I was recently (finally!!) diagnosed with psoriasis. I've had a scalp problem for sometime which has ever so kindly spread to my face and now also my elbow. As yet, none of them are particularly large patches but it is spreading and I'd really rather it didn't.
My doctor has threatened me with steroid creams but my reading suggests that these don't really work. My readings have also suggested that there are possible links with liver function, genetics and the immune system.
This site has various references to more holistic style therapies so I'm hoping that my questions will be understood from a holistic viewpoint. I'd like to try and establish if there are any common factors amongst psoriasis sufferers, so it would be heplful to me if other suffers would mind answering some of the following questions. I'm asking with regard to plaque psoriasis in adults.
Firstly, my family is fairly allergy ridden - my mother has a gluten allergy and my father a mild allergy to hazelnuts and raw carrots. I have an egg allergy. I'm wondering if other sufferers come from a similarly allergy-ridden family.
As a teenager I had fairly greasy, spotty skin. Did other psoriasis sufferers experience the same?
I know that drinking alcohol aggravates my skin. Is this a common experience? I'm also beginning to think that smoking also irritates it or is a contributing factor. Are these experiences shared by other suffers? Are there any sufferers who have neither smoked or live with a smoking partner and/or found alcohol to be a factor?
Hello there. I too have psoriasis as well as eczema. I hate them both. Mine never really bothered me until this past year. Like they would come & go, but no biggy. My psoriasis was mainly on my knees & elbows & weren't huge patches, so no one really noticed them or anything like that & they didn't bother me at all.
Anyways, lately my body seems to have gone out of control. My psoriasis went crazy, the patches on my elbows & knees have quadrupled, I am getting some on my scalp now, and other patches throughout my body as well as well as on my face (the ones on my face like look like I have a bad complexion right now). So, with that going crazy & my eczema acting up horribly, I am bad since I have been itchier than ever in my life & I have scratched, so I now have dermatisis as well & some infected spots. grrrr. I have always had skin problems, even as a teen I had a dermatologist & was on everything to help it out.
I have been on steriod creams, & prescriptions & those aren't working or helping much at all (sometimes they make it worse). I am also a drinker & a heavy smoker & like yourself, my family is allergy ridden too. My grandma has psoriasis & eczema, everyone is allergic to bees on my dad's side of the family, as well, he is allergic to smoke, dust, many chemicals, you name it (as for food I have no idea)...my mom was celiac as a child & had wheat allergies & although once a long time ago a smoker, she is astmatic now & she too has psoriasis on her scalp. My daughter is extrememly allergic to fish/seafood, and both my kids have had lactose intolant problems in the past (as well as both having eczema as babies).
I have noticed that yes, alcohol & cigarette smoke do contribute to it quite a bit (for me anyways). My son has psoriasis on his scalp, he is 4 & of course doesn't smoke, but I know my second hand smoke bothers him. Food & Diet also really affects it. I know with myself, I have noticed lately milk really bothers my skin (unless I bath in it).
so, this site is helping me emenseley. I have been reading & reading like crazy lately. I am planning to quit smoking, do some cleansing, detoxing & then flushing etc...all that, get rid of the uglies & back to the eating I was doing just over a year ago (and I lost weight & felt great then!) :o)
I, too, have psoriasis. A year ago my plaque psoriasis had worsened so much that new patches of pustular psoriasis started emerging. I used to administer topical skin-thinning cortizone-based prescriptions and skin-weathering UVB light treatments. Even those weren't working all that well. Six months ago I stopped all of those treatments and tried some exceptional Tea Tree type products that are healing my condition internally as well as externally. I no longer have the pustular psoriasis. I only have a little plaque psoriasis on my scalp that is slowly diminishing. If you would like to write me for more information you can contact Marsha at: riversofrev@hotmail.com
I have had mild/moderate psoriasis for about 6 years now (I'm 25). I used to smoke but I quit about a year and a half ago. I don't really notice any difference in my psoriasis since I quit smoking, and drinking doesn't really seem to affect it for me either (although I've never really been a heavy drinker, I definitely drank more in college than I do now). I do, however, have several allergies that have come and gone throughout the years. When I was younger I was allergic to shellfish horribly, but after age 10 or so I outgrew the allergy. I am still (as far as I know) highly allergic to bees as well as a mildly allergic to raw egg whites. My psoriasis (knock on wood) doesn't seem to spread much, but I've been battling the same handful of spots for the last few years with a new spot arising every year or so (usually due to a pesky mosquito bite or some wound that get infected with psoriasis). I am just now looking into diet alternatives and it appears from a lot of what I am reading that it is almost like an allergic reaction...very odd. The steroid creams and Dovonex work ok, but nothing seems to completely clear it. I'm getting quite frustrated and to the point where I really want to fight back with all I've got. Good luck in battling yours.
