Natural Remedies for Varicose Veins: Effective and Holistic Approaches

Apple Cider Vinegar has cured: varicose veins, weight gain, tendinitis, wrinkles. In April of 2005, I came across a booklet for ACV, at the time I was 50 years old I played sports in high school, a construction worker for 20 years and a mover for the last 15, so I have done a number on my body over the years. My daughter convinced me to start taking ACV... I have taken it everyday since! The health benefits have been many. The first thing I noticed was my hair and nail growth, doesn't seem like much but my hair was white and had no color, but was growing back in blonde! I thought that was amazing! Over all the years of abuse on my feet and ankles I had purple feet from the varicose veins, it really was a severe case, after two months of use my feet started to look clearer to me, but I wasn't sure so I started taking pictures....I now have NO varicose veins on my feet, legs or anything. In April of 2005 I was a size 38 pants, today I am a 32 pants. I have not done any extra exercise to achieve this, It simply melted the pounds away (I also have a six pack again). The ACV has given me a facelift, I do NOT look like I am 51! My wrinkles around my eyes have literally disappeared. My skin is tighter, firmer every where. I feel like a new man. Over the years while abusing my body in my everyday life (working) I developed new and painful body movements, aches where I never had before and eventually the Doc diagnosed me with tendinitis (really painful) in both of my shoulders, being a mover this isn't good for business, it really started hurting my paycheck (then I started the ACV). I really had not realized I stopped taking the naproxen the Dr. had prescribed until I went to see him for my physical. He asked me if I needed a new script, that's when I realized I used to live on those pills everyday and hadn't needed them once since I started taking the ACV, so I told the Dr. about the ACV he was awed, seeing the results for himself he decided to start taking it, in fact my Barber, Boss, Coworkers, Kids, Brothers and sister all now take it with health benefits of there own. I tell you I LOVE ACV it has changed my life and made me a new healthier man. I actually believe I have a long healthy life ahead. The recipe I use everyday is: 2 table spoons of ACV and 1 Tablespoon of honey. Add water to taste. I do this two times a day, everyday. Good luck to all in your journey to a healthier you!

I have suffered for months now with extreme swelling of my legs. After many specialists I took matters in my own hands. Unprocessed Apple Cider Vinegar has not only eased the edema, my varicose veins have almost totally disappeared! If I didn't see with my own eyes I would never have imagined. I drink two teaspoons in water twice a day. The best!

I have had vericose veins for 39 yrs. Had surgery on them once. Last Friday I came home form work and my left leg was throbbing. My veins had bulged out and I spent the weekend with my leg up and nursing it.

Monday, the 16th, I got on the internet and found out about apple cider vinegar for vericose veins. I rubbed it on my leg followed with a skin , moisterizer, did not have coconut oil. Five minutes later I was Pain free. Am going to follow this through with orally taking honey and acv. Will keep noting my results. A true miracle for me.

Hi thanks how long did it take to see results from the apple cider for your varicose veins? I also have spider veins hope those will clear. Did you use anything topical?

I have some really great news about getting rid of those Varicose Veins. I found out by accident. I was/am taking Serrapeptase. Dosage: 3 once a day to clean my arteries.

I'm not nit picking about some spider veins. I had some pretty big dark ones and I'm really happy to say that I can barely see them now.

i use apple cider vinegar topically for many things. so far, it has cured my teenage sons pimple out break(we now use it every night as a toner followed by coconut oil), athletes foot, fever blisters, styes, rashes, cleaned my sinks, windows(pretty much the whole house). i also started drinking it. 3 tblsp of acv in 8 oz. filtered water & 1/4 tsp baking soda everyday, 3 times a day. so far, i have lost weight, i have not been sick, i haven't suffered from allergies, i have more energy, and i noticed last week that a y shaped varicose vein is not even a connected v and it is flat (it was very much protruding before). i was pretty ecstatic about that! i am so excited by all the benefits that i tell everyone! my family jokes that i should put some in a windex bottle (they are referring to the father from the movie 'my big, fat greek wedding'. anyway, i now buy small bottles to put acv and coconut oil in. i have given these to my family, friends,& clients as samples. i write down the brands(and specify why) , & also your web site. they have all called me and asked where they can buy more. yeah! they have used it for there blemishes, those with diabetes have said it lowered their sugar levels. a couple of my clients who have eczema and psoriasis have told me they have been very impressed with the acv and coconut oil on their problem areas and for dry skin. wow!!! truly a miracle!!! i was also wondering if the 'nays' are using raw, unfiltered,organic acv? i have bought some in the past that did not work. after doing more research i had come to understand where i had gone wrong. i then bought acv and 'nutivas' coconut oil. what a difference! oh!!!! i use the coconut oil on my woods! it's awesome!!!

