs here.
- 100 mg Vitamin B2 three times a day. – Again, Solgar is the best brand to get when it comes to vitamins and minerals so grab the Solgar 100mg B2 here.
- A comprehensive vitamin and nutrition program.
From my own research I also recommend the following in addition to the above
- Bathing twice weekly in Epsom Bath Salts (Magnesium Sulphate) to increase your magnesium intake as it’s best absorbed and utilised through the skin. You’ll need a lot, but you can get a 20lb bag here. While Epsom salt baths are great for increasing your serum Mg levels short term, it’s better to use something more long lasting like the Ancient Minerals Magnesium Chloride oil that stays in your body properly.
- Daily use of a Liquid Zeolite detox programme – the Results RNA spray one is the BEST – it’s the most usable with much higher surface area for toxin extraction.
- Seriously increasing your magnesium intake – which I write all about here.
While I don’t know if this will clean up my cherry angiomas for good, I can tell you that after taking iodine for two weeks I’m already noticing a decrease in their size and numbers.
I have also started to apply Iodine topically to the cherry angiomas to see if that helps. I used Lugol’s Iodine which is part Iodine and part Potassium Iodide.
I’ll keep this blog post updated with the results as they unfold so stay tuned!
Update Nov 2012:
I have concluded that my main source of toxic bromine/bromide is from my antidepressant medication (Citalopram Hydrobromide). I have successfully weaned myself off this medication from 20mg/day down to 2.5mg/day, and as of next week I will be off of it completely (I’m going to blog about my experience coming off this SSRI medication and will link to it from here, so watch this space). You can view the official ChemWatch safety sheet information on Citalopram Hydrobromide here (PDF).
Once I’m totally off, I’m going to start my Iodine plan again after I have completed an Iodine/Bromide 24 hour urine test to see my level of toxicity. Hakala Research do a great test here.
Once I’ve loaded myself with Iodine/Iodide for a period of about 6-12 months (at 50mg Iodoral per day), I will check my saturation levels doing another urinalysis test and decide how much longer I need to continue loading after that. Once I’m at saturation, I will continue on 12.5 mg of Iodine/Iodide for the rest of my life to combat everyday interactions with these toxic elements – for example fluorinated water, fluorinated toothpaste, chlorinated swimming pools, sofas/carpet with bromide as a fire retardent – these toxic elements are all around us – it takes a moment to realize how toxic the world we live in today really is.
Update April 2013 – My Iodine Loading Test Results:
I forgot to mention in previous updates that shortly after I discontinued use of the Citalopram medication I sent off for a Iodine loading test and bromide excretion test. The box arrived to me in the UK and had a urine container, specimen vile and a 50mg Iodoral tablet for the test. I followed the test instructions, collected my urine samples and set off my specimen via UPS to the lab at Hakala Research in Colorado, USA. The test requires you to stop iodine therapy 48 hours before doing the test to get a better reading. The test required me to take an Iodoral 50mg tablet in the morning and collect my urine for a full 24 hours after taking it.
Shortly after them receiving my urine (the day after I sent it) the test results arrived back the same day via email.
My Iodine Loading Test Results
My results were as follows:
Iodine
24 hour excretion: 33.6 mg
% excretion/24 hr: 67%
This had a reference range of 0-50mg/24 hours because I took a 50mg tablet. They also mentioned on the results, “Iodine body sufficiency is achieved when the 24 hour urine collection contains 90% or more of the amount of iodine/iodide ingested”.
So this showed that I wasn’t totally deficient any more, I was actually getting somewhere with my therapy. However, this result can be a little inaccurate… which I will explain further down.
Bromide
24 hour excretion: 6.3 mg
This had a reference range of <5mg/24 hour. So I was over the reference range and excreting lots of bromide. I actually questioned this with Abbey at Hakala Research.
I said:
I have been taking Citalopram Hydrobromide (Celexa) for about 7 years which of course has given be lots of bromide over time. Before the urine collection, I had been off this medication for about two weeks.
With a 24h urine collection containing 6.3mg bromide (around 13mg for blood) – is that reading high or low in comparison to average test results?
And of course, if I excreted 67% of the 50mg Iodine in this test, could it be because my high bromide levels were causing the body not to “hang on” to the iodine and letting it pass through me? I.e. if I got my bromide levels down over time, perhaps the excretion % of iodine could actually decrease and then slowly increase as I continued supplementing with iodine?
