Introduction – Who am I and why listen to me?
My story really started in 1993 as a 14 year old when I first developed psoriasis and has lead me to this point in my life where I am now the proud owner of SmartPsoriasisDiet.com website. My story is long but I’m sure it will resonate with many psoriasis sufferers out there. Initially it was one spot of guttate psoriasis that eventually went on to cover up to 80% of my body at different stages of my life.
To say psoriasis had an impact on my life is a massive understatement. Not one part of my body was spared from psoriasis, from toes to my scalp. It had a huge effect on how I lived my life through the tough teenage years when every night I would think to myself “Why me?” and then the progression into a stressful working environment as I got older.
Every year I got older it seemed to get worse, it seemed like the more stresses in my life as I got older manifested itself through the psoriasis on my skin.
Below I will list all the medically prescribed treatments and also alternative therapies I have tried over the years to try and get my psoriasis under control.
I fully understand there is no cure for psoriasis, but all psoriasis sufferers (and any other chronic skin condition sufferers) really want is a way to control it, whether that means, taking a tablet, injections, applying cream or ointments, lifestyle changes or UV treatments, it doesn’t matter, we just want to be able to have something on hand that we know will work when an outbreak occurs.
A List of My Trials And Tribulations To Control My Psoriasis
Coal Tar, Dovonex, Betnovate and Hydrocortisone
Intermittently between the ages of 14-22 I used these four. Coal Tar all over my body at nighttime(I really hated this) and dovonex on my body twice daily and a light Hydrocortisone ointment on my face. Dovonex was rotated with Betnovate. Basically they didn’t work. What did work during those years was the sunshine during the summer where it would fully clear for 3 months and return in the Autumn
Bio-energy therapy
This was my first venture into alternative methods.I freely admit I tried this in desperation. I’m still not sure what went on but it consisted of 4 sessions in one week where a bio energy practitioner waved his hands over me replacing negative energy with positive energy. It was very relaxing but unfortunately did not work and to this day don’t know if I would have been better off burning money instead!
Acupuncture and Herbs
When I was 22 I had my worst outbreak so far in my psoriasis life where it was so bad I was in pain sleeping and having showers as my skin was so badly dry and cracked up. The steroid creams were having no positive effect what so ever and I had noticed the skin on my forehead was thinning badly from using the steroid creams. The waiting time to see a dermatologist was 6 weeks so while waiting I went to a local herbalist who also had just recruited a acupuncturist who dealt specifically in skin conditions.
He told me that my psoriasis had a very bad infection and that explained the aggressiveness of the outbreak. I had 3 acupuncture sessions in 6 weeks and also used a herbal spray 4 times a day and also took a course of herbs during this time. By week 7 my psoriasis was fully cleared.
Up until 4 years ago when I moved to Australia, I would continue to go to this acupuncturist who I am still good friends with today, whenever my psoriasis was very bad. However the whole process of applying a spray 3-4 times a day was very hard to keep up each time I had an outbreak and this resulted in never getting the same effect.
I was kind of reaching a point that as long as it wasn’t on my hands or face I would tolerate it and to hell with the rest of my body. However it did spark my interest in using herbs either as a drink or topically as a way to successfully control psoriasis.
UV treatment
I never had the official UV treatment, but I did fully clear my psoriasis when I travelled around Asia for 5 months. I think this can be attributed to all the sunshine I was getting and the radically different eastern style diet. It was exhilarating wearing t-shirts and shorts for the first time since I was 14 and going swimming in the sea without any psoriasis lesions.
Prescribed Oral Medication (Neotigason aka acitretin)
I moved to Australia when I was 27 and after 6 months working in a stressful job, I suffered a very bad outbreak and a dermatologist prescribed Neotigason as he classed my case as severe. I was worried as it can have very harmful side effects like liver damage, hair loss and its so strong you are not allowed to donate blood until one year after you stop taking it.
My psoriasis did improve but I think this more coincided with leaving the stressful job and not taking the medication so after 6 months I stopped taking the drug (and I was very happy to do so) after consultation with my GP. Dovobet Ointment After a very bad flu, I suffered another bad outbreak of psoriasis. I had moved back home from Australia at this time and my local doctor prescribed Dovobet ointment.
I thought I had found the miracle cream. 4 or 5 days after using it, my psoriasis had cleared, but once I stopped it would come right back out again. After using it for probably too long (3 months) it stopped working and my psoriasis came back with vengeance. My psoriasis lesions had now turned into massive plaques on my torso and on my arms and it came out all over my body again.
At this stage I had just completely given up on conventional medicine. This ointment which I initially thought was a miracle cream had turned into a nightmare experience.
Luckily I was able to go back to my acupuncturist friend, who explained this time I now had a yeast infection in my psoriasis, probably from the overuse of such a strong steroid cream and through the 7 week intensive 4 times daily herbal spray and herbal drinks was again able to fully clear my psoriasis.
Internet only Magicream
I was introduced to this cream by my mother’s friend who said she knew someone that was selling a cream that cleared psoriasis and eczema lesions. I was going through a rough time with my psoriasis so I decided to try it. the cream was amazing and cleared up my psoriasis within 8 days. I continued to use this cream for months and I was able to live a normal life again, socializing, meeting girls, confident at work, etc.
However I then started to notice that this cream was bleaching my skin. Also at the same time the supplier had informed me that he had gotten the cream un – officially tested and the results showed 0.5% levels of hydro-cortisone which is usually OK for application on your main bodily areas but not on your face like I had be using it. This cream had passed no FDA requirements and been touted as 100% natural herbal cream by the manufacturers (based in China).
I noticed that I could now see evidence of extreme thinning of the skin on my forehead (veins now showing) from using such a strong cream, so at that point I decided to discontinue use of the cream. Once I stopped using it I had a severe reaction to the withdrawal of steroids especially on my torso as this was where I applied the cream the most.
A Journey Of Discovery Begins
It was at this point I decided I would no longer be a slave to artificial and synthetic creams and ointments and totally change the way I would live my life forever. The following eBook describes the changes I made to my lifestyle and the trial and error journey I experienced until I found the correct formula to control my psoriasis naturally.
If you follow this psoriasis diet plan, I can’t guarantee that your psoriasis will clear completely but I can assure you that you will feel physically and mentally better which in turn will naturally improve your psoriasis. Please read on…?
