All flared up (and now where to go… )
Hi Everyone
My name is Tracy. I’ve had contact allergic dermatitus on my hands and feet
for about 9 years now. Its caused by an allergic reaction to rubber, and
stress is also a trigger factor.
I’ve actually had my skin under control for the past 2 years or so, and then
I recently tried the Atkins Diet. It involves eating only protein. No
carbohydrate or sugar. So, for two days I ate steak, shrimps, eggs, cheese,
mayo and so on. (Surprisingly I did lose a kilo). Unfortunately, my skin
couldn’t take the pace and broke out in quite badly.
Off I went to the doc, he gave me cortizone (a blessing since its the only
quick fix that works for me), and I headed off to the local health store and
stocked up on licorice, borage, vitamins and so on. That was about two
weeks ago. My hands got much better, but now, this morning I wake up and my
poor hands are all swollen and red, and yucky. Like they’re hot and want to
burst. I hate this cycle, and this horrible disease.
I’ve never taken into account the effect that diet has on eczema. I did
read that people with eczema should avoid shellfish, milk, yoghurt, cheese,
too much protein and so on. Do any of the other eczema sufferers follow
such a diet, and if so, has it helped? I’m quite curious to see the other
correctional diets that people have adapted to in order to control eczema.
I wish there was a cure for this.
Seeya Later
Tracy
February 19th, 2003 at 5:26 am
Dear Tracy:
I am a vegetarian with eczema/psoriasis. I admit, I do enjoy cheese & eggs!
Diet does not seem to be a factor for me. I tend to get long-lasting patches
of dry, scaly, itchy skin lasting in some cases for years, rather than sudden
flare-ups. Knees & elbows scaly for decades, a bad patch on the leg for 2-3
years, a couple years of really bad hands…..For me, important measures have
been controlling the itching (Man, nothing much is worse than scratching one
large patch on your calf raw for a couple of years!) and clearing those
patches up.
I find cortisone does NOT work for me. Also, I am allergic to lanolin, so
have to be very careful what I use. A&D ointment, for example, is lanolin
based. When I tried that my fingers swelled like vienna sausages. Also,
anything containing methylparaben or polyparaben seems to aggravate it. So I
can use my herbal sunscreen everywhere BUT on an active outbreak! For me,
herbal creams in an olive-oil base work well. Goldenseal, black walnut,
chamomile have all proved soothing.
After reading Dusan’s many posts on the theory that parasite infection is the
root cause of eczema/psoriasis/candida I tried a mild intestinal cleansing.
(After being hit again with a pesky, hard-to-clear-up candida infection)
Took a tincture of black walnut and wormwood for 10 days. Cleared the
candida, and also the longest lasting of my eczema patches! (My left knee
has been scaly for decades!) For the itchy scalp, I stopped using any
shampoo containing methyl- or polyparaben, sodium laurel sulfate, or cocomide
DEA. I also use a herbal/cider vinegar rinse between shampoo and
conditioner. No more itchy scalp!
Good luck, keep exploring.
Kathleen
February 19th, 2003 at 9:41 am
Hi Tracy,
Yes, diet definitively affects my eczema. I have to be very careful to
stay away from nightshade family of vegetables such as eggplants,
tomatoes, potatoes, peppers. I learned about this in Pagano’s book. Also
no shellfish and no dairy products, other than butter, and very little
animal protein if at all.
Cortisone seemed like a miracle product for me too. I was on it for 9
years and in the process it nearly killed me with its horrendous side
effects. The reason your hands are worse is because the body is trying
to heal by carrying your toxins which cause the eczema in the first
place, from the most important organs (liver, kidneys, etc.) to the
extremities (hands, feet, etc.) Homeopathy, Chinese medicine, and other
natural healing methods are well aware of this process.
Licorice is a superb tonic and a great detoxifier. I take it
everyday in extract/tincture form. But beware: there is a HUGE
difference between CHINESE LICORICE (glycyrrhizae uralensis) AND THE
WESTERN VARIETY LICORICE (glycyrrhizae glabra). The western variety can
cause nervousness and undesirable other side effects. The Chinese
variety is energizing and calming and does not have the side effects
that the western variety has.
February 19th, 2003 at 6:46 pm
Dusan over-indulged in computer time, vs family time, and stepped off the
list serve a few months back.
If anyone saved some of his most informative posts, they may be able to help
you.
Kathleen