Abby from Hakala Resarch replied with:
The 6.3mg Br is elevated compared to the U.S. average of around 2mg. Because bromide is excreted slowly from the body, I believe that if you would have done the test while taking the Celexa it may have been slightly higher.
You are correct about the iodine bromide interaction. Iodine will speed the detox. of bromide from the body, also, increasing your salt intake would help.
So I’m going to carry on with supplementing with iodine until I get around 90+% saturation. To get to 67% I was on 50mg of Iodoral for about 3 months (on and off).
I’d love to hear your comments below and your experiences with angiomas and iodine.
About Ian Stephens
Ian Stephens is an editor and writer for UFOinsight.com. He has a keen interest in the fields of strange phenomena, UFOs and Aliens. He is also interested in Space, physics and aviation. He also writes for the popular flight simulator website Fly Away Simulation as a senior editor.
Hi Ian
I just came across your blog as i too have many cherry angiomas and am looking for answers. I would like to follow your progress and see how it goes. Just curious to know if you have had these for years or just the last few?
Thanks Paul
Hi Paul,
Thanks for the comment.
I’ve only had them for the last few years, I either didn’t have them before that or didn’t notice them.
I panicked a little because I noticed hundreds of them all of a sudden, which seemed to appear all at once – I mean I had a couple before which I had all my life but I noticed a large increase of these tiny ones (which lead me to do some research).
I thought I’d try applying iodine to them topically (the really small pin prick ones) and they seem to be getting smaller and sometimes disappear. I’ll update the blog post once I’m sure this is making a difference.
The iodine that I’m taking has made me feel a little lethargic and anxious – however I’ve read that this could be because the bromine is now being released from my cells and it’s poisoning my body – increasing my vitamin C intake and using celtic sea salt (unrefined) over my food and if you can bear it drink a glass of 1/2 tsp with water helps flush these toxins.
My Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate) arrived this morning actually, so I’ll take a bath with those later! Hopefully they will start to detoxify the skin layer (and hopefully the cherry angiomas!)
How big are your angiomas? Did you notice a large increase in a small space of time?
G’day Ian
Thanks for the quick response
I’ve got all different shapes and sizes mainly smallish ones but only really had them on the torso. They are now on my arms and legs and that’s only really happened in the last 6 months or so.
Are yours just in one area or spread out ? I’ve read about the bromime/iodine theories and it sounds right but haven’t tried anything yet for concerns about it causing more {definately don’t want that} but might have to give it a try.
I will try applying iodine to them topically ,that sounds promising, and see what happens. Thanks for posting this information it gives me hope for an answer .
Paul
Hey Again Paul,
Mine are mainly on my arms and torso, however I have a few on my upper legs (if you look a little harder). To answer your question, yes; they are fairly spread out.
Mine too started appearing in a short space of time, which is what worried me.
Feel free to keep up to date with my iodine protocol experience on this blog post, I’ll update it as I go.
So far the iodine being applied topically has only really helped the tiny ones (pin prick) but the larger ones are a little harder to budge. If you have hundreds like me, applying iodine on each one is going to take some time – a full detox might be your answer. But if you don’t want to jump into things, make sure you fully research the iodine protocol.
To be honest, a detox with iodine can only really bring good things.
Good luck and keep us updated with your experiences here too!
Hi Ian
If it’s ok to ask i was wondering how it’s going ?
Paul
Hey Paul,
It’s not going too bad – I’ve been on the protocol for a couple of weeks now and I’m sure that many of the smaller spots are reducing in numbers, but the larger ones are still around.
It’s still way too early to say for definite yet, because the bromine detox takes up to three months on the high dosage that I’m on. I’ve been flushing quite a bit on the Niacin (Vitamin B3) – quite intense red flushes and burning all over my upper body (however it feels quite nice!), apparently it’s normal and perfectly harmless.
The only thing that may be slowing my progress is my anti-depressant medication. It’s called Citalopram HydroBROMIDE – hence why I’m probably getting a high dose of bromide daily in my system. I’m looking into coming off it soon, however it’s recommended to come off this SSRI very, very slowly to avoid relapse.
I’ll keep you updated!
hi Ian,
Do you mind telling me how exactly you apply iodine topically?
Thanks
Hello Yulia,
For topical treatment I use Lugol’s Iodine solution. It’s a liquid form of iodine/potassium iodide which you can either take internally or apply topically.
I place a couple of drops on the red spots and then allow it to dry and soak into the skin. I do this twice a day.