Dear Anthony,

I have dealt with severe varicose veins for decades. (Many pregnancies were a major factor in this.)

I have used some natural remedies with some mild success. Vitamin E helped. Compression stockings helped.

But honestly, it's a fallen world. No matter how one works at one's health, everyone dies. All bodies decline. I was thinking about this with the recent death of Suzanne Somers. She did a lot of wellness/anti-aging stuff and did so well. (Plus she maintained a positive attitude, which is essential to well-being! )

I am currently undergoing sclerotherapy and injections for my varicose veins. I should have done this a decade ago. I did work hard to find a practice I was comfortable with. The first person I went to, I didn't think was thorough and didn't answer all of my questions. The place I am going to now had a great reputation and I have been very happy with them.

Just my 2 cents on varicose veins...

~Mama to Many~

I had 2 really dark vericose veins. I took a rag and rubbed the ACV on the skin and i have done this for two weeks now. Once in the morning and once before bed. You can barely see them now and they were really noticeable.

How severe were your varicose veins? I also drink apple cider vinegar with water everyday, but it doesn't make them disappear.

We would like to share our remarkable experience with Horse Chestnut. My 80-year-old husband has had varicose veins in both legs for 40 years, having previously worked at a job which required standing for most of the day. Normally the varicosities weren't painful. But recently he had an exacerbation of varicosities in one leg. The veins were visibly red and bulging, and he complained that they were painful. He was already on long-term vitamin E therapy, which didn't seem to help the condition of his veins.

We purchased him an elastic compression stocking costing about 7 Euros, the type which starts just below the knee and extends to just above the ankle. He wore the stocking throughout the day and removed it at night to sleep. In addition, he took one 300-mg capsule of Horse Chestnut in the morning and one in the evening. As the bottle of Horse Chestnut contained 100 tablets, we continued this therapy for 50 days until the bottle was empty, and then discontinued the Horse Chestnut.

Now, 55 days later, my husband's legs look normal again and his veins are pain-free. He had had bulging, unsightly veins in his legs for so many years, we had assumed they would never shrink. We were wrong. Horse chestnut and an elastic stocking did the trick for my husband.

Not sure if this would help but....if memory serves me correct, back in the late 90's / early 2000's, my aunt was suffering from a severe case of varicose veins in both lower legs and her skin was discolored with swelling and much pain. This confined her to a wheelchair most of the time. So I got her a combination of grape seed extract and pine bark extract (Pycnogenol) and all her issues started getting better immediately, steadily but not completely. I don't recall how long she took it for. If you try this, please share your results good or bad.

I ate too much chocolate and took iron supplements (perhaps four over five or six days) and developed very painful varicose veins all over my body. Taking castor oil remedied the pain quickly and I could feel increased circulation in my legs. But then I drank a glass of cilantro juice (about four bunches worth). The pain returned with vengence.

I tried with moderate success: Butcher's broom, red vine leaf extact, grape seed extract, raw eggs, iodine, cabbage and fennel, oxygenated magnesium, cayenne tea.

Castor oil taken internally had the greatest effect on the pain up to complete relief (still waiting to see if the pain returns). Applied topically (in addition to the above herbs) the new blue veins seem unaffected, though smaller much older veins are definitely shrinking. Applied to the abdomen castor oil caused a sort of catharsis that brought additional comfort.

Oil pulling with it brought very quick relief of the pain which had been ongoing for days (i had been avoiding taking it internally because it caused nausea).

This has been ongoing for a week or so. I plan to oil pull with the castor oil daily as needed. I do swallow it, but the pain relief occurs simply by swishing it. Within minutes. Just cheap W-Mart colon cleanse castor oil.

Are you sure this worked? I tried putting this on my varicose veins and it didn't work...

People, Maria said she boiled the water, NOT the ACV or the honey!

Two herbs, Horse Chestnut and Butchers Broom, have been very helpful to me -- they have taken away the sore, aching, tired feeling from my legs. I don't know if the *appearance* of my leg veins has improved or not. They seem less noticeable now, but I've gained a little weight on my legs, so there may be more fat hiding some veins now.

