Similarity Between Dh And Psoriatic Arthritis Alleviated By Herbs

[YoloGx]

I just recently learned I probably have psoriatic arthritis. It is so close to DH--however I don't believe it is DH. Sometimes I do get hives, but no blisters. Instead it is a patch of itchy silvery flaking and often crusty skin over red often raw itchy skin. And if I don't stay on diet (i.e., low salicylates, entirely gluten free, exercise, lots of greens --of the ones I can handle) I also get inflamed feet and elbows etc. This actually became noticeable years ago when I was 18 on a bus going down to Mexico from the San Francisco Bay Area with my eldest sister. We both took off our shoes and could not put them back on; our feet were too painful and swollen! As it turns out we both have celiac as well as salicylate sensitivity.

I recently discovered that taking my old tried and true detox herbs helps me be less sensitive to peeled golden delicious apples and pears--both theoretically low in salicylates but previously too much for me for my ears and vulva.

Years and years ago in my twenties I used to have this horrible psoriatic condition all over my scalp plus had an area on a lymphatic point on my neck that would be red, sensitive, raised and bothersome. I ialso had terrible acne that covered my back down to my buttocks. Going off most gluten in my late twenties really helped--so my skin condition mainly went away unless I didn't detox with my herbs frequently enough.

This current psoriatic skin condition did not show itself until 2005. I didn't yet know that I needed to be off all trace gluten. Plus I was with a guy who was a wheat eater, so I was being exposed to a lot more gluten than I was used to. This then got my "itchy b%$@#y" flaky ears and vulva going.

A year ago I thought I should go off my detox herbs, but it appears that some herbs help act as an antidote for this sensitivity to salicylates--even though most other herbs are very high in salicylates.

I wonder if these herbs might also help those with DH. Have any of you tried such herbs with good effect -- or not? The herbs in question are: dandelion (a general all around safe, good detox herb for the liver; adds in potassium while meanwhile making the body pee out the toxins) and marshmallow root (to soothe and heal the lining of the gut as well as gall bladder, stomach and kidneys).

I then alternate Oregon Grape Root with Barberry Root --both of which have berberine in them. They get the liver and gall bladder to release bile, which in turns helps the intestines do peristalsis. They are not good if you have D by the way!! They help one to really detox from metals and poisons and kill off microbes.

Finally I take Nettles on days when I am not taking these last two roots, to give my body a break when I still need to detox. The Nettles are a more gentle detox of the liver. It is also very good as an antidote to salicylate sensitivity, and thus all those itchy b%$@#ies in the ears and in my case also the exterior vulva area.

Roughly 3 1/2 years ago I suggested Burdock to one guy on here who had DH and it did help him. Burdock is very good for the skin as well as the liver. However I have since wondered about Burdock being safe for the likes of us since some say it is a stimulant. But what kind?? If it just stimulates the bile, that is OK. If it stimulates the immune system that is another matter. So meanwhile I have not been using it since I don't want anything that over-stimulates my already out of control immune response...

Meanwhile I am pretty excited about re-introducing these herbs. In combination with being completely gluten free and now being on a low salicylate diet I am finally getting these itchy b%$@#ies to go away! My skin in fact is starting to look and feel a lot more normal.

I also think I am learning a principle--when some of us like me have these skin conditions, whether eczema, psoriasis or DH, the liver/gallbladder and intestines are involved. Usually the skin condition and swollen joints indicates the liver/gallbladder/intestines are slow moving and/or blocked up with toxins etc. By eating lots of greens and less animal fat and some fresh fruit with pectin in it like apples and pears (to help flush out the cholesterol) plus taking some liver and intestinal healing, antilithic and bile stimulating herbs, it seems I can begin to create real healing for for this otherwise notoriously intractable condition. With the psoriasis in addition, there seems to be a big connection with inflammation which creates fibromyalgia like symptoms and/or arthritis.

Of course to me it seems everything is connected to everything else in our bodies, despite the generalized official ignorance out there about the cause and inter-relatedness of these matters in the medical community. To me seeing these connections and beginning to see how they work in my own body is like rediscovering the connections Mother Earth has given us within our own selves.

Anyone else think about things like this??