The iodine stains the skin, so if you’re planning to use it on uncovered areas of your body – be aware of this.
After a few days, the skin may start to peel on the surface leaving a new layer of skin – I’ve successfully removed some of the smaller cherry angiomas using this method, however the larger ones seem harder (and deeper) in the skin layer so it may take longer.
While applying topically is great, it’s slow and requires persistance. I recommend doing the full detox with iodine as provided above for maximum effect, however it’s still early for me to say it’s defiantly working – having said that, I’m certain that I’m seeing results.
I also recommend bathing in Epsom salts (Magnesium sulphate) – as absorption through the skin is the recommended way to get the magnesium detoxification benefits (because it isn’t easily absorbed through the intestine).
Hi Ian, thank you for making this blog. I was just wondering how your process is going? thanks
Dear Eva,
Firstly, thank you for you comment.
I have currently put the iodine therapy on pause while I slowly come off of my antidepressant medication. The medication was pumping my body full of bromide so the therapy wouldn’t be as effective while taking it.
Once I’m completely off of Citalaproam Hydrobromide I will resume the iodine therapy once more to flush it all out.
I’ll keep everyone updated!
Hi, this is very interesting! Thanks…I have these taking over my body and I, like you, refuse to believe it is “normal”. Plus, they are starting to appear on my face!!!
I’m going to try the topical and the internal cleanse you are on.
Thought I’d pass on that I’ve read that cilantro is a natural chelator (sp?) and someone on a message board said that their cherry angioma disappeared after eating 2 tsp. a day. I just blended up a bunch of it fresh to do this with.
As far as the antidepressants I thought you might find the book The Mood Cure by Julia Ross interesting. 5HTP is an amazing natural antidepressant.
Thanks again. PLEASE keep us informed on how the iodine etc. is helping the red spots.
Hey Kelly; thanks for your comment.
I know they can be quite frustrating and start appearing where you least expect them!
Have you had any success taking cilantro? I believe we call that coriander her in the UK?
As I posted in the comment above, I’m currently on hold with the iodine therapy as the amount of bromide I was taking into my body was outweighing the effect of the iodine supplements.
I’ve started to slowly come off my antidepressant and once I’m off this, I’ll start flushing the excess bromide with iodine once again.
How are you getting on with the spots Kelly? Any progress?
I also forgot to mention that I will also be starting 5-HTP once I’m off the SSRI. Taking it at the same time could be dangerous as there is a risk of Serotonin Syndrome.
The benefit of 5-HTP is that it increases the levels of serotonin in the body while typical SSRI medication only extends the life of existing serotonin without increasing it.
I’ll post a completely new blog page with my progress on that! Take care.
Thank you for posting this. I was on Celexa for 12 years along with having Hashimotos. I have had these tiny spots all over my arms. I’m a worrier too with medical things. It was not easy coming of Celexa. It has been a year. Tiny spots still there.
I will try your solution.
Dear Amy. Thank you for your comment.
I’ve been on Celexa for 7 years now and feel that now is the time to come off. Especially with the bromine toxicity it can create. I was on 20mg daily and am now down to 15mg per day. I’m coming down very slowly in this order: 20mg, 17.5mg, 15mg, 12.5mg, 10mg, 7.5mg, 5mg, 2.5mg then 2.5 every other day until I’m off. I change the dosage every 7 days.
How was your experience coming off? Did you have an withdrawal effects? I’m noticing some day sweating and short temper with a little increased anxiety.
It’s very interesting that you have the same spots too while on the medication; it backs up my case of bromine toxicity. However, you may also have an outbreak with a hormone imbalance – I.e. menopause or hormone problems.
Hello all,
I started getting these cherry angiomas and read about someone who used apple cider vinegar to get rid of these little buggers.
I tried the apple cider vinegar and it worked 100%.
You just have to be patient when soaking them with apple cider vinegar because sometimes they can take about 35-45 mins to turn black. I soak a cotton bud in some apple cider vinegar then hold it on the cherry angioma. You get a little stinging sensation after a while which indicates that its working. I usually prick the angioma with a pin to help the vinegar penetrate the angioma.
It can take about 2 weeks for the scab to fall off but after that you left with a light pink blemish which fades about a week after that. I have had no scarring using this method.
To target smaller angiomas say on your face i make a small hole in a plaster (the size of the agioma)line it up with the angioma then zap it with a soaked (apple cider vinegar) cotton bud to prevent burning unneccissary skin. This method is time consuming but works.
