Hidradenitis Suppurativa: You Can Have your Life Back!
Posted , 73 users are following.
Hi. My name is Catherine and I have been suffering with HS for over 23 years. They first started out as red bumps in the vaginal area. After repeated infections my doctor surgically removed the tissue. That didn't work. The lesions started appearing in the same location but on the opposite side. My physician didn't know what these bumps were and in 2009 he sent me to a dermatologist. She took one look and told me instantly that I had hidradenits suppurativa. I was in shock. I read up on everything I could find. I was put on doxycycline for the next 4 years and was miserable. The anti-biotic would cause me to have yeast problems and subsequently I was put on diflucan to deal with the yeast. It was a never ending problem. Now my red bumps were rupturing and weeping. This was new for me.
I went online to read as much as I could about HS. I read medical information and blogs. It was highly informative. There was a commonality of humiliation and pain, depression and the desire to feel normal. One entry caught my attention. It was about a woman who had suffered from HS and finally went to a Naturopath. He gave her two food sensitivity tests,an IgE and an IeE. She found out what foods she was allergic to and immediately removed them from her diet. She is now HS free.
I couldn't afford to go see a Naturopath and so I decided to start on a diet of protein (chicken) and salad (basic lettuce,cucumbers with olive oil and vinegar), vegetables such as green beans, squash, carrots, english peas,broccoli, cauliflower. I removed eggs, dairy, gluten which is in bread and a myriad of foods which include flour. I also removed Nightshade veggies and fruits.
Once I was stable ...which took about a week, I added eggs. I had no flares. That food was safe. I then added dairy products, again no flares. I added beef and fish with no problems. I was anxious about adding flour/gluten back into my diet as I was sure that this was the food group that I was sensitive to. However, after introducing gluten back into my diet there were no flares. That left me with only one group to test and that was the Nightshade veggies and fruits. This group includes: white potatoes, tomatoes, peppers including paprika (not white or black pepper), gooseberries and goji berries. These foods have alkaloids in them to fight off bugs. Interesting?
So, I added foods from this group into my diet and ....I FLARED!! I finally had the information that I needed. I immediately went through my pantry and removed any and everything with red pepper, tomatoes,and paprika. Paprika is everywhere. It is in hot dogs, mayonnaise, mustard and seasonings. If you eat processed foods...beware as it is in everything. I learned to read all the labels of everything at the grocery store and even double check it once it was in my pantry.
I am in remission and I intend to stay there.My lesions are flat. All that exists are scars and I can live with that.
I am certain that HS is the body's response to a food that the body is allergic to. It is not due to "not being clean enough" or due to being overweight. It will only respond to antibiotics for a short term and then those fail to work. Topicals don't work either. I do believe that once HS comes into your life, it takes over everything that you love. I was a victim to this disease for too many years. I have now, taken back my life. You can change your diet and be free. I recommend that if you decide to find out what foods you may be allergic to in order to be free from this disease that you consider incorporating these supplements: turmeric (wonderful anti-inflammatory), zinc, vitamin c, a probiotic, and green tea for itching It is a natural anti-histamine.
I hope you find this helpful. God Bless You
34 likes, 68 replies
bon2000 catherine435
Posted
I read this a year ago when the boils began progressing to stage 3. I became concerned when I noticed how deep into the tissue the bois were and when they would heal over leaving a blue/black scar only to return later. Some never seemed to heal, but never erupted, either. One developed into a lesion that never healed and frequently weeped fluids. The skin began to harden and I noticed there were 2 openings indicating the tunneling effect of HS. It was trying to progress to stage 3. Suddenly, numerous boils began to develop elsewhere as if it were taking on a life of its own. I felt like I was being consumed by evil.
At this point I was applying activated charcol/garlic/turmeric paste topically with bandage to the abscesses and boils. it seems to help draw out the fluids and promote healing as well as stave off infection. I also began using a zinc based shampoo as a body wash. These efforts helped slow down the flare ups and eliminted skin rashes until for reasons unknown to me they would suddenly flare, become inflammed and erupt. I would apply the medicated gauze and the vicious cycle would start all over again. Meanwhile, I was learning about sufferers of HS, especially those in Hurley stage 3 and hoping to find some way to stop the progression of my HS. Nothing I read ever indicated there was any hope. Nobody really knows what causes it. There's only speculation. Most claim that surgery is impotent to help, antibiotics don't work and even being healthy can cause flare ups because it behaves like an autoimmune disease. My thoughts grew dark.
I found this post about a year ago. I cut out nightshades: tomatoes, peppers, paprika and potatoes. I grow my own tomatoes and it's not the gmo contamination. It's the plant itself. Couple with zinc and salmon oil, I was in remission and left with scars and smooth skin within 2 months.
I have a golf-ball sized cyst on my inner thigh and numerous smaller lesions attempt to flare because I ate tomato and pepper based goulash 3 nights ago.
Omission of these foods really is the solution. Thanks to OP for her courage in the heuristic approach and being kind enough to inform others of the results.
brian56784 catherine435
Posted
hello catherine i read your post and i am truly thankful for your contribution. I felt as though you were speaking to me and the issues i am experiencing. thank you.
can you elaborate further on what was involved in the food sensitivity test that was conducted and what might be the average cost if i was to seek one?
eric91671 catherine435
Posted
Great information, Catherine! I'm going for my 10 plus surgery in the next couple weeks to remove more spots from this horrible disease and I'm at my wits end and willing to try anything else for a cure.
nancy14713 catherine435
Posted
I am crying right now. WOW! I am 50. Still undiagnosed, officially, but figured this out a few weeks ago watching American Idol. A contestant had it and a light went on after doing some research. Light went off after reading no cure and felt helpless. THIS SHINES the light back on!! Thank you!!
Want to share what I know.
Everyone is different. Mine is WAY worse after menopause. Had full hysterectomy at 38.
My sister also has. Hers is getting a bit better in natural menopause. She is 56. She has armpit and groin. I have groin, thighs and under breasts. Both misdiagnosed for over 30 years!
Birth control helped me in younger years so always thought was a hormonal thing. Same as everyone else here. Foliculitis, bacterial infection, fungal infection, don't shave, antibiotics, yeast infections, topicals, use powder, shower more (like twice a day wasn't enough.)
My current doctor refuses to do anything else for me until I lose 20 pounds. Really?
I feel hope again now and am going to try this and seek the right doctor. If this works I will scream it from rooftops so no one ever again has to suffer from these emotional, socially isolating, painful and embarrassing symptoms again.
tiffany_46904 catherine435
Posted
Hi Catherine
I do appreciate the information you put in your story. I also have been trying to get this thing under control. i have tried cutting dairy, breads, grains. i havent tried the nightshades yet but its next. One thing I wanted eveyone to know is you could have a yeast growth going on in the gut. I recently found out about Candida. Its a yeast overgrowth in the gut. I purchased a tea called Pao D' Arco. i have been drining this tea for about two weeks and i hace seen some real changes. The tea has sooo many benefits that I believe it can help relieve some of you as well. i ordered it on etsy. If anyone tries this and it works PLEASE let me know. We need to help each other conquer this disease. I try thing and I report what has worked for me. HS has been the most challenging thing I have ever had to deal with. I have graves disease as well. Both of them are a NIGHTMARE!!!to have. But Hs has definitely been most challenging.