Bea

[mushroom]

So, Bea, you mentioned the arthritic component of your psoriasis. How does that manifest itself? I was diagnosed with first polymyalgia rheumatica (the easy diagnosis because they labelled my dad with that, but it was not what he had, I know now), and then with RF-negative rheumatoid arthritis, and then, when the psoriasis showed up, with psoriatic arthritis -- which manifests itself in the silvery scaly spots, as well as the sheet red, hurting places, in the tender places, and in cracked bleeding palms and heels. The arthritis was so severe (and the craziness of the psoriasis - it was like I was living in a glass bubble with mosquitoes for 3 years) that I finally gave in and took Humira which has cured both conditions (but caused me problems with infections, when I have to go off it ). So far as I know I don't have problems with salicylates, only oxalates (spinach primarily), and I have not tried a lot of herbal treatments. I have kidney problems, but not liver.

So I am suppressing the heck out of my immune system, which seems to have createdother metabolic problems??? - gosh, sometimes you wish you didn't have to figure everything out for yourself

[YoloGx]

So, Bea, you mentioned the arthritic component of your psoriasis. How does that manifest itself? I was diagnosed with first polymyalgia rheumatica (the easy diagnosis because they labelled my dad with that, but it was not what he had, I know now), and then with RF-negative rheumatoid arthritis, and then, when the psoriasis showed up, with psoriatic arthritis -- which manifests itself in the silvery scaly spots, as well as the sheet red, hurting places, in the tender places, and in cracked bleeding palms and heels. The arthritis was so severe (and the craziness of the psoriasis - it was like I was living in a glass bubble with mosquitoes for 3 years) that I finally gave in and took Humira which has cured both conditions (but caused me problems with infections, when I have to go off it ). So far as I know I don't have problems with salicylates, only oxalates (spinach primarily), and I have not tried a lot of herbal treatments. I have kidney problems, but not liver.

So I am suppressing the heck out of my immune system, which seems to have createdother metabolic problems??? - gosh, sometimes you wish you didn't have to figure everything out for yourself

Hi Mushroom, Its nice to "see you" here!

Actually its only recently I have noticed this liver/gallbladder connection so strongly due to my gallbladder acting up. I used to just assume it was a good idea to flush out the liver to support my more difficult kidneys. I have long been aware that I was exposed to a lot of toxins as a child etc.

I think I may have told you, back in my early twenties I ended up losing 1/2 my right kidney to spontaneous nephritic infections which created so called permanent scar tissue. They wanted to keep me on antibiotics forever as a result. However they made my ears ring and my skin get rashes on the joints... So I quit them and went to herbs instead. I now wonder if the nattokinase anti scar tissue ability (fibronylitic) may be improving the villi in my kidneys as well as my intestines.

Dandelion root is specific for the kidneys as well as the liver. Marshmallow root is also soothing and healing for the kidneys and bladder. I also have used uva ursi quite a lot to good effect. It makes the ph such that an infection is unlikely to happen. Uva ursi is much better than cranberry (which is high in salicylates by the way). Its best to just soak the herb in water over night rather than heat up. Also best taken with a little baking soda on the side (in water of course!). Another excellent herb for the kidneys as well as for the lymphatic system is cleavers. I would be using both of these now except I don't know if they are low in salicylates or not. Thankfully I know dandelion root is low in sals, and marshmallow root appears to be--or at least is not harming me.

Some of the items you list as being on your "no list" of foods are high in salicylates by the way. The only potatoes I can have are the peeled white potatoes. All the rest are high in sals. Tomatoes are extremely high in sals. The skins are the worst though I can't handle any tomato at all at this point. Do you eat peppers? They are part of the same family.

Also I wanted to mention that taking the herbs is making it so I can actually digest lentils for the first time since forever--which is a life saver for me right now since I have to avoid all animal fats and thus no meat except for a bit of fish now and then. It makes sense since the berberine containing herbs act as a "bitter" which gets the bile going...

If it was me I would avoid things like Humira if at all possible. I read a bit about it and it looks dangerous with lots of side effects. However if it works for you, who am I to say to not take it?

The reason I started to dot the "i's" and cross the "t's concerning this is that I went to a potluck for other really sensitive celiacs the other night and we got to discussing a person's psoriatic arthritis and her intractable problems with it. She takes methlexate (sp?), another really nasty drug. The trouble is is that her body is quickly becoming intolerant of the AMA drugs. (She is a trained medical researcher by the way...) I described what I thought was eczema and she said it was typical psoriasis. I then looked up psoriatic arthritis when I got home and started to make the connections I described above.

There have been a couple of times I haven't been able to walk due to inflammation. I just never put the connection between these skin conditions and not walking even though I have known the herbs are good against the inflammation (as well as skin conditions) and I have taken them for that.

In fact I have seen the herbs help both me with my varied problems and a friend of mine (Graeme) who has celiac and all the signs of RH (which is what his mother had).