These 2 specific herbs have made such a difference to my quality of life.

Background: I started getting varicose veins, and the aching that goes with them, when I was 16! Sixteen years old with varicose veins! And no, I wasn't pregnant, or obese.

The varicose veins just got worse over the decades.
The aching, TIRED feeling bothered me more than how they looked. I usually wore jeans, slacks, or a long skirt to hide them. And I hate support hosiery. It's so uncomfortable, especially in summer.

A few years ago, I was reading some traditional, conservative woman's magazine, maybe it was Woman's Day or Ladies' Home Journal, but I can't remember. There was an article about several herbal remedies that actually have some scientific evidence for being effective. It said that the herbs Horse Chestnut and Butchers Broom were helpful for varicose veins.

I tried the herbs.

The local natural foods stores sell several brands of capsules with the herbs in them. Affordable.

A couple year's ago, a doctor warned me not to take those herbs for a few days before a planned surgery, and for a couple weeks afterwards. Doctors wisely are cautious about any herb or drug before surgery, that may or may not affect circulation or blood or the speed of bleeding and/or coagulation. Other than that, my physician does not object to the herbs.

The usual common sense caveat: Of course you should talk to your doctor about any herbal remedies that you are thinking of trying. Because (1) I'm not a physician, and (2) each person's body and health are different, and (3) natural herbs can still have side effects and/or interactions with other drugs/herbs.

The Horse Chestnut and Butchers Broom herbs have worked like a miracle for me, so I'm surprised that they are not well known.

Dear Kitty,

I used vitamin E during pregnancy for varicose veins. 800 IU a day, if I recall correctly. It didn't cure them but it certainly reduced the pain from them.

I did quit taking it at 36 weeks though because supposedly too much E in late pregnancy can cause retained placenta. Definitely the pain got worse when I stopped and I surely missed the Vitamin E.

I believe E also thins the blood, another reason to stop in later pregnancy.

(I know you aren't asking about pregnancy, but I make these notes for future readers.)

~Mama to Many~

Varicose veins unfortunately run through our family. My grandmother suffered from them, as does my mum and when I was in my early 30's, I was diagnosed with it as well. I have had Phlebitis and my right leg has been operated on. My veins aren't visible on the outside; my legs look smooth, but upon touch it feels as if there are cables inside my calves.

Most annoying is the feeling of 'heavy legs'. On warm days, my ankles swell up despite the support hoses I wear every day.

But am seeing great results using essential oil of Cypress with Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) as carrier.

I make a small amount of salve which I apply twice a day, or more often when it's warm weather or when I expect to do a lot of standing and walking. The reason I make a small amount is I like it to be fresh.

The recipe is simple, two tablespoons of VCO; 15 drops of Oil of Cypress. Personally, I started with 7 drops to test for allergic reactions, none came, and the dosage of Cypress could be increased. Store in a glass jar, essential oils eat away at plastic. Keep in a cool place.

Apply twice a day on feet and calves, even thighs if you want or need. Massage gently and only stroke upwards. Works great to reduce fluid retention around the ankles, and my legs don't feel as "heavy".

Hope this helps!

Which is better for varicose veins? Drinking ACV diluted in water or applying ACV directly to the veins using cotton swab? How long do I have to do this to see the effect?

Just questioning why would someone go to the expense of purchasing ACV with mother, obviously organic and raw and then boil it?? Defeats the purpose does it not? Raw and organic needs to be used that way and if any heat at all is used just the barest amount. I have found that adding fresh raw lemon juice to ACV cuts the nastiness of ACV. Add small amount of stevia and you have a tasty drink.

Plumhappy, you do realize that Maria was talking about boiled and cooled down water (poor man's distilled purified water), which is then mixed with ACV and honey. Not boiled ACV, that would, indeed, make no sense.

I have suffered unsightly varicose veins on my lower legs since pregnancy, but they've never given me pain. Then I suddenly found myself unable to walk one morning and one of the pronounced veins was extra swollen, bruised and extremely sore to touch.

As an acute case, I took 9 capsules of Horse Chestnut that day, spaced out 3 with each mealtime. I attempted massage with castor oil but it was too painful, I ended up just applying and wrapping the oil into my leg loosely and limped off to work that night. But the following day while still painful to touch I was able to walk normally and by day three the vein was back to normal varicose state and I reduced the dose to 6 a day until all tenderness and bruising resolved.