I was diagnosed with Psoriasis about 4 months ago with patches on my scalp, forehead, arms, rectum, groin, along with an infected nail (yeast). I'm not completely convinced that my skin rash is Psoriasis, but I have tried a variety of skin creams that help very little. I'm now trying a variety of body cleanses (parasite, bowel, kidney, gallbladder) without the creams to see if any improvement occurs. I did the bowel cleanse with Fleet about 3 weeks ago and noticed a lot of what appears to be gallstones. Not to my surprise my skin as well as my overall health improved greatly. I'm planning on doing Dr. Hulda Clark 's liver/gallbladder cleansing next week and see how that goes. I truly believe that Psoriasis and other skin problems are related to liver/gallbladder problems, but this is often overlooked as the cause. The cleansing can only help and I can't wait to see if I can overcome my skin problems.
So it would be fair to say that all of the responders to my original message are definitely drinkers and have been smokers at some point in their lives?
This is just a test to see if the system will allow me to rwspond.
Sorry about that - the last few times I've tried to respond have ended in failure.
So.. statistically, on the basis of responses so far it's fair to say that 100% of respondents who suffer from psoriasis drink and smoke or have smoked at some point in time.
3/4 of us are allergy-prone and come from an allergy background. I'm trying to establish if, for example, smoking/alcohol causes toxins to build up for those of us with an allergy history that causes a reaction - psoriasis. To be a smoker or to have smoked or to live with a smoker could (for example) be the key. Whilst quitting would take away the immediate cause, it could be hanging around in the body.
If the liver houses the huild-up then a liver-cleanse would logically assist the cause of psoriasis but continuing the cause could still be adding to it.
I found out I had extreme allergies 5 years ago when I was 17, before I ever smoked or drank. Since then I have smoked and drank and Psoriasis popped up about a year ago. I've read where liver/gallbladder problems can create food allergies and skin problems, so I'm guessing I had this problem back when I was 17, before smoking or drinking, and that this might have contributed to my eventual skin problems. If the liver/gallbladder problem is the cause of my allergies and thus my Psoriasis, I believe my horrible diet at a younger age set the stage for this. I ate at Taco Bell almost every day my junior and senior year of highschool (lol...), and my diet hasn't been that great in the last year or so either. I think diet is a major contributing factor and my recent bowel cleanse that showed what are probably Gallstones proves to me at least the Psoriasis can be helped or even cured by a change in diet and a liver/gallbladder cleanse. I've already seen improvement just doing a simple bowel cleanse with Fleet. I don't know if smoking and drinking furthers the problem, but my guess would be that avid smokers and drinkers probably don't have the healthiest of diets either, but that's just speaking generally and may not be that case for all.
I'm not suggesting that smoking or drinking are the cause of the allergies but I wonder if they put additional stress on the liver, kidneys etc. Maybe it's the case that psoriasis is an allergic reaction to toxin build-up?
Strangely enough, I've found that my psoriasis gets worse if I eat a healthy diet. It calms down quite rapidly if I don't eat fruit and veg for a few days - I'm sure this can't be doing me any good!
I'm curious to know what sort of diet you've found beneficial, if you wouldn't mind telling me.
Fleet is a colon cleansing laxative that I'm sure can be found for sale at any pharmacy. After using it I found gallstone like objects in my stool and my skin improved somewhat. It then struck me that some of my health problems may be related to a gallbladder problem, but some people may not have any obvious symptoms of such a problem. I was diagnosed with Psoriasis within a five minute examination without any skin cultures, and I'm going to get a second opinion on it soon to confirm if it really is Psoriasis.
