|
Home > Archive > Psoriasis support > August 2006 > Dermylex update
You are viewing an archived Text-only version of the thread.
To view this thread in it's original format and/or if you want to reply to
this thread please [click here]
|
|
| Graham 2006-08-19, 4:25 pm |
| Hi all...
Just thought I'd give an update as to how my Dermylex trial is going.
I've finished 3 bottles over 3 months, one pill in the morning and one
in the evening. The studies published by Advitech show results after 56
days, and even further improvement at 112 days. For me, at 60 days I
didn't see much change at all (still flaking off large sheets of skin,
still very angry red), but then roughly around 75 days I decided to try
adding some topicals into the mix (Ultravate and Dovonex). Soon after I
noticed a very notable change in character of my spots. In 8 of the
worst spots the flaking is far reduced to almost none and instead of
being one large raised spot, the general trend is that it is flatter
and collapsing from the center outwards. You can still see the general
outline but now it's more like you can just see a collection of small
dots which once comprised the whole spot. What's especially encouraging
about this is that the overgrown blood supply network feeding each spot
is visibly shutting down. In the past, no amount of topicals has ever
been able to do that for me, even Ultravate. It's almost like the
Dermylex is reducing inflammation far enough that the topicals are
actually beneficial. My scalp is also far less flaky after washing my
hair but the redness is still the same.
Now, just to make things more complicated, I also need to mention that
I have also been taking 10mg of generic loratadine (non-prescription
allergy med) once a day. Somewhere around 50 days into my trial I
started to get a really itchy face with redness and flaking/smudging. I
was afraid that my face was going to break out with p as I've had a
similar episode a couple of years back but which went away. This time
it was quite bad and I needed to try something, anything! After taking
the loratadine for a couple of days I felt immensely better! No more
itching, redness gone, flaking stopped. Note that this is just on my
face. I've been taking it only semi-regularly since then. As it turned
out I noticed that someone (Randall?) posted an article about how
loratadine could be a novel treatment for p though it didn't have any
information on dosage. I'm not sure what caused my itchy outbreak
except for maybe added allergens in the air due to the humid summer
here in Toronto. There were a few days where it seemed like maybe it
was helping to reduce redness on my scalp as well but I'm not really
sure if the two are correllated. It would be great if they are since I
can get 75 pills for $15! Oh, and I've been using Clobex shampoo since
even before my trial started as well.
Anyway, back to Dermylex. So we'll see how things are after my 4th
bottle, at which point I will decide whether to keep buying it or not
($60 per bottle). I'm definitely not ready to celebrate yet but I am
feeling quite encouraged. The severity is less but the spots are
definitely not gone, and I won't settle for any less than gone! My
intuition is telling me that it's the Dermylex helping me more than the
topicals or loratadine. I'll report again in 30 days.
Graham
| |
| JXStern 2006-08-19, 4:25 pm |
| On 19 Aug 2006 12:55:05 -0700, "Graham" <gstephen@gmail.com> wrote:
>Hi all...
>
>Just thought I'd give an update as to how my Dermylex trial is going.
This is whey protein "nutriceutical"?
>I've finished 3 bottles over 3 months, one pill in the morning and one
>in the evening. The studies published by Advitech show results after 56
>days, and even further improvement at 112 days. For me, at 60 days I
>didn't see much change at all (still flaking off large sheets of skin,
>still very angry red), but then roughly around 75 days I decided to try
>adding some topicals into the mix (Ultravate and Dovonex). Soon after I
>noticed a very notable change in character of my spots. In 8 of the
>worst spots the flaking is far reduced to almost none and instead of
>being one large raised spot, the general trend is that it is flatter
>and collapsing from the center outwards. You can still see the general
>outline but now it's more like you can just see a collection of small
>dots which once comprised the whole spot. What's especially encouraging
>about this is that the overgrown blood supply network feeding each spot
>is visibly shutting down. In the past, no amount of topicals has ever
>been able to do that for me, even Ultravate. It's almost like the
>Dermylex is reducing inflammation far enough that the topicals are
>actually beneficial. My scalp is also far less flaky after washing my
>hair but the redness is still the same.
This sounds a bit like what I seem to get from (omega-3) eggs - it
seems to eliminate the Auspitz sign and bleeding. Still haven't
figured out what component of eggs might do that. Esp because I've
also been using turmeric in increased dosage, and recently B-12, too
(via swiss cheese!). You might try adding the turmeric as a systemic
antiinflammatory, I'm up to about 3-4 grams/day (about half a level
teaspoon twice a day), and maybe a baby aspirin or two per day, to see
if that has more synergistic effects with whatever else you're on.
J.
| |
| Graham 2006-08-19, 4:25 pm |
|
> This is whey protein "nutriceutical"?
