kokotg Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 DH has psoriasis, and has spent years trying assorted medicines, creams, supplements, wacky magic pills that someone online somewhere recommended, etc. with very little success. Steroids (creams and injections) help some, but I'd rather he not use those for the rest of his life. We haven't tried any dietary stuff yet, and it seems like cutting out gluten is the most promising dietary change. He doesn't have any other gluten intolerance/celiac type symptoms (sometimes unexplained joint pain, but we figure that's the psoriasis, too). Anyone tried this? Experiences? Of course, once you start reading about it, you can find people saying that cutting out gluten will solve pretty much every problem your family has, so I think the whole family should probably give it a try. I can't wait to have a perfect family ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 :bigear: My SO has psoriasis w/skin/arthritis involvement, so I'd love to hear any success stories. Right now he's taking some horrendously expensive and nasty medications and they still only enable him to reach 'hurting, but not crippled.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyJudyJudy Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 I don't personally know anyone with psoriasis who has tried going gluten-free. I tried to get my sister to do it, but she won't even talk about it. There is indeed evidence, however, that there is a link between gluten and psoriasis: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18384553 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyJudyJudy Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 :bigear: My SO has psoriasis w/skin/arthritis involvement, so I'd love to hear any success stories. Right now he's taking some horrendously expensive and nasty medications and they still only enable him to reach 'hurting, but not crippled.' Not specifically with psoriatic arthritis, but I know lots of people, including me, who have seen great improvement in arthritis (both rheumatoid and osteo) by going gluten-free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 Not psoriasis, but my dd's excema went away when she went gluten-free. She does have Celiac Disease. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted July 4, 2011 Author Share Posted July 4, 2011 I don't personally know anyone with psoriasis who has tried going gluten-free. I tried to get my sister to do it, but she won't even talk about it. There is indeed evidence, however, that there is a link between gluten and psoriasis: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18384553 Yeah, I was reading about that study and a few others. The problem with psoriasis is that everyone seems to have a different story about what finally worked; you can find someone claiming pretty much every diet out there is what cleared up his or her psoriasis. But the gluten thing seems to have some actual science backing it up. It also seems more doable for us than some other changes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penny_P Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 Hhhmmm.... My MIL is an Atkin's fanatic, which is gluten free, especially on the two week induction diet which she always follows. Her psoriasis did clear up for a bit when she started it about 10 years ago; however, it didn't stay away forever. She's now on multiple medications to control it. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jann in TX Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 Mine is labeled 'severe and chronic'--- at times it covers 90% of my body. I also have psoriatic arthritis. In the past I've used Enbrel (thank goodness for insurance) and it cleared me 90% for the first years I was on it.. then it gradually started coming back. After a rest period I began Humira last fall. It cleared me QUICKLY--but it also gave me terrible 'flu-like' symptoms--it made me sick! I was only on it for 6 weeks total--but it cleared me 100%. I stayed cleared until March (4 months). In April I went on the HCG diet-- this is gluten free (extremely low carb too). The few plaques of psoriasis I had went away. I just returned from a trip to Africa-- I ate quite a bit of carbs (way too many potatoes!)... and my psoriasis has come back--this time under my fingernails (even typing this is painful!). There is NO treatment for psoriasis under the nails-- unless you use a biologic (Enbrel/Humira...). Now that I'm home again I hope to go low-carb and gluten free again in hopes that it will diminish some-- I DO NOT expect it to clear completely or to be 'cured'... Psoriasis is a genetic condition and is a BUMMER to have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted July 4, 2011 Author Share Posted July 4, 2011 I just returned from a trip to Africa-- I ate quite a bit of carbs (way too many potatoes!)