Psoriasis

Busi_Girl08

I went through a few months of relatively clear skin but after a few stressful weeks (new car and all the joys :pac:) the lovely psoriasis is creeping back. Definitely exacerbated by stress. Nowhere near as bad so I just need to do a better job at managing it this time round.

Back to caffeine, dairy, processed sugar, gluten and night-shade free diet and coatings of Silcock's Base for me.

Mountainsandh

Mine is dire with the cold weather atm.
For anyone like me whose hands are affected, I've just bought today Germolene, which is really like a glorified glue like the good old tube glue we've all put on our fingers before.

I use it on the splits on my hands, since no matter how much and how often I apply ointments, lotions or potions, they split all over. It's painful and annoying, and this is the time of year when I feel the most sorry for myself. I think it starts a chain reaction too, whereby the splits make areas vulnerable to infection, and cause inflammation, which brings on more redness and splits...

And as expected, when my hands get bad again, the rest of the body follows, and my arms and legs are dreadful. And ears, but I expect that with the cold.

I haven't been juicing as regularly as I was a while ago too, so maybe my body is missing "that", whatever "that" is.

I bought an extortionately priced Moogoo scalp cream, that I'm actually using on hands and body. I think the scalp bit is really marketing since it's really a normal lotion, maybe a slight bit lighter than the usual body lotions.

When the lotion is well absorbed, I dab all the splits with Germolene, that seals them and I feel a lot more comfortable this evening.

brevity

Ya, I'm in a bad way as well. Have slathered my legs with petroleum gel and wrapped them in cling film...the only thing that works at the moment.

Mountainsandh

I should do that but cling film is too much hassle. Good thing it's winter, I'm turning into a yeti at this stage. Can't wax, can't shave, I have a depilator but I prefer to wait till inflammation goes down a bit to use it. Lucky I'm not too hairy.

z0oT

I've just got around to making my own Bone Broth from a batch of bones I picked up from a local butcher over the weekend. I had my first glass of it this morning.

It'll be interesting to see what drinking the stuff twice daily for several weeks does. If nothing else though, given it's so rich in nutrients it's well worth having in ones diet anyway.

Busi_Girl08 wrote: »

I went through a few months of relatively clear skin but after a few stressful weeks (new car and all the joys :pac:) the lovely psoriasis is creeping back. Definitely exacerbated by stress. Nowhere near as bad so I just need to do a better job at managing it this time round.

Back to caffeine, dairy, processed sugar, gluten and night-shade free diet and coatings of Silcock's Base for me.

Was it that diet that cleared your psoriasis before?

brevity

Bone Broth sounds like something from Roald Dahl's BFG.

giggle84

I've had psoriasis for 11 years, thankfully just on my scalp. I spent about 6 years going to different GPs and spent a fortune trying every form of topical steroid cream and lotion they could prescribe.. dovobet, dovonex, betnovate, you name it I tried it.

By the time I saw a dermatologist after about 5/6 years my psoriasis was chronic and he thought I would probably need some sort of oral medication which I really wanted to avoid since the possible side effects are awful. But he told me first to try coal tar pomade which is available over the counter, and apply it for a few hours every day for a month.

After one month of using it I was psoriasis-free for over a year. Ever since then it flares up every now again and I treat it with coal tar pomade for a few days and it clears it up; it has never been as bad again as it was when I saw the dermatologist for the first time 5 years ago. After all the doctors I saw I had to pay €400 for a dermatologist to give me an OTC lotion!

For anyone who hasn't tried it I would highly recommend giving it a go, it's relatively cheap (large tub is about €40 in boots) so it can't hurt!

Call Me Jimmy

Can you tell me a what brand you used or even what type of lotion? It's something you leave on the skin for hours and wash off it water? It is used for face and body too?

EDIT: I don't see anywhere to buy it online?

giggle84

Call Me Jimmy wrote: »

Can you tell me a what brand you used or even what type of lotion? It's something you leave on the skin for hours and wash off it water? It is used for face and body too?

EDIT: I don't see anywhere to buy it online?

It's made in Ireland by Foran Chemicals, it comes in a big white tub like the tubs of emulsifying ointment you get in the chemist. Ask for it in your local chemist and if they don't have it in stock they should be able to order it for you within a couple of days, I've got it from loads of different chemists. I don't think you can buy it online.

