★★★★★
Reishi and Shiitake Mushrooms
★★★★★
Medications
★★★★★
Coconut Oil
Seawater
Vitamin D3
Vitamin A
I am interested in trying your Vitamin A dose to heal Grovers. I have had Chronic Grovers for nearly 2 years and would do just about anything to fix it. However, I have read that high doses of preformed (supplemental) Vit A can be toxic and quite dangerous. I would be interested to know how you are doing now and if the process continues to heal and are you now on the daily maintenance dose you stated? Thanks and all the best.
Seawater
For sure....! We were frequently advised by parents when growing up on our small island in the pre-historic era to take our skin problems into the surrounding sea water for an inexpensive treatment. Seemed to work a treat. We are prone to being somewhat cynical of things touted as being simple or free but it is frequently in the mind I reckon. My ears and sinus condition also improved if I tried a bit of diving, as long as I pretended to be a dog when exiting the water by shaking my head about a bit to drain the ears, much to the amusement of my friends and on-lookers. This was the brief period in my life when I cared what people thought of me! Only when I got a perforated ear drum was I cautioned not to go swimming for a whole year. If you try out the usual hot pools though, you ought not to duck under unless they are certified as being safe to do so. The offending amoeba is also present in parts of the States as well as New Zealand (in case any Americans are reading this! ). Our grandparents knew a thing or two or three!
Cheers, Michael
Seawater
Seawater
★★★★☆
HOWEVER, I recently went on an extended holiday in Bali and swam 2-3 times a day in seawater. Over a short period the rash and itch improved and almost disappeared. Then I went on to Malysia where the seawater was too polluted for swimming. Swam in hotel pools, rash returned . It got me thinking about seawater so I researched this well. Found a site and read the story of Richard L who has cured his Grovers with seaweed powder. I made a paste and applied it afer showering, leave on for 15 minutes and then shower off. Do this for quite some time and he claims his grovers is gone. I'm trying this now.
Also am going to hot pools nearby that are seawater heated by heat exchange, so natural. Skin feels much better afetr each swim and rash and itch DEFINITELY improving. I'll do this for the rest of my life if it gets rid of the Grovers and makes life bearable. Any others found seawater can help?
Multiple Remedies
Multiple Remedies
★★★★★
1. While the dietary changes may not create an instant 'cure' for your skin condition, eliminating known inflammatory foods and foods with a high sensitivity reaction (i.e. wheat, artificial sweeteners, dyes and chemical ingredients) will improve your over-all health and reduce your whole body inflammation making you less susceptible to flare ups of any dormant condition.
2. Coconut oil can be very soothing...it usually has an impact on skin repair due to it's anti-bacterial properties. I am a huge fan of both the topical and oral benefits of coconut oil but do be careful about extensive long term topical use as some people actually end up with extremely dry skin after repeated daily use...the rash will be gone but the skin will be dry.
3. Probiotics- If there is any bacterial imbalance or lack of beneficial bacteria your immune system will be less than optimal...again, setting you up for a flare up of anything dormant in your system. If you have taken anti-biotics, had a stomach virus or a colonoscopy in the past year then you will benefit from use of a good probiotic.
4. Neem Oil. This stuff stinks to high heaven (unless you are a garlic lover) BUT the healing properties are fantastic...it can be used directly on a severe skin outbreak of any kind (acne, psoriasis, dermatitis of any kind including Grovers) or a few drops can be added to a carrier oil, shampoo or other body care product.
5. Support your skin from the inside out...if you are older and have 'fragile' skin, or are of any age with moderate to severe dry skin you can support the health of your skin with any of the following supplements (or foods)- Skin Ceramides, Hyaluronic Acid, Bone Broth or high Quality bone broth protein (for the collagen) and Astaxanthin.
Stop using body care products that contain chemical ingredients...keep it simple so that you don't end up making your skin worse!