... and my psoriasis has come back--this time under my fingernails (even typing this is painful!). There is NO treatment for psoriasis under the nails-- unless you use a biologic (Enbrel/Humira...). DH often gets it under his fingernails (but doesn't have it there right now), and has actually gotten steroid injections there...it makes me queasy just thinking about it. He's tried psoriatain, which dried out his skin and had all sorts of scary potential long term side effects, but didn't do much of anything for the psoriasis. He hasn't tried any biologics yet, but he's considered it. We're also thinking of looking into home UV treatments--seeing if insurance will cover some of it. but it seems almost silly NOT to give the gluten free thing a try, too. Thanks for sharing your experiences...I think at this point he'd be very happy with something that helped some and lessened the itchiness; he'd be shocked if anything actually cleared it up all the way. My middle son also shows some signs of psoriasis--mostly flakiness on his scalp--so I'm doubly eager to figure out something that might help; I hate the thought of him going through the same thing when he grows up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyJudyJudy Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 Kokotg, I think going gluten-free is worth a try. Just make sure you go gung-ho and give it a long enough trial period. Even tiny amounts of gluten can throw one's body off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted July 11, 2011 Author Share Posted July 11, 2011 So we're 4 days in to the big gluten free experiment. All of us are doing it, in hopes that we'll see positive changes for everyone. My youngest just got an asthma diagnosis, so I'm hoping it might help with that, too. My normally quite tempermental 10 year old seems a lot more even-keeled over the past couple of days, but I'm trying not to read too much into that. DH doesn't notice any difference, but I don't think he would yet. The plan is keep at it for 30 days. I'm sort of freakishly enjoying the whole obsessive research part of it. It's like homeschooling! Or planning a trip to Disney World! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiddenJewel Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 Skin conditions many times are a symptom of trouble internally. When your systems (especially like the bowels) are working properly, it can clear up many skin rashes including psoriasis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 I have a good friend who fought psoriasis for years. She was diagnosed as celiac, and has seen improvement since going gluten free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 Not quite the same, but I got rid of a small but bothersome patch of eczema when I went gluten free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twilight Woods Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 I have had psorasis since I was 19 [came out after I had a resection for my Crohn's]. I tried gluten free/dairy free and it did not help me. I now have Psoriatic Arthritis to go along with all this wonderful fun. The only thing that has made a noticable difference for ME is Humira. I hate taking the injection BUT it's only 2 injections a month and I dont get the pens b/c they hurt more then the prefilled syrnges. I say it's defintily worth a try b/c what doesn't work for some may work for others. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twilight Woods Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 Mine is labeled 'severe and chronic'--- at times it covers 90% of my body. I also have psoriatic arthritis. In the past I've used Enbrel (thank goodness for insurance) and it cleared me 90% for the first years I was on it.. then it gradually started coming back. After a rest period I began Humira last fall. It cleared me QUICKLY--but it also gave me terrible 'flu-like' symptoms--it made me sick! I was only on it for 6 weeks total--but it cleared me 100%. I stayed cleared until March (4 months). In April I went on the HCG diet-- this is gluten free (extremely low carb too). The few plaques of psoriasis I had went away. I just returned from a trip to Africa-- I ate quite a bit of carbs (way too many potatoes!)... and my psoriasis has come back--this time under my fingernails (even typing this is painful!). There is NO treatment for psoriasis under the nails-- unless you use a biologic (Enbrel/Humira...). Now that I'm home again I hope to go low-carb and gluten free again in hopes that it will diminish some-- I DO NOT expect it to clear completely or to be 'cured'... Psoriasis is a genetic condition and is a BUMMER to have. my toe nails are so bad it hurts to walk most days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 I have had psorasis since I was 19 [came out after I had a resection for my Crohn's]. I tried gluten free/dairy free and it did not help me. I now have Psoriatic Arthritis to go along with all this wonderful fun. The only thing that has made a noticable difference for ME is Humira. I hate taking the injection BUT it's only 2 injections a month and I dont get the pens b/c they hurt more then the prefilled syrnges. I say it's defintily worth a try b/c what doesn't work for some may work for others. :) Humira is what my SO's on now after the Remicade stopped working. It seems to be working okay so far but it's only been a few months. :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted August 8, 2011 Author Share Posted August 8, 2011 an update.... Well. DH went to the doctor and got a celiac panel the same day we stopped the gluten....and it came back completely and totally normal. Nothing even borderline. So we ended up eating pizza 2 weeks into the experiment instead of giving it the full month. We are not terribly patient people. And that night my 5 