Hesperidin for Psoriasis - Art Solbrig Protocol

Hi Art,

I was wondering how you are doing with the psoriasis? If I understand correctly, you began to see significant results within 3 or 4 weeks using your Hesperidin protocol, and were 100% clear of psoriasis at the end of 2017, since you began using Hesperidin orally and opening capsules and putting some in your lotion at the beginning of 2017. Is this correct? Are you still clear, and if so, have you been able to reduce how much Hesperidin you take and how often you apply the lotion?

Forgive me, but I've been reading so much, not just on this site, I'm worn out trying to learn how to deal with this. Your protocol seems to get the fastest results, although I'm also going to try a couple some slippery elm because I can see where I may need to heal my gut also.

I've only had psoriasis for about a year, but it's moderate to severe.

So this is what I've ordered. Hesperidin capsules. 500 mg, but it's not the brand that you used, as those were not available. I have it written down how you mixed it with your lotion. I have some Shikai Borage Therapy, so I'm just going to use that to mix the Hesperidin in, and then I ordered some Vitamin B12 Cyanocobalamin capsules also. I don't have Jojoba oil, and didn't order that. What I do have is Borage oil and Avocado oil. I'm leaning toward adding the Avacado oil to the mix, as these lotions seem to be thin, and just seem to sit on the top of my skin, (those plaques), unlike ointments that do pentrate my skin, but don't seem to make much difference. (With the exception of Chickweed salve which is very soothing, but on the other hand, it's a 4 oz tin, and I could go through a tin every other day trying to use it from the top of my ribcage to the top of my feet. Pretty expensive).

Is there anything else I'm missing in your protocol?

I'm not trying to be difficult. Again, I'm worn out trying to see how to tackle this psoriasis issue. I did go to a dermatologist, but I'm just so leery of corticosteroids, as I had to use another corticosteroid for an entirely different issue, and it only brought temporary relief. Not only that, but he prescribed 3 tiny tubes (15 mg each), instead of the tub he said he was going to order, told me to use them from top to bottom, and each tube only lasted 2 days. It was insane.

Additionally, I have a family member that is recovering from a health issue, and I haven't taken the time to focus on clearing up this psoriasis. For the most part, all I've done for months is sit, read and pick at these stupid plaques until they bleed, while I'm trying to figure out how to tackle this. If I'm missing anything about your protocol, I'd appreciate it if you could point that out to me. I just wanted to try your protocol first, before any others that people have said worked for them, (and hopefully last) as it seems to be the easiest, with the fastest results.

Just encouraging a bath. Epson salts 2 cups- all amounts can vary not strict: one cup Dead Sea salts, baking soda .5 cup USP if possible, magnesium flakes, magnesium oil can rub on may burn for a bit, apple cider vinegar Braggs or organic raw unheated .5 cup, Important. I use a shower filter. Everyone should the water studies show tap water is filled with contaminants even drugs in micro amounts, chlorinated water not good we absorb some 67% taking a shower or bath. I use a stopper then turn shower on so as to fill up tub with filtered. water. You can rinse off then or do unstopped then stop drainage. Then let tub fill sit and enjoy. Soak relax verbally correct your skin issues and any symptoms. Corrections work. I am writing a book on it. Should reduce itching and break outs. Once a week or more.

jo,

I forgot to mention to use the larger half of the empty hesperidin capsule to measure the B12 powder.

Art

jo,

Since I got better, I use a mild hesperidin + B12 cream. I mix 3 ounces of hand and body lotion( I use Cetaphil which has avocado oil in it) with the contents from a 500 mg hesperidin capsule and I take half of the empty hesperidin capsule and fill it with B12 powder which I bought in bulk in a small bag. Add a total of 2 half capsules of B12 powder to the lotion and shake the container very well. When it is well mixed it turns a pink color and I apply it to the skin. It is also useful for facial application or other areas where the skin can be very sensitive.

This cream works when the psoriasis is mild to moderate. I added the B12 to the hesperidin cream because of this study which showed that B12 cream which also contained avocado oil had similar effect as Calcipotriol/Calcipotriene, a very expensive prescription cream derived from the active form of vitamin D for mild to moderate psoriasis :

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11586013/

Here is a relevant study quote :

' There was a more rapid development of beneficial effects with the use of calcipotriol in the initial 8 weeks, although differences in effects were significant only at the time point of therapy week 8 (p < 0.05). After 12 weeks, neither the PASI score nor 20-MHz sonography showed significant differences between the two treatments. While the efficacy of the calcipotriol preparation reached a maximum in the first 4 weeks and then began to subside, the effects of the vitamin B(12) cream containing avocado oil remained at a constant level over the whole observation period. This would indicate that the vitamin B(12) preparation containing avocado oil may be suitable for use in long-term therapy, a hypothesis further supported by the fact that the investigator and the patients assessed the tolerability of the vitamin B(12) cream containing avocado oil as significantly better in comparison with that of calcipotriol. '

I like this cream because it is well tolerated, it doesn't stink, its not too greasy, it's easy to make, can be used long term and it doesn't have any negative side effects that I have noticed. I think the hesperidin and B12, because of different methods of action are likely to be synergistic together and that is why I chose the combination.

Here is a newer B12 study for psoriasis :

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5806803/

Here is a relevant quote :

' In this study, the PASI score to assess the efficacy and tolerability of a B₁₂-based ointment was used. A significant improvement was observed after already 2 weeks of treatment using vitamin B₁₂ topical applications two times a day, while only a maintenance of PASI levels was achieved in the patient treated body side with a glycerol-petrolatum-based emollient cream. All patients referred an improvement in clinical symptoms and decrease in itching; these data have been measured through pVAS. Our results confirm the already demonstrated positive effect of vitamin B₁₂, ^{12, 13} demonstrating furthermore the reduction in extension and severity of psoriasis and atopic dermatitis with the B₁₂ topical treatment. In addition to the immunomodulatory effect, vitamin B₁₂ ointment reestablish the needed level on psoriatic skin, thus, patients affected from psoriatic are frequently affected by vitamin B₁₂ deficiency. In conclusion, vitamin B₁₂ ointment can be considered as a valid therapeutic option to anti-inflammatory topical agents available for psoriasis treatments and can be used in the treatment of mild-to-moderate psoriasis. The application of vitamin B₁₂ ointment can be especially considered for sensitive and problematic skin areas (i.e. popliteal area, cubital flexures and armpits). On the contemporary panorama in the treatment of psoriasis, we conclude that vitamin B₁₂ ointment will represent a new concrete therapy option and should be considered in the update of therapeutic algorithm for the treatment of psoriasis.

I recommend that you click on the study and scroll down to look at the comparison graph of the cream vs the B12 cream in terms of PASI score reduction over the study period.

There are multiple suppliers of B12 cyanocobalamin powder on Amazon. Get the smallest bag available which should be $20 or less. It will last a very very long time.

Art

Hi Art,

Could you please provide an update on your progress taking Hesperidin?

Actualy, this is nor reply. I am realy astounded, that when I went thru half comments, nobody is mentioning detox!!!!?? Body will send toxins fast way thru skin, when liver is overburdened or wounded. Hit, twist in abdomen, etc. People have not idea, how liver can be overburdened in this toxic time. 30,40,50 years old toxins. Methilation, sulfation problems aren't helping. “Sciency” found many different toxins in saliva, tears, nasal fluid, but not on the skin with psoriasis? Funy. Old age spots, brown, liver spots are the same thing coused by dangerous toxins, whitch body pushed out, not to do further demage. Itching can be from corosive chemichals or oxidative heavy metals. Calcium d Glucerate is helping with heavy metals on the skin. If we aren't eating enough fats and fibers, body is absorbing more heavy metals. I am not doctor, and they realy dong go upstream enough. Go ahead, backstab me again. One more thing, people don't know how Oxalates travel thru body. Sometimes they travel together with toxins, drilling thru skin. Not fun.

