| 5 star (16) | 89% | |
| 4 star (1) | 6% | |
 (1) | 6% |
Liz (Idyllwild, California) on 04/28/2011
I tried everything I started off by going to a dermatoligist who told me what I had. He put me on doxycycline, which after a week of being on it I ended up with a severe yeast infection. At this point I decided to to get off of it and find a natural remedy to get rid of it. I ended up on this sight and started trying all kinds of remedies that I was reading. I tried ACV which only made it worse. I also tried french green clay and manuka honey. Neither of these things were helping at all. I finally read about gse and started myself on this. At this point my pod was so bad and hurt so much I was devastated. I didn't want to leave the house or do anything I was so depressed and embarrased about it. My skin had bumps and was flaming red and severly dry and flaking. It was horrible!!
I started using grapfruitseed extract (gse) I did exactly what I had read in other posts. I drank it 4x a day. 20 drops in 4oz of water. Let me warn you though it is the most horrible thing you probably ever will drink. You just have to do it quickly and bare through it. I also put about 1tbsp of water with 10 drops of gse in a little medicane cup (like the ones you get when you buy a bottle of cold medicane) then I put my hand over it (clean hand) and shook it up. I then applied it to the infected area and left it on for as long as I could stand. Be warned it burns like crazy and itches like hell. After I could not stand it anymore which was like 5 mins I washed it off. Yes it still itched and burned for a while after I washed it off this is normal. Initially it is even more red after you wash it off but that goes down after a few hours especially while you are sleeping at night. After about 4 days of doing it it got less itchy and less burning. After about a week I could tolerate it on my face for about an hour. After two weeks it no longer felt like anything was on my face when I applied it. I then would leave it on my face for hours before bed.
After a week of using it I noticed huge improvement and after about two and a half weeks the bumps were gone it was just still red and EXTREMELY dry. I tried everything to help with the dryness and I mean everything. I finally found something that helped and it took all the dryness away. It is made by Eucerin and is called Aquaphor Healing ointment. It comes in a little tub and is like a vasoline consistency. You can get it at your local drugstore. This stuff is amazing and really helps the dryness. After using the gse for three and a half weeks I stopped applying it to my face because the bumps were gone it was just really dry and red. Dont stop using it if u still have bumps. So I just put the Eucerin on my face twice a day after stopping using the gse and after 5 days my face was back to normal. You can start the Eucerin right away I just found it recntly so I wasn't able to start it right away. I have not stopped drinking it though. I have taken it down to 3x a day and will keep reducing it until I only take it once a day.
GSE has so many benefits to it. I did tons of research on it. It is like taking a natural antibiotic. The reason why a dermatologist puts you on antibiotic for pod is to kill the overgrowth of bacteria in the body. Which then causes an overgrowth of bacteria on your face. So taking pod can only benefit you. I plan on drinking it once a day for the rest of my life to help rid my body of any bacteria that may cause the pod to come back. GSE also boosts your immune system and helps with acne. Along with many many other things. Too many to write about. I really hope this helps someone else suffering with pod. Just remember be patient its not gonna cure overnight. I am completely free of it and its been over a month of the treatment. Best of luck!!
Leki (Greenville, Sc, Usa) on 04/05/2010
I went in quest of a diagnosis and of course a cure. I immediately discovered that I had a textbook case of PD and that the hydrocortisone was the WORST thing I could have done. I read some of the posts on PD and began a treatment plan in early February. I quit ALL creams and lotions, cut out ALL Sodium Laurel Sulfates, Stopped using fluoride toothpaste and drinking fluoridated water (most city H2O is fluoridated). I read all about the Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) and began to try it topically and internally for three weeks. During this time my PD got progressively worse and I became depressed, feeling that I may never rid myself of this terrible skin condition. Around the beginning of March I decided to give up on the ACV and to try something else.
I continued to stay away from all SLS products and Fluoride, and I then tried the Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE) remedy- which was a bit of a stretch as there are not many posts on GSE in the dermatitis section of this website, but I found extensive discussion on GSE in the Melasma threads. I started the treatment of 20 drops in a small glass of H2O (@ 4 oz.) 5 times daily 1 hour after eating and 1 hour before eating again - Yes, GSE tastes terrible, but I decided that I'd rather deal with a nasty taste for a few minutes a few times a day than to feel like I had to hide my face for the rest of my life. I just chug it down and drink a few glasses of water afterwards to wash my mouth out. I also started a topical application at the same time - 10 drops in 1 TBSP of H2O well shaken and then dabbed on with my fingertip. The 1 TBSP mix usually lasts about 4 -5 days. I would use a Q-tip to apply it to the inside of my nostrils as it seemed I had the same bumps up inside of my nose as well as around the base and on the skin between my nose and lips. I washed my face with only warm water and was very tender with touching the PD affected area. Within 2 days I saw enough improvement to feel comfortable going out in public again - I would say 50% back to normal. Within a week it was at a level that was really only noticeable to me - 80% to 90% gone.
I have kept up with this treatment for the last four weeks and I have seen continued improvement. I would say that within the last week I can finally claim that my PD is 100% GONE! I am so relieved and feel a heavy weight off of my shoulders. Part of the depressing aspect of this condition is the great mystery surrounding it - on all the Dermatology sites there is conflicting info on successful medical treatments and it seems that everyone deals with recurrence. I feel much more comfortable with natural remedies in general and especially as a nursing mother. I am confident that should I experience recurrence the GSE will again be able to put the PD into remission.
I have also abstained from alcohol during the last three weeks as well as spicy foods (Thai curries and mexican salsas etc.) as I felt that I had a bit of a relapse after the first week of treatment when I had a glass of wine and ate a Spicy curry dish. I will begin to add these back into my diet in a few weeks to see what type of effect they have on my PD once it has been cleared for an extended period. I'll write back to let everyone know my findings.
I have begun to taper off of the GSE and am now only doing the 20 drops in 4 oz. H20 four times a day and topical application twice daily. I plan to keep up the treatment over the next two months gradually decreasing to NO daily internal or external use of the GSE and see how that goes. As I have read more and more and fought with this condition over the past few months I have come to believe that for some cases such as mine there very well may be a nano-insect at fault as Ted from Bangkok suggests.
Right now I am pleased to say that my face looks completely NORMAL and the overall condition of my skin is better than it has been in ages. Thank you to Earth Clinic for having such a wonderful site with so much rich information being shared. And to everyone out there with PD - there is HOPE! Try Grapefruit Seed Extract! It has been my miracle cure!
Laurel (Oakland, California, U.s.a) on 02/04/2010
Bonni (Mcminnville, OR) on 02/14/2009
Erin (Phoenix, Arizona) on 06/21/2008
Rebekah (Melbourne, Australia) on 04/05/2008
