1. Community
  2. Skin and nails
  3. Granuloma Annulare

List of physicians who have successfully treated our disease

Posted , 5 users are following.

robertacurtin
robertacurtin

I believe I contracted this horrible disorder when I was around the age of 10 or 11 or 12. I fell on some rocks that were covered and barnacles while in the ocean and several years later these red pink spot started showing up and started growing. As we all know how granuloma annulare gross starts at your feet and can travel up words. They thought I had ringworm for a very long time and finally when I was 18 I got diagnosed. And saw they have several doctors and multiple states they all took biopsies and all gave me different kinds of medicines from pills to steroid injections. I am currently 52 and I have had this wretched disease my entire life and I'm I'm sick and tired of it . I have not been to my dermatologist and over 5 to 10 years because I'm currently taking monthly steroid injections for 13 herniated desk's in my neck and my back. So my body would not be able to tolerate any more steroid injections in the size. What I've noticed is in the winter it starts to flare upAnd it starts to grow and spread and then by the time Summers here it's just awful.

One thing that I personally have noticed that does help, listen up******Did Help Me ******is:

Long time exposure to the ocean sun and water. I personally believe and all of my dermatologist in for state say that it's not I personally believe there is an organism underneath my skin that travels and pops up makes the circles and then goes away but it's as if when I'm in that hot Moulton son and the salt from the ocean is like dries it up makes it go away kill the bug that's in that circle. I know that sounds stupid but that's the best way I know how to describe it. I have purchased a suntan bed I do not get in it regularly the very first doctor that diagnosed me when I was 18 said that ultraviolet light meaning a suntan session at a salon would or could help but with all the skin cancer out there it makes me leery about using my suntan bed.

*****I would like feedback from anybody that has used a suntan bed to help treat their granuloma annulare what you did how long you did it and how much time did you spend in the bed and what were the results. .

****** my best treatment for this disorder up to this point had been a series of shots directly in the circles approximately two or 3 mm apart but you can only have so many cc of steroids a month so my physician will draw up the maximum in a syringe And start the process and we probably only got three or four circles traded and by the next monthly session those were starting to shrink and go away but I have so many on my body we were fighting a losing battle because we couldn't treat them all at the same rate. And what I noticed the downside to that That treatment was that when the circles and did go down the skin that was between the circles becomes paper thin like you can see through it and it bruises more easy it's not a tough exterior at the epithelial cells anymore and you can see that the skin is lighter and shade.

****My last physician that I've seen in my hometown of Dalton Georgia was 10 years ago told me I had the worst case of granuloma annulare he had ever seen and his whole entire life and that he has seen a lot of cases and that because I had neglected mine for so long that's why it was so out of control. It's not just on my face it's on my legs my calfs my size it's on my tops of my hands it's on my forearms it's on my upper arm on the inside of my upper arm I have spots around my neck and several have tried to climb onto my face. He recommended that I go be a guinea pig at one of the medical universities he suggested Emery and let them Study may take biopsies probe on me whatever they need to do to try to figure out a way to get this under control. But that it would be a long lengthy process and probably cost a lot of money. Of course I told him to look into it and get back with me I have three small children so going during school time was not an option and I didn't know how it's going to get out of work for three months but that I was well Willing to go be a human guinea pig so that we could figure this horrible disorder out. Not just for me but for all of you.

^^^ when I wear shorts in the summer I'm horribly embarrassed because people look at me like I have something wrong and I do have something wrong but it's not contagious and you can't get it. It makes it very hard to get a date in the summer when you have beautiful legs that have spots all over it it's awful so if anybody can help me help myself I really would like to try something NEW!!!

I am absolutely open to any suggestions so I need to find a physician that has treated your granuloma annulare and you're pleased with the results I know that we have this for life and that I will always come and go the abs and flows of the waves but when it's dormant in the winter I don't feel so awful about myself but in the summer which is my best time of feeling good Is when the diseases out of control. Somebody please help me help me find a doctor that has successfully treated your disease we can trade pictures so that I can see before during and after's I will fly anywhere I will do anything. This is not about vanity this is about my sanity !