Hi Lee,

I have no experience with a child so young using hesperidin, so I can't really comment on usage, but on my hesperidin bottle, it specifically says, "for adults only".

Art

Hi Art, I was wondering if the Hesperidan Lotion and capsules could be dosed for a 2 year old. My 2 yr old grand-daughter has psoriasis on her arms, chest and back. I know you can't recommend this as a treatment but would like to know the ratio of the lotion for weight based dosing.

Thank you for posting this new update.

Lee

Hi Charla!

I'm glad your daughter is starting to see improvement

I am currently testing a substitute for the blue indigo powder since it is so hard to get and often is the green powder instead of the blue indigo powder that has been used in the studies that I linked to. We need to know that we are getting the right powder for the purpose and as it sits right now, we can't count on this.

So far in this test, the new product is performing very well and I might add, better than the blue powder which was messy and not convenient. The new product can also be used orally or topically so it is more versatile and definitely easier to get and less expensive! If it continues to perform well, I will report about it soon. I just need to complete the test first, because I have tried many things that worked well initially only to fizzle out after the first week or two or three. The other big plus to the new product is it has an exceptional safety profile which is allowing me to use high dosing which is more effective than lower dosing in my experience so far. That is an issue with the pine bark/EGCG capsules is that risk increases as the dose goes up, mainly because of the EGCG.

Keep an eye out for that update!

Art

Thanks Art. We'll try that. Sure appreciate your reply.

My daughter does seem to be free of the white scales but the plaques still exist so we're upping her pine bark to 3 a day.

Hi Char,

Since it is now more difficult to find the blue powder, it may be better to consider a different topical such as witch hazel with xylitol, vegetable glycerin, and lavender essential oil.

• Add 8 ounces of witch hazel to a 16 ounce jar.
  
• Add 1 ounce of food grade vegetable glycerin to a measuring cup.
  
• Add xylitol granules to the measuring cup that has the 1 ounce of glycerin in it until the 2 ounce line is reached. Mix these two together.
  
• Pour the glycerin/xylitol mix into the 8 ounces of witch hazel.
  
• Add 15 drops of lavender essential oil or to your personal preference, to the mix.
  
• Replace the lid on the jar and shake vigorously.
  
• Pour 2 ounces of this mix, after shaking, into a 2 ounce spray bottle for easy application to the skin.

Some people are allergic to witch hazel, so apply a small test area to the inner forearm approximately 1/2" x 1/2" and let sit for a day on the forearm to test for an allergic reaction to the topical.

Always shake before using.

Art

Art,

We're wondering where you purchase your indigo naturalis? your link on amazon no longer works and I've found a bunch of others but they aren't "shade dried" blue... they're green. We've bought the Now Pine and Xylitol.... just want to get this last piece of your remedy to start. My 14 year old daughter has plaque psoriasis and we've tried sooo many cures including juicing celery for 45 days in addition to a slew of supplements (all that you mentioned in your original post). We've seem some improvement with black seed oil but we're excited to try your solution.

Side note: we called a Chinese herbalist acquaintance to purchase it and she recommended against it....

Using Art's psoriasis treatment. I have had very good results on my scalp.

I altered the lotion slightly and added neem powder not the oil, with the indigo powder and applied to scalp. Cetaphil is good because it has ceradimides which are healing to skin. Do not be alarmed at the dark blue color, this will go away when rubbed in.

I am taking the NOW pine bark extract three times and day.

I added one capsule of the NOW to the pine bark extract to desert Essence tea tree shampoo, this will turn the shampoo to a dark color, do not be alarmed.

Herbal Essence white grapefruit and mint conditioner which does not promote malasseszia yeast scalp issue I added a dropper full of neem essential oil. Neem is ultra stinky - like garlic gone bad. If this is still not masked add peppermint essential to the conditioner.

Scalp has improved 98 per cent in two days treatment.

Will update.

Luke,

Yes, the speed of your recovery is similar to what I saw once I was using all three components, very fast. So I would say that your results tend to confirm that the combination of all three components at once is more potent than anyone of the three on their own. When I started, I didn't even have all three components selected yet, but in hindsight, the three together appear to be significantly more potent! Although you may feel that the indigo powder is the most potent of the components, I doubt you would have had such a strong response to it had you not also taken the PBE and xylitol too.

By chance, did you happen to take any before pics?

I look forward to your updates!

Art

Hi Art,

Yes I am using all 3 - the PBE, the Xylitol and the Indigo powder. I received all products on the same day, and began using all 3 simultaneously. It has been 6 days now and two of my patches are 95% clear. The Indigo powder I have is the green powder and the fact that I saw progress overnight leads me to suspect that it was the powder that was primarily responsible for the inroad that was made.

Going forward it will be difficult for me to tease out the relative contributions of the products because of the speed of the progress and the fact that I began them simultaneously. Nevertheless I will continue using all 3. I currently use 4 caps of the PBE daily, and ~15-25 grams of the Xylitol - all dosages spread out. I apply the Indigo 2-3x/day.

There is zero chance I will be relenting. The negative effects of psoriasis have had on my life vs. 10 minutes a day to keep on top of it - it really is a no brainer.

Luke.

You're welcome, Luke!

I'm glad it is working out so well for you! It is a potent combination. One thing I have noticed is that hitting it with everything at once seemed most effective. I don't know how severe your condition is, but if you have had it for 20 years, I'm going to guess it is a well entrenched case. Under those circumstances I would remain relentless in going after it until it is gone. Don't give it a chance to gain any ground!

I have no clue if the green powder is effective or not because I have not used it, but please post back to let us know how effective or not effective it is.

You didn't say if you are doing the xylitol also, but if you are, can you determine that it has an additive effect to the PBE?

Please keep us posted on your progress, Luke and thank you for posting your great results!

Art

Thank you Art,

I too have tried many methods based on many theories in order to rid myself of psoriasis, I have kept meticulous logs of varying experiments to this point. The speed of the progress from this protocol is unmatched by anything else I have ever done - and I have done some things that most would consider extreme. ~20 years of psoriasis and assuming progress maintains at roughly the same rate, I am 90% confident it will be gone entirely in 6 weeks.

I received the Indigofera Tinctoria powder not 4 days ago, I noticed visual improvement the very next day. After reading this thread, I scoured the web trying to find a smaller amount of Qing Dai Fen (the blue Indigo powder) and found some. When it arrived, it was the olive coloured 'Indigofera Tinctoria', so I used it anyway. I mixed it with the orange oil on your recommendation too. I'm also using the other parts of the protocol as suggested.

Thank you again for sharing this,

Luke.

Myra,

I am very sorry to hear of the tragic passing of your friend.

I am myself, quite hesitant to consider some drugs that have shown severe health reactions.

Art

Art, I am sooo glad you found something to work for you. This past week-end I lost my best friend from complications of Stelera shot.

To those with psoriasis: Please please, if you can find something else to work, DO NOT TAKE THE SHOTS.

Here is a recent 2018 abstract adding further confirmation to the idea that proanthocyanidins have anti-psoriasis activity. Pine Bark Extract has a very high proantocyanidin content and the one I used is listed at a minimum of 90% proanthocyanidins.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29630472

Art

Jo, it sounds like you are having a pustular psoriasis flair and this is dangerous.

That is the one form of psoriasis I have never had and I have no idea if those three supplements can do anything for pustular psoriasis. You should stop all that you are taking and go to the doctor right away.

They may need to give you systemic steroids to try and get things under control.

Hi Art...