Almost everyone that I have ever worked with to heal a skin issue has had success after working with a combination of these lifestyle changes, body care and supplementation.
Diaper Rash Cream
★★★★★
Coconut Oil
Zinc Oxide
Zinc Oxide
Replace Metal Fillings
Sea Buckthorn Berry
★★★★★
Coconut Oil
Multiple Remedies
★★★★☆
For the rash, application of triamcinolone 0.1% cream twice daily on affected spots. Liberal use of moisturizing cream (any kind) many times a day on all parts of the body and especially on the itchy spots. Only lukewarm showers. No soap (it dries the skin).
For the itching, 1000 mg quercetin daily (available online or in health food stores), and avoiding foods and drinks that either contain histamine or produce histamine in the body. This had been particularly helpful. I usually take it just before dinner, because it's harder to limit the histamine foods for a larger meal. I also take a half pill of Benadryl before bed, and a blend of bifidus probiotics, to help my system produce DAO, which is implicated in histamine intolerance.The Grover's is now under control and I no longer think about the itch.
Vitamin A
★★★★★
About 1 1/2 weeks ago I began taking 48,000 IU of Vitamin A each day. This consisted on two capsules 3 X daily, 8,000 IU each capsule for a total of 48,000 each day. It could be just coincidence, but 10 days later my Grover's Disease is almost 100% gone. I plan on continuing this dosage until I have no signs of the disease then gradually reduce the dosage to a maintenance dosage of 1 Vitamin capsule each day, or 8,000 IU.
I hope this helps as much as I believe it helped me.
In the sum the U/V will burn you but the IR will make you sweat. There are special effective parts of UV spectrum that need to be nurtured. Avoid factors that can cause and aggravate the condition, such as high environmental temperatures, significant sweating, and conversely dry skin.
Mayo Says: Phototherapy involves exposing the skin to controlled amounts of natural sunlight or can include the use of artificial ultraviolet A (UVA) or ultraviolet B (UVB) light. Because exposure to light can sometimes intensify Grover's disease, light therapy should be directed by a dermatologist who has experience treating patients with Grover's disease.
Coconut Oil
Sorry to hear about your Grover flare ups. I too have had Grover's for several years, but evidently, it is far less invasive on my skin than what many others on EC are experiencing. I have done a lot of research into the medical journals and have been frustrated that there is so little research or interest in this disease. I would like to share with you the one thing that I have found helps the "itching" (in quotes, because mine is more like a "stabbing pain." I use Oregano oil on my flare ups. It is totally natural, of course, with no side effects, and it works wonders -- almost instantly. You can purchase a dropper bottle of this oil at Vitacost online. If you do try the oil, I would be appreciative if you would let me know whether it works for you.
Best of luck, Lorraine
Coconut Oil
Emu Oil
★★★★☆
Coconut Oil
Coconut Oil
Vitamin D3
Zinc Oxide
Vitamin A
Diaper Rash Cream
★★★★★
Coconut Oil
Zinc Oxide
Vitamin A
Oil Pulling, Coconut Oil
Oil Pulling, Coconut Oil
Oil Pulling, Coconut Oil
Salt Baths
Eliminating Sulfites
Coconut Oil
Coconut Oil
Coconut Oil
Coconut Oil
Coconut Oil
Water
★★★★★
Drink much more water and keep hydrated the itchy areas until the inner hydration kicks in. I was diagnosed, tried everything and end up with this simple recipe. Now if a papule pops up, "Geez not enough water?" And grab a glass or two or three. Basically until it is gone.
At first, give it a few days and the 15 to 30 minutes. I think we become more susceptible to contaminants, processed food, pills, and they all increase our water (and fruits and veggie) demand.