It's a thick, oily, gooey sort of lotion, it's like cocois if you've ever used that. Warning: it does not smell good but you get used to it! It doesn't dry in it sits on the skin until you wash it off. You can use it anywhere on the body, scalp is probably the hardest place to apply it actually. There are no instructions on the tub, but my dermatologist told me to leave it on as long as I can when I apply it, overnight if possible, and then wash it off with any shampoo/shower gel. It will stain clothes/bedclothes but washes out easily.

Busi_Girl08

z0oT wrote: »

Was it that diet that cleared your psoriasis before?

That among other things, I started taking the super cod liver oil complex, garlic capsules and pantothenic acid along with the diet and used bio oil and silcock every day.

Now it took months to clear (bar scarring, which is still clearing ) but I think it was a combination of all above that helped. Then again it could have just been time and being less stressed.

rubadub

giggle84 wrote: »

coal tar pomade

There is a world shortage of coal tar so it might be hard to find. Some chemists might have old tubs out the back but the shortage has been for a few years now.

Some are on ebay, some sellers charging a lot since they realise its in such high demand.

Sandoz, which makes Carbo Dome, said its supplier had stopped producing coal tar, so the product would be unavailable until another supplier was found, and stressed there were no safety concerns.
It also claimed it was working with the MHRA on the product's licence, although a spokesperson for the agency said they had no issues with its licensing.

GlaxoSmithKline says changes to licensing and producing Polytar meant supply would not be restored until 2016.

Lack of information from pharmaceutical companies has caused real difficulties for patients, says Julia Schofield, consultant dermatologist at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust.
'Communication has been poor, so often the first we will hear about it is a patient saying they can't get a product we have prescribed.'
She suggests another factor may be that coal tar products are less profitable than newer remedies - a skin cream called Dovobet, which contains steroids and vitamin D, costs the NHS £61.55 for 120g, compared to £16.38 for 100g of Carbo Dome. However, the manufacturers deny the price is a factor in the shortages.
In the meantime, Ray Jobling fears people may end up using stronger medication, such as topical steroid creams that have more side-effects, such as thinning the skin. 'Treatment options for psoriasis are not that good. When a treatment disappears, it really matters,' he says.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2572425/Coal-tar-shampoo-standby-psoriasis-eczema-So-HAS-trusted-skin-treatment-disappeared.html#ixzz3QshmN97z
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giggle84

I haven't had any problems getting it so far so fingers crossed! If I can't get it anymore I'm screwed!

z0oT

Busi_Girl08 wrote: »

That among other things, I started taking the super cod liver oil complex, garlic capsules and pantothenic acid along with the diet and used bio oil and silcock every day.

Now it took months to clear (bar scarring, which is still clearing ) but I think it was a combination of all above that helped. Then again it could have just been time and being less stressed.

Thanks, I partly guessed it would take a lengthy amount of time to notice a difference. How many months out of curiosity?

Another blog I found of someone who claimed a dairy free and gluten free diet worked to clear psoriasis, but she claimed she didn't notice an improvement until week 12!
http://thechicphysique.blogspot.ie/2014/01/food-diary-day-20-life-story-how-gluten.html

I've been dairy free and gluten free for about 3 weeks now, but it's only this week I've been eating full-on paleo along with nightshade free, the only exception I'm making is that I'm still consuming protein powder - but its beef protein isolate as opposed to whey.

I can't say I'm noticing a difference in my psoriasis yet, but I think the bit of acne on my chest is starting to die down, so there's that.

Call Me Jimmy

I've incorporated greens and fruit into my daily diet (after having never really eaten either) but it's hard to judge results because of the amount of things I put on my skin. There is an overall improvement I'd say, and with medihoney barrier cream the areas are not inflamed or anything like it, but there is that layer of redness that just doesn't seem to go away. The texture of it can be like normal skin, just a different colour. Which isn't the worst in the world, it's manageable atm.

z0oT

Call Me Jimmy wrote: »

I've incorporated greens and fruit into my daily diet (after having never really eaten either) but it's hard to judge results because of the amount of things I put on my skin. There is an overall improvement I'd say, and with medihoney barrier cream the areas are not inflamed or anything like it, but there is that layer of redness that just doesn't seem to go away. The texture of it can be like normal skin, just a different colour. Which isn't the worst in the world, it's manageable atm.

Have you ever tried the application of Castor Oil? I find it extremely effective at reducing any redness, just one application of it is enough to notice a difference for me.

But, like anything you apply topically, you need to keep applying it regularly. Trouble is that it's kind of sticky and messy too, you kind of need to mix it with something else.

Aloe Vera Gel works for me to a point too for the redness, but Castor Oil is much better I find.