Hellish issues over here since late last week. Outbreak has gone for the gold in severity. It's all over feet, ankles and climbing up legs (left foot is less intense than right). Painful scabbing, clear-colored "wetness" oozing out, intense red over whole foot (places that were previously healing). Painful to stand because it feels like the skin is going to rip right open...feels that tight. Can't understand what's happening or why.

Jo

Rsw,

That is a good article! I have tried everything on the Th-2 stimulating list except white willow bark, but I have tried aspirin as a similar type in its place. By comparison, I have avoided almost everything on the Th-1 stimulating list except the grape seed extract. I am surprised to see grape seed extract on the Th-1 stimulating list as it has action very similar to pine bark extract. I have a feeling they meant to say "grapefruit seed extract" because it would likely be a Th-1 stimulator, while grape seed extract would likely be a Th-2 stimulator. Both are often referred to as GSE and are often confused for each other.

Psoriasis is generally considered a Th-1 dominant disease, but in more recent years is also considered to be a Th-17/ Il-17 related disease as are some others.

In any case, those two lists will be quite helpful for people who are trying to narrow their search for disease specific supplements. There is plenty of room and lots of studies to expand both of those lists. Thank you for posting the article, Rsw!

Regarding your LP/Ha experiment, I have been looking for your update based on the time line to results in that study??? Seems like you would have been well into the experiment by now based on when you ordered your supplements???

Art

TH1 & TH2 Dominance and Suggested Supplements

Hi Art and all Earth Clinic readers,

I came across this yesterday and thought you might find it interesting. As you can see, according to this, the remedies for psoriasis, lichen planus and sogren's are very close to what you have researched from Pub Med studies! Bravo, Art! I don't understand this much, but it may be helpful to people with these autoimmune conditions.

https://hypothyroidmom.com/autoimmune-patients-have-you-heard-of-th1-and-th2-dominance/

Will report back on the LP/hyalauronic acid trial in a week or two. Still working on it.

Hi Jo,

Yes, I had a few of those along the way, but the overall trend always seemed to remain intact or at a temporary stand still at worst. You said it is your ankles and moving up from there. Are your feet themselves still improved or have they gone backward also? Have your hands and elbows remained clear?

On a related note, I found that once an area cleared that I had been applying the lotion to, it remained clear and never (to this date) came back, but I still got a new plaque in an area where I had never applied the lotion. Just applying the lotion to the new plaque made it go away fairly quickly. I was wondering if you have noticed this also?

Art

Hi Art...

Two steps forward, four steps back, it seems. Outbreak on feet around the ankle areas and moving upward. Started to build over the weekend. Maybe too much sugar again? Not sure, but the itching has driven me near to crazy! Feet are slathered in the "goop." Hoping this will calm down. Arghhh, I hate psoriasis!

Jo

Hi Jo,

Very kewl that you found your brother!

Yes, psoriasis does have a genetic component and can run in families.....it does in mine.

Regarding the PBE/EGCG and xylitol, yes, as mentioned previously, I am taking it at much lower levels as a preventative, but not just for psoriasis. These supplements are very likely to have other long term health benefits based on all of the studies that I read about them! I think of it as inexpensive "health insurance" that is actually healthful for you!

Art

Hi Art...

Side story (yawn time! )......

I was adopted as an infant. A few years back, I found my birth brother (he and his family live in Ca.). We don't know if we're genetically related by half or whole. He jokes that we're twins, despite the fact that we were born five years apart. We do seem akin on many "woo-woo" levels. It's so cool to me...an only child becoming a "for-real" sister...for the first time!

Found out that he suffers from bouts of psoriasis, too. Does it run in families? I don't really know.

Have another couple of questions for you. When you're not in an outbreak, do you take PBE/GTE capsules as a preventative? What about Xylitol? If so, how much?

Jo

Hi Jo,

You are very welcome! I am so happy it is working for you similarly to how it worked for me, just faster in your case. Hopefully others will see your updates and realize that this is something that is working well for both of us and be able to take advantage of it themselves.....it is such a devastating disease once it gets out of control!

I'm glad that you did not switch to a special diet while trying this for your psoriasis, because it helps confirm the idea that this protocol can stand on its own without having to use a restrictive diet that could potentially make it harder for people to stick with this regimen.

I used to think that the only thing that I consumed that would make my psoriasis worse was alcohol, but two years ago I started to realize that candy was also a problem, just not as bad as alcohol. It finally clicked when my psoriasis went out of control around a Halloween when I was consuming a ridiculous amount of candy.

As far as something to rely on if/when your psoriasis flares up again, I think it will work that way, but something I have noticed is that I have been clear since last November. The last time I was almost clear was over 10 years ago and since that time I have never even been close to clear until I got on this regimen. Since becoming completely clear the psoriasis seems to be held in check very well even though I keep cutting back on the regimen supplements. It seems very odd to consume a lot of alcohol or candy and not have a flare up within a day to a few days as that was my norm for the past decade. I could never really get control of the psoriasis, it was more like it always controlled me and was mostly out of control. I guess what I am trying to say is that by breaking the inflammation/excessive free radical cycle, it seems much easier to maintain control of the psoriasis!

My previous normal was I would always get new and more plaques anytime I drank alcohol or consumed a lot of candy or sugary products. That is no longer my norm since I cleared 100%! The other thing that would cause me to flare exponentially was stress, but stress is such a broad term that covers a lot of ground, so I never really talked about that aspect very much, but I would like to mention that I have been under a significant amount of stress recently and no problems so far! I feel that stress was the cause of my very worst flare ups or at least was a major contributing factor. So I feel very fortunate to see that this regimen is helping with that aspect of psoriasis also!

Lastly, once I was about 95% clear, I noticed that if any thing remotely resembling a new plaque showed up, just putting a small dab of the lotion on it, made it fade away before it could ever really get started and since I have gotten to 100% clear, well there hasn't really been anything that I thought I even need to put a dab of lotion on and I hope it works out for you just like that, Jo!

Just a quick reminder that I only did the 9 capsules of PBE per day for the first two months and again, I do not recommend that others do the same as that is an extreme dose of PBE and EGCG by any standard and I was only doing it to see if it would cause me any problems. It didn't.

Looking forward to your continued updates, Jo!

Art

Hi Art...

On your question about having recently changed my diet...uh..nope. As a matter of fact, my birthday just came and went. My husband bought me the yearly chocolate/chocolate birthday cake (served with ice cream, of course! ). So, the past few days were extra-bad, diet-wise.

Could bore you to death about food and my ever-increasing knowledge of how all those chemicals we chug, chomp and swallow could be, perhaps, more responsible for physical manifestations that bring on disease. Regarding our eating style, all I can say is that we do TRY to eat healthy, but we're not even close to hitting the healthy mark yet.

On a similar point, I did notice that while stuffin' all that sugar down, it "may have" aggravated the psoriasis a bit. Nothing scientific about this theory/hunch. Wished I'd taken notes about it day-to-day, but only thought it through once the birthday sugar nirvana dissipated. Anyhow, it's something to note.

I realize that this bout of psoriasis isn't yet gone and it will again rear it's ugly head at some future date, but at least I now have a way to reduce it's stay and those horrible symptoms. I am eternally in your debt for your efforts in researching and then sharing this vital information with us!

I will continue to report, but want to thank you again and again, whenever possible!

Jo

Jo,

That is great news!!!

I know what you mean about getting lazy about sticking to the protocol 100%, as I would do that very infrequently, but I was very highly motivated because of the severity of my psoriasis when I started.

You are now three weeks into the protocol and a little less on the lotion portion, so these are great results for such a relatively short period of time on what sounds like a pretty stubborn case of psoriasis!

