Dear Indy06,
There are many possible ways to approach fighting psoriasis. I'm trying the nutritional approach, which is free, and has no side effects, if I pay attention to what agrees with me, and what doesn't.
Sally's ("GitOverIt") posts about Psorolin ointment and 777 Oil, and her posts about nutritional approaches, were inspiring to me! Read her posts! Dulane and Drea and others also are inspiring to me.
I was also trying phototherapy, by way of tanning booths, but I overdid, and have stopped, temporarily.
Then, in one of her posts, Sally ("GitOverIt") said that she had previously cleared her psoriasis, by using the advice in a book called "Healing Psoriasis, The Natual Alternative", by Dr. John O.A. Pagano (Chiropractic Physician).
Since I was already into natural methods, after retiring from nursing, it made sense to check into the nutritional methods:
I found one copy of Pagano's book, at one bookstore in Denver, CO (The Tattered Cover), and drove over 100 miles to get the book.
He has a disclaimer, in which he says to see one's doctor, before trying any therapeutic methods. Also, in his book, he says that after many years of his patients volunteering to try his natural methods, he published in his book, what seems to help his patients, and that even though he may not know exactly why the methods work, he's happy to be getting a lot of good results.
I'm following many of his directions, that include (at least):
--avoiding Nightshade family of plants, temporarily (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers, nicotine, paprika spice)
--eating lots of green leafy veggies (that grow above ground level)--preferably organic and fresh (juicing got 5 of them into myself & hubby, all at once), daily (like fresh watercress, parsely--avoid overdoing on parsely if pregnant, celery, romaine lettuce, carrots), and many other veggies, as long as they agree with you, and don't react badly with any meds you're taking.
Broccali and cauliflower and red cabbage, etc. grow above ground. (People who are hypothyroid--underactive thyroid--should not "overindulge" in members of the cabbage/mustard family, such as broccali, cauliflower, cabbage, turnips, radishes, mustard greens, kale, napa cabbage, etc., because this can depress thyroid function further)
Those whose blood clots too much (abnormally, which could cause a heart attack, stroke, etc.), should avoid overdoing on veggies that have a lot of Vitamin K in them.
Watercress and carrots have very little Vitamin K in them. Other deep green veggies usually have a lot of Vitamin K in them. People taking anti-coagulants/blood thinners, should pay attention to how much Vitamin K is in each veggie.
--eating some root (below ground) veggies, such as carrots (raw or baked, steamed, in soup), yams (baked, steamed, in soup), daikon radish (grated, added to salad)
--getting rid of constipation, if it's a factor, so as to increase elimination of toxins that could do damage, if they stay in the body too long. He likes high colonics, &/or enemas, but there are other ways he mentions, too, for those who are not going to do enemas, or who shouldn't do them (such as heart patients, etc.). Check with doctor, before doing enemas or colonics.
I find it interesting that I had a flare, when I was constipated! I tried eating, as he suggested, a couple of fresh black mission figs, and a few fresh dates (don't choke on pits!), and wow--it worked!
--drinking 6-8 glasses (8 oz) per day, if OK with a person, medically. People with glaucoma, heart problems, high blood pressure, etc., should check with their docs first, to be sure drinking more water is OK for them. Preventing dehydration, allows the kidneys and large intestine, to both get rid of toxins, more easily.
--he includes ways to improve the function of other organs of elmination (like liver, lungs, kidneys). All of this could be thought of as "detoxification".
--herb teas (he likes Slippery Elm inner bark--if not allergic, and something called American Yellow Saffron, which is not the regular saffron, and which I'm still checking on before trying), to help repair "leaky gut" syndrome, that has to do with toxins getting absorbed when they shouldn't be, due to the "leaky" gut/large intestine.
--he says to avoid anything that one might be allergic to or sensitive to (food sensitivities to certain proteins, is different from food protein allgergies):
I avoid milk products (cheese, milk, whipped cream, pizza, cheesecake, all those yummy things, ice cream, etc.), and I avoid gluten (gluten is in wheat, rye, barley, and gluten can get onto oats & buckwheat at packaging plants, or in bulk bins, where scoops get moved around by customers), because my hubby is gluten sensitive, and I don't want to tempt him to eat gluten.
Some are sensitive to proteins in corn, soy, yeast (Crohn's Disease is sometimes associated with a yeast protein sensitivity), egg proteins, etc.
--chiropractic adjustments (My chiro, at my request, does NOT do the big "cracks", but instead uses a little spring loaded hammer, to do gentle adjustments)
--I'm also going to a good acupuncturist (which I'm not sure is in his book, since I haven't read the whole book yet), and I think it's helping, too, by calming and soothing mind, body, and soul.
--Trying to think positively can help, although, it's totally normal to have "negative thinking", when suffering! I have to try to not think that Psoriasis is a punishment that I deserve, for having done whatever I did, that could have been better, in life.
--He writes that after trying his methods for a while, some people have a big flare-up, for a few days, just before major healing occurs. This "terrible time" as he calls it, ("the storm before the calm"), must be treated, he says. Don't ignore it. He has many methods of dealing with this "healing crisis", including sitz baths, warm or cool wet cloths/pajamas, and if needed, being hospitalized, with or without getting a little MTX (Methotrexate) administered by a good doctor, in severe cases.
There's more in his book (2004 version), that I am slowly reading, and taking what I like, and rejecting what I don't like (I don't like microwave ovens, and I don't like non-stick cookware).
Good luck to you, whatever you try, and good luck to all! Stay here, and you'll get lots of support from the nice folks here!
Carol
http://cantbreathesuspectvcd.com