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Other causes... other cures?

Posted , 10 users are following.

sally54400
sally54400

Kudos to all of you have figured out food allergies are the source of your GA. To the rest of us for whom the cause remains more illusive, a few thoughts for consideration based on my own experiences as a sufferer, diagnosed about 2 1/2 years ago (and I'm 56 years old now). I have been gluten-free since my diagnosis, and changing my diet has not improved my condition.

Still a few thoughts based on my own journey:

1. Western medicine had no answers to improve my condition; only a biopsy to validate I did indeed have granuloma annulare. The extraordinarily expensive steroidal prescriptions were useless.

2. Eastern medicine and a naturopathic doctor have been a far better course for me. The treatment focuses on acupuncture and Chinese herbs (don't ask about the specifics since my TCM -- Traditional Chinese Medicine -- doctor often adjusts the herbs and they don't translate to English anyway).

3. Sun exposure: A double-edged sword because no one wants to trade a lessening of our unseemly but benign GA lesions for melanoma. Still, some treatments recommend PUVA and other diagnoses suggest an inability to internally process Vitamin D. I live in the sunbelt of the U.S. and an hour's exposure of sun on my legs each week seems to help immensely.

4. Lotions and potions- Although my naturopathic doctor have told me to avoid detergents, soaps, and lotions containing parabens, I've found for me that Eucerin "skin calming daily moisture creame with natural oatmeal and moisturizers" is fabulous (yes, it does contain parabens -- in layperson's terms are preservatives). 

A few thoughts for all of us sufferers and the medical community for further research:

1. My first GA outbreak occured about 5 weeks after I'd suffered the cold from hell, traveling from sinusitis to bronchitis over a period of about 8 weeks and being on at least two different antibiotic prescriptions. Just recently do to a non-GA related skin infection in a finger, I was prescribed Keflex, another antibiotic, a cephalosporin drug. 36 hours later, I woke up with a huge swollen red spot under my eye... certainly not GA, but the doctor later confirmed my allergy to this type of antibiotic... so wondered if there's a relationship between all those other antibiotics I took that early fall before my first GA outbreak occurred. 

2. My mother's sister (who's 25+ years older than I am) has sarcoidosis which is related to GA. Just wondering if there's a genetic tendency to these related conditions. 

0 likes, 26 replies

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  • marla34468
    marla34468 sally54400

    Posted

    Hi, thought i had replied in this discussion, but i can't find my response.  I think there might be a link with SIBO and GA due to the treatment.  I realized this when i was diagnosed with SIBO (chronic acid reflux and constipation as well as 3 kinds of  GA biopsed since 2012.  SIBO treatment is 550 MG. Rifaxamin 3 times a day, and 250 MG metroNidazole, 3 x a day (or neomycin).  I previously took the ROM treatment weekly for 3 months, and gave up bec. no effect on GA. 

    I will let people know if this SIBO treatment affects my GA....and if it does, it means we all have to change our diets!

    • j0603
      j0603 marla34468

      Posted

      Hi Marla, yes I think from what I have read GA is an autoimmune response to something the body is trying to reject and that "something" can be different in different people, elastin, bacteria, TB test, etc. I am going to test all the possible triggers till I figure it out 😀

    • bonnie55779
      bonnie55779 j0603

      Posted

      I believe one of the possible triggers that the body is trying to reject is mercury.   At least, it appears that way in my case.
  • Maryliz
    Maryliz sally54400

    Posted

    Hi to all of you ... an update... I had my follow up appt with Consultant Dermatologist at hospital yesterday (post confirmation of biopsy/GA).   He was disappointed I did not take the sterioids prescribed last December and has given me topical steroid cream for a month.  I explained  that I did not see the point as GA was disappeariing on its own.   The GA under my arms has almost disappeared but is still on my knees and upper legs.   Because my GA is hidden my stress levels are low but I know it would be different if on face neck hands etc.  I agree that the body is trying to rid itself something?    I have changed my diet too and eat fish at least twice a week.    Thinking of you all.     
    • bonnie55779
      bonnie55779 Maryliz

      Posted

      The omega-3 in fish is good for skin problems in general, but you might want to avoid the large predatory fish like tuna aìnd swordfish, which are high in mercury, as I believe mercury may be one of the triggers.  2 of my 3 episodes followed dental work.
  • bonnie55779
    bonnie55779 sally54400

    Posted

    Did you have any dental work before any of your attacks?  My first attack was in 1997 after having some crowns put in by a conventional dentist who didn't even make note of whether he was drilling through mercury amalgan fillings.  At the time, I was not aware of a possible problem from this,  The GA outbreak lasted 7 years and eventully faded away.  In 2006 I had my mercury amalgam fillings  removed by a dentist who was knowledgable about how to do it safely, with a rubber dam and oxygen.  Still, I had another outbreak after this, which lasted about 5 years.  In both cases, it started on the backs of my hands and the tops of my feet and spread proximally.  My theory is that the body, in its wisdom, transports the mercury as far as possible from the center of the body and deposits it on the surface where the skin is thinnest, where it is eventually expelled with the surface cells.  My 3rd episode, which is ongoing, was not related to dental work, but started around 2012 after taking very high doses of MSM sulfur for 6 months as a detox.  I figure the sulfur displaced mercury from where it was still stored in my body and again deposited it on the skin surface.  Except for the appearance, it doesn't cause any problems like itching etc.  I have been gluten free for 2 years, which has not affected the GA, but has relieved other problems like optical migraines and poor balance.
    • FrenglishCarole
      FrenglishCarole bonnie55779

      Posted

      Hi Bonnie,

      I believe mine started the same way than yours due to mercury from amalgam fillings. Like you, my dentist was ignorant on how to remove them safely. It has been 8 years and am still dealing with GA however it seems to fade now. I thought it might have to do with Red Light Therapy but who knows, it might just be time. 

      I eat a