year old got a stomach ache. The next day, my 10 year old was a rage-filled monster. Hmm. We cut the gluten out again and continued on. Notable events since then: *DS10 had regular bread at communion one Sunday (they actually offer gluten free, but it's in a separate place and I think he would feel too conspicuous taking it, so we told him he could try the regular). No ill effects noted. *DS5 accidentally had gluten in the form of a cookies and cream milkshake (oops. my bad). Had a little bit of a stomachache right after and then a monster headache starting about 20 minutes later, lasting the rest of the day. He gets little headaches sometimes, but this one seemed much more intense. *DH and I went out to dinner without the kids and ate gluten with wild abandon. DH had a roll, a beer, and an apple turnover thing for dessert. Later that night, he reported feeling really, REALLY itchy--itchier than he's been in a long time. So. In short, I don't know. If these are all coincidences, they're very interesting coincidences. I'm wondering if, particularly for DH, it could be a wheat thing rather than a gluten thing; he's had the occasional beer over the past few weeks and not noticed anything. Most beer is just barley, not wheat (unless it's a wheat beer). He would have no problem giving up just wheat, I don't think. He makes his own beer, so that's really the hardest thing for him in contemplating a life without gluten. He eats pretty much anything--is not picky at all--so day to day eating isn't the problem. He's going to start over and completely cut out gluten for a full month to see what happens. I've already told my oldest he can have a piece of cake at a birthday party this weekend (DS5 has requested I bring him something without gluten instead), so we'll see if we see the same results as after the pizza. I want this to be easier to figure out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 I had psoriasis for 10 years when I was a kid. I got it when I was 5-ish. It went about about the time I was 15. What cured it was being in the ocean a lot. We moved to within driving distance of the beach. Mom took us to the beach day after day after day. Not as a treatment, just for fun. She loves the beach. It cleared up over that first summer and hasn't been back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessAriel Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 Sometimes it isn't just gluten alone that causes the problems, but grains in general. If you try to substitute with a lot of other grains, they could be an issue as well. I am gluten sensitive and feel my best overall when I am off of all grains. And you probably won't want to do this, but I would give it about 3 months rather than 30 days if you possibly can to give it the best chance. It can take a while to heal the "gut", which is where a lot of issues originate. Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happygrrl Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 We have to cut out all grains and eat lots of good-for you-fats (coconut, olive, and grass-fed animals) to keep things at bay. Interestingly enough, my ds' most stubborn eczema is better since we bought an above ground pool with a salt-water system. As usual, Chuki is on to something! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KirstenH Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 I have had psoriasis since I was a toddler. The only things that affect it are hormones (it went away when I was pregnant, and it flares up predictably around ovulation) and alcohol (if I drink, it flares up). I've been eating gluten-free for two years, but it hasn't made much difference to the psoriasis. The only topical cream I've ever found effective is Elocon. I've never used the hard-core biologics, so I can't comment on those. If I get nail involvement, I do a round of oral steroids to stop it before it gets too bad. I lost all ten nails as a kid and I don't want that to happen again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 Hmmm...This is an interesting post! My brother has had psoriatic arthritis for over 20 years (getting more severe as he gets older), but I don't know if he has ever tried gluten free. He is a medical scientist, so you'd think he would have. I will have to ask him. I know the one thing he says that helps -- apart from medications -- is sunlight. During the long winter months he lies under a sun lamp from time to time. It does help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpyTheFrog Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 I had psoriasis for 10 years when I was a kid. I got it when I was 5-ish. It went about about the time I was 15. What cured it was being in the ocean a lot. We moved to within driving distance of the beach. Mom took us to the beach day after day after day. Not as a treatment, just for fun. She loves the beach. It cleared up over that first summer and hasn't been back. I've read that a vitamin D deficiency is linked with psoriasis. Going to the beach would probably up your D levels a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpyTheFrog Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 I would read about the autoimmune protocol for a paleo diet and try that for a month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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