Salt Baths
Diaper Rash Cream
★★★★★
Vitamin D3
I continue putting emollient creams on my skin, I eat healthy, I don't drink alcohol, I take vitamins, during the past week I increased vit d from 1000 iu to 3000. My scalp, arms, legs, back, face, stomach, are all affected. It seems worse before seeing the red dots. The itchiness is always with me. I've tried cortisone creams, neosporine, vicks, etc. I get most relief when putting on rich Eucerine cream then by adding Alocane. Still itchy but tolerable!! I also stay in AC. Heat and sweating make it worse! It's hard to work out during summer months. I am able to walk indoors with AC most of the time. Any other tips? I wish it would go away.
Salt Baths
★★★★★
Take salt baths, I use salt, baking soda, and borax. For small flare ups, I make a sea salt solution until it won't dissolve any more salt and apply directly to the outbreaks. This has rescued me.
Garlic, Grape Seed Extract
I gave up all alcohol (2 vodka's and 2 red wine's daily) in February, desperate to try anything, but it made no difference in my rash; still will not drink again because at 66 need to give my body every chance I can to stay healthy.
Has anyone used antibiotic lotions for this rash?
Vitamin A
★★★★★
★★★★★
Zinc Oxide
★★★★★
When I saw the dermatologist who finally diagnosed me, I was at the end of my rope. The rash was all over my back, neck, and chest, and speckled on my hips, legs, arms--well, it was pretty much everywhere. It was burning and itching and I just wanted to peel my skin off. When the biopsy came back, I was so happy to have an answer but disheartened to know that there is no real cure. The doctor told me to take 10,000 iu of vitamin A and a vitamin E capsule every day, to keep the rash well hydrated with cetaphil cream, and to see him in 6 weeks.
Initially, this regimen did help a bit, as the itching went away almost instantaneously. However, after the bumps remained so I began to research other treatments and found the boards here at Earth Clinic to be the most helpful. I began taking many supplements in addition to the A and E, including garlic pills, copper, zinc, D, and a probiotic. I also began drinking bentonite clay and eating a lot of cilantro to do a heavy metal cleanse. During the time, I've been off of gluten and alcohol as well. At night, I would break open 3-4 vitamin A capsules and mix them with vitamin E oil I got at the pharmacy, and cover my rash in it. In areas that were prone to sweat, like my chest and neck, I would put a medicated powder that contained zinc.
The rash was improving, but very slowly. I had to stop taking the zinc tablets because I kept throwing them up when they interacted with the copper. My face began to break out terribly, and I realized that I was probably just putting too many supplements in my body, so I decided to strip it down to the bare minimum: A, E, and garlic, along with the clay and cilantro.
The rash was still there, but slowly improving. I discovered by accident that the zinc was the thing that was helping. On Mother's Day, I wanted to wear a dress but my back was covered in red spots, so I decided to try covering it up with a thick makeup I have: Dr. Jart Dis-A-Pore. It covered beautifully and I had the confidence to go out in public without worrying that people were staring at my back and shoulders, even though the texture was still very bumpy. I left it on for a couple of days and when I finally washed it off, I realized that many of the bumps had healed completely. I looked at the ingredients of the makeup, and Zinc Oxide was one them, which got me to thinking...
I went to Costco and bought two double packs of Honest Company's Mineral Sunscreen, which is 19% zinc oxide and have been covering my body in it since Saturday. Today is Tuesday, and I am happy to say that the bumps on my back are pretty much non-existent now and all the others are healing up very quickly. I also added the zinc supplements back into my diet, but am sure to take them on a full stomach with no copper. I have still been taking the clay and cilantro as well, but I really feel like the zinc was the thing that made the biggest difference. The results were dramatic, and practically came overnight.
Again, yes, I have tried many different supplements and therapies, but I honest to God feel zinc is the thing making the most difference. This whole experience has been such a nightmare, I wanted to share my findings here in case I could help one other person avoid the suffering I went through. I'm looking forward to seeing my dermatologist soon and reporting my findings and I can only hope that he takes me seriously enough to help his other patients.
★★★★★
Garlic, Grape Seed Extract
