Itchy Rash And Other Problems

[itchynscratcy]

Hi Lovebetter, and welcome to the forum!

There have been studies linking PPP (and all psoriasis) to food intolerances. My PPP was getting really bad, and I decided to try gluten free to see if it helped. It did at first, but then it came back when I ate gluten free cornbread. It turns out that I am HIGHLY intolerant of corn, as well as gluten. Now it seems that tree nuts bother me too.

I have had times when the PPP is totally GONE, and then I get into corn (it is in EVERYTHING ), and it comes back. Gluten and nuts are easier to avoid. If you go with nothing but meats cooked plain, brown rice, and broccoli, cauliflower, squash or asparagus for a few weeks, I'd be willing to bet you will see mahor healing.

Then, you can start slowly adding other foods. To check out the corn thing, just get yourself some gluten-free cornbread like I did. Within a day or three of eating it, you will know. Then, after you've healed again, try adding nuts. Then nightshade veggies (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplant). Once again, if they cause a flairup, you'll know you can't tolerate them. Once you've healed again, try yet a different food.

I'm thinking it's going to take me a year or so, but I WILL find out exactly what else bothers me.

As for biotin, I don't think it helps with the PPP, (it's the diet that does that) but it DOES make my hair stop falling out, and I feel better when I take it.

One other thing I have read about is candida. There are some who think that ALL of our food intolerances come from having rampant yeast overgrowth throughout our systems. To get rid of that, we need to stop all sugars, and keep the carbs as low as possible. (That's why I eat a lot of brown rice - it's WAY lower in carbs than white rice. Besides, many brands of white rice are dusted with corn starch to keep it from being so sticky.) Then you need to find some GOOD probiotics. Some have only acidopholis - we need as many different strains as possible. AND we need to find it without wheat or corn!

If there is anything I can do to help you, just let me know. And don't forget, there are a BUNCH of very knowledgable people on this board who can help us both.

Hi bartful and everyone, 

I'm new to the forum, but had a google before I joined and I like what you have to say.  I have been battling what I now think is possibly psoriasis for about 3 years.  It started as an itchy pus-filled pimple on my right knee.  I didn't think much about it(splinter or gravel?) but it just wouldn't go away..soap  and water, dettol, iodine and many other treatments just made it more itchy... I was a bit stressed: living in the hot, wet tropics and studying/working with two small children.

I scratched it and it grew into a small sore that would sometimes weep or suppurate (no surprises there) but  it would not heal.  i'm generally pretty healthy, but have put on  about 10-15 kg s a mostly stay at home mum.

I'm 42 years old with no skin conditions in my past or family. I have noticed my skin is generally getting drier. I have had  gestational diabetes, and my excess  fat is abdominal in general...so cortico-steroid, stress related.  I have a pretty healthy diet...no fast food, lotsa salads, I eat meat..(.and would like to stop), lots of berries fruit and fibre. No alcohol...but I have developed a coffee addiction.

 

Anyway started to get worried as it was incredibly itchy and went to doctor again.  I thought it may be fungal, or even some nasty viral or bacterial infection. I treated with antifungals (Lamisil, Hyroderm, iodine, Scabies treatments and too many others to name) religiously as prescribed, took antibiotics and eventually it did get infected.. a large sub-cutaneous lump formed just above my knee and there was 'bruising' and shooting pain up my thigh just inside the quad muscle....I had swollen lymph glands in my groin and armpit.  It became something that actually frightened the doctor and they tested for meliodosis, and other flesh eating anaerobic bacteria.  I developed something close to blood poisoning and cellulitis at once and  thought I'd die.

I was pumped full of antibiotics (again) and recovered, the knee lesion slowly reduced and disappeared.....briefly. The next wet season it just started up again and grew bigger (you can imagine how hard I tried not to scratch it).  I actually poured on really hot water to get some relief.

I was very worried it may be contagious, kept it covered with gauze and would wash sheets and everything it touched everyday,... kept  it really clear of my children, stopped shaving my legs,  wearing shorts, skirts or going swimming.

I had been to a number of specialists by now... no answers.

Anyway it started to spread to my lower legs, Both knees, ankles, elbows, hands and fingers, toes and wrists...always a few blistery papules then raised red, spreading lumps that flaked and peeled in biggish scales...all incredibly itchy...I thought it must have something to do with diet and reduced my gluten intake...raised it with doctors and specialists who took scrapings and told me' it had nothing to do with diet'.....fell badly off diet.  Living in a regional town, access to specialists was pretty limited and the main one I saw literally wrote "It could be anything"...I was discouraged to say the least and continued my google searches and slowly circled in on dermatitis herpetiformis.. or psoriasis, .although I hadn't eliminated eczema, psoriasis or some other form of dermatitis (including any contact dermatitis...so you can also imagine what I was doing at home....cleaning with pure soap, organic this, lemon-juice, salt, clove oil and vinegar...and rapidly going insane).  I raised this with my doctors and specialists who continued to prescribe expensive creams but not decide what it was. I  had allergy testing (on my back) which caused further itching and frustratingly hard to reach or verify what had caused which reaction!)  oooh I lerve that doctor!

So anyway, 

I have 'had a falling out' with my Specialist. His parting words 2 yrs later, were "oh that's definitely psoriasis, I can see it clearly now, its developed and is clearly psoriasis, incurable, you will have periods of relative relief, but its hereditary and there's sure to be someone in your immediate family who has it."

Well that gave me hope (!).

So about 3 months ago it I found another specialist (its a small town so they are likely to know each other and get along very well) "Its psoriasis' no doubt at all".