Although it appeared to take an extra half week more than me, for you to be sure that you were really seeing initial results, you now appear to be healing at a much faster rate than I did and I think that tends to confirm that taking the full protocol all at once works much faster than the way that I did it, where I added one of the three supplements at a time with huge time spacing between each supplement addition. There appears to be synergy between these three supplements as far as psoriasis goes. Something that remains unknown is the difference between the green and blue powder. I know for sure that the blue powder is "very effective" and works "very fast" when used with the other two supplements. The green sounds like it works, but possibly not as quickly as the blue.

One question I have for you is whether you changed your diet in any way? I always seemed to have problems sticking with protocols that require a diet change and the fact that I did not change my diet in any way in order to achieve 100% clearance is very significant as these protocols go! It makes it much easier to follow and maintain!

Please continue to update us!

Art

Hi Art...

Well, human nature being what it is and discipline (my lack of) being what it is, I slacked off on the dye/lotion goop on my feet for a couple of days and didn't do the Epsom salt soaks either. Yep, itches are back. Nothing as horrid or miserable as it was...just itchy in spots. The redness on them is still on a downward slide, but this negligence proved that I shouldn't get lazy with the protocol. Did stay consistent in taking the PBE/GTE and Xylitol.

The outbreaks on the back of my left and right hands and also on the elbows appears to have healed. Those areas weren't super-bad, but the psoriasis (at those points) was "growing" as I began your protocol. YEH!!!

Jo

Jo,

Thank you for another update!

Well, at least now you know the green lotion does offer benefit in terms of reducing the itching and apparently in terms of reversing symptoms of inflammation such as the reddened skin that you mentioned was getting closer to normal coloring!

I used Benadryl (orally) also when the itch was driving me crazy. It was only marginally helpful for the purpose, but at that point, any help with the itchiness was welcome!

Keep the updates coming, Jo!

Art

Good morning Art...

Just thought I'd use this time for a little tidying up on this 'n that.

Yesterday I took a bath and afterwards, did not put more goop. Was just so nice to look down at clean feet...feet without a blackish/green dye tinge to them. After retiring to bed last night, I did penance for the visual enjoyment of the day, as my feet itched like they haven't itched in so many nights! This morning the goop was immediately applied once I was up and going. Ahhhhhhh...feels much better now.

Also, regarding bathing. As mentioned before, it's the Ohio winter season here and my skin is dry as dry can be. So, please understand that I don't take a bath every single day (Horrors! I am not a pig! LOL! ). What I have been doing (regarding the foot area, in particular) is soaking my feet in Epsom Salts for a few minutes on the days when a bath is not taken. The theory behind this is to open up the pores daily...the goop being replenished for continued healing.

Also, I have in my arsenal of psoriasis products, a store brand bottle of "extra strength itch relief gel." It's technical name is Diphenhydramine hydrochloride 2%. Pre-Art's Protocol, I had used store-bought hydrocortizone cream, but it's effectiveness diminished over time. Saw this stuff and figured...Why not try it? It actually does help when the itch is intolerable, but obviously, don't use it like I did in the beginning. Just wanted it noted...for the record.

Guess that's about all to report to date.

Jo

Jo,

First, let me say that I am very happy for you seeing progress in under 3 weeks!!!

Omg, everything you are saying is bringing back memories that I had almost forgotten! Many times I thought there was progress and then a day later I thought there wasn't! It's that two steps forward, one step back idea in play. The best thing I found to counter that is to take as many pictures as possible and date them. Progress can be so gradual that it sometimes does not seem so apparent from day to day, but pictures don't forget, they remember exactly. The best pictures are the ones taken on the day you start, but just because you didn't then, doesn't mean that it is too late now!

I took pictures of when I my psoriasis was near the worst it had ever been and whenever I was having doubts about progress, I just reviewed those pictures and all doubts were erased in an instant! Update pictures are useful also because you may not pickup small changes from one day to the next day, but the pictures will show you clearly what is happening from one week to the next week. The important thing is that the "overall trend" is moving in the right direction.

You are now just over two weeks, so your progress is somewhat similar to mine in that is when I first felt certain that things were changing for the better. This will be good confirmation for others to use as a measuring stick.

One difference for you and me is that areas on or close to my feet did not show any noticeable improvement until much later in time, but it may be happening this way for you because you are already doing all three supplements and this would tend to support the idea that using all three from the start may have quicker results.

Jo, thank you for the update and please continue to keep us posted on your progress, ! So many people say that they will update and then they never do. For others who are considering this, your information that you post is priceless!

Art

Hi Art...

As of this morning's examination of the affected areas, I would say that the psoriasis IS diminishing on my feet. A slow reversal, but it does appear to be heading in the right direction. The very worst part was the heel of my right foot (it is also where this outbreak was first observed and so, is the "oldest" of the affected areas). Don't know quite how to describe it's visual appearance, but the layered, scabbing skin is definitely showing a reduction in severity.

When I first began your protocol, it was painful to even put pressure on bottom of that foot. The scabbing also went up the side of the heel. I had to wear open-backed shoes with no socks whenever I went outside. After trying to wear boots a couple of times, I found the boot would tear some of the scabs off and that freshly ripped-off skin was very painful. Open-backs are not the best shoes for walking in snow, but they did help and I will continue to wear them until that area heals further. It didn't hit in the same way on the left foot.

As to your question of what type of psoriasis I have...am just not sure. Can't recall if the two docs I went to ever gave it a name, other than just calling it psoriasis. They might have, but it's been so many years and ye olde memory is not what it used to be. I will attempt to describe it's growth and perhaps, that might give you clues as to it's version.

It begins with itchy red dots varying in size. That's when I know it's coming. Over the years, I've had breakouts in varying places all over this bod. The itching, of course, brings on even more red dots. The dotting then turns into an overall reddening of much larger areas...growing out to a point where there are no longer any dots, just solid red, like having a severe sunburn. From there, it continues to spread...the dots moving out along the borders of red and into new "fresh meat."

On my heel, the skin (probably from scratching too much) formed what looked like layers-upon-layers of scabbing. And, if the scab came off (as it did when I tried to put that foot into a boot), it would open into very tender skin at those points and burn like the dickens!

In places where I see it now receding, the first thing noted is a lightening up of the red coloring...a more normal skin color emerging.

Don't know if that poor description helps, but hope so.

As you probably know, things occur that makes psoriasis more complicated than can easily be described. I also have "something" on my toes. I thought it was toe fungus that a lot of people get, but really am not sure. No earlier experiments have worked to get rid of it. In other words, it's always there...not as a symptom of this latest psoriasis outbreak. But, I am also watching it because the dye/lotion combo appears to have brought it down to a dull roar, too. Still only a subjective (maybe too hopeful) observation on that one.

My fingernails...definitely psoriasis. Have also been massaging the lotion into them. Realizing that nails take a long time to grow out, this is just to note it for the record, so to speak.

On the green vs. blue dye, I haven't a clue. All I can do is observe this bout of psoriasis and tell you what is happening while following your method...with the green goop. I regret not purchasing the other dye, but again, the cost of $40.00 vs. less than $10.00....based on the hope this would even work (after SO many failures in the past! )...well, you know, I "cheaped" out a bit. Guess I should have thought it out this way...your protocol was less expensive to try than a doc and (possibly poisonous) meds appointment.

By the way, for at least four or five days now I have been getting solid sleep during the night with little or no itching of my feet! YEH!!!

Jo

Hi Jo,

Thank you for the update!

You are now at two weeks and at two weeks, I had a noticeable improvement over where I started at and I was only taking the pine bark extract at 9 capsules per day for the first two months. The improvements were noticeable on my upper back, chest, shoulders, ears and upper arms. My legs did not show improvement nor did my lower arms, lower and mid back, nails, butt and stomach. Those areas did not improve until more time had passed, but they did not worsen either even though I was in a flair up when I started.