Try it! ive zapped about 15 of these little buggers already and only have a few small ones left to go.
Good luck!
Thank you so much for your comment Shaun. I will definitely try this myself!
The only thing is that I literally have many hundreds of cherry angiomas all over my body; which lead me to blog about what was causing them.
May I ask the conditions under which yours started appearing? Age? Medication? Exposure to any chemicals?
Ian, thanks for sharing so much information.
I’m 25 and I have noticed a huge influx of these little buggers over the past year. Most of mine are pin-sized, however I do have one that’s much larger and quite noticeable.
This past June I had two of my angiomas removed with electrosurgery. I think the entire treatment lasted all of ten seconds, but boy did it hurt! I could not imagine repeating this process over and over again!
I am going to try the ACV method, and I will report back to you. I am also going to look into bromides and see if that is a possibility. I do have painful hips, and problems with my digestive system. Ironically, these problems only started a couple of years ago, and that’s when my angiomas started appearing. From what I understand, angiomas generally typically don’t start appearing en masse until ones 30s or 40s. My parents have tons of them, and my grandfather has even more! We are of Greek and Turkish decent. I have heard that Italians commonly experience this too.
Please do keep sharing your progress. I really wish dermatologists took this condition much more seriously. It really does take a psychological toll!
Thanks for the comment Sarah.
Yes, they can also be hereditary, but a sudden increase in them over a short space of time usually indicated something else; especially at such a young age.
For women, they usually start appearing more during the menopause when hormone balances aren’t quite perfect.
May I ask, do you take any medication?
I recently started getting these things all over my body. I’m 31 and never had a problem before. All of a sudden I got 8 on my chest, a few on the sides of my stomach and they itch like crazy. I thought I had cancer at first and then I started researching and figured out it was cherry angiomas. I saw where you can do the electric surgery which is pretty much burning them off so I actually tried lighting up a hot pin and burning them off myself. I did this to the ones on my chest and they are 100 percent gone! It left a little pink spot but after a couple of weeks my skin is back to normal.Only bad thing is they started popping up on my scalp and 3 on my face. I’m going to start taking vitamin c everyday and I hope I can get rid of these things soon and stop this itching. Does anyone else have problems with these things ithcing like crazy? Once I burned the ones off my chest it stopped itching… Im about to try to burn them off and apply ACV for a few minutes. I hope this works.
Thanks for the comment Matt.
That’s a strange one, I can’t say that any of mine have ever itched. Do they itch only when they appear or do they continue to itch as time goes on too?
I’ve not heard of itchy cherry angiomas – maybe I’m wrong. Do you have a picture of them? It’s quite possible that they are something else.
Ian
Hi Ian,
I read your website some a few months ago with great interest after a diagnosis by a dermatologist of campbell de morgan when i started to notice tiny pink prick spots on my arms, torso and legs.
Whilst relieved to know they weren’t harmful, i was dismayed to hear there was nothing i could do about it i.e. i’m firmly of the belief that you are what put in your body.
For over ten years though, i’ve eaten organic, undergone acupuncture, seen a herbalist etc. and so i was shocked when i started reading about suggested causes – iodine deficiency, build up of toxins etc.
The only thing i can think of is a few years ago, back in 2005, i was put on amitriptyline hydrochloride for nerve pain. I’ve managed to decrease my dose over the past 3 years thinking i’d escaped side effects, but i’m wondering if you think these could be the cause? I know you discuss bromine but i also read that chlorine can be an iodine disruptor – I’d be very interested to hear your thoughts.
When i started noticing them i cut out all herbs, vitamins etc wondering if they could be the cause but the spots are still appearing. Gradually, therefore, i’ve reintroduced a multi vitamin and milk thistle, and also tried epsom salts baths and topical application of iodine – i only applied it for a few weeks though as i didn’t really notive a difference. I used Lugol’s 2% – do you recommend 5%?
Finally, i’ve read on a few sites that sun damage can cause them. My dermatologist disagreed with this but i just wondered what your thoughts are on this?
They’re now starting to appear on my hands and it’s starting to worry me somewhat. I simply refuse to believe that these spots “just appear” as people get older.
Any advice and/or information you could give would be much appreciated!
Hello Sally and thank you very much for posting your story.
