Mel, I have heard anecdotally of good results for psoriasis with application of topical Hemp Seed Oil.

Adding to what Lara wrote, there is some evidence that cannabinoids can help; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17157480 .

Just wanted to update all of you on what we are now trying (for his psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis).

I took a photo of his leg last week, and took a photo of his leg today. I see no difference. Let me tell you what we are trying. Glenn has told me not to expect miracles, that doing this TAKES TIME. I completely understand. First let me tell you what we are doing, THEN I will tell you one change that I noticed.

His diet. Took him off all nightshade foods. Today is day 7 of his anti-inflammatory diet. While he doesn't have BAD psoriatic arthritis, one of his fingers is a bit swollen. He's had this last year when he went to the hospital for whatever it was (he had so many things wrong, can't name it all) but he had some cellulitis going on in his toe and I THOUGHT that was why his finer was so swollen and red and warm.

This week (the weather is nuts outside) his finger is swollen, not red and not hot but he can't bend it and I have to cut up his food sometimes. But he took an advil and he's okay. We see urologist on Wednesday for another matter.

Now let's get back to his diet. I have been doing a lot of reading on Omega 3's. When Alan got the stent about 9 or so years ago, because he had coronary artery disease, I took him off of all fat completely. So essentially no fats or oils or whatever. Then I learned about essential fatty acids, etc.

Now Alan has never been one to eat like me, eat sprouts, microgreens, extra virgin coconut oil, etc. etc. Couldn't get him to come around.

Not that he was eating like a horse but the guy would go and buy ice cream from Baskin Robbins and he would like his chips and his popcorn and he wouldn't go near a sprout salad if his life depended on it.

Last week I took the bull by the horns and said "Listen, we have tried everything on your psoriasis and nothing is working (all his skin was flaking on all my furniture, as if it were going through a cycle). I read up on this. This happened all the time.

So I took away all cereal, grains, nightshade, eggplant, tomates, whatever foods I read that were inflammatory. I also ground up my flax seeds and gave him a teaspoon a day (I just put it in his food). I also gave him a handful of walnuts every day. Read up on Flax and walnuts as an excellent source of Omega 3. I also have Extra virgin Organic Coconut oil in the house so for dinner, whatever I was cooking, (let's say my home grown greens, with bok choy and my pea shoots) instead of using any other oil, I would just add a bit of extra virgin coconut oil and cook the greens in that. I will say it has the most delicious flavor I have ever had. We do this every night. I just cooked some chicken in it. I added ginger, minced onions, some garlic, some paprika, some curry. no salt at all, and you can't taste the lack of sodium. He has always been on low sodium because of his menieres.

Anyway, for whatever reason, he has been eating my sprouts. He puts horseradish on it. I could NEVER eat horseradish, but LOVES it.

Every night now he asks for a sprout salad and he did some reading and he now says "I need my body to be alkaline" I said 'I've been telling you this for 10 years". He then said 'Well now I'm listening"

He either puts extra virgin olive oil, or his horseradish on the salad. It's just microgreens (broccoli, radish, fenugreek and whatever greens I'm growing)

He absolutely now wants sprouts or microgreens every single day. It's like his body NEEDS this food.

I also give him one egg and two egg whites (with greens) for breakfast. I add some onions, and he puts a dash of ketchup. He won't eat any egg without SOME ketchup. That's the only time he does this. But no ice cream, no sugar in anything else, nothing with vegetable oil, no soy. I'm trying to go as anti-inflammatory as I can go.

So this is what I noticed about his psoriasis. While the patches have not changed, what DID change is that his skin is not turning white and flaking off. It's been only a week. I have no idea what this means but I wanted to share it. I read on some website that one guy thinks there is no such thing as auto-immune. He says 'Everything is caused by a deficiency and if you ever had the Epstein Barre Virus, it is still in your system and THAT's why you get these things"

When Alan was around 35 or so he came down with a virus, that landed him in isolation and he was home for 3 months, after he came home from the hospital. They never gave it a name. I remember his medical records and I saw they named it 'Fever of Unknown Origin".

Maybe THAT is what has been lying dormant in his body and caused the Peripheral Neuropathy, Psoriasis, and Psoriatic Arthritis. I have no idea.

All I can do is try and get his immune system to not be in over drive, trying to get the psoriasis to calm down and trying to get his psoriatic arthritis to calm down also.

I read that if a person has psoriasis, that person will usually have psoriatic arthritis also.

So I am doing all I can do in that regard.

If what we are doing is the KEY to his stuff, I wonder how long until we know that "yes indeed, it IS what we put into our bodies"

Any input is appreciated.

Thanks much

Melody

Melody,
I can only comment on the relationship between psoriasis and psoriatic Arthritis.