One thing I remember is that I did have a lot of itching at the time.......to the point of scratching til I was bleeding when I woke up. I had a lot of blood on my sheets back then.

I had itching again when I started using the lotion months after I had started on the PBE, but it was nothing compared to the itchiness I had at the beginning and there was no bleeding. If you look at the studies, it says that 25% of the test subjects had itchiness from the lotion, but it was not enough to make them stop using it and it was only temporary before clearing took place. I also remember itchiness in areas that were showing improvement, but I felt that that itchiness was more related to part of the healing process. You might try the lotion on only one foot to see if it is causing some of the itchiness.

I still do not know if the green powder is the same as the blue powder, but I read something that said that in order to get the blue powder from those green leaves, the leaves have to be dried in the shade. The fact that they dry some leaves in the shade and some in the sun suggests that there may be a difference between the green and blue powder, otherwise, why would they do both? At two weeks of use of the blue powder, there was absolutely no doubt that it was working. I could easily see the improvements and others noticed it to and it was working on the most stubborn plaques on my legs and elsewhere. The studies that mention the color of the lotion, always describe it as blue.

Jo, I don't remember you saying what type of psoriasis you have. What type is it. I never had any of the pustular forms so I have no idea if this combination will help that type. I had plaque, erythrodermic, guttate, inverse and nail and I am still 100% clear. Two weeks is not long and more time is probably needed. Keep us posted on how it goes.

Art

Hi Art...

Last night I had a middle-of-the-night itch bout on my feet. Should clarify...this itching was more on the left foot, not the right (originally, the worst one). I'm wondering if psoriasis goes through certain specific cycles as it either builds or diminishes. Maybe that was why the itch was worse on the left foot this time. Can't recall details of psoriasis outbreaks in my past. Had never tried to observe the process so carefully over the years.

Before last night, it seemed the psoriasis was slowly diminishing. I'd actually had a string of restful nights...without itching.

Still have issues on the hand areas, but elbows seem to be calming down.

Sorry I can't be more specific as to whether it's still coming on or finally retreating. Trying to be as objective as possible, but am just not sure today.

Jo

Thanks Terry! Just took some. Was so focused on Art's method that I didn't think about a taking a homeopathic remedy, even though I have an arsenal of them. Silly me. Thanks again!

You can take homeopathic Urtica. It will stop the itch.

Hi Jo,

You're not quite at two weeks yet, but I would have expected the lotion to start helping right about now. I wish I knew more about whether the green powder is as effective as the blue. It seemed like the lotion started showing very noticeable results just before the 2 week mark.

Art

Hi Art...

Itching during the night is a little less intense now, but as soon as I'm up in the morning, it begins again with a vengeance!

Should mention the physical areas at issue. This outbreak began on my feet sometime before Christmas (a month or two?). Can't recall the beginnings because I tried to ignore it due to holiday distractions. That is still the worst area and it has slowly broken out on my hands and also both elbows.

The past couple of days I have been soaking my feet in Epsom salts and water once a day. It's the only relief from this excruciating itch. Maybe the dryness of our house due to the winter season aggravates it.

Still following the protocol, but increased to nine, the PBE/GTE pills taken. Hoping it will help. No bad effects noted from the increase in pills.

As mentioned above, the only difference I can note is the intense itching on my feet has subsided somewhat, but only while sleeping. It still continues to spread further over their surface, however. The upper body parts also itch, but not like the feet.

The reason I bought the dye from that other company was due to the amount offered on Amazon and it's cost. This was (and still is) an exciting and hopeful experiment. I had already bought everything else you'd requested, but didn't want a whole pound of black dye...IF the protocol wound up not working. Really thought there would be no difference in these dye's basic formulations.

Jo

Hi Art,

Even though all the successful studies for tumeric and LP involved an ointment, I could not originally find one for sale. I tried mixing tumeric powder with coconut oil or olive oil, but found it to be messy but also it would not stick to gums for long. So I bought an extract from Global Healing Center and then from Herb Pharm that I mixed with a small amount of water and just kept it in my mouth on my gums for as long as I could, then swallowed it. I did this several times/day for a couple of months, with little improvement. I also found a salve for sale from Hawaii with tumeric, olive oil and beeswax that could be ingested, but it was weak and did not stay on for long, either. I added the extract for an extra punch, but no success. I also ate a chunk of organic tumeric some days and chewed it up and kept it in my mouth for a while. I finally made my own tincture over a five week period with 40% vodka and 1T peppercorns. It burned my mouth terribly, so I tried to evaporate the alcohol by lightly heating it, but the pepper was still too strong to be tolerated. The Psoria Gold looks like it contains ingredients that may not be consumed. I found that the tumeric does stain the teeth and mouth, but only temporarily, and I could go out in public if I scrubbed my teeth and mouth with baking soda first, or just waited a while.

Thanks for the link to the Tetrahydrocurcuminoid. I may try it with olive or coconut oil. Maybe if I use the tumeric extract/ointment with your protocol, I might see some improvement. My dentist wants me to try cortisone, which I did once, but I don't think that will ever be a permanent solution, and seems to aggravate it. Thank you so much for your input. I wish I could figure things out logically like you can, but I don't really understand what I'm dealing with to be able to get rid of it.

Hi Jo,

I went with the blue gray powder because on the very few occasions when it was mentioned in use for psoriasis, that was what was mentioned.

Oddly, at the site I ended up buying it from on Amazon, the bag they show you looks blue gray, so I thought the powder was blue gray, but if you look at the 6 pictures they have on the left side of that Amazon page, one of the pictures is of a pile of the powder sitting by itself and it is an olive green powder! When the bag arrived it looked blue gray because it is colored that way, but the powder inside was blue gray.....not dark olive green like in the picture! Here is a link to that page so you can see what I mean:

https://www.amazon.com/Indigo-Pigment-Tested-Polygonum-Tinctorium/dp/B012YE857Y/ref=sr_1_7_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1516132727&sr=8-7&keywords=indigo+pigment+powder

I have no idea if the green powder is as effective, but I know the blue gray has been very effective!

Art

Hello again, Art....

The Indigo I received is greenish in color (oh-oh! ). Makes me wonder why there would be any difference in what appears to be a standard natural dye product. Oh well, I'll continue on with the greenish goop and hope it has the same effect as the blue/gray dye.

Past two nights have gone better...less intense itching. As you mentioned, it would also wake me out of a sound sleep. Still itch during the day, but will happily endure it if the middle-of-the-night itch madness is actually diminishing. Fingers crossed!

Began your protocol (PBE/GTE and Xylitol) during late afternoon of Jan. 9th so, this is Day Seven. Received and began the dye/lotion on Jan. 11th.

Jo

Rsw, I know you said that you were taking turmeric, but I am a little confused by what you said. It sounds like you were taking capsules/pills orally with no apparent benefit and your doctor was afraid it may be thinning your blood too much so you decided to discontinue one of the few things that are recommended as a possible remedy for LP?

In the few studies I have seen, it was "topical curcumin" that was effective whereas oral capsules were not. In one article I read, a topical was made by dissolving curcumin in alcohol and allowing it to dry enough to end up with a gel that was applied topically in the mouth. One problem I can see with this method is that curcumin is a stain just waiting to happen and if you apply it in your mouth, I just don't see how it is not going to eventually stain your teeth and mouth. In another study they used a 1 % curcumin solution topically in the mouth either 3 or 6 times per day. I suspect the 1 % is to help prevent staining of the teeth.

