What worked for me

Here are some of my thoughts/theories I have used to help me heal my psoriasis. Psoriasis is an immune response to something which is either coming from something inside your body (what you are eating) or something outside your body (such as skin allergies or abrasion). I believe it can hit you from both sides which is why for some people, eliminating gluten, dairy, nightshades, red meat, etc. help (inside help) and for others using witch hazel and glycerin work (outside help). I started a diet of nothing but sweet potatoes, broccoli, chicken and brown rice, all of which are foods that are relatively easily tolerated by my body and I have noticed very favorable results. I also use the witch hazel (non-alcoholic) and glycerin that helps too but I always apply them separately and witch hazel first. The reason for this (my own reason which you can argue but not prove wrong) is that histamine increases the permeability of the capillaries to white blood cells. Witch hazel shrinks and contracts blood vessels (and capillaries) back to normal size. Also, glycerin provides a good shield/barrier for your skin because it doesn’t absorb into it superfast. Therefore, I first apply the non-alcoholic which hazel by itself to get a stronger shrinking of my capillaries and then wait a few minutes after it is absorbed a little before I apply the glycerin (mixed with water so it’s not so thick) for the skin barrier (that also adds moisture). Anyways, if you are looking for something to try, the diet I mentioned and topical worked for me. Also, the diet is also good for people who workout (sweet potatoes are complex carbs, chicken is an easy to digest protein, broccoli has a good amount of folic acid, and brown rice has a lot of fiber and is gluten free). I also supplement my diet with vitamin D3 and milk thistle.

By natalierk
Reply 3690701
January 9, 2013 at 5:05 pm
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Thanks for sharing :) I hope your post helps some people here!
I use glycerin the same way you do, I'm seeing improvement... and the changes in diet definitely help.

By KayFallon
Reply 3691378
January 9, 2013 at 9:24 pm
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I don't think what we eat CAUSES p. We get it because of a genetic mutation. Chemicals in food can trigger it, and some types of food can aggravate it. Since autoimmune creates inflammation, which can cause more problems, its important to not eat pro-inflammatory foods. The foods you are eating are anti-inflammatory foods, which is probably why you are seeing improvement. Keep doing it! And thanks for sharing what is helping you ツ

By dashn1
Reply 3691998
January 10, 2013 at 4:27 am
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Hey Asmittyguy, just wanted to know a few things, like how long have you had psoriasis? do you have psoriatic athritis? Was your psoriasis bad when you had a flare up or when you were diagnosed. And as of today, do you have any mild form of it, any itching, or any flare ups that you can treat and rid yourself of it, in a timely manner. Thank You, Dashn1

By natalierk
Reply 3692626
January 10, 2013 at 9:53 am
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I think in some cases, what we eat and how we live can most definitely be a cause! I believe my trigger was an issue I had with an organ that I left unattended, causing severe pain and inflammation, stressing my body and initiating toxins... a buildup of toxins in your body needs to find a way to release and it can do so through the skin, causing psoriasis. There aren't any good "studies" out there on anything besides genetics because the medical industry can't make a buck off of us changing out habits and lifestyle to take control of the disease and wipe it out.

By Harmonica
Reply 3692861
January 10, 2013 at 11:01 am
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I'd like to hear, also, how long it took for your psoriasis to clear up on your eating plan and how bad it was. I have given up gluten, dairy, sugar, alcohol, nightshades. I've seen lots of improvement. However, I am also taking a couple of methotexrate pills once a week. I want to go off the MX. Please let us know, asmittyguy, how long it took for clearing. Thanks

By VijayPsoriasis
Reply 3692876
January 10, 2013 at 11:04 am
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Thanks Asmittyguy for the post. I agree with what you have mentioned and natalierk. Came across an interesting article. Check this out.

http://drhyman.com/blog/conditions/how-to-stop-attacking-yourself-9-steps-t o-heal-autoimmune-disease/

By Javito
Reply 3694032
January 10, 2013 at 5:19 pm
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hey guys , ive been in this battle for quite a bit now n.lstely its reacheched my stomach and upper body..i been moisturizing taking baths n. trying out some chinese herbs, sometimes the itch and pain at nights is unbearable... any suggestions ;-/ thanks

By Willymon
Reply 3696113
January 11, 2013 at 11:35 am
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I'm with Kay. My opinion is that there isn't anything you can do to yourself, inside or out, to cause psoriasis without being predispositioned to doing so. If it were possible, there would be a much greater % of people with psoriasis because they did this or that to their bodies.

In other words..if you don't have the gene makeup for psoriasis..you will not get psoriasis..period.

Same way with celiac..if you aren't gluten intolerant..there is nothing you can do to make it so. Same auto-immune shit, different T Cell.

By Vasanthi
Reply 3696792 · In reply to 3696113 by Willymon
January 11, 2013 at 3:14 pm
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hi,
I am with Willy. Remission is only temporary. but the good news is there is a lot of research going on and hopefully medical practitioners will soon understand the disease better. Reading this journal article gave me a better understanding of psoriasis and I am posting the link in several forums hoping it will bring relief to patients.
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v492/n7429_supp/index.html

By ellen567
Reply 3699993 · In reply to 3692626 by natalierk
January 12, 2013 at 6:41 pm
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"There aren't any good "studies" out there on anything besides genetics because the medical industry can't make a buck off of us changing out habits and lifestyle to take control of the disease and wipe it out."