As for diet, I've found eating things like eggs, yogurt, soups, grapes, apples, carrots, chicken, green tea, lots of purified water (Brita pitcher) and rarely any soft drinks help somewhat. I guess anything that's not stressful for the body to digest can help. I'm also taking a one-a-day vitamin, garlic supplements, and oil of oregano. I would suggest taking a look at Dr. Hulda Clark 's kidney, bowel, liver/gallbladder natural cleanses and see if you get any results. Even if it doesn't help your Psoriasis, it may improve other aspects of your health. I'm going to try the liver/gallbladder on Thursday and I can't wait to see if it helps.
...and even though you are eating a healthy diet you may not see any results until you clean out your digestive system. I started a healthy diet with no real improvement, tried the bowel cleanse, continued the healthy diet and then saw improvement. It may just be a matter of cleaning out all the bad toxins, gallstones, or whatever it may be.
The first thing you have to know is Psoriasis can be cured! But conventional practioners haven't got a clue of how to approach it and so all they do is give you powerful drugs to treat (ie: suppress) the symptoms. I recommend to be very careful about starting on any drug therapies. Instead go straight to the heart of the cause...The liver and the gastrointestinal immune system.
I have seen many doctors and dermatoligists over the years and they just all told me the same thing...Psoriasis can't be cured it can only be treated and that always involves drugs. I just wasn't satisfied with that answer. After having suffered with chronic scalp psoriasis for 4 years that spread to my ears/eyebrows/nose folds and even small patches on lower legs and crotch, I decided enough is enough. So I read several books on the subject and did massive research on the internet. I have put all my findings to work and am glad to say apart from the odd infrequent scalp itch I have got rid of all signs of my psoriasis...Yeehaa!! I am so happy and have to confess a little proud of myself. It certainely taught me three things 1. Be very dubious about conventional doctors advice 2. Take responsibility for your own health. 3. Believe in the biblical quote " Seek and ye shall find" Matthew 7:7
I warn you though it is quite an undertaking, but you should be able to cure the problem almost entirely within about two months (depending on how long you've lived with it). The longer you have suffered with it the longer it will take to cure...Count roughly a minimum of 4 weeks and then 1 extra week for every year you have had it.
Ok lets get to the facts of understanding what is going on as it is vital that you understand how the whole cyle of Psoriasis works from the inside out. First of all if you doubt that psoriasis comes from liver/gastro disorders/imbalances. Here is the proof normally all Psoriasis sufferers also suffer from some form of either allergies (especially food intolerences) and/or digestive/bowel disorders. This is not a coincidence. The organ that is directly responsible for these symptoms is the liver. The skin is said to be a mirror of the gut. So if your gut is imbalanced so will your skin be.
Psoriasis is an auto-immune disorder which is basically an advanced type of allergy. Most Psoriasis sufferers will be affected by a yeast overgrowth both internally and externaly which causes excess toxins to be released that puts further strain on the liver. Their stomach/digestive tract will also generally have a PH imbalance which makes it acidic. The perfect enviroment for the bad intestinal bacteria. It should normally be alkaline which is the opposite of the outer skin which should normally have an acid balance (the acid mantle).
Psoriasis sufferers will also be affected by a PH imbalance on the eperdermis (outer-skin). The skin PH (especially around the patches) will be more alkaline then healthy skin should be (normally PH 5.5). Yeast like micro-organisms called Pityrosporum ovale flourish in a more greasy alkaline enviroment (especially the scalp). That is why Psoriasis will often start at the point where sebum glands used to be the most active, like the scalp, ears, nose etc... These natural micro-organisms normally populate our skin/scalp and help us by getting rid of dead skin cells (our own natural exfoliators). However, a problem arises when these guys get overcrowded as they irritate the skin and therefore overstimulate the production of new skin cells. This triggers the auto-immune response from our bodies that believes it has to react to some form of agression which reinforces the cycle of rapid production of new skin layers. This accumulated skin now forms much quicker than even our scavenging friends can deal with. This ends up causing patches of Psoriasis and excess amounts of dry flaking itchy and often inflammed skin. The problem unfortunately tends to spread and eventually become systemic.
