psoriasis

[Guest guest]

> does anyone have any suggestions.........help!!!!!! what should i

> do? psoriasis is spreading rapidly on my leg. started on the palms

> of my hands and feet and now my hands - that goodness - are in

> remission....feet are bad - - - and now a new type of psoriasis on my

> left.

>

> im very up for suggestions. tks......lyn

 

 

I had excema as a child and into adulthood. Then about 15 years ago they

told me I had psoriasis. I have a mild case of plaque type psoriasis,

mainly on my scalp, behind the ears. I also get it other places when I'm

not careful about clothing rubbing against my skin, which tends to create

new patches. I also suspect I may have rosacea too. My father also has it

(along with Psoriatic arthritis).

 

My psoriasis has been mild enough that I've only used OTC external

ointments/creams. Haven't been to a dermatologist in years. I was able to

control the scalp problems with OTC shampoos, and the occasional OTC

cortisone ointment on lesions elsewhere. But a year ago, after being on one

of those very low-fat diets for a while, my P started getting worse. I did

some research on the internet before I went to a doctor, and read about how

bad steroids were, and that there might be alternatives to conventional

dermatology, through diet and supplements. So I stopped the steroids and

changed my eating habits. Didn't go back to the doctor either.

 

Since changing my diet and lifestyle, I have seen improvements in my

psoriasis. I'd like to think it can eventually be cured this way, but I'm

still skeptical. And if it was partially caused by eating wrong, I've got

40 years of bad food choices to

make up for, so I know its going to take a long long time. But I do think

that psoriasis is an imbalance in the body, caused by eating too much

processed and starchy food, lack of proper nutrients and use of antibiotics

which destroys the intestinal flora. Skin problems are a sign of problems

deeper with us, in the colon and the liver -- if the body can't get rid of

toxins normally through the colon and liver, the toxins end up being

eliminated through the skin.

 

I changed my diet and lifestyle about 9 months ago. I stopped eating

grains, sugar of any kind, dairy, all nightshade veggies (potatoes,

tomatoes, eggplant, red & green peppers).. I eat a lot of vegetables and

fruits, mainly raw or lightly steamed. For

protein, I eat fish, chicken, turkey, eggs and beef. I've cut way back on

beef though, as beef produces a lot of arachnoic acid which can make

psoriasis worse (from my observations, this is true for me). The fruits

are mainly low-sugar varieties such as berries, lemons, grapefruit,

avocados and green apples. I eat raw nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pecans,

sunflower seeds -- but no peanuts or pistachios (they can have high levels

of mold). I never fry anything, and only use extra virgin olive oil and

virgin coconut oil for cooking. And I don't worry about fat anymore, as

I've learned that certain fatty acids such as Omega-3 (DHA & EPA) and GLA

are very important for healthy skin. I even use virgin coconut oil as a

moisturizer.

My diet is similar to the low-carb diets that are popular now -- the closest

is probably the Paleo-diet aka the Caveman diet.

(http://www.paleofood.com/, http://www.panix.com/~paleodiet/). Good carbs

like veggies are very important -- I eat more veggies now than I ever

thought was possible.

 

I also take supplements to help the skin and the rest of the body repair

itself -- Vitamins E, D, C, B complex, a mineral complex, Beta Carotene.

Plus selenium, fish oil, flax oil, flax seeds, evening primrose oil, cod

liver oil, grape seed extract, probiotics, milk thistle, alpha lipoic acid,

bromelain and ginger.

I also use anti-fungal supplements occasionally, such as oil of oregano,

caprylic acid, olive leaf extract, apple cider vinegar and pau d'arco.

This is based on the theory that bowel dysbiosis is caused by an overgrowth

of fungus/candida/yeast.

 

If I am very strict about sticking to the diet above and taking the

supplements, it helps a great deal. Before the holidays, my skin nearly

cleared completely. But during the holidays I ate a lot of bad foods --

cookies and things -- and my skin got worse. Now I'm back to the strict

diet and things are getting better again. I also exercise regularly -- 5

times a week -- and have lost weight.

 

Sunlight is very important too, which is why I believe it gets worse for me

during the winter. I live near Chicago, which has long dark winters and I

get very little sun. My skin gets better in the summer months, and on the

rare occasions I get to vacation in a sunny tropical spot, my skin improves

even more. I think the key is Vitamin D (which comes from sun exposure) so

in the winter I've been taking cod liver oil which helps a little.

Otherwise I try to get 20 minutes of sun every other day -- but don't get

too much so you sunburn.

 

I've also started taking baths with Epsom salts (which is supposed to help

draw out toxins) and experimented with an alkaline diet and

anti-inflammatory foods and supplements.

 

I'm still experimenting to see what works best for me. It really seems to

be an individual thing as to what foods make psoriasis worse, and takes a

long time to see improvements. But the diet changes have worked better than

any allopathic meds I've ever used, without the side-effects, so I'm

sticking with it. I know there are new biologic meds on the market which

try to control psoriasis by suppressing the activity of certain T-cells, but

I wouldn't touch those drugs with a ten foot pole. Who knows what long-term

effect that could have on the immune system?

 

There's a lot of info on the web about all these things. Unfortunately

there's no one place to go; you just have to do a lot of research on your

own, since most of the major psoriasis sites just list what drugs are used,

and don't give much attention to the role of diet in psoriasis.

There are a few books available, such as Dr. Pagano's, and there is a very

small Group for natural psoriasis alternatives

(http://health.HealingPsoriasis/)

Or try here

http://www.wholehealthmd.com/hc/resourceareas_view/1,1438,539,00.html

 

 

LO