Busi_Girl08

z0oT wrote: »

Thanks, I partly guessed it would take a lengthy amount of time to notice a difference. How many months out of curiosity?

Another blog I found of someone who claimed a dairy free and gluten free diet worked to clear psoriasis, but she claimed she didn't notice an improvement until week 12!
http://thechicphysique.blogspot.ie/2014/01/food-diary-day-20-life-story-how-gluten.html

I've been dairy free and gluten free for about 3 weeks now, but it's only this week I've been eating full-on paleo along with nightshade free, the only exception I'm making is that I'm still consuming protein powder - but its beef protein isolate as opposed to whey.

I can't say I'm noticing a difference in my psoriasis yet, but I think the bit of acne on my chest is starting to die down, so there's that.

It took a few months to be honest The body needs a few weeks for any changes to take effect, and sometimes there can be a "worse before it gets better" kind of thing - although with me I think it got worse just due to stress. Hence why it's back again.

My only thing now is it's creeping back to places it hasn't been before, mainly my forehead and my eyelids (the latter of which have calmed down a good bit in the last couple of days thankfully).

Gah! Never-ending!!

Gael23

Noticed a bit of redness today which I think is good?
Im seing Dr Kirby on Monday so we'll se how that goes

Gael23

Hi guys its ryan, I've had to change my username because of an issue on another forum.
Anyway, I saw Dr Kirby today and I think he was happy enough with my progress. I didn't get that long with him but I did get across that I was concerned about the timeline and he said he thinks the 8 weeks will be enough which is the max I'm prepared to do

Gael23

Is it a big deal if I miss a treatment of PUVA?

z0oT

So, I'm on week 3 of a Paleo diet, with consuming bone broth and coconut water daily. I've had to lay off the coconut oil, I think it's aggravating acne on my upper back, shame because I like it in my morning smoothie.

I can't say I notice a difference of improvement yet with regards to my psoriasis, actually probably the opposite. I think I've new plaques developing where I didn't have them previously and I'm convinced one of the plaques on my scalp is getting bigger.

Another thing, I'm wondering am I starting to get some Psoratic Arthritis. I've had a stiff, sore and ever so slightly swollen and inflamed knuckle on my left hand for the last week; it's at it's worse in the morning but calms down as the day goes on. Also, some soreness in my right heel has come back too - I previously had that last year for a while only for it to go away.

It's a little surprising that all of this is happening at once, which is something it has never done previously. Depressing on some levels, but on the other hand some say it has to get worse before it'll get better as the body is pushing out all the toxins it doesn't want apparently. I'll persevere because I do feel better on this new diet, my energy levels are far better and I think my joints feel better thanks to the bone broth in my diet.

Another thing I've added in supplement form are Probiotics, and I'm taking a digestive enzyme with each big meal too. The enzymes are to aid digestion, and the Probiotics are to flood the gut with good bacteria. I don't know if the enzymes are worth keeping in ones diet, but the Probiotics definitely are since it's difficult to get proper rich Probiotic food here in Ireland.

It's also hard to know with this damn condition. A lot of us (myself included) just learn to accept it and get on with life and not pay any attention to it, so it can be very hard to accurately judge whether there's an improvement or dis-improvement. Sigh... alas all I can do is keep this diet for 3+ months and see what the result is. :P

z0oT

z0oT wrote: »

Another thing I've added in supplement form are Probiotics, and I'm taking a digestive enzyme with each big meal too. The enzymes are to aid digestion, and the Probiotics are to flood the gut with good bacteria. I don't know if the enzymes are worth keeping in ones diet, but the Probiotics definitely are since it's difficult to get proper rich Probiotic food here in Ireland

Actually... I take that part back. Fermenting your own vegetables to make things like Sauerkraut is very easy. I need to start doing it, since it'll come in far cheaper as a way of getting Probiotics than buying the supplements.

http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-easy-homemade-sauerkraut-in-a-mason-jar-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-193124

http://www.foodrenegade.com/lactofermented-carrot-sticks/

I think my next experiment is to go full on psycho with the diet and try a Paleo Autoimmune diet, which in addition to normal paleo, means you avoid nuts, seeds, nightshades and eggs. It's pretty damn restrictive, but it's only a temporary measure for most; just a number of months typically.

I'm still not happy with things at the moment, I feel I've gone backwards in some cases in the last week. I'm not sure what I'll do ultimately yet, but I reckon I'll give my current diet until the end of the month before delving into full blown Paleo AIP.