I know I may have gone on about the causes of Psoriasis but I truly believe that nobody has a chance of curing the dreaded Psoriasis until they understand what is really going on and how to approach the problem. In other words the importance of treating it both from the inside and outside. In my next post I will start giving you some of the practical solutions that cured me. However, it is essential to educate yourself as this will give you the in-depth knowledge and therefore the confidence to truly tackle the problem yourself, with real commitment. So let me tell you of the books that I heave read and found the most effective in educating me about how to cure Psoriasis, which I can now count as a distant memory. Thank god!
I know its a lot of reading material but if your serious abotu curing your Psoriasis you will do it. I will explain my approach in my next post (when I get a chance because it will take time as this post did) but bear in mind Psoriasis and digestive problems are quite complex and can require different appraoches for different people, that is why you need to do the reading for yourself aswell. Hope this long post helps you. Good luck all!....
I forgot to mention in direct response to your question about whether Alcohol and Smoking can exarcebate Psoriasis? The answer is yes. Any toxin will exarcebate the problem as it puts further strain on your liver which is at the root of the disorder as previousely explained (see previous post). Alcohol will have a more direct and rapid effect as it is processed by the liver during digestion. Smoking toxins like tar have more of a cummulative background effect on the liver as apart from the nicotine most of the toxins build up in the lungs (as you well know). Note stress is one of the main exacerbaters of Psoriasis because it puts almost immediate strain on your liver by pumping adrenalin into your system which can only be broken down again by our friend the liver. That's part of the reason why we have so many skin and digestion disorders in the west. Our societies are way over-stressed.
So work on staying calm by Deep breathing, Meditation, Massages and general relaxation techniques. Hope that helps..
Remember the liver is your big blood filter resposible for removing most toxins from your body. It filters 4.5 Litres of blood per minute. That is a massive job. In fact it is the largest organ in your whole body. Even larger than your brain or your heart. It truly is the master organ or the body's general as the Chinese call it. So you better love your Liver....
Thanks for this, Tom. I'll give those a read and let you know how I get on.
I've always refused treatment from the docs because I don't trust them, basically. It's just been beginning to reach a point that something needs to be done.
I'm debating on whether or not I trust them, but 5 or 6 different creams and ointments in the last 4 months certainly doesn't help...and neither does the bill.
Just as I thought, after doing Dr. Clark's liver cleanse I passed hundreds of small green stones. It will be interesting to see if my skin clears up in the next couple of weeks along with a few more flushes.
Billdance, well done on your Liver Flush but bear in mind you have to work on your gastrointestinal health and immune system aswell. Also you will almost certainely need to help/speed the process along by treating it from the out side aswell. But I would be very cautious of drug type steriod creams as they only suppress the symptom by driving the problem deeper into the skin. Moreover they also put strain on the liver as this is the only organ that can break these drugs down. However, if you do decide to come off the steroids do it in a controlled and gradual manner so you dont shock your system into too much of a reaction. By the way Vitamin A creams or liquid are very affective and can have steroid like benefits but without the nasty side effects. So consider that as a good substitute. However, you should still use them sparingly and strart reducing usage shortly after seeing the beneficial effects then just replace with a good skin emollient. That prevents your system adapting to the vitamin, which in time would only reduce its effectiveness against flare-ups. Hope that helps....
tomt, I'm not really familiar with vitamin A creams or liquids. Can I purchase these at a local pharmacy or GNC, or is this something I would need to purchase over the internet? Thanks.
yep you can get Vitamin A at most good pharmacies and also over the internet. I wouldn't recommend Retinol though. Go for one of the Retinol Esthers instead, like: Retinyl Acetate or Retinyl Palmitate. Also don't get confused with Beta Carotene as this has not been converted into Vitamin A by the body yet (Liver to be exact)...You could also consider fish liver oils as these contain actual Vitamin A and D, but they tend to be rather stinky and non standardised. In other words its difficult to know how much you are getting. Hope that helps....Good luck
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I was recently (finally!!) diagnosed with psoriasis. 
Re: How I cured my Psoriasis permanently 
