You might want to get him seaweed to put into foods instead of just salt or "seasalt". Try kelp and dulse. Seaweeds naturally have a high potassium level as well as other trace minerals, much better ratios for seasalts. Low potassium and high sodium causes the body to retain fluids, the body will not get rid of fluids properly if there are mineral imbalances. Seaweed is also a natural source of iodine, which should help the skin to heal of any infections.
I also forgot to mention you might want to try adding "great lakes" brand gelatin to your diet if you are not making slow/low cooked broths or consuming much connective tissues. This will do a great deal in healing up the skin and giving it the proper amino acids to rebuild.
Jarrow brand makes an excellent Glucosamine Chondroitin and MSM supplement that might be more beneficial. MSM is excellent for skin repair, as are any forms of sulfur you can get into the body...they are also excellent for healing and to cleanse the blood and liver. This particular supplement is also high in potassium, so it might be extremely useful right now to help the swelling as well. You also might not want to be taking a supplement that has marshmallow (or other herbs) as it will inhibit some of the absorption of minerals and vitamins, as it coats the intestines to soothe them. Because your BF is so sensitive, I would suggest testing out all of those herbs on their own to be sure they do not cause some sort of reaction, or just skipping them all together.
Oysters sound like a great idea as they are high in zinc, which is another mineral that is great for healing. The zinc also might help with his night sweats, those might be attributed to hormonal imbalance. Having this condition probably buts a lot of stress on the body and is taxing the adrenals. They only have two pathways, to make sex hormones, or to make cortisol, my guess is that they are leaning more towards cortisol production and this time and his endocrine system is becoming out of balance.
About salts again, when people are stressed and there bodies are under stress, there adrenal glands will start working overtime to compensate. The adrenals need salts to function, and will dump salts under stress. Also since he is sweating at night he should probably wake up and drink a big glass of water with seaweeds, dandelion roots and a little lemon juice, just to get his electrolytes back. Even doing some warm cold therapy, once he is properly hydrated, to get these minerals going through the body.
Same with Vitamin C, these are two very important things to think about supplementing while under stress. If you want any suggestion for vitamin c supplements I would be happy to give those too. Magnesium like goodsamaratin mentioned is also great because that is probably being lost during night sweats, any extra vitamins and minerals you can get into him, from excellent sources of course, will probably do a great deal to help.
The reason I mention colostrum is not only is it a great immune supporter, but it is high in lysine and luecine, which are amino acids that are in high concentrations in milk and that are helpful for healing skin issues and repairing damage. Also the fatty profile in well raised and fed raw dairy seems exceptional for adding moisture to the skin, perhaps you have a source of raw dairy and can try making butter??
I would suggest to try the oils you are using as food on his skin and see how he reacts. You already mentioned coconut oil causing a rash on the skin, is that not reason enough to not take it internally? I would still caution away from them even as flavors as they can be harsh on the liver. Especially in someone who's health seems so sensitive and who needs to be eliminating anything that might be the least bit inflammatory......I would recommend to stay away. Also, I used to use olive oil on my skin even though it seems awfully thick and somewhat ineffective , but I used it because it was less expensive then my preferred oil, which is JoJoba oil . I am super sensitive and cant do other seed or nut oils, but jojoba seems to be the best oil, you might want to look into that if olive oil ever causes issues. I have read that is it the most closely similar to our skins own that you can find.
http://www.ecopolitan.com/eco-shop/products/406-himalayan-sulfur-rich-black-salt-excerpt from site
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SULFUR: A MODERN DEFICIENCY, A SIMPLE SOLUTION
Written by Dr. Adiel Tel-Oren
Of the six main building blocks that power life on this planet - carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur - sulfur has up until recently taken the back-seat in most of our minds. This oft ignored element is a deserving recipient of increased attention, however, as it ceaselessly acts as humanity's go-to element for antioxidant behavior, detoxification, youthful appearance, and bodily locomotion.
Occupying two grams per kilogram of body weight (similar to famous potassium!), sulfur is present within every human cell and any reduction in its activity or availability can be critical. Necessary in the processes of cellular repair and regeneration, sulfur enhances the health of all tissues and organs, and strengthens the structure of skin, hair, nails, joints, and gums. Additionally, sulfur plays a crucial role in the activities of proteins (e.g. metallothionein) and enzymes that contain sulfur-bearing amino acids, which bind heavy metals for safe removal from the body.
Although there are several other amino acids which host sulfur within their latices, it is cysteine which is necessary for the manufacturing of the mighty glutathione molecule. Sulfur-containing glutathione is one of the most important antioxidants and detoxifying agents within human cells and its activities are necessary for optimal health. Sulfur is also essential within what may be the most important of all detoxification pathways - the liver's sulfation pathway. Living within a highly polluted world where nearly every facet of one's life (from food, air, land, and water, to personal-care products and building materials) is increasingly contaminated with heavy metals and other toxic chemicals, activating the mechanisms for eliminating these toxins from the body by employing the use of sulfur becomes direly important. Yet the stress and pollutants modern humans endure cause a functional deficiency of this vital element. With this awareness, the desire naturally arises to incorporate more of this element into our bodies and lives. But how?