I'd like to disagree with this statement. The reason there are no studies on anything else is because there is no evidence that psoriasis is caused by anything other than genetic predisposition. Psoriasis runs in families; we see this often on this very site.

I think it unhelpful to hit on the medical industry on this issue, especially to the many young people who come here seeking help and advice. Misleading information is not what they need.

By carebear3117
Reply 3700177
January 12, 2013 at 8:03 pm
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Asmittyguy, I am so glad to hear that you have been clear and you are finding things that work for you. My 12 year old daughter with guttate p cleared almost 2 years ago using glycerin undiluted and she has been clear ever since on her body so it is possible to have a long remission using glycerin. At the time I put her on a special diet as well similar to what you have been doing. For the past year though she has been back on gluten, still with very little dairy. She also eats nightshade vegetables and strawberries at least once a week with no ill effects. She has been sick with colds also with no p showing up again. In the past, her p would show up in the winter because it is so cold here and so far she has been through two winters with no outbreaks.

Her scalp still gets a couple spots of scalp p every six months or so. Her head used to be covered in it like a helmet. It took 8 weeks of applying the glycerin and it too went away with only the odd spot showing up as I mentioned so that is great news! Now if she gets a spot I applying glycerin and it is gone in 2-3 days.

I think if you ever have another outbreak hopefully glycerin should clear it right up for you. Glycerin has been a miracle for my daughter. I am so glad that I read the messages on this board and decided to give it a try.

Take care,
Carebear

By ellen567
Reply 3701016 · In reply to 3700324 by burty12
January 13, 2013 at 8:11 am
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Burty, I've pinched the quote from your profile page. It seems especially apt in a discussion about nutritional healing.

The quote is by Dr. Lawrence Gibson who has been with Mayo Clinic since 1986 and is board certified in dermatology, dermatopathology and immunodermatology. He is also a professor of dermatology at Mayo Medical School and a consultant in the Department of Dermatology.

Gibson likens bad health information on the Internet to food poisoning:

"Electronic information has become a staple in the diet of a health conscious society," he says. "It's important to avoid misinformation and provide a credible source for health information. Using this analogy, it's critical to avoid 'indigestion' or, worse yet, 'food poisoning' by the ingestion of tainted information."

By Tentlips (Inactive)
Reply 3707971
January 15, 2013 at 1:32 pm
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I've tried all the loony diets but like Ellen567 says, it's hereditary....simple as that. My Mum had it and also my Grandmother. I absolutely do not believe what you eat makes Psoriasis any worse or better. After I broke up with a boyfriend years ago I was out on the town every weekend drinking alcohol like it was going out of fashion. This went on for quite a while and my psoriasis didn't get any worse. Apart from trying crazy 'healthy eating plans' claiming to help psoriasis, I went back to eating normally and this didn't make an iota of difference. It's in your genes, there's bugger all you can do about it....it comes and it goes. Mine has flared up like never before just recently and my lifestyle is exactly the same as it always has been. I'm defo going to try the old glycerin though, seems like it helps lots of people. The stuff I'm using on my scalp at the moment is called Sebco, stick it on at night and wash off in the morning with Capasal shampoo. It stinks and is greasy but cleared my scalp really quickly but you have to keep at it or it comes back in no time. There must be a cure coming soon, after all, they can transplant faces nowadays....how much harder can it be to find a cure for psoriasis!!!

By natalierk
Reply 3708157
January 15, 2013 at 2:22 pm
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It is in your genes for SOME people.... and you are right, sometimes diet doesn't help or maybe they are on the wrong diet.

This is NOT hereditary for me... it was triggered by another problem I have with my gallbladder, leading to a buildup of toxins needing a way to release (through my skin). Diet most definitely is helping me to clear slowly. So far any pharmaceutical intervention has made me worse.. the only thing helping is an alkaline diet along with proper skin care for this kind of problem.

By ellen567
Reply 3708223 · In reply to 3708157 by natalierk
January 15, 2013 at 2:45 pm
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natalierk, the fact that you don't have family suffering with various types of psoriasis doesn't mean you are not carrying the mutated genes for psoriasis. Defective genes can lay dormant in humans for generations. Check it out. There is plenty of good reliable genetics information online.

By natalierk
Reply 3711440
January 16, 2013 at 2:48 pm
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I understand ellen... I've read everyone's posts before and the information online regarding "defective" genes....

I was only implying that it's not only hereditary, which is exactly what I said. When you close this disorder into a box, people think there is only one way to fight it and no cure. I am learning quickly that that is not the case.... everyone is different, how we come about this unfortunate problem in different ways, and how to treat it in many different ways.
I have read the genetic side.. as well as other sides that are not "studied" by pharmacuetical companies because what money would be in finding a different flaw that can be managed without drugs? thats all :)

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