I am kind of surprised that they did not use tetrahydrocurcuminoid in any of these topical studies, because it is white instead of yellow and not likely to have the same potential to stain the teeth and mouth yellow, but is thought to have similar activity to curcumin. Although I have experimented with curcumin in the past, I can no longer do that because I have developed an allergy to it. I did try the tetrahydrocurcuminoid as a topical in the hope that I would not be allergic to it, but as it turned out, I was. If I remember correctly, the topical I made with it was white and not yellow at all. This is what I used to make the topical:

https://www.swansonvitamins.com/swanson-superior-herbs-advanced-tetrahydrocurcuminoids-95-200-mg-60-veg-caps

I remember there was a doctor many years ago who was at UCLA and developed a topical curcumin gel to treat psoriasis effectively, but at the time, she had to keep the percent of curcumin fairly low so it would not stain the skin excessively. Her name was Madalene Heng, MD, a professor of dermatology at UCLA and a dermatologist now in private practice in Southern California. The gel she helped develop was called Psoria Gold and is still available today, but if I recall correctly, it was very expensive at about $100 for a small tube.

My thinking when I got it was that I would be able to make it stronger than 1% since it did not stain, but that whole idea went out the window when I realized that I was allergic to it, just like regular curcumin.

Art

Hi Art,

I seemed to get all kinds of adverse reactions when my doctor insisted I take every statin drug ever made, for almost eight years. Before that, I was always very physically active and well, except for the Hep A that I most likely got from eating contaminated food in a restaurant. I had never even heard of LP before my dentist had me go for a mouth biopsy. I only have it in the mucous membranes, none on my skin. I cannot figure it out after all this time, and I have tried so many different things. Borax may be a good addition, but I have taken it on and off over the years. I have taken LDN for over seven years. My doctor wanted me to stop the turmeric because she felt it may be making my blood too thin. I had taken two bottles of the extract that I had purchased without much improvement at all, so I stopped it. I am taking your pine bark extract suggestion (tried the NOW but currently just pycnogenol, but I have also read the less expensive kind is also effective and may change to that when this bottle is done) and the birch tree Xylitol. I didn't buy the indigo. I have had green gunpowder tea every morning for years, and drink an extra cup or two of regular green tea during the day. Not as good as the EGCG but may have some benefit. I will read up on the tannin information, too. I ate too much chocolate and sugar over Christmas which I know is an irritant, but now that my company has gone, I have thrown most everything out and have been juicing and eating better again, and back to exercising. Can't wait to see if your protocol (at least part of it) will be beneficial! Hope springs eternal! Thank you.

Thank you for the reply, Jo!

Wow, 20% urea, no wonder urotherapy is so effective for some people!

Is your indigo powder greenish (olive color) or a blue gray color? I've been wondering if the greenish is as effective as the blue gray?

I had forgotten about the itching. It used to drive me crazy and wake me from a sound sleep! I'm glad that that is now just a bad memory!

Art

Hi Janet,

I feel certain that you are correct that tannin can be beneficial for people with psoriasis because many people with mild to moderate psoriasis get benefit from applying witch hazel topically or witch hazel with glycerine which is also good for psoriasis. Witch hazel has tannin in it and is relatively inexpensive and easy to get and so is glycerine.

Part of the reason I chose the supplements I chose for what I used is because of the simplicity of it. The egcg was already contained in the pine bark extract so that meant just one supplement in pill form, one in liquid form and one in topical form. There are all kinds of psoriasis protocols out there on the web, but once you go over three supplements for a protocol to treat anything, I think people in general have a harder time keeping on schedule and results suffer as a consequence. I know some people can go above three supplements and still stay on schedule, so for them, if the rest of the protocol is not enough to improve their psoriasis, then tannin would certainly be worth considering as an add on!

Janet, thank you for the idea and the thought you put into it!

Art

Hi Art....

Sorry, I missed a couple of your questions.

The lotion I bought to mix with the Indigo is the Olay Quench mentioned in your protocol.

By the way, I also use another skin cream that works really well on exceptionally dry skin...Udderly Smooth brand Extra Care 20. It contains 20% Urea. I get it online through People's Pharmacy. Am not using it regarding your protocol...this is just general info since it works exceptionally well on very dry skin in our winter climate.

Years ago, I did go to two dermatologists to diagnose my skin issue. In both cases they reported it being Psoriasis. The reason I chose not to use their medications was because the contents seemed dangerous. We have enough things in our lives that can bring on various cancers. Didn't want to provoke something by using potential cancer-causing drugs.

Will also mention here that I bought the Indigo in your protocol from Starwest Botanicals, Inc. Didn't want a whole pound of it and they sell 4 oz. quantities. Have ordered from them over the years...a reliable company IMHO.

Noting that my skin itching is still aggravating, to say the least. Hoping as this protocol and the days go on, it will calm down a bit. It isn't any worse, just not decreasing as fast as I would wish.

Art

I was reading through your remedy, studies and posts.

EGCG, for those that cannot use it, could tannic acid be a substitute? Used in drops, has had a wide ranging effect on so many of our families problems. Magic in a bottle.

I use Ted's instructions and make smallish amounts. Then use by drops in remedies. I keep it in the frig, it can go bad on the counter. I have used it topically. Internally. It has a constipating action. It is manageable with magnesium oil dose. Topically it can stain skin. Yet I remember soaking in a tub of tea as a child with a bad sunburn. It had a staining effect on skin, again, manageable.

Just a thought. Thanks for all your great work!

Janet

Hi Rsw,

Yes, if you have unknown potential liver issues, it seems prudent to skip the EGCG!

Lichen Planus is a tough one. It has some similarities to psoriasis, but clearly not the same. When you look at pictures of it, it reminds me more of what I think of as a fungus. I see that there are several things that can worsen it like nsaids, hepatitis, flu vaccine, metals, certain medications and I see one of those things is pigments. The indigo lotion is essentially a pigment, so are you sure you want to try it? The pine bark extract is anti inflammatory and may be beneficial. Xylitol can improve the gut biome in an anti inflammatory way also.

I've seen you here for a long time on EC, so I imagine you have tried many many things over the years like myself. Have any of those things you've tried helped to stop or slow the LP? I think I remember you mentioning curcumin, but apparently that didn't work???

Art

Jo,

Hi hope your results are as good as mine! I think the fact that you are starting with all three supplements at once, may give you overall faster results if this turns out to be effective for you. It took two weeks before I saw what I knew to be the beginning of improvements in my psoriasis, but I only started with the pine bark extract (PBE). I feel that all three at the same time would have been more beneficial than just the PBE alone.

The lotion can be a challenge because it stains, but I found that rubbing it in very well helped to minimize the staining. Btw, which lotion did you decide to go with? Keep us posted!

Art

In reply to Becky (Ca),

I believe that psoriasis can be caused by multiple health problems or exacerbated by them. I think you can be genetically inclined toward psoriasis, but certain things can trigger the cascade of symptoms referred to as psoriasis and I think candida can be one of those triggers. Consequently if you have candida, I think it can trigger that cascade. I think many health issues that include runaway inflammation can act as a trigger, I don't think it is confined to just candida.

Myself, I was diagnosed with psoriasis many decades ago by a dermatologist and my symptoms have always been in line with what is known as psoriasis. I have never been diagnosed with candida nor have I had the myriad of symptoms associated with candida.

If a person actually has candida and they want to have better health, then ridding the body of candida is a must. If that will get rid of the psoriasis symptoms can probably vary from person to person, but getting rid of the candida is a must before you can consider trying to get rid of the psoriasis. Getting rid of the candida may, by itself get rid of the psoriasis symptoms, but if it doesn't, it will make it easier to get rid of the psoriasis symptoms once the candida is gone.

I do not think the protocol I used can get rid of candida, but it may have synergy with a candida protocol like what Bill Thompson has put together for Earth Clinic and that may be a better starting point for you if you do have Candida and then if your psoriasis does not go away from his protocol, you can then consider what I did.