That's fine, medication includes now $50 salicylic aqueous cream (nothing new there) and $30  Diavobet (nothing spectacular there... except the cumulative price, when I go thru a jar and tube a month and have to go back to the specialist every 2mnths  another $120 to get the prescription).and it seems to be just holding the rash steady.  I notice some reduction when I'm not stressed,  don't eat dairy or gluten and use a great quality moisturiser/barrier cream  eg: with emu oil, beeswax, jojoba, sausage tree extract...all good.  all expensive.

I am finding the diet difficult (to say the least) . I recently  "broke out": ate a Litre of icecream (unheard of previously) and am really  paying for it now ....both ankles swollen, itchy and or currently sore...like 2nd degree burns....cannot wear shoes!

So I think there's a link.

I have also noted bloating, gasrto-intestinal pain, nausea, and  gas and bowel 'issues' when I do eat something glutinous like bread. I have yet to convince a GP to do anything more than a blood test. So I'm suspecting a coeliac/IB link.

Its time for the elimination diet....now that is really daunting.  I really don't know how to start. Is dairy a big issue usually? Is red meat an issue? Has anyone tried the really high fibre path yet?

 

What do you (all) think it is?  and how do you get onto the elimination diet?" If you go with nothing but meats cooked plain, brown rice, and broccoli, cauliflower, squash or asparagus for a few weeks"...can I add pumpkin to that list?

I take multi vits, vitC and probiotic...I have yet to check if they have any gluten or dairy added....any advice readily sought. 

One thing more I should add is that I am of the "healthy gut biota camp"  I suspect all the antibiotics I took helped in the last few years (since having babies and coming into contact with parental-related gastro, coughs and bugs in general. I would like to draw attention to the great work being done by Dr steven Simpson and all the others on gut flora and fibre in the diet. For an example see Catalyst http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/4067184.htm%C2'> PT 1 and 2.

Not that i'm keen on a  transpoosion, just yet,....and anyway this skin disorder seems to be associated with duodenal (upper small intestine), and perhaps liver/gall fat metabolism?  Anyone have any clues about that side of it?...gut feel?

i really hope to hear back from anyone who has ideas to add or help to offer.

yours Scratchy

[kareng]

I moved this to its own thread off of an older one about Biotin.  Hope this helps.

[squirmingitch]

Hi itchynscratcy,

I have no clue. What you describe does not sound like dermatitis herpetiformis. Only the itching part but the whole thing with the knee & the other places that lump & flake & peel in big scales..... doesn't sound like dh. 

What you're going through sounds awful though & I feel for you.

[bartfull]

It sounds like you might have a problem with gluten. If you haven't checked your meds or supplements it's possible you are still getting gluten in your diet. You should read the Newbie 101 thread in the coping section and it will teach you about cross-contamination. (For example, if you use the same jar of mayo as the rest of the family, you are probably getting glutened.)

 

It sounds like you MIGHT have psoriasis, but I can't be sure. If so, it most likely IS diet related. The thing is, a lot of us (myself included) have intolerances to other things. If I eat corn, soy, almonds, too many potatoes, and other things I can't think of off the top of my head, I will have a psoriasis flare. And the thing is, it's different for everyone. Dairy is definitely something you should eleiminat for a while. Red meat though should be OK.

 

I suggest you check that newbie thread and make SURE you are not getting any gluten whatsoever. Then simplify your diet and see if it heals. Write everything down - what you eat, and your symptoms. Then once the rash has healed, start adding back one food at a time. Write it down. Wait at least three days for symptoms to appear. If they don't, add that food to your safe list and then add another food.

 

It's a pain in the neck and it seems to take forever, but it's the only way to know for sure. I've bee gluten-free for over three years now and I'm still adding an occasional new food to my diet.

 

Good luck and keep us updated on your progress.

[itchynscratcy]

I moved this to its own thread off of an older one about Biotin.  Hope this helps.

Thank you, so much...I've started my elimination diet (wow took  me 5 goes to write 'diet' what does that say!?).

[itchynscratcy]

It sounds like you might have a problem with gluten. If you haven't checked your meds or supplements it's possible you are still getting gluten in your diet. You should read the Newbie 101 thread in the coping section and it will teach you about cross-contamination. (For example, if you use the same jar of mayo as the rest of the family, you are probably getting glutened.)

 

It sounds like you MIGHT have psoriasis, but I can't be sure. If so, it most likely IS diet related. The thing is, a lot of us (myself included) have intolerances to other things. If I eat corn, soy, almonds, too many potatoes, and other things I can't think of off the top of my head, I will have a psoriasis flare. And the thing is, it's different for everyone. Dairy is definitely something you should eleiminat for a while. Red meat though should be OK.

 

I suggest you check that newbie thread and make SURE you are not getting any gluten whatsoever. Then simplify your diet and see if it heals. Write everything down - what you eat, and your symptoms. Then once the rash has healed, start adding back one food at a time. Write it down. Wait at least three days for symptoms to appear. If they don't, add that food to your safe list and then add another food.

 

It's a pain in the neck and it seems to take forever, but it's the only way to know for sure. I've bee gluten-free for over three years now and I'm still adding an occasional new food to my diet.

 

Good luck and keep us updated on your progress.

Thank you! I'm just going to Newby 101 now. I don't know how I missed it before.

[JodyM75]

For more information on an elimination diet specific for autoimmune issues, check out The Paleo Mom.  I haven't done it, but I know people who have and it worked wonders.

 

Based on your comment about the flare-up after your ice cream binge (  ), I wonder how you would do by eliminating dairy?