While this article focuses on Bromine (because that’s my case), you’re 100% correct when you mention that Chlorine is also a disruptor. Its chemical structure is very similar to Iodine and is also an element very similar to bromine and would indeed have the same toxic effect on the body and also bind to the Iodine cell receptors (literally blocking the attachment of Iodine, therefore resulting in toxicity). You get the cherry angiomas on your skin when there is nowhere else for the chlorine to go.
The medication you mention (Amitriptyline) is most likely the cause of your cherry angiomas – especially as you mentioned you’ve been on them for over 3 years. If you can and if you feel that you’re body is ready, it would be great if you could come off of them completely as this would stop this additional source of chlorine – however it’s best to speak with your GP (although he/she might not be aware of the problem with these toxic elements!)
While I’m not an expert in chemistry, these are only my opinions from research and the knowledge I already have from my own experiences.
Topical use of Iodine has helped very minimally for me and only really had an effect on the very very tiny spots, so it’s not really worth the effort.
The way to get rid of these little buggers is simply to increase your intake of Iodine. Quite simply, you have to intake more Iodine than the other toxic elements that are similar to Iodine (in your case chlorine).
Iodine is great, because it doesn’t only give your body what it needs, it also helps (greatly) to flush the other toxic elements out.
It’s going to be a very slow process – and while you can quite easily and quickly flush the toxic elements that are circulating in your blood stream out with Iodine, it’s going to take a lot longer to rid your fatty tissues/skin of the toxic elements. Basically, if you’ve been on a high source of toxin for a number of years, it’s going to take the same length of time if not longer to reverse the effect with Iodine.
I’ve currently stopped my Iodine programme until I’m completely free of my antidepressant medication. That way it’ll be much more beneficial.
I’m not too sure about sun damage, I don’t imagine this would be a factor (although I could be wrong) – none of the specialists I have spoken to have suggested UV damage as a cause.
May I ask your age? Also, if you was to scratch a tender part of your skin quite roughly with your nails, would these little red spots start to appear around the area?
It’s comforting to hear people with the same problem (although I know it’s quite worrying).
Take care Sally and I look forward to your reply.
Best Regards,
Ian
Hi Ian,
Thanks for responding so quickly and for confirming what i suspected about chlorine.
The good news is, i have managed to gradually reduce the dose of amitriptyline with a view to ceasing it all together, and i’m actually wondering if this has somehow kick started them appearing in some weird way i.e. my body going through a detox and it coming out in my skin. I’m probably wrong but i’ve tried to look at this from every angle.
I’m in my early thirties and so totally don’t fit into the “senile angioma” explanation. From what i’ve read though, people in their teens have experienced them.
I would very much like to take an iodine supplement but what’s stopped me is the fat soluble aspect of it i.e. if i’d like to have children/get pregnant in a few years time, there’s conflicting research on what amount is acceptable to take. I don’t suppose you’d be able to shed any light on this? i know you’ve recently put your supplementation on hold but when you were taking iodine etc. did you notice a decrease in their size? I’m desperate to find something that will stop them appearing and growing – i’m noticing them more and more and as i’m sure you’re aware, the sheer amount of them can be quite alarming! Some websites say that some stay pinprick size and i’m sincerely hoping that’s the case.
Also, would you be able to tell me which liquid zeolite you took?
After i posted on your website, i tried to do a bit more research online and stumbled upon some recent research on them (2010) which i’ve pasted below. It interestingly suggests that the supplement Myricetin could help with treating them and discusses what’s actually happening in the skin where they erupt.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_hemangioma
Regarding if i were to scratch an area would the spots appear, i am quite clumsy, regularly scraping myself on things (!) and as far as i’m aware, they don’t come up. Can they appear as a result of injury to your skin?
I wish you all the best coming off your medication. I know how hard it is to come off something you’ve been taking for awhile. Hang on in there – i’m managing it slowly but surely.
Kind regards
Sorry for my delay in replying Sally, I’ve been all over the place recently.
Amitriptyline is a Tricyclic Antidepressant, which I’ve heard are quite hard to come off. I’m totally free of my SSRI (Citalopram) now and have been for several months. It hasn’t been easy but I feel much better now – in fact perhaps a little happier! The key for me was to come down very slowly – I literally had to shave the pills with a knife (breaking them in half was too drastic of a dose-drop). I came down a little by little, week by week. You have to monitor your emotions and listen to your body – that’s the only way to know if you’re going at the right pace. I had little spells where I would cry for no reason and felt sad, but that eventually lifted.
I understand what you’re saying about the detox from cutting the dose, but I can’t think of any plausible reason for them increasing after cutting the dose. In fact, you’d probably see them slowing down if the amitriptyline is your cause.