The herbs really help Graeme too, though he is less tolerant of the ones with berberine than I. The dandelion and milk thistle work best for him. He tolerates the Oregon Mountain Grape Root only two days at a time. Plus the Burdock is not good for him at all. I am going to have him try out the nettles. There are other detox herbs that can also help, like red clover leaves--which are good for him. Very gentle though probably way high in salicylates--so they may be a no no for me. I just don't know yet. Nevertheless, they are supposed to be good for psoriatic arthritis, gout etc.

Well l need to do some yoga. I hope meanwhile we can continue this discussion!

Bea

[Complexnatural]

Hi Mushroom, Its nice to "see you" here!

Actually its only recently I have noticed this liver/gallbladder connection so strongly due to my gallbladder acting up. I used to just assume it was a good idea to flush out the liver to support my more difficult kidneys. I have long been aware that I was exposed to a lot of toxins as a child etc.

I think I may have told you, back in my early twenties I ended up losing 1/2 my right kidney to spontaneous nephritic infections which created so called permanent scar tissue. They wanted to keep me on antibiotics forever as a result. However they made my ears ring and my skin get rashes on the joints... So I quit them and went to herbs instead. I now wonder if the nattokinase anti scar tissue ability (fibronylitic) may be improving the villi in my kidneys as well as my intestines.

Dandelion root is specific for the kidneys as well as the liver. Marshmallow root is also soothing and healing for the kidneys and bladder. I also have used uva ursi quite a lot to good effect. It makes the ph such that an infection is unlikely to happen. Uva ursi is much better than cranberry (which is high in salicylates by the way). Its best to just soak the herb in water over night rather than heat up. Also best taken with a little baking soda on the side (in water of course!). Another excellent herb for the kidneys as well as for the lymphatic system is cleavers. I would be using both of these now except I don't know if they are low in salicylates or not. Thankfully I know dandelion root is low in sals, and marshmallow root appears to be--or at least is not harming me.

Some of the items you list as being on your "no list" of foods are high in salicylates by the way. The only potatoes I can have are the peeled white potatoes. All the rest are high in sals. Tomatoes are extremely high in sals. The skins are the worst though I can't handle any tomato at all at this point. Do you eat peppers? They are part of the same family.

Also I wanted to mention that taking the herbs is making it so I can actually digest lentils for the first time since forever--which is a life saver for me right now since I have to avoid all animal fats and thus no meat except for a bit of fish now and then. It makes sense since the berberine containing herbs act as a "bitter" which gets the bile going...

If it was me I would avoid things like Humira if at all possible. I read a bit about it and it looks dangerous with lots of side effects. However if it works for you, who am I to say to not take it?

The reason I started to dot the "i's" and cross the "t's concerning this is that I went to a potluck for other really sensitive celiacs the other night and we got to discussing a person's psoriatic arthritis and her intractable problems with it. She takes methlexate (sp?), another really nasty drug. The trouble is is that her body is quickly becoming intolerant of the AMA drugs. (She is a trained medical researcher by the way...) I described what I thought was eczema and she said it was typical psoriasis. I then looked up psoriatic arthritis when I got home and started to make the connections I described above.

There have been a couple of times I haven't been able to walk due to inflammation. I just never put the connection between these skin conditions and not walking even though I have known the herbs are good against the inflammation (as well as skin conditions) and I have taken them for that.

In fact I have seen the herbs help both me with my varied problems and a friend of mine (Graeme) who has celiac and all the signs of RH (which is what his mother had).

The herbs really help Graeme too, though he is less tolerant of the ones with berberine than I. The dandelion and milk thistle work best for him. He tolerates the Oregon Mountain Grape Root only two days at a time. Plus the Burdock is not good for him at all. I am going to have him try out the nettles. There are other detox herbs that can also help, like red clover leaves--which are good for him. Very gentle though probably way high in salicylates--so they may be a no no for me. I just don't know yet. Nevertheless, they are supposed to be good for psoriatic arthritis, gout etc.

Well l need to do some yoga. I hope meanwhile we can continue this discussion!

Bea

Hi Bea

Thank you for all the interesting info that applies to me. How do you know what herbs to take and the quantities. You are very knowledgeable about what works for you.

Thanks!

cn

[Lisa]

Hi Bea

Thank you for all the interesting info that applies to me. How do you know what herbs to take and the quantities. You are very knowledgeable about what works for you.

Thanks!

cn

Yes, Bea is very knowledgeable about what works for her. Herbs can be very benign, yet others very powerful, and she would be the first to say as well. Many herbs can interact with prescriptions. I would contact a professional or your doctor.