I think I have found a cure for my granuloma annulare
Posted , 30 users are following.
Hi everyone, this is my first time on this site.
I started off with Granuloma Annulare about 5 years ago. It started off as a small circle on my shoulder which I said to my husband I think I might have a ring worm or something. After going to the doctors he informed me that I had the start of granuloma annulare. I was referred to a skin specialist who treated it with injections, but eventually more appeared so was given a cream to apply all over the body. One day not long after that I was in the sun and virtually my back, elbows, hands, knees, feet, back of my legs and parts of my hips just erupted with it. I looked like I had big birth marks. No way could I go out into the sun of show my body. Cream was not doing anything then at this stage as it was so widespread on my body. Tried everything from ray treatment, to different types of medication but nothing worked. Ended up seeing a Professor in Sutherland Hospital who prescribed me with methatricate (small dosage) I have been on that for nearly a year and finally it has gone. I am slowly been taken off the medication now and hopefully it does return. Unfortunately all the medications that I was on do have side effects and sometimes you wonder if the treatment is worse than the problem. Feeling good about myself at long last. Fingers crossed. I hope this might help others too. Good luck.
7 likes, 34 replies
marsha02672 stephanie60596
Posted
I got this a year ago, at age 65.....started w/ small spots on my back, then noticed getting them on arms, chest & legs....went to skin doc who did a biopsy to see what this was....1st she put me on a cream, when that didn't work, gave me an injection, & that didn't work, so she injected a few of my spots on my back....that didn't work either. Found a new skin doc...she did a bunch of research on it....6 weeks ago she lasered all of my back and then did blu light treatment ($1500.00 out of pocket cost)....then I had to keep 2 ointments on it 24/7 for almost 3 weeks....that waas a royal pain in the arse.....it hasn't worked at all.....the more I read now, they say it CAN be sun related...well, I've been in the sun all my life ( w/ sunscreen), so this amazes me! I'm now just praying it goes away on its own at some point (sooooooon) !!!! I really don't want to deal w/ a med and yucky side affects....
stephanie60596 marsha02672
Posted
crissy99999 stephanie60596
Posted
First time posting. I was diagnosed about 5 years ago with GA and cream didn't work, was hoping would go over time but getting worse flaring up and spreading on both lower legs. It is hard living in warm climate covering up as looks terrible.found doctor can only do so much and treatment looks like could be costly with laser.
I would love to test if diet can help, its so frustrating...
Cowlady crissy99999
Posted
Wondering if diet helps.? I eat like I have all of my life and I got GA anyway.
Have had for 2 years + and recently spreading down my left leg and 1 spot on my leg. Have tried the cream ointment from the dermo, I also googled a home remedy which was vinegar & water to no avail also.
This past week went to another dermo and she did a biopsy.
stephanie60596
Posted
Well was gone for a few months after coming off medication and then came back again. Started back on the methatricate and again has worked but unfortunately had a fall and broke my arm/shoulder in four places and with all the medication during shoulder operation the medication caused bad liver readings so had to come off the methatricate immediately. Unfortunately yes after a month or so the spots have come back not in all the same places but still a lot. So have now decided to not go down the track of medications due to side effects but also that once you come off them it returns so am now looking at changing my diet. I was told by a naturopath to not have any red things, such as red wine, red grapes, beetroot etc and say off yeast, chocolate and coffee. I don't know if I can survive on taking these things out of my diet but will try. Am resigned to the fact that I will have this for life but am lucky have a very understanding man in my life who loves me for me and not my ugly marks. Am now 63 so I shouldn't complain but feel for everyone who is cursed with this problem. Will keep you posted.
marsha02672 stephanie60596
Edited
Hi Stephanie,
Always good to get up-dates from you and the others on this sight......we have comfort in misery !!! I tried the no carbs, dairy & wheat for 5 days, but then another (un-related) medical problem popped up, so I stopped the diet to concentrate on med. problem....I'm just going with the flow on my GA....bought some really classy long sleeved tops to hide spots on arms, chest and back.....I have a great support group of my own friends that just can't figure out how GA occurs ( it IS an enigma) , but they really sympathize with/for me :-) My sweet husband of 37 yrs has just learned to live with my SPOTS, as I have.
It would be SO great if all of us on this site could find a doctor somewhere that has actually treated GA with success?????
