Top Remedies for Hidradenitis Suppurativa

HS Causes and Triggers

Posted by Jody (Davenport) on 02/12/2016

My 16 year old daughter a year ago got on the NEXPLANON birth control. That we think is been the same time she started to get boils. She gets them at last 1 a month. So big and bad that we have to take her to the E.R to have them drained and packed. We just learned of a name for her condition. I replied since I seen you are the one had a concern with birth control. They started on her lower back. 1 on her knee the rest under her arm pit. I have been searching since I finally got a name for this. Anyone heard of Emuaid Cream?

Lysine

Posted by Monique (New York) on 12/28/2015
★★★★★

Try Lysine capsules. The seem to work for me. I take two 500mg capsules, twice a day during the time I'm having issues with my Hidradenitis Supperativa. And one 500gm capsule, twice a day when im not having issues. You can purchase them at a health food store.

Let me know if it helps.

Probiotics

Posted by Knad01 (Ohio) on 04/26/2015
★★★★★

Hidradenitis Suppurativa: Has anyone tried taking a probiotic? I have HS and recently read an article about "leaky gut syndrome". Initially eliminated gluten from my diet and started taking zinc tablets, which I had success with (not 100%). However, it is not really an option to take zinc long term and I find complete elimination of gluten to be very difficult. I have consumed gluten multiple times through cross contamination, causing a reaction.

I recently (about 2 months ago) found an article about leaky gut syndrome and started taking a probiotic twice a day, which really seems to be helping! I have not had a breakout since and I even started adding small amounts of gluten back into my diet (i.e. soy sauce, beer, boneless breaded chicken wings, etc.)!! Not sure if it is a "cure", but it helped me and worth a shot- although I am still weary of pizza and pasta dishes. Probiotics are easily available and not expensive at all, so perhaps worth a shot?

Eating Dinner Earlier

Posted by Timeofday3 (London, Uk,) on 12/12/2014
★★★★★

Hi, I've suffered from HS for 15 years. I have tried turmeric and that has worked for me to a certain extent. But I wanted to share something that has worked for me and has transformed my life. If I ate my last meal of the day after 8pm you can guarantee that the next day I would have a flare up. And the later I ate the worse the flare up would be. Eating dinner/last meal of the day between 7-8pm has changed my life. Now for the last 3 years I have been ok, only having occasional flare ups when my body is extremely tired from overwork or I eat late when I don't have a choice. I hope this helps someone else too. Give it a try for a week and see if it helps. Good luck, I wish you well.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Cure Hs (Kosovo) on 11/25/2014
★★★★★

You can cure Hidradenitis Suppurativa, I did this :)

All you need to do is to apply apple vinegar using cotton to your affected area. Leave it there all night long . Do this for 1 week and you will start to see the results.

It is so simple but really effective.

Eliminate Allergen Foods

Posted by Ace (Vancouver, Bc) on 03/03/2012
★★★★★

Get a food allergy test (from a naturopath). People with HS tend to have food sensitivities (due to weak immune systems)... Trust me - it changed my life."

I can not say it enough times on here - it is the CURE and will change your life!! Take out what your body can't digest and you will be back to normal!!!

I would like to help as many ppl as possible who have had this horrible disease - - I have this horrible disease for 3-4 years.... And I have now finally overcome it and am now living a "normal" life once again!!!

This MESSAGE needs to BE SPREAD to ALL HS SUFFERERS!!!

General Feedback

Posted by Liam (Ramsgate, Nsw) on 01/17/2011

Hi there, my name is Liam and I am from Sydney Australia. I am a 30yo male.

I have had HS from the age of 15 roughly. I have even had a Dermatologist take a biopsy off me in 2000 and not tell me I had HS, all he said was it was a Follicle issue.

After breaking down several weeks ago at the local doctors is when the Doctor told I had "Hidradenitis Suppurativa".

At this point in time I am in severe pain as I have multiple boils under my armpit, and several on my bottom, oh, should I mention that I am sitting sideways! They have been there for about 8 months now and they go and come back. There are some days when I am in so much pain that I cannot go to work. The other worse thing is, I love tennis and coach the game also, due to this illness, I am no longer able to play & coach.

This disease has stopped me from maintaining a relationship and has made me so depressed.

Today I googled "Hidradenitis Suppurativa" and read as much as I could until I went cross-eyed, and I think on the 5th page in the search I clicked on this link.

I have now been reading everyones testimonials on this site for the last 2 hours and have not stopped crying . Snot everywhere, sadly pus later.. It is so much different hearing from others who have the same problem.. I honestly thought I was alone.

I can't even believe that I am writing this up to be posted, I have never been compelled to do anything like this on the net.