Yep. And one other thing I forgot to mention is that despite the
improvements I described I still have a few small new spots which have
appeared, urgh! Nothing huge, but still.
> This sounds a bit like what I seem to get from (omega-3) eggs - it
> seems to eliminate the Auspitz sign and bleeding. Still haven't
> figured out what component of eggs might do that. Esp because I've
> also been using turmeric in increased dosage, and recently B-12, too
> (via swiss cheese!). You might try adding the turmeric as a systemic
> antiinflammatory, I'm up to about 3-4 grams/day (about half a level
> teaspoon twice a day), and maybe a baby aspirin or two per day, to see
> if that has more synergistic effects with whatever else you're on.
It's probably the omega-3 rather than the egg itself. Have you tried
flax oil supplements? I get improvement from that too but I don't use
it because it is also an excellent laxative.
(I have some curcumin supplements but I recently got ceramic braces on
my top teeth and it would stain the heck out of the ligatures so that's
not an option for me for a while.)
| |
|
| x-no-archive: yes
Graham wrote:
> Now, just to make things more complicated, I also need to mention that
> I have also been taking 10mg of generic loratadine (non-prescription
> allergy med) once a day. Somewhere around 50 days into my trial I
> started to get a really itchy face with redness and flaking/smudging. I
> was afraid that my face was going to break out with p as I've had a
> similar episode a couple of years back but which went away. This time
> it was quite bad and I needed to try something, anything!
Have you considered trying aggressive allergy desensitization? My skin
is extremely reactive to seasonal allergies, and my allergist
desensitized me on a 3 mos. schedule, with dramatic improvements in my
overall health and comfort, including my hyperreactive skin.
Susan
| |
| randall 2006-08-19, 9:23 pm |
|
Susan wrote:
> x-no-archive: yes
>
> Graham wrote:
>
>
> Have you considered trying aggressive allergy desensitization? My skin
> is extremely reactive to seasonal allergies, and my allergist
> desensitized me on a 3 mos. schedule, with dramatic improvements in my
> overall health and comfort, including my hyperreactive skin.
>
> Susan
Then the obvious questions beg, what are you funky with?
Your allergist must have a veritable list, right?
randall
| |
|
| x-no-archive: yes
randall wrote:
> Then the obvious questions beg, what are you funky with?
> Your allergist must have a veritable list, right?
My serum includes the Greatest Hits of my testing, rather boring:
House dust, dust mites, trees, grass, ragweed, molds. I'm soon to take
samples of the invisible mold in my very clean bathroom so it can be
added to my serum; it gives me sinusitis migraines with vomiting, the
works. If I bleach spray and mop every surface in my bathroom (next to
my bed, practically) a couple times per week, I don't congest or get
sinus headaches any more.
Food wise, wheat, even 204 grams, makes me itch and sends my blood sugar
up way too high for such a small bite.
Susan
| |
| randall 2006-08-20, 9:26 pm |
| Susan wrote:
>
> randall wrote:
>
>
> My serum includes the Greatest Hits of my testing, rather boring:
>
> House dust, dust mites, trees, grass, ragweed, molds.
Ragweed usually has my eyes itching for a few weeks each
springtime. As to the rest of these, i've wondered about airborne
endotoxins (lps)
in the breathable form as a trigger for quite some time.
What determines threshold levels?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/...endotoxins+home
Interesting.
> I'm soon to take
> samples of the invisible mold in my very clean bathroom so it can be
> added to my serum; it gives me sinusitis migraines with vomiting, the
> works.
Your immune system has a hair trigger. Have you correlated
all of these with flaring or new plaque triggers? I seem to flare more
from
Jan 1st to early summer most years. This year due to my supplement
program, I hope, it was abbreviated to a month or so and cleared very
quickly from early summer on.
> If I bleach spray and mop every surface in my bathroom (next to
> my bed, practically) a couple times per week, I don't congest or get
> sinus headaches any more.
There goes the *hygiene hypothesis* right out the bathroom window.
>
> Food wise, wheat, even 204 grams, makes me itch and sends my blood sugar
> up way too high for such a small bite.
200 grams of pizza shell would be around a third of a pizza or less at
one cup
of flour being 200 grams and using three and a half cups of flour.
What would the damage from one or two slices?
I sorta hoped that anything that triggered the immune system would
keep it busy and forget about the psoriasis during the duration of
the event. Like using bee venom to treat some autoimmune diseases.
randall
>
> Susan
| |
|
| x-no-archive: yes
randall wrote:
> Ragweed usually has my eyes itching for a few weeks each
> springtime.
In hte spring??? Where do you live? It's an August/Sept bloomer here
in the NE U.S.
> Your immune system has a hair trigger. Have you correlated
> all of these with flaring or new plaque triggers?