Ditto on the horse chestnut. My mother suffered from numerous leg problems; when the varicose veins got worse, she took three tablets of the horse chestnut herb every day for a week or so and the varicose vein issue went away for months. She did not have to take the horse chestnut all the time; only when the veins were inflamed. Some people may find that they have to take the horse chestnut on an ongoing basis to get good results.

I am from India.. Apple cider vinegar is available in chemist shops. I am using the last 10 days and I already see and feel some changes... Some bulging veins have subsided a little and also have lost a kilo. I drink 1 tbsp ACV with 1 glass water twice a day... I think its going to work great!!

I had given birth 6 years ago and have had a mild case of hemmorrhoids almost all of those 6 years. They recently got painful and severly swollen for the first time and the women at the health food store recommended rutin. Within 3 days all the swelling was gone, even the painless swelling that persisted since childbirth disappeared. I have poor circulation and sometimes in the dry months get itchy swollen varicose veins behind my knees. This has not been a problem since taking the rutin supplement. A good complement to this herb is horse chestnut, especially for those with varicose veins.

Firstly I want to write that I haven't tried this machine on my mother (who has the problem) for a long time yet. But I have tried it myself and felt that this special massage is very helpful and many people felt their muscles invigorated afterward. It circulates the blood the way it should circulate if one hadn't the problems with the valves in the veins. Don't buy some very cheap Chinese machines which don't last long.

NormaTec is a very good machine but expensive

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrmvdxZ5RKY

There are cheaper brands too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vz9EMn87B6E

Many people say good things about similar machines

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Air+Compression&crid=2HT7Y3QVX03JT&sprefix=air+compression,aps,306&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

Since I wrote many of good brands I don't want to make any advertise, just to help people.

Also there are some good videos of exercising for varicose veins:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BldrK5mp9UI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_AzQnDFaBU

Dr Axe also mentions prolotherapy or stem cell therapy (prp)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGrb0GAD6u4

Try inclined bed therapy (ICB) for varicose veins. It is Super easy, you just raise the head of your bed by 6". Google "inclined bed therapy" for more info. Made my veins much improved! Also good for other issues.

Gramma died from repeated varicose veins removal surgeries. Dr said he'd never once seen them 'return'. Our holistic dr says he's never seen them NOT 'return' and said dr's won't actually admit 'they grow back' - because they are really an alive vein that just has collapsed from lack of blood circulating through it - 'collapsed'. My and husband had them from my secretary years of long hours sitting and his business travel hours of long driving. Our dr said to just do regular topical massage - like a rubdown - after a shower or bath just rubbing with our hands on and around the skin of blue (collapsed) vein areas for a couple minutes, or while watching tv, or as a car passenger, daily or whenever we think of it... Also, after any very active outdoor sports or other outings, we'll do a few minutes rubdown on those areas. Now it's been many years for us both since we've ever had them.

Only the water was boiled and cooled a little then added to the ACV. ACV with honey and very warm water is very tasty, especially when it is chilly outside!!

Ted indicated use of Magnesium Supplement in Vericose Vein Remedies. It was mentioned that use of Magnesium supplement 500 mg helps relax heart muscles and enables normal circulation. I wish to know whether this will also help to restore Vericose vein to normal state. I will be happy to know experience of any Earth Clinic Members on this.

Hi, My varicose veins are formed when my thyroid is too low and a clotting disorder kicks in making blood clots and thicker blood. When I keep my thryoid medicine high enough (no go by TSH) then I avoid these. I had my spider veins lasered off with an infrared laser at a electrolysis place. I am celiac and the apple cider vinegar used by Amy and her friends mentions eczema, blemishes, psoriasis, atheletese foot etc. which can be caused by celiac. Celiac's can't eat gluten grain and sometimes dairy if they wrecked their intestines too much from the celiac. I use slippery elm, valerian, green tea to heal my gut lining and eating no dairy or gluten grains to help my celiac. Celiac makes the thyroid go down which then may cause varicose veins. I take HCl and enzymes with meals and dairy free acidophlius when stomach acid is low. The acidophilus helps with yeast problems like athletes foot and more. Apple cider vinegar helps neutralize your pH, which helps people lose weight.I also helps block the absorption of carbohydrates. Lemon water also helps this. Neutral pH does not let viruses, bacteria, fungi(yeast), or parasites live too well. They like acidic bodies.