Thank you for allowing me to open this discussion I may, new member as I stated earlier I'm 52 and I would love to start dating but no man wants to date a woman that has spots all over her body from head to toe.

all my love Roberta from Dalton Georgia

PS.I will be awaiting your responses

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • ann44562
    ann44562 robertacurtin

    Posted

    Hi Roberta I am so sorry you have this horrible disease your whole life. I am 60 and I have it about 3 years. I like you have it all over my body. My doctor has also told me it's the worst she has ever seen. Mine is the kind that itches. When I am in a flare up it drives me crazy . I have been eating an extremely clean diet for five months now and my arms are almost clear. It is very difficult but I have tried steroids and steroid creams and they only got worse.. I live in Florida and I feel the heat makes it worse. I think I got it after being on the beach in New York three years ago. Doctor treated it as a fungus.. but it just spread all over my body. Finally I got a biopsy and confirmed it was GA. So far the only thing that has helped is this diet. It got worse before getting better. I am hoping it keeps getting better. I hope you find something that works for you . Good luck keep in touch. This forum is a great comfort in being able to talk to other people with GA and learning from each other. Got Bless

  • grant30115
    grant30115 robertacurtin

    Posted

    Hi Roberta My wife had GA for about the same time as you. she is 49 now, 3 years ago it started to flare up very bad the worst I have seen it covering 1/4 of her body about 2 years ago she started having MSM 1 teaspoon with water or Juice every 2nd or 3rd day in 6 months it was almost all gone. she has some minor blemishes that only she can see. She has been GA free for 1.5 years now. From what I have read it seems everyone is different I think it is the body reacting to something or a lack of something I hope this helps good luck.

    Grant

    Fremantle WA

  • CreativeNikki
    CreativeNikki robertacurtin

    Posted

    Hi Roberta,

    Have you tried any dietary changes?  I got GA for the first time this year, at 35 years old.  It literally seemed to appear overnight.  At the time it appeared I was extremely stressed and I had been eating crap and drinking too much.  So, I suspected right away that my lifestyle was the problem, even though I was/am otherwise healthy, work out, etc.  

    I got a biopsy done on a Tuesday, but before I had the results I immediately went back to eating gluten free and stopped drinking.  By the time I got the biopsy results the GA had faded significantly.  A week or so later, it was gone completely.  

    I didn't really intend to do this, but I started eating a lot of junk and went to several parties where drinking was happening over the holiday weekend.  My GA started to come back by the end of 4 days eating and drinking like that (not to mention that my sleep wasn't as good and I felt crappy/tired).  I went back to clean eating yesterday, and the small spots that appeared are fading again.  So, to me it is clear that diet is the key.  If I avoid gluten, alcohol and excess sugar, the GA goes away.  When I have too much of any of those things, it comes back.

    Obviously, this is only my experience, but I really think dietary changes and even fasting can help a great deal.

    • ann44562
      ann44562 CreativeNikki

      Posted

      Hi Nikki I totally agree. I have tried everything including methodraxate, steroid shots and creams. Nothing really worked as well as this diet I went on . There is a book clean in 30. I read the book and did the diet. However it took closer to 6 months to start to see results: So I think diet was my case as well.
    • PuddinTame
      PuddinTame ann44562

      Posted

      Please post the name of the book you refer too.  Thanks
  • cob
    cob robertacurtin

    Posted

    Hi Roberta, My  new derm is Dr. Vincent Liu at the University of Iowa. I do believe you should find a derm at a University Medical Center. GA seems to be occuring more frequently. My new derm has seen lots and has had good success, but it is trial and error with different treatments. Thre resident said he had only seen 2 others worse than mine and they responded to the treatments that I didn't. My derms DO NOT recommend tanning beds because they cause melanomas. They do recommend UVB treatments which is different although I was getting tan with it. It did not help my GA and the itching increased dramatically. Instead of doing the ROM, he preferred to start with the minocycline and paquinal 2 times a day for 2 months and then increase if no response. I do believe their is help out there!

  • cob
    cob robertacurtin

    Posted

    I would run to the University and see the Derm there. I've had mine a year and have millions of little spots everywhere all over my body. The Derm I saw put me on Paquanil and Minocycline. They made a huge difference. No new spots within 2 weeks of treatment. 2 1/2 months out, spots have faded considerably. He said he's had patients that had great treatment on the others I failed on. Treatment is out there!!

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.