I already have retinA at home, wondering if I should use it.

[KD12]

about a year ago, way before my Dx, I bought retinA serum to treat my skin against the sun damage and the acne scars I had. I used it for a while on my face with a combination of vitamin C serum. All this bought on Ebay and without medical guidance I must say.

I think we all heard about the promising results vitamin A had on mice and I'am aware more studies needs to be done on humans to determine its effectiveness.

Here's a link to the ebay page where I bought the RetinA, it's the last item on the far right but it seems out of stock right now.

ebay.co.uk/bhp/vitamin-a-re...

The serum is very concentrated so I only used a drop or two on my face and I saw very good results for my face.

Fast forward to today and Iam wondering if that's something I should use again to treat my skin and perhaps it'll do some good on the COPD front ?

Iam not sure if the retinol I bought is what the studies are using on mices .

This is not to say that everyone should buy the retinol and start using it for the emphysema, please talk to your doctor or dermatologist about it as there's a few rules to follow with Retinol (apply at night only, sunscreen during the day, etc...)

My point is, and Iam just really thinking out aloud here, since I already have Retinol at home and was using it prior to my Dx, maybe I could start using it again on the off chance that it will help with the condition we have ?

Iam not advocating to be guinea pigs here and PLEASE speak to you doctor about any medication or vitamins you intend to take but I was wondering what were your thoughts on this and perhaps someone has even tried that already ?

[Hidden]

hi and this is how will this serum be helpful to peeps with lung problems,, thanks in advance but I would rather spend what money I make on my health than looks ,sorry if that's a tad blunt but that's my take on it .. soap and water and a good foundation so far as me looking ok ,

[KD12 in reply to Hidden]

Hi, sorry if I didnt explain myself well, this isnt about looking good or being vain. I had that treatement a couple of years ago to treat deep acne scars and sun damage that were getting worse and had to do something about it then to prevent further damage. Because I've just learned about the Vit A and the possible benefits for copd sufferers I was wondering if this was the type of Vit A some members were using.

After reading a few threads on Vit A on this site I now realise it's like opening a can of worms so maybe I will not dwell any longer on this subject and will talk to my doctor about safe guidelines etc....

Thank you for your time.

[gilfuhrman in reply to KD12]

I believe that for copd usage you have to use a Retinol Vit A capsule taken internally whereas for skin use you would use a topical cream . I would not take the sun type Retinol cream internally. Two similar but different products.

[KD12 in reply to gilfuhrman]

Thanks gilfuhrman. I've done a bit of research on the web and from what I understand I would NOT take vitamin A at all, especially as a smoker or ex smoker. Some research seems to indicate that it would make it worse for copd who smoke or used to smoke.

This whole thing with vit A is too unknown and as I said above some findings seems to indicate this could make it worse for smokers or ex smokers, in pill forms or as a topical cream or serum. I stopped using it and dont plan to use it.

Doctors dont seem to know much about this whole thing so I found talking to my GP didnt shed any lights on what to do so to be safe I would just stick to a normal healthy diet or as healthy as one can.

Best wishes to everyone here and hope that you all have a good, peaceful and healthy summer

[rubyred777 in reply to KD12]

That would be the beta carotene form of vitamin A. That is not good for smokers or ex-smokers to take. Face cream is okay. There is also Vitamin A- Retinal Palmitate. Rubyxx

[KD12 in reply to rubyred777]

Thank you Ruby, I saw afterwards that this isn't good for smokers and ex smokers, not using it at all for a few month now.

Take care

[KD12 in reply to rubyred777]

Hi again Ruby, is it safe for smokers and ex smokers to eat fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin A on a regular basis ? It might sound like a stupid question but Iam actually confused with this whole vitamin A increases risks in smokers and ex-smokers. Should we watch the amount of carrots etc we eat then ?