Getting rid of Granuloma Annulare
Posted , 25 users are following.
Hello! I've just joined so that I can pass on some information that may help. It may be a long one but bare with, I've waited 30 years to get rid of my granuloma annulare or at least try and control it and now I've managed to achieve clear elbows for the first time since I was 13! (all the rest is fading fast)
In my experience, none of the treatments work, in fact, the only steriod I ever tried managed to thin the skin on my foot so badly that I will need a skin graft if I make it to old age! The dermatologists I've met seem either not to care or at a loss as to what causes it. I made a slightly off the wall decision to visit a well reputed allergy tester. I was very sceptical as I was/am fit and healthy and live an active life on a farm. The machine used to flag up intolerences showed that sugar, yeast and in fact most moulds were not tolerated by me - causing inflammation. At this point I started to listen more intently. Firstly because I know I'm allergic to penecillin and the white and brown moulds in my straw at the farm. Secondly because when I was diagnosed in the 1980's the hospital told me not to eat sugar. In those days they thought there was a link between Type 1 diabetes and granuloma annulare. That is no longer the case. However, there must be a link somewhere whether it's related to insulin or hormones. I have adopted a life changing diet that has completely removed processed food and sugar and on that journey I have learned a great deal about the body and how it functions. I believe that this skin condition is your body telling you something, whether that is an imbalance of insulin, hormones, poor gut or whatever a good diet definitely helps. My diet before was not bad at all but now it is near on perfect. However, I should point out that it took 6 months before I started to see them fade. I cut out alcohol for the first 3 months and reintroduced red wine only at weekends after that time. I also cut out bread and replaced it with good quality crackers for a while. I have reintroduced good breads (no sugar) but with yeast and there has been no adverse effect. I've switched dairy and meat to all organic to avoid the added hormones and as many veg as I can to organic to avoid the toxins in chemicals. As I write this I realise it all sounds a bit excessive but it is a journey of discovery which starts with sugar. It has only been in the last 30-40 years that we produce and process food the way we do - largely because it is cheap. Granuloma Annulare may be benign but I suspect cases are growing because our bodies are sensitive to the environments we live in. If you have seen it then you may be interested to learn more about John Yudkin - definitely worth a Google. Good luck to all of you trying to deal with this condition.
9 likes, 21 replies
emma31356 samantha86487
Posted
Thanks Samantha... I think you are spot on.... like you my diet isn't really too bad, however making the switch to no sugar is soooooo hard! there seems to be processed sugar in just about everything! ok.... so i have already cut alcohol, you have given me inspiration to keep going.... thank you.
Alopiano87 samantha86487
Posted
Hi! So do you avoid fruit sugar or just processed bad sugar? Are you more in line with Keto? I have been doing a low histamine diet as I'm histamine intolerant, so essentially a more strict version of AIP. My GA is relentless and just won't clear up. I can say though that it is stagnant, hasn't spread as of late but the current spots won't go away. I decided to hit it with steroid cream for a week and while it took the texture down, it didn't remove the coloring. I'm so unbelievably distraught over this.
monique67668 samantha86487
Posted
i am really interested in your comments and look forward to hearing any updates. i to have had Granuloma for over 20 years, it started on my elbows but has spread alot. i tried light treatment a few years ago and am just finishing a course of methotrexate. The problem i find is that after a few months the granuloma will fade and move on to a different area. The doctors and specialists then think their treatment has worked. i would disagree. I dont think 6 months of this strong drug has worked as my rash has now popped up elsewhere. The light treatment has left me with skin that is covered in old age spots. i risked it knowingly because i was convinced it really could help. Well since that time my back has turned into a road map, the very worse rash, it is now up the back of my neck and creeping around the front. I have fresh ones by armpits and on chest. i decided to stop the methotrexate. Any new ideas warmly welcomed. in am now 65
m21181 samantha86487
Edited
Hey everyone! I had GA the first time when I was 12 and now and then I had a small spot. I am now 30 and since 2 years it is really bad and have it on my legs and elbows. I would not leave the house in a skirt... I have tried cortisone creams, Cbd oil, MCM,.. but nothing works. I have seen a bit of improvement when using argan oil the spots seem less red. Like many of you I believe something is wrong inside my body and I am maybe eating something I shouldnt. I am going to a doctor next week who is specialized in blood, it's not like a regular blood check but he really digs deep into the blood levels, they had to draw so much blood for this that I actually fainted. There is only 1 doctor that is doing this in my country (belgium), so I truly hopes he will find something! Did anyone ever go to a bloodspecialist like this? I am very hopeful! Will keep you all posted.
shawna93275 m21181
Posted
Any update on your blood work results?
danielle24470 samantha86487
Posted
hello, Ive just come across this thread and wanted to share my experience with GA also. I'm 31 yo female, GA started 2.5 years ago, first a rash on my foot, quickly followed by a smaller rash on my hand, one under my armpit, and a couple of other small ones.
I was living in a damp apartment at the time, nightmare neighbours meaning I wasn't sleeping for about 18 months, disrupted hormones coming off of hormonal birth control pill,a suspected immune system disruption, a relatively healthy diet with everything cooked from scratch, low dairy and gluten intake, however relatively dependent on some sugar as my downfall.
I have also tried elimination diets, fodmap style with one food category at a time, unfortunately without success. I have since eliminated cows dairy and eggs due to intolerance shown as delayed painful stomach cramps and hormonal acne.
Dermatologist said nothing I can do for GA. Tried multiple creams, topicals to no avail. Diabetes test shown as 'normal'.
Personally, I am convinced this is related to stress, diet, genes and overall lifestyle in this modern world.
My GA appeared quickly, but also stopped spreading quickly and has remained the same in 2 years.
A week of sugar elimination completely (other than fruit) and my GA has started to disappear!!
It appears less bumpy & less aggravated. Only time will tell but I intend to continue this way. I'll report if it clears! I do believe mine started when I wasn't sleeping and perhaps the effect this had on me for the first time in my life. If this is you also, definitely take in to consideration how much stress in daily lifestyle may be effecting you.