Whoever has taken time to maintain & create this site, thank you.

I will try the Turmeric Remedy and keep all posted.

Regards, Liam

Top Remedies Summary

Posted by Yasmin (London, Uk) on 09/06/2010

Hi - I have been a mis-dagnosed Hidradenitis Suppurativa sufferer for over 10 yrs old and I am now 33 yrs old. I am so grateful that I found this site - I had almost given up and thought I will just stay single, as I can't imagine getting undressed in front of someone new... But now I have some hope, and that's what makes the world go round! I cannot offer any more tips, but I consolidated all / most of the ideas I saw on the forum for my own benefit, and have posted it below as I thought it might help someone else... Note these are not my suggestions but just a single posting with all of the suggestions with the most positive feedback.....

Things to consider eliminating from your diet:
Wheat / flour / gluten / dairy / caffeine / cigarettes

Daily:

3 times a day:
Turmeric mixture (the fat is important for absorpotion, as it water temperature)
1 tsp of turmeric; 1/16 of a tsp of black pepper; 1/2 to 1 tsp of coconut oil in 8 oz hot soup; broth or water (when an infection is severe it must be taken 4 times a day and it does miracles in two to three days)

Also:
Apple Cider vinegar - 2 tea-spoon full in glass of water (sip slowly throughout the day - also good for weight loss)

Omega Oils - Follow dose

Burdock Root (tablets) - Follow dose

Once a day
Bring 1 tsp of black onion seeds to a boil in one glass of water keep it boiling until the white part of the seed shows, let cool off and drink it

Topical: Tea tree oil, Epsom bath salts, Witch Hazel, Iodine, antibacterial soap (bar not liquid)

Less common Suggestions:
- Bacitracin Ointment to be taken up / in the nose twice a day
- Bee Propolis (a wood supplement)

Note: Make sure you get a bacterial swab to ensure it is HS and not MRSA as there are similar symptoms

Olive Oil

Posted by Kelly (OH) on 09/21/2024
★★★★★

A year ago I was so exhausted from the pain of an HS wound. I prayed to God to please heal my body. I have had this condition for over 30 years. When I woke up the next day after saying my prayers I found this post. So I tried it. I put organic first harvest olive oil in my groin area morning and night like stated in the post. My groin has not look this good for a long long time. It works!!! Glory be to God!!!

Deodorant Connection

Posted by Chris (paris, texas) on 08/11/2007
★★★★★

i used to get horrible boils (golf ball to baseball size) under my arm pits. i had a doctor suggest that i may have a condition known as (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hidradenitis-suppurativa/DS00818) Hidradenitis Suppurativa, he said this was incurable. i do not believe in incurable conditions. After lots of research and a trip to a local allergy specialist i found that was actually allergic to aluminum zirconium, a very common ingredient in antiperspirants (see http://health.howstuffworks.com/question627.htm for more information) i switched to an antiperspirant withouts actually allergic to aluminum zirconium and the boils stopped.
My allergy Dr. told me that alot of people actually get misdiagnosed with Hidradenitis Suppurativa because of boils in the armpit when all that is wrong with them is their choice of antiperspirant. i also want to point out that i have seen this ingredient listed on several feminine hygiene products for moisture control.

Borax

Posted by Sue (Westmoreland NY USA) on 07/22/2023
★★★★★

I'll start by saying I was skeptical about taking Borax-but after reading many of the posts here & on other sites-I decided to go for it. I figured worse comes to worse, I'd have an excellent cleaner!

Anyway-I was looking for something to help w/Hidradenitis Suppurativa-which is basically cysts in your armpits, sometimes in groin & under breasts. It's horribly painful & can be embarrassing-especially when they burst. Doctors have no idea what causes it either & is treated w/tetracycline-a strong antibiotic or biologics &/or incisions & draining them.

That doesn't cure it-they come back. And no one should be on tetracycline or biologics all the time!

I started taking 1/8 of a teaspoon dissolved in a bit of warm water right after breakfast.

I started it on Monday-today is Saturday & the cysts are all gone! I'm shocked it worked so quickly!

I'm also an insomniac-I have been since I was a kid-& w/in a couple days I was falling asleep easier & staying asleep! I've been able to go off a couple of OTC meds I was using to fall asleep also in just a couple of days!

I also have fibromyalgia & usually have a flair up a couple times a week-but not this week! I'm knocking on wood that I don't have any more of them-but even if the flare-ups are just lessened it would be great news for me.

FYI-I didn't really have any herxing & I'm hoping I don't-but regardless, I'd continue taking this amazing mineral.

Thank you, Ted, for spreading the news of this natural medicine! You've literally changed my life!

