Well, I've put off this spanking long enough! My dermatologist convinced me to break my own rules and natural medicine principles after a long discussion of my options. He is the best dermatologist around and is older but does know what he's doing. I just wish he knew more about natural treatments.
I was really hurting when I went for my appointment, with cracks and cuts all over both hands and deep painful cracks in very hard thick skin on my feet. He told me to put the strong Clobetasol ointment only on the worst spots and a milder Triamcinolone over all. On my own, I continued to add a small amount of silver sulfadiazine cream over that (a prescription from my podiatrist) and topped it with a small amount of Vaseline to keep it moist. I applied these heavily and wore cotton socks and gloves at night when going to bed...I still do...but my hands were about 80% healed the first week, between Dec.31st and Jan. 8th, and about 90% now.
It wasn't just the ointments that stopped it though. My pulmonary doctor had prescribed 10 mg a day of prednisone the day before because my COPD is worsening and it's to the point where I need the help to breathe...I knew that day would come, but put it off for years. Then after discussing the worst of several evils, one of which could cause the psoriasis to come back with a vengence a second time with pustular sores, the doctor and I decided more prednisone, for 8 days, would be worth a try. Altogether he wanted me to take 50 mg for 5 days and then 30 mg for 3 days, dropping to the original 10 mg. I fudged a little, taking 40 mg in the AM and 10 mg in the PM, because it really zapped my strength, or something did, the first couple of days.
But I think what may be working more than anything is a treatment called Grenz Ray Therapy. They say: "The German word "Grenz" means boundry, and refers to the fact that these rays are so soft that they lie between ultraviolet rays and ordinary x-rays in the electromagnetic spectrum." It only takes 40 seconds for my hands and 40 seconds each for each foot, because it's not big enough to do all at once. The ray barely enters the surface of the skin, in fact, I have to make sure I don't use any creams or lotions or it wouldn't get to the skin at all. The reason I chose this treatment was that it's a 45 minute drive to the doctor and the treatments are only once a week for 6 weeks. Friday will be my 4th. I improved so much in one week that it was amazing. The other light treatments have to be done more often and forever...not practical with a long drive.
I've also been taking 5 drops of Nascent iodine...usually once a day...but will increase as I see what it does to my thyroid readings in a few weeks. For chronic illness the dose is normally 5 drops 3 times a day. I'm still taking T3 and T4. I skipped thyroid medication one day, and still debate if I should try to ween off of it. I have been taking heavier doses of vitamin D3, once in a while 50,000 I.U. for a couple of days, sometimes 10,000 and more often 5,000.
For the extremely dry skin of psoriasis, I still recommend the Mega Hydrate. I only took one bottle of it, but plan to order more. As for the Doo Gro, I really think it did a lot to slow the psoriasis down, but in my case, I wouldn't call it a cure.
Pinballdoctor, if psoriasis is a fungus, candida or mold, the topical silver cream and oral iodine should help it. I believe Lugol's is used for candida. I really think the silver cream helped, but alone it wasn't a cure. My biggest problem is sugar, as you mentioned. I need to break the habit of munching on sweets when on my computer for hours at a time...and I'm trying by actually getting off my behind and going to the kitchen for real food more often. But how do people exist without bread?! One thing I do love is to lightly steam a big bowl of broccoli, cauliflower and carrots and munch on them cold from the refrigerator. They would be healthier raw, but I can't chew well with my dull, ancient 55 year old dentures...no joke...and not one chip.
I'm hoping the psoriasis won't flair up again, as you mentioned, but I'm going to be working on other ways to build up my system and don't plan to stay on the prednisone long. I think iodine is a big plus. Magnesium and sodium bicarbonate too. I'm just taking so many things right now that I can't keep track of it all and stay on a schedule.
That's another good question...where can I get a form sheet or schedule for keeping track of medications and supplements on the web that I can print out? My way it is too hard to see when things are due.
Thanks for all your help! I'm sorry I'm such a renagade!