You’re right, they can spontaneously appear at any age (while rare), however a lot of MD’s I’ve spoken to have suggested that hormone changes/imbalances can be a cause. Perhaps the amitriptyline has played with your hormones slightly. While they mention hormones, they are never specific about what hormones can cause them – I don’t think they know themselves as little research has been done as they are supposedly “benign”. While they are benign, there is a cause – that’s the purpose of my article here!
Iodine is stored in the body, mainly in the thyroid but also in the breasts, stomach, salivary glands and a few other places. Iodine is not “fat soluble” like you would refer to as “fat soluble vitamins” like vitamin A, K, E and D – it is a mineral and water soluble as far as I am aware. Whatever you body doesn’t use, most of the excess comes out in the urine or feces. I would say that (from my own knowledge) that it is perfectly fine to do the iodine protocol before you have children (or conceive) at 50mg/day (Iodoral). However, when carrying your child 50mg/day may be too much. It’s essential that iodine is present for brain development and intellect for your child, but a more reasonable (non-detox) dosage should be about 6-12.5 mg/day while childbearing. You should also stick to this lower dose while not on the detox (take it as part of your daily routine). You can also get Iodoral in 12.5mg tablets and break them in half.
I’m actually back on the iodine protocol now as I’m free of my toxic medication – I’ve recently posted my iodine loading test results up above for everyone to look at. I have noticed that I no longer have any new cherry angiomas and the smaller ones are decreasing in size. The main point here is that no new ones have appeared; which is great news.
You’re right, most of them will stay the original “pin-prick” size which has been the case for me (apart from one on the back of my arm which has grown and grown to the point where it’s raised above the skin about 2mm.)
I took a couple of liquid zeolite products. The best one by far is the Results RNA ACZ Zeolite spray. This has the smallest cage size (it really is nano).
Thank you for posting that research – I haven’t seen that before. You can actually get supplemental Myricetin which I didn’t realize. I suppose it’s worth trying!
The reason I asked that was because I noticed them sometimes appear if I was to scratch the skin vigorously or scrape it. The thing was, they would ALWAYS disappear after a while, which suggests they weren’t really cherry angiomas at all and more likely just blood pooling in the skin from the trauma.
Thanks for the wishes – I can now say that I am finally free of the Citalopram medication – I was on it for 7 years and while coming off was hard, my head feels much clearer now and my emotions are much more varied – rather than always being on the happy medium I can truly feel sad times, good times and happy times now I’m off.
Take Care Sally.
Best Regards,
Ian
Have you tried the Cilantro for the cherrys? If so, any results?
I would like to point out that if you have Hashimotos you must not take iodine supplements. So what else can you do to get rid of those spots?
You shouldn’t be taking Celexa in the first place, I hope you’re off it. It causes permanent damage and restructuring to the brain’s sleep architecture when used long term. Think about what it does to you day by day. I didn’t think it was happening but eventually the day will come where your brain is past the point of no return. No one should be on SSRIs. Look on paxilprogress for thousands of cases about long term brain damage.
Please keep us posted about your findings on the cherry angiomas. I I am not wearing blouses that expose the torso because I’m embarrased. My mom developed these marks all over her body and she commented she got more as she got older, so there may be some genetics involved. On the topic of Celexa, while I completely agree that Celexa has negative side effects, it is important that you address the reasons it was given to you in the first place. I find tryptophan and Vitamin B are helpful in regulating my mood. I know tryptophan got a bad rap in the past but it has worked well for me. I notice the difference in my mood when I stop taking it after a week. Keep up the good work!
I just wanted to say after reading this I am a little upset, I was told to take celexa while I was pregnant with my daughter.
She was born with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus. I believe it is from the celexa and not getting enough iodine as I believe I have a build up of bromide in my system.
I’ve been trying to help my aunt out on this one. I came across your site and I’m not really sure if a lack of iodine could be causing the problem. My aunt is 78 years old. She has these cherry angiomas on her scalp – maybe 6 of them scattered mostly on the top of her head. Her scalp burns, is red in some spots and is warm to the touch. When this happens, which is mostly at night when she is trying to sleep == her eyes get fuzzy. She has seen the eye doctor. The eye doctor told her she needed cataract surgery for the fuzzy eyes – she had the surgery done, but she still gets the fuzzy eyes. Has anyone had this problem before?