Coconut Oil

Posted by Amy (Derby england) on 06/14/2023
★★★★★

Since I started puberty I've suffered with boils under my armpits and in my groin area.

I've gained significant weight over the last two years and this led to my armpits becoming much worse. I was at a point where I would have at least 5 boils at any one time around my armpit area.
Around 3 months ago I started to apply cold pressed coconut oil onto my armpit skin once or twice a week. I initially started because I'd heard it was anti bacterial and honestly I just wanted to take away some friction.

Within a week I noticed my armpits looked less angry, and I wasn't developing new boils as quickly as "normal". And within a month my boils were down to almost nothing. I'm still like that now. I'll get maybe one or two a month, my scarring seems to be fading too, and I have less than half the blackheads I had when I started.

For the first summer in a long time I can wear cami tops, and short sleeve dresses without being embarrassed.
I haven't tried the Apple Cider Vinegar but I'll defo give that a go when next I get a boil and will update.
I'd 100% recommend coconut oil to anyone. I know it probably won't work for everyone but for me it's been an absolute game changer!

B12

Posted by Bee (Tampa, FL) on 02/14/2022
★★★★★

Just an update to my prior comment. The high dose B12 (2,000 mcg) was keeping me up at night so I stopped it. I then switched to a B complex that had more than the 100 mcg from the one I had been using (400 mcg) and thankfully it was enough to maintain the therapeutic effect. I can still eat nightshades and other trigger foods without causing a flare. So play around with the dosage and find the one that is right for you. 100 mcg daily was not enough but the 400 mcg in my new B Complex was enough to keep the flare ups at bay.

Avoid Acidic Food, Hyperthyroid Link

Posted by Mohammed (Foolshope) on 03/15/2021
★★★★★

I want to keep this short.

I was suffering from Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) for almost 10 years. I started taking ACV when I was in the Middle East and the HS problem started. I was never able to link it to ACV. When returning back to my home country, I stopped taking ACV and the problem of HS was completely gone.

I recommend anyone suffering from HS to avoid acidic/high citrus foods such as lemon, ACV etc.

Last week I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and I read some papers that are linking HS with hyperthyroidism. Please do check with your doctor and do some research. I know how painful these skin problems are and just sharing my observation here.

Spearmint Tea, Manuka Honey, Turmeric

Posted by Kisha (Fort Worth, Tx) on 05/03/2018
★★★★★

Hidradenitis - I drink 1 cup of Organic Spearmint tea, 1 teaspoon of Manuka Honey UMF 15+ and 800mg Tumeric by capsule each day. This has eliminated my HS outbreaks.

Applying the Manuka Honey directly to the HS outbreaks has eliminated the scarring and discoloration.

Prebiotics and Probiotics

Posted by Robin (Rancho Mirage) on 06/02/2017
★★★★★

I must tell you my findings for HS. I have been taking a pro-biotic and now a pre-biotic which helps good bacteria grow in your gut. HS is a manifestation of your gut being off. Its not about hygiene, hormones or whatever the doctors want you to believe. They don't know. I'm telling you get a good probiotic take it 3 times a day if you are having issues with this terrible HS. I've cured myself. I decided it had to be something we all do. Antibiotics, for kids the elderly who never had HS, women, Men doing surgery which didn't help! UGG. Please get a probiotic that will start righting the very low good bacteria you have in your gut. It helps and a prebiotic is even better it helps proliferate the good bacteria and as it grows you have less HS. Don't take my word for it just start ingesting a good one. I am cured, and I live in a hot desert where I sweat. Nothing to do with HS just an easy way for the strep to get out.

Physician heal thyself. Take a responsible step to your own health. God Bless

Magnesium Oil, Black Tea

Posted by Mary (Wi) on 05/11/2017
★★★★★

Chronic Hidradenitis Suppurativa:

In the Ted's Q&A I found a reference to MAGNESIUM CHLORIDE and BLACK TEA. This is the most effective combo I have found for HS but I do not see it referred often.

Magnesium Oil is available at health stores and online. It can be painful, but it works for me esp early in a breakout.

Black tea, applied via cotton round pad after the oil, with frequent applications, is soothing for the pain and seems to remove the heat and pressure.

Turmeric ( drink with black pepper for absorbtion), tea tree oil, and diet changes also help.

A note on gluten: there are different types of wheat with different protiens all of which are gluten. It gets complicated. I found some breads are ok, but pasta and pretzels are not ok for me.

Depending on hormone levels some "safe" foods turn into trigger foods.

Nightshades effect me * depending on the freshness of the nightshade*. I can eat potatoes that are not sprouting yet, but old potatoes are triggers. I don't eat chips for this reason.

Short version: Black Tea and Magnesium oil (same as magnesium chloride), see Ted's Q&A.