I'm assuming this post can be read by the others on this sight.....nice to know "we aren't alone" :-)
WindDancer stephanie60596
Posted
Wondered if anyone else had this experience? I read somewhere that if you have a collagen disease, you should not eat citrus. So I tried it...and it worked. I cut out tangerines, oranges, grapefruit, lemons or limes. No more lesions on my hands! I had been getting painful steroids injected into each bump (yes, I said bad words). Fast-forward a year later when my husband brought home a bag of the small tangerine "Cuties." They smelled so good and I really missed oranges. I ate about 6 of them. IMMEDIATELY broke out in lesions on my hands. I tried to talk to my dermatologist about it, but he poo-pooed the theory unless I could provide some medical journal write-up. I have not been able to find any info linking citrus and collagen diseases nor can I find the site I originally read it on. I have since cut out citrus again and only have flare-ups when I eat out and lemon sneaks into a dish. Hope this helps and I would love to hear if someone else heard this. All I know is I am off citrus from now on and looking to get my Vitamin C elsewhere.
lana70189 WindDancer
Posted
That is really interesting. I went gluten free for about 6 months and also took oil of oregano capsules for a couple of weeks. Mine began to disappear. It came back this summer when i took several trips this summer and wasnt as careful. What is a collagen disease?
lana70189 stephanie60596
Edited
Is anyone still following this post? i wanted to join but not sure anyone was following still.
julie11205 stephanie60596
Posted
Hi - just joined this forum because i have been trying for years now to get an answer on what is the cause of my granuloma annulare. Doctors are just no help. I have them all over my legs. I'm really hoping to find that this can be corrected with a diet change. I plan to start eliminating sugar to see if that helps. My sister also gave me a blend of Ginger, Turmeric, Cinnamon and Cloves that she stirs into hot water with lemon. I do hope people keep posting here , especially if they are seeing results!
If I can be diligent and manage to change my eating habits, I will report back on whether they have any effect on the spots.
susan24338 julie11205
Posted
Doctors are no help because there is no known cause. Treatment varies from person to person. They don't know what triggers it. From what I understand its not diet related. Changing your diet can help with appearance of it if your keeping down inflammation in your body. It is thought it might be related to an illness. Mine started 14 years ago after a bad case of strep that got in my blood and became a blood infection. That is thought to be the cause of mine. Or the same year i had shingles. Either, both who knows. Mine has NEVER went away. Been much better but never gone. Flares vary. Right now for some reason it is severe, worst its ever been. I have read the craziest "cures" and diets for years. I've seen people who swear they have it but really don't know because they have never seen a doctor for it. Whatever diet or cure they have had really might have treated whatever it was they had. If you don't have a doctor with experience in treating GA then find one. Took me awhile to find one. Good luck.
kev15929 stephanie60596
Posted
I had GA for 20 years plus on my hands and arms, plus a little bit on my knees. I tried everything nothing worked. After some reading, I though I would do the OMAD diet ( only eating for 1 hr per day and fasting for 23 hrs and remove sugar. After 6 weeks my GA is completely gone
kev15929 stephanie60596
Posted
I also had minor psoriasis on my scalp and its almost gone after interm fasting.
cemorgan stephanie60596
Posted
i hope people keep posting here. I'm 43 with multiple lesions on my legs. Dermatologist is zero help. I have a steroid cream that seems to do nothing. Has anyone had success with topical creams or any kind? I really don’t want this to get worse but I feel like it will. 😦
TraceyD cemorgan
Posted
I have had GA (biopsied) on the tops of my feet and then spread to the entire backs of my legs for about 6 years now (I am 55 and diabetic). Nothing topical has worked. Derm tried many different meds for lupus with no change. Kenalog steroid injections lightened them a bit but not enough to deal with the side effects. I forget about it during the winter months (I live in Northern Illinois) but I always get on the let's cure it bandwagon in the Spring because, well, it looks awful in summer shorts. Checking into MCAS (mast cell activation syndrome) as my sister has tested positive for this. There might be a connection(?). Also, I've developed food/alcohol sensitivities over the last year....so thinking of cleaning up the diet severely to see if that helps everything. Very frustrating indeed. I hate that we all have this, but it does help to know that you all "get it". Sure wish we had Doctors that did!