Are you sure the fuzzy eyes are not from floaters? As we age, pieces of the inside of the eye can break off and float around. I notice my floaters when I’ve been laying down. Usually, they’re not too bothersome, but for some people, they can really impair their vision.
I would be careful with Iodine – it can destroy thyroid. I have noticed a lot of tiny cherry angiomas and after googling came across your notes. I am 43 yr old woman – checking if have oestrogen dominance – listed as possible reason. I eat tones of fish – unlikely deficient in Iodine. I don’t take any medications either. Most doctors agree cherry angiomas are harmless.
Iodine can NOT destroy the thyroid. Those who are on thyroid medication many times don’t have to take it any more once their body receives sufficient iodine. The most easily absorbed source is Prolamine Iodine from Standard Process. This can be purchased from your local chiropractor. Iodine is also a detoxer of heavy metals. If an older woman has estrogen dominance, get off the drugs. There are natural things you can take with no side effects such as saw palmetto and dong quai from greenbush. An easy way to determine if you are deficient in iodine is to put a 2 inch patch of iodine on your forearm. If it is absorbed before 24 hours, you are deficient. I have yet to meet a woman who passes this test. Bromine is in many processed foods which blocks the absorption of iodine. Iodine is needed for the endocrine system as well, which in turns affects the hormones. Sufficient iodine reduces the bromine which in turns provides better hormones.
I have cherry angiomas too of varying sizes, mostly on my torso and arms. The ones on my upper arms are very numerous and of pin-prick size and I used to wonder what they were, not realising that they may be cherry angiomas too. My mother and some of her sisters had these too. Reading of their possible connection to iodine deficiency, I had my doctor test my iodine level. It came back as “severely deficient”. I have started taking Lugols drops. I am slightly hypothyroid too so I am hoping the iodine supplementation will help with this too. I look forward to following your progress.
I take 80 mg of iodine a day in kelp capsules. Is that enough to prevent them? I just started getting them about 3 years ago. I don’t eat gluten anymore, but I like to go swimming at a public pool which has chlorine in it. I noticed them after a long hot summer when I went swimming more than usual. I wear a chlorine block when I swim which is no longer than 30 minutes to get exercise swimming laps. I have them all over my body although most are on my stomach and back.
I took, internally, nascent iodine sporadically over a three week term. I stopped when the small red dots erupted on my torso. thanx for your info. the form of the eruptions, is prickly tiny scabs. just want to make sure we are talking about the same thing. i will resume the iodine treatment tomorrow and report any changes and +/- progress. you all be well.
Hi I came across this site cause I too am trying to find an answer to why these cherry angiomas occur. I’m 23 and always had a few tiny red dots on my upper arm and chest but never thought much about them. Then 3 years ago I had a baby after that these angiomas spread rapidly! My arms are covered in them! the only parts of me that don’t have any of these things are my feet and bottom of my legs although I’m am noticing them starting to travel down. On my upper arm alone I have counted over 300! Been to doctors numerous times and all sorts of blood tests which all came back normal and I’ve been told that its just cosmetic which I would accept if wasn’t covered in them. My general physical health is ok I am overweight,have a few gallbladder issues and suffer ibs,I also suffer badly with anxiety and depression but all these are things that can be resolved\controlled. For me it seems to be the birth of my daughter that’s triggered these dots(and all of my other health issues) they are driving me mad,terrified of waking up one morning and being so covered you can’t see my skin! I wish I could stop them developing.
I first noticed mine on the front sides of my lower stomach, hundreds, it was a couple of years after my second child, I was about 43 years old. Never taken any medication, was overweight especially the stomach and thought the weight may have affected my skin. A year or so later I started the gym and it was at this time I noticed hundreds on the inner arms. I have been referred to a dermatologist who advised that it was Eruptive Angiomas and the cause may or may not be some virus that I picked up at some stage in my life?? Since this time they continue to spread on my chest, front stomach, upper legs and neck, majority are tiny. I am now 48 and in the last year was diagnosed with pernicious anemia (severe B12 deficiency) and now have 3 monthly injections. Other than that I have suffered from IBS for last 10 Years, joint pains, Gallstones and digestive problems. Diet not brilliant, was always spicy (not so much nowadays) but have always kept away from medication. I too hate these and I am due to go on holidays soon and feel really conscious. Have recently separated and even though I am making efforts to loose weight cannot imagine having the confidence to enter a new relationship. Great to find this feed, always helps when you see others in same boat and things can always be worse. Any nice spotty men want a nice spotty woman..only joking
x
WOW…I was on Celexa for 3-4 months and then took myself off. I have always felt that my brain was never the same after that. Fortunately, I was on a very low dose. Reading all the info on bromine/iodine etc. for Hashimotos, this is the first time I’ve come across a link with bromine/celexa. Glad I wasn’t on it long term…cannot believe I was right all along!