It is not clear from your post if you have been diagnosed with psoriasis or if you just think you have psoriasis? There are many skin health issues that can have similar symptoms to psoriasis, so a diagnosis is a very good starting point. It would be pointless to try and treat psoriasis if you actually have some other health issue that merely resembles some of the symptoms of psoriasis.

Art

To Art that is having success with Psoriasis.

I saw your post above. I have also read on Earth Clinic that it can be caused by Candida. Do you believe this to be true. I began having gut issues after repeat antibiotic for ear infections. That was 12 years ago. Now all my skin is changing to dry, thicker, darker. Is this what you experience?

Becky

Thanks for your prompt response, Art!

I have been following the protocol for three days now (this is the fourth day). Have noticed a bit of a difference, but nothing specific enough to report. I do realize that it's too soon to objectively differentiate between my hope and actual physical change. Am trying to be SO very patient, but am excited about the possibility of finally having an effective method for elimination of these miserable eruptions.

Thank you for sharing such detailed information (plus all the research papers you must have had to read through! ) and for generously sharing your self-experimentation and your successful results!

Thanks, Art! I didn't know if you had seen this or not. When I started on your program thinking the benefits may extend to Lichen Planus (and many articles said these supplements have properties that could benefit a wide group of diseases) and came across these articles and others, I decided to stop the EGCG because of what must have been my liver failure in the 80's, diagnosed at the time as “Severe Hep A" with the doctor telling us it was out of his hands and could go one way or the other with numbers so high no one in his practice had ever seen this, orange skin and blood that had stopped clotting. The tech and doctor could not see a gallbladder on my sonogram, I imagine from liver swelling that I could feel for almost a year. I should have known you would have already researched this.

Thank you so much for coming up with your excellent protocol. I am trying it without the EGCG and hope for some improvement.

Dear RSW:

I am aware of the reported issue of green tea extract and the possibility of liver damage and that is one of the reasons that I took 9 capsules per day as a 2 month portion of my experiment. With the supplement I used, this equates to 450 mg of pure EGCG per day, a dose higher than I expect anyone would ever take for any significant length of time if at all. I settled on the 6 capsule dose or 300mg of pure egcg per day while actively trying to reverse my psoriasis. Once controlled, I went down to 3 capsules per day or 150 mg of pure egcg and now I only take 3 capsules per day about every other day and I have had no liver issues or any problem that I would relate to egcg.

If you notice, most reports of liver toxicity and egcg are related to people using diet supplements and egcg is a common ingredient in many dietary supplements. The problem with many of these reports are that these are people who are overweight to obese, a condition that is often associated with other health issues, one of which is fatty liver disease and elevated liver enzymes. So, many of these people may have had undiagnosed liver issues when they started taking the green tea extract. Another consideration is that many of these green tea diet supplements are combined with multiple other supplements that could easily be contributing to these liver issues. In total these adverse events are rare for egcg as is clearly stated in the third report link from Rsw. If they were more than rare, you can bet the FDA would pull egcg off of the shelves in a heart beat. These events do not happen in a bubble and you have to consider the whole picture as part of determining a cause. Here is the quote from the third link:

Results of this review, although not conclusive, suggest that liver-related adverse events after intake of green tea extracts are expected to be rare.

Part of my decision making process in determining this combination of supplements included weighing the known risks of the supplements against the potential benefits and then comparing them to my other options. In my case, I had very severe psoriasis in multiplee forms and was taking methotrexate and systemic steroids, both of which are known for a shopping list of bad side effects of which liver damage is well known and is high on the list. Add to this the fact that people with psoriasis are at increased risk of heart disease and other life threatening health conditions and the more severe the psoriasis the greater the potential for heart disease and other health issues. My options for my condition was to stay on the methotrexate and steroids and continue to watch my psoriasis spiral out of control and pray the erythrodermic psoriasis did not come back and kill me like it almost did the second time I got it, or I could try the biologics which come with the potential for cancer and in "rare instances" death among another shopping list of potential side effects. Weighing these options against the rare risk of egcg "possibly" causing elevated liver enzymes and my path became clear because I was already putting my liver at "high risk" with the steroids and methotrexate I was taking back then, but switching to the protocol would substantially lower the risk to my liver and avoid the severe potential side effects associated with the use of biologics.

To go a little further on the safety of egcg and the liver, it is going to be much easier to find actual studies as opposed to ambiguous case reports, of the positive benefits that egcg has on the liver and body in general. Here are a few examples:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5630332/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28799714
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28477356
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28655517
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0167435
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27492718
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26968537
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26241688
https://www.nature.com/articles/cddis2015136
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4909506/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24611903
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3906112/
https://www.spandidos-publications.com/ijo/44/3/791
https://www.spandidos-publications.com/or/31/2/625

Compare these studies to this ambiguous case report of a 63 year old woman who was using EGCG to fight cancer.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24862489

First off, she used a very concentrated form of egcg that is 93.2% pure. I have seen this product before and I believe it is called Teavigo. They describe her dose only as 'at a very high dose level'. If you drink enough water it will kill you without drowning you. Take enough Teavigo and you are going to have problems. The fact that she was trying to fight cancer suggests that the dose may have been extreme and without the actual dose, this case report is just about worthless and contrary to what the great majority of egcg studies show.

Note that they list egcg as the "probable cause". Probable cause is not definitive.

Lastly, I am not suggesting that anyone use this protocol, I am merely relating my experience as many people do everyday on Earth Clinic. At some point, we all have to take responsibility for our own health in a way that we can live with and for me, this protocol is what I can live with. It has worked better than the medications the doctors have given me for psoriasis and it is continuing to work very effectively even though I have cut way back on the entire protocol. I never dreamed I would ever be completely clear again. I haven't had to use the lotion part of the protocol in over a month. I am probably only doing the xylitol every third day now and as I stated earlier I am only taking 3 capsules of the Pine Bark Extract every other day and I am likely improving my overall health all the while! I also always recommend that people consult their doctor when trying alternative health ideas and if they do that, elevated liver enzymes should never be a problem. If anyone is not comfortable with taking egcg based on these rare reports, then they shouldn't take it. There are plenty of Pine Bark Extracts out there that don't have egcg in it and I suspect this combination of supplements may still have positive effects against psoriasis even without egcg.

Art

Hello Jo (Ohio),

I am still clear (everything) including scalp, ears, torso, extremities and nails but I have cut back further on everything. I am no longer using the lotion. I am only taking the xylitol at max dose of 15 grams about every third day. I am only taking 3 capsules of the pine bark extract every other day and I do occasionally miss a day here and there on all of it.

I ate anything I wanted through the holidays including excess alcohol and a ton of candy and sweets. Not healthy for sure, but no problems all the same!

For me, this is like a dream come true and that is why I posted it!

A friend is trying the lotion for eczema and is having good success with it. He has had eczema for over a decade and the doctor's treatments were only minimally effective. I saw him recently and the difference was very apparent. I'm sure he would be even better, but he is not real faithful with his applications and he doesn't want to do the oral part because he says he will never remember to take it regularly.

Overall I am very happy and pretty much in disbelief! I just never thought I would be 100% clear again in my life. What I really like about this group of supplements is that it is "doable". I tried so many other regimens that were simply too complicated or required taking so many different supplements as well as altering your diet to foods that were just intolerable to me. Many, I just could not do and it was not for lack of motivation. I was highly motivated to get this psoriasis off me once and for all.

I would like to mention something that I have not mentioned previously in this thread. I weigh about 180 lbs and this should be a consideration. If I weighed less I would probably have used less pine bark extract and xylitol. If I weighed more, I probably would still have started at the same amounts of pine bark extract and xylitol.