Both of my husband's adult daughter and adult son had psoriasis for several years. About 5 or 6 years ago her fingers started swelling; especially her "little finger"was almost always in a permanent painful swelling . She went to a specialist dealing with Arthritis. He put her on a daily dose of Celebrex. She has been on it for the past 5 years. It has been helping her and she was able to get back to playing tennis. I don't remember what his son is taking for his psoriatic arthritis. Evidently there is definitely a relationship between the two.


Gerry

Hi Gerry:

Alan took Celebrex many years ago. Landed him in intensive care, they thought he had Rocky Mountain spotted fever, almost killed him. He was covered from head to toe in spots. His face blew up, his whole body blew up. They moved him to quarantine. The hazmat people came in wearing their hazmat suits. I tried telling them "HE TOOK CELEBREX, GIVE HIM BENEDRYL". No one listened to me. They were examining him, etc. etc. Guess what? After 6 days, the doctor walked in (after NUMEROUS blood tests that came out as if he had no calcium in his body and the doctor scratched his head and said "this is nonsense, if he had no calcium in his body, he'd be dead", we think it's an allergic reaction to the celebrex and we are giving him benedryl". Whenever we go to doctors or to the hospital, as soon as they ask him "What are you allergic to?" he says "Celebrex, sulfites, sulfa drugs, bird urine.l...yeah, that's right, anything with urea".

And guess what I've been reading up on "What can possibly cause psoriasis and how to treat it" and you will never guess what is up on youtube'. There are videos with people feeling that all these things are actually caused by the Candida Albicans. They even show you how to test your body for candida. You wake up in the morning, take a half glass of water, spit into it and watch and see how your spit looks in 45 minutes. You do this for 6 days. If the spit sinks or has legs, you are full of yeast. So guess what we are doing tomorrow morning??? you got it.

Oh, one more thing. The same people who say it's all from yeast (they say ALL diseases come from fungi of which yeast is..... they feel that a few drops of H202 Food grade hydrogen peroxide, taken in distilled water, will kill and eliminate all candida from the body. there is so much info on this on the internet, I don't know what to believe. I do know that food grade is completely different from the little brown bottle of hydrogen peroxide we all have in the house. They are saying use the 3 percent food grade hydrogen peroxide but be very careful. Just a drop or two in a quart of distilled water. I'm still trying to gather info on exactly what the ratio is and if anyone knows or has tried this to get rid of whatever is ailing you, I'd love to hear it. I believe Alan has all this yeast in his gut and being on the diet he is now on is very good, it will take a long time. If this H202 is for real, well, we're not doing it yet, but I am taking this very seriously. Will update if anything on his body changes. Believe me, I will tell you all. Take care

" a few drops of H202 Food grade hydrogen peroxide, taken in distilled water, will kill and eliminate all candida from the body"

I am not sure that this would be of much benefit.

Hydrogen peroxide is produced in the body by natural processes. It can be toxic through production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). ROS can lead to oxidative damage to body cells. Because of this it is rapidly broken down into water and oxygen by a body enzyme called catalase.

Let me ask you a question. Why are there people on youtube who swear by this stuff (food grade Hydrogen Peroxide)? I mean, one guy said 'people, my psoriasis was completely gone in one week", go and buy this stuff but take care, your body has to get used to it. Don't over do it. Start with a few drops".

I watched this video, then went online and found out all the negative stuff about it.

Actually I am so confused right now, I don't know what to think.

Thanks much

Melody

Tried hemp seed oil. Did nothing. It was from a reputable supplier too. I really had high hopes then. Did nothing.

But as soon as something new comes out, we try it. Alan won't go near the biologics because of side effects and therr is s guy on youtube who tried Humira (I think it wad that one) but when he went off it, he developed all six variations iof psoriasis. That has never happened before
I saw the guy's bio on youtube. OMG

melody

Hi Melody,

My heart goes out to Alan.

I had gotten those potential remedies from a psoriasis organization forum, where many people are having great results.

Many had tried the prescription drugs and get a much better result with witch hazel (no alcohol) and glycerin, in a topical spray. Others are having first time remarkable results with coconut oil. Amazing.

There is also a group reporting impressive results with Vitamin K2 (MK-7), in addition to restricted diets.

I am sorry Alan's Ps has not responded well to the many approaches he has tried in an effort to heal.

There is a very "spirited" group of people suffering with Ps and PsA at the forum associated with the National Psoriasis Foundation. Many have not found adequate relief for years and they keep on trying. Some have found combinations of regimens helpful. There is a large and active group dedicated to CAM approaches, as well.

Here's hoping Alan gets relief soon.

My best to both of you!

To Our Healing,
DejaVu