I just stumbled on your site. I too have the cherry angiomas and have had for many years. About a year ago I found our that my drink of choice(Mountain Dew) has BVO(Brominated Vegetable Oil) and I stopped drinking it. I had been drinking MD for at lease 20 years and was disappointed they’d put this poison in it. BVO is also in many fruit flavored drinks like Gatorade. My cherry angiomas are as many have said, hundreds on my torso, upper legs and arms. I have been taking Lugols, but not very consistently as I forget fairly often. When I do remember I take 5 drops of 2% a day in a glass of water. Anyway thanks for the blog, I enjoyed the info.
Needing an iodine boost to combat these things makes me wonder how many people here have thyroid conditions. I have the cherry angiomas on my chest and they started popping up when my thyroid went down which leads to anxiety, lethargy, weight gain and a ton of fun things. So do people here have a thyroid issue? Just curious to see if there is a correlation.
Joe, Yes I am hypothyroid. I started on synthroid, but it did not work for me, so switched to Armour Thyroid and it has helped quite a bit, but the cherry angiomas are still there.
I have had cherry angiomas for a good 15-20 years, with steady increases over the years. I am a health care provider and I give immunizations and I see patients that have these red spots, too. For so long I felt like a freak of nature, but then I saw I wasn’t alone. Also reading this blog tells me I am not alone. I have wondered about the common cause(s) but only recently learned of the iodine/bromine theory and I will be trying a trial of Iodarol shortly. Thanks for the info; I have hope for a “cure”.
What about Morton salt used for pools? I think it’s just NACL.
I am 32 have had these things forever. I was ok with it because just had a few on my arms and legs but it seems like over night 3 came up on my face on closer inspection I have lots of tinywinsey ones on my arms. It freaks me out because I think will all these lil ones grow into big ones and if so how long before they do and should I treat them now while they are still small I don’t think my insurance will cover the ones I want taken off. I might try the cilotro thing. I was going to try iodine to if that didnt work. I hate these things
Also it seems strange how we all eat and drink some of the same things so why don’t everyone have them. Are some of us just more able to release these toxins than others?
Hi Ian,
I think I got mine from our hot tub, which my husband disinfects with a bromine powder preparation. I wonder if that’s scientifically possible (skin route of entry), since I don’t ingest the bromine. My theory seems plausible to me since they appeared after we got the hot tub, and because there are no angiomas on my neck or face. I’ll tell him to switch to chlorine, or find something milder.
Thanks for the tip on iodine deficiency – I don’t salt my food. I’ll try a supplement.
BTW – It’s “Lyme Disease”, not “limes disease”.
Also – I’ve read about people putting apple cider vinegar on cherry angiomas. I want to try that on the larger ones.
I have largish one on my chest which has started to itch.
Have large one on stomach which doesn’t itch. years ago whenever one first appeared, as long as it was in place easy to tub, i would rub and rub really hard until the whole area went red and i was often able to ‘rub’ them out in this way.
since eating lot of organic food, they are not so noticeable in that no new ones appeared and a small one that was on my hand has gone without me doing anything to it. I still eat ‘junk’ processed food but maybe the organic fruit & veg makes a difference.
Sorry, typo in my comment, 1st time posting, The above comment should have read “if it was in a place easy to rub” not “easy to tub”. Sorry about that. Very useful and informative blog by the way!
Ian,
I’m just getting ready to attack my symptoms with iodine. There is a lot of conflicting information! I just ran across a chart that says cherry angiomas are typical for bromide detox; however they started up before I ever tried to use iodine. I would like to know how your depression is doing? Have your cherry angiomas decreased; I have quite a few, they are embarrassing to me. All over my upper legs and arms and now they are starting on my chest. About three years ago I had to have a stage 4 basil cell melanoma removed from my eye lid. I’m quite fair skinned so I have always been very careful. The Dr. commented that it was a very strange place for a skin cancer and that I had no signs of sun damage. Have you run across anything like that in your search for health? Is it possible that the skin cancer had to do with the iodine deficiency? Just curious, I may end up answering my own question but would appreciate your input. Thank you.