Jo, if you decide to go ahead with what you have gotten, please keep us posted on how you do.

Art

I, too, have celebrated Art's psoriasis cure on Earth Clinic, and feel I may benefit from it since many sites say they believe the actions of the supplements may extend to other illnesses. I have ordered the supplements and started to take them, when I ran across warnings about the EGCG supplement and potential liver damage, such as these articles:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3746392

https://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Article/2015/05/08/High-doses-of-green-tea-extract-linked-to-liver-damage-in-research

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5193539/

Art, do you have any comments or research re EGCG?

Hello Art...

Today the indigo arrived and I've accumulated all products mentioned as being beneficial by you. Would like to hear an update on how you are doing with your own psoriasis at this time. Your last post was in November.

Won't go into my particular issues, but the EC email containing the link to your protocol was timely, to say the least. My fingers are crossed that this will help my personal psoriasis issue.

Thank you.

To further update on how this protocol is going, The small remaining spot on my lower back is gone! I had a friend look at my back to see if there were any plaques that I couldn't see on my own and there were no other plaques! That was a tough spot to get rid of, but it is now gone and that means that I am now 100% plaque free!!!!!! Hooray!!!

One thing about my psoriasis that I had forgotten to mention is that I also had psoriasis on/in my nails and nail beds. Not everyone who has psoriasis has nail involvement too, but if you do, you know how much further it adds to the burden of this disease and psoriasis of the nails is extremely difficult to treat and takes much longer than just clearing skin plaques because nails grow relatively slowly. On that note, I am happy to report that this protocol has cleared my nails too! I thought that I would never have normal looking nails again because nothing I had ever previously tried for psoriasis had helped my nails much at all! This is just fantastic!

It is odd, but the types of psoriasis I had, pretty much went away in the opposite order that they came. I got plaque and nail psoriasis first and they were the last to go. The inverse psoriasis and guttate psoriasis came next and they went away second. The erythrodermic psoriasis came last and was the first to go.

The hyperpigmentation serum experiment is continuing to show slow and gradual progress and I will update on that as I detect changes.

Art

Thank you very much Art.

I'll be ordering both supplements right away.

I remember reading an Edgar Cayce cure for psoriasis was to clean and heal the intestines using colonics and Saffron herbal tea that had been steeped for 30 minutes (American Saffron).

In reply to Marnie (Madera, Ca),

Hi Marnie,

Yes, I am still taking the EGCG, but it is not an individual supplement as it is contained "in" the NOW Pine Bark Extract capsules already. That is why I said, once I no longer need to apply the indigo lotion, this will only be an easily doable two supplement protocol, pine bark extract with EGCG in it and xylitol. The pine bark extract with egcg in it comes in capsules while the xylitol is taken as a drink.

Once you read enough studies about PBE, EGCG and xylitol, you can see why these three might have many other health benefits not related to psoriasis.

Art

Greetings Art.

Are you not taking the ECGc anymore?

Hi Nony,

Yes, I get what you are saying about the many good folks and contributors here at EC who are willing to share their knowledge with others! There is no other place like it that I have ever found! Thanks for that Deirdre!!!

The things I have changed are mainly just reducing what I am taking and trying to fine tune. I am still taking 3 capsules of the pine bark extract each day, but I am only using 15 grams of the xylitol per day max now. The third item, the topical cream, I only apply twice a day now instead of 3 times and I have been experimenting with other lotions instead of the Cetaphil I started with. I tried using Lubriderm, another popular body lotion, but found the indigo powder much harder to mix in Lubriderm lotion. Next I tried to mix the powder in Olay Quench body lotion and it was harder to mix than the Cetaphil lotion, but easier than Lubriderm lotion. One advantage I found to the Olay lotion was that it has a fragrance and even though I don't really care for the fragrance, I found that this fragrance did a good job of masking the smell of the powder. The smell of the powder is not horrible, but if I have a choice, I would prefer not to smell like the powder and when mixed with the Olay lotion, the two combine to make a much more tolerable scent than either one alone. I know this may seem like a minor point, but when you have severe psoriasis that covers large multiple areas of your body, you are going to be using a lot of this lotion, at least in the beginning, so having a lotion that has a more tolerable scent is important to help me to apply it regularly as was needed when I was really severe. Now that I am down to one tiny spot about half the size of a penny, not a critical issue any more. When I first started applying the lotion, I was applying at least 10 to 16 ounces of lotion per week, so that is a lot and at that rate, scent/smell is definitely a factor to consider!

Another advantage to the Olay lotion is that it contains niacinamide which is anti-inflammatory and also helps improve transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and it contains vitamin e and shea butter which are both proven to be good for the skin. It also contains glycerin which is a known humectant which can draw moisture up to the skin surface as well as attract moisture from the air which should help to deter TEWL which is always a big problem with psoriasis. Olay lotion contains panthenol which is also good for the skin. Another plus is I no longer have to add sweet orange essential oil to the mix to hide the smell of the powder and act as a skin penetrant enhancer because Olay lotion has another ingredient which can also act as a penetrant enhancer so overall the Olay lotion makes it simpler to make the topical lotion and would be my first choice followed by the Cetaphil/sweet orange essential oil/indigo powder and lastly the Lubriderm lotion. I think the simpler I can keep this protocol, the easier it will be for me to follow it and get the best results! In any case it is working so well that the last time I made the lotion mix, I only made two ounces and that was over two weeks ago and there is still about half a jar left, so this topical should eventually be used very infrequently if at all which brings this down to just a two supplement protocol of just the Now Pine Bark Extract and xylitol which both have many other health benefits which make them worth using even if I didn't have psoriasis! Two supplements per day is very easily doable and through this all, I have not had to alter my diet in any way or restrict myself from any food or drink. I eat and drink what I like including alcohol and this protocol has allowed me to get off the methotrexate as well as the topical and systemic steroids!

The topical I am currently testing for my areas of post inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) does seem to be working pretty well, but any topical for different types of hyperpigmentation is going to work slowly, so I need more time to finish testing this experimental topical and if it continues on this course over time I will post that remedy which currently contains 4 ingredients instead of the five I mentioned previously so that mix is now simpler also! It also is very gentle compared to many of the prescription acids, so that is a plus also!

I would also like to make a correction about the topical indigo lotion. I previously said that it it was a dark blue gray color when mixed and it is actually just a very dark blue that looks black in poor lighting. I think because the powder is a lighter blue gray color, I was thinking the lotion would have a gray color to it, but it doesn't once it is mixed......just a very dark blue.

I also said that this mix stains, but it would be more accurate to say that it discolors, but so far, any discoloration in my clothing or bedding has come clean in the wash, so stain may not be the correct way to say it. I've used curcumin before and I would say that it definitely stains and those stains usually do not come out in the wash no matter what you do.

Lastly, about what type of psoriasis I have had, I have had guttate, plaque (psoriasis vulgaris), inverse and erythrodermic and I had all four of them when I first started on this protocol, so for me this protocol has been effective against all four, but I have never had pustular psoriasis, so I have no idea if this combination would be effective against the pustular form.

So that's my update, Nony and thank you for asking!

Art

Greetings Art!

No, we haven't talked before but I get that same feeling with so many of the "Earth Clinicians" on this site ... it's a comforting feeling :) Looking forward to your update.

Take care, Nony

In reply to Nony (Canada).

Thank you for saying so, Nony! I'll post an update soon as I have changed things up a little bit to make things a little easier, but the results remain excellent!

Have we talked before, because I feel like we have?

Art

Excellent work Art! Such detailed and meticulous notes. Not only did you find your cure, but you were kind enough to generously share with the world. Your experiment with hyperpigmentation sounds extremely promising. You, sir, are a star! Best of health to you and yours.