I don't have plaques, or much of anything at present, since restoring
some adrenal function by cutting out all steroid use and cutting all
starch from my diet. But what drove me to my allergist was the extreme
painful burning I got each spring and then in fall, with ragweed,
leading to what was diagnosed as large masses of pustular P. My p
reacts the way a recent publication said, to allergens passing through
the skin. I never got open blisters, just painful, hot, raised red
areas that later dried and peeled.
> I seem to flare more
> from
> Jan 1st to early summer most years. This year due to my supplement
> program, I hope, it was abbreviated to a month or so and cleared very
> quickly from early summer on.
You may have indoor allergies, depending on your climate.
> There goes the *hygiene hypothesis* right out the bathroom window.
I don't know what this means.
>
>
> 200 grams of pizza shell would be around a third of a pizza or less at
> one cup
> of flour being 200 grams and using three and a half cups of flour.
>
> What would the damage from one or two slices?
I meant two - four grams. I eat about 45 per day, before subtracting
fiber. I cut out starches, virtually completely. Wheat makes me itch.
For the record, any time I've been too ill to eat at all for a few days,
I've gotten 100% clear, even when at my worst.
>
> I sorta hoped that anything that triggered the immune system would
> keep it busy and forget about the psoriasis during the duration of
> the event. Like using bee venom to treat some autoimmune diseases.
It's not that black/white. Immune systems don't get only down regulated
or only upregulated by pathogens, allergens, etc. Some parts do one,
some do the other in response.
Susan
| |
| randall 2006-08-21, 4:27 pm |
|
Susan wrote:
>
> randall wrote:
>
>
> In the spring??? Where do you live? It's an August/Sept bloomer here
> in the NE U.S.
SW --opposite corner. Where it doesn't rain much after april/may.
>
>
> I don't have plaques, or much of anything at present, since restoring
> some adrenal function by cutting out all steroid use and cutting all
> starch from my diet.
So, you do a low glycemic modified atkins? How about rice starch? Same
thing?
> But what drove me to my allergist was the extreme
> painful burning I got each spring and then in fall, with ragweed,
> leading to what was diagnosed as large masses of pustular P. My p
> reacts the way a recent publication said, to allergens passing through
> the skin. I never got open blisters, just painful, hot, raised red
> areas that later dried and peeled.
Sounds like what I remember somewhat before I onset with psoriasis.
>
>
> You may have indoor allergies, depending on your climate.
I figured the same thing as the flares correspond to rain/humidity for
more then a few of the folks with P, I know.
>
>
>
> I don't know what this means.
No matter, not important.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygiene_hypothesis
>
>
> I meant two - four grams. I eat about 45 per day, before subtracting
> fiber. I cut out starches, virtually completely. Wheat makes me itch.
>
> For the record, any time I've been too ill to eat at all for a few days,
> I've gotten 100% clear, even when at my worst.
So, your Gi tract/allergen driven PP is pasty starch fueled? But you
can still eat veggies, fruits and proteins without problems?
How about dairy, a nemesis for more then a few psoriatics?
Your PP sounds like sort of a poster child for atkins but replacing
adipose cells for
autoimmunity factors. And it is interesting that PP and PV folks can
both
starve for results, pv results being more meager then pp.
>
>
> It's not that black/white.
At least not for psoriasis vulgaris. More strictly a Th1 thing while
you
have Th2 factors resembling atopy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atopy
> Immune systems don't get only down regulated
> or only upregulated by pathogens, allergens, etc. Some parts do one,
> some do the other in response
I'm glad to return mine to normal and share with you how I do it.
randall... 
>
> Susan
| |
|
| x-no-archive: yes
randall wrote:
> So, you do a low glycemic modified atkins? How about rice starch? Same
> thing?
I don't follow any popular diet plan, I formulated my own based upon
Medline research. The closest I come to any plan is Protein Power, the
middle level. Emphasis on grass fed meat and dairy only. I don't eat
starches, lately, period. When I do, it's small amounts of whole kernel
rye, not flour.
> I figured the same thing as the flares correspond to rain/humidity for
> more then a few of the folks with P, I know.
Mold allergies, very possibly.
> So, your Gi tract/allergen driven PP is pasty starch fueled? But you
> can still eat veggies, fruits and proteins without problems?
I eat very little fruit, but a small plum or 1/4 cup of blueberries is
wel tolerated.
> How about dairy, a nemesis for more then a few psoriatics?
I don't eat very much because it's high calorie, and I have to keep them
very low to keep weight off. But not a trigger for me, despite having
tested allergic years ago. I have to take lactase if it's not fermented
or aged, though.
>
> Your PP sounds like sort of a poster child for atkins but replacing
> adipose cells for
> autoimmunity factors. And it is interesting that PP and PV folks can
> both
> starve for results, pv results being more meager then pp.
I'm not PP, though. Not for several years, since allergic
desensitization. I was plaque til my years in the PUVA trials.
Susan
|
| |
|
|