Although methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) supplements are rising in popularity, they carries a heavy price and the psychological burden of having to take yet another supplement. Would it not be easier to obtain the necessary supply of sulfur through the deliciously simple act of eating? Though comparatively abundant in cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, collard greens, etc) and allium plants (onions, garlic, chives, shallots and leeks), the domestication and hybridization of these flora, as well as the prevalence of petroleum-based agricultural methods that disrupt the natural cycling of sulfur throughout the ecosystem (excess phosphorus inhibits the plant's absorption of sulfur) have all created a situation where these foods alone can no longer supply humans with adequate sulfur supplies. Although foods like eggs, meat and other animal products are relatively high in sulfur, their high level of methionine appears to shorten lifespan in animal studies and increase homocysteine levels - resulting in damaged blood vessels, increased risk of stroke and heart attacks, depression, and dementia.
What is needed is a source of sulfur that is eaten regularly and frequently and contains a whole array of trace elements, without providing calories and without also delivering large amounts of methionine, allergenic proteins, or heavy metals. The wholesome Himalayan Sulfur-Rich Black Salt fulfills these requirements beautifully. It would be an error, however, to surmise that other salts would offer any sulfur at detectable levels. Table salt will obviously not hold up to the test as it has been so processed that it contains only sodium chloride. Modern sea salts also fail as they arrive from highly polluted seas that have been contaminated by agricultural, industrial and urban runoff, and their sulfur content is extremely low. Himalayan pink salt, although it is wholesome and land-mined (hence unpolluted), is harvested from sedimentary layers that lack sulfur. The highly prized Himalayan Sulfur-Rich Black Salt - harvested from pristine layers 300 million-years old - is a delectable salt rich in both sulfur and a large variety of trace elements. Ayurvedic medicine attributes numerous healing properties to this popular black salt, which cause it to be found in most homes in Nepal, Pakistan, and Northern India, where it is used as medicine for many ailments and symptoms. In Nepal, it costs at least 3 times as much as the equally-available Himalayan pink salt, which enjoys great repute in the USA and the West despite its absent sulfur. The Himalayan Sulfur-Rich Black Salt will no-doubt be crowned "king of salts" as soon as it touches Western consciousness and taste buds...
It is important to separate the black salt crystals from the conjoining rock by hand and not by chemical or mechanical means that may contaminate the resultant salt. Also, it is crucial to avoid grinding the crystals using machines coated with lead-laced paint, since the corrosive salt will cause the lead to leach into it in significant amounts, as confirmed by sensitive laboratory tests. Lastly, it is counterproductive to expose the salt to high temperature fire ovens for 3 days, as most manufacturers admit they do - in order to improve its physical properties (for easy handling and flow) - while damaging its natural molecular structure. The ideal salt will therefore be wholesome, rich in sulfur, will contain no heavy metals and other pollutants in appreciable amounts, and will be processed without polluting machines or chemicals or high heat. Also, it should be manufactured employing fair-trade practices, without child labor or harsh conditions. Ideally, the salt should be made in a dedicated facility where no other foods (allergenic or polluted) can contaminate it.
While some may hear the word “salt” and revert to the opinion that salt is an unhealthy food, one should look to nature instead. In Nature one finds mammals traveling great distances and exerting much effort to find and extract salt from the Earth. Humans have resided for eons near seashores abundant in salt-laden sea algae that were once a staple in the human diet. This intimate association with wholesome natural salt is demonstrated by the body's ability to regulate salt levels through adrenal and renal functions, and through sweat and tears. Salt in its wholesome state is instrumental to maintaining fluid balance between the internal and external environments of our cells. Cell membranes utilize sodium, chloride, and other trace elements in the process of communication, regulation, neurological transmission of impulses, and muscular contraction. Additionally, human bodies possess specific mechanisms to keep electrolytes (sodium, chloride, and other elements) within a narrow range by utilizing specific adrenal hormones. These hormones instruct the kidneys to either spare the sodium or excrete it into the urine. In fact, people who drink too much water or avoid salt tend to create imbalance in this regulatory hormonal system and often suffer from electrolyte deficiency in the blood, as well as symptoms of adrenal fatigue, such as dizziness, inability to handle stress, intense fatigue, headaches, fluid retention, and sleep disturbance.
I therefore encourage you to consume wholesome salt without fear - particularly the Himalayan Sulfur-Rich Black Salt, which is made by a Kathmandu factory owned by a humanitarian network of schools, orphanages, and community centers dedicated to preventing child trafficking while providing quality education and strengthening the local communities sustainably. This factory uniquely abides by all the manufacturing principles listed above, as required for a clean, unpolluted, unadulterated, truly-natural product. You will find that because of its high level of sulfur, this black crystal salt has a distinctive egg flavor, which can be very useful in the preparation of plant-based dishes. For anyone recoiling at the thought of an egg-like taste, that flavor can be eliminated with ease by simply cooking it with your meal. Utilizing either approach, just apply as you would any other salt and enjoy knowing that what has enhanced the flavor of your dish has also enhanced your wellness, vitality, and beauty, as well the lives and futures of thousands of Nepali children."