On the bright side, I think my knuckle is starting to get better these last few days.

Call Me Jimmy

Ye seem pretty disciplined, i'd stick to it if ye can because it might nag you later that ye 'didn't give it enough time' so may again be unsure.

Mine just won't go away. Completely and utterly stumped. I don't know that there is a single thing I can even try any more.

z0oT

Call Me Jimmy wrote: »

Ye seem pretty disciplined, i'd stick to it if ye can because it might nag you later that ye 'didn't give it enough time' so may again be unsure.

Mine just won't go away. Completely and utterly stumped. I don't know that there is a single thing I can even try any more.

I'm a little extreme about what I eat granted. I have been for the last few years, it was a big part of piling on a lot of muscle, and losing almost 20kg in the process.

As for your own P, have you ever tried a diet to target it?

Call Me Jimmy

Well recently I've tried adding greens, spinach and kale to my diet, almost every day. My diet was horrendous before, still is not great but never overeat. Also tried added oils, hemp oil and olive oil to diet, as well as fruit, apples, bananas and strawberries every day.

It's hard to tell if diet is having an effect because of the amount of topical stuff I try. At the moment I've gone back to colloidal oatmeal with aveeno moisturiser and in fairness, it's not BAD. Just never seems to go away completely. I'll be sticking with the additions to my diet because I do feel a bit better.

Gael23

Things have been quiet here for a while.
I'm still on PUVA, it is working but annoyingly slowly. I'm seeing Prod Kirby in 3 weeks time and will be pushing for an end to it at that point

brevity

Mine has gone to ****. Had to leave early from work. Waiting on blood results before I can go on humira.

****ing sick of it...

huskerdu

Gael23 wrote: »

Things have been quiet here for a while.
I'm still on PUVA, it is working but annoyingly slowly. I'm seeing Prod Kirby in 3 weeks time and will be pushing for an end to it at that point

I was wondering how you have been getting on.

Hopefully the improvement on PUVA will last a long time, which will make it seem worthwhile.

Gael23

huskerdu wrote: »

I was wondering how you have been getting on.

Hopefully the improvement on PUVA will last a long time, which will make it seem worthwhile.

I'm still only on 27 seconds but I've always believed if I got more it would clear faster

Ronney

Hi folks,

Was referred by a consultant for the UV treatment. Does anyone know anywhere that this can be done in the evening time as taking the required time of work is not really an option.

Based in Dublin but would travel if needs be to surrounding counties

z0oT

An update from me, and my quest to tackle mine by diet:

I've gravitated towards a Paleo Autoimmune diet. It wasn't that difficult to do for me so I said I may aswell try it for an extended period of time. I've eliminated Nuts and Eggs and also Fruit for the last 2 weeks. I've also discovered (once again) that artificial supplements don't agree with me, so I've eliminated them again too.

I'm still making an exception for protein powder. However I think I'll replace it by buying a second full chicken in my weekly shop once my current bag is done. Basically every meal for me now is Vegetables (lots of Dark Leafy Greens), Meat/Fish/Organ Meat and a fat source like Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Beef Tallow, Lard or Rendered Chicken Fat.

I've developed what I suspect to be Psoratic Arthritis in one knuckle on my left and right hand, and also in my right heel, it's been with me for a few weeks now. I got it in the three areas quite quickly - 2 weeks or so. It doesn't effect me much though, and it hasn't spread beyond those three areas.

On one stage this is depressing, but on the other hand the "Worse Before Better" theory is encouraging. Apparently when the pathogens that actually cause P die off within you, they release toxins which can make your symptoms worse. Hence the "Worse Before Better". You just have tough it out through this "Die Off" phase to see results apparently.

I can't say I notice a difference with regards to my P yet, but I think I may be onto something with eating probiotic rich foods ie. fermented vegetables. From gradually working my own homemade Sauerkraut (fermented cabbage) and some fermented carrots into my diet to almost once a day now. I notice the acne I have on my back and chest has improved quite a bit in the last week, and my skin does look better in a lot of areas too. Plus I'm really starting to like the taste of my homemade Sauerkraut too.

Since I'm convinced whatever is causing my P is also the reason why I still have acne on my back and chest in my late 20's, this is a little encouraging and it gives me some resolve to stick with what I'm doing.

On another note this diet has worked very well for reducing my body fat level, I almost have my own set of 6-pack abs now. I've never been this lean before which is pretty damn cool, particularly considering I was borderline obese 5 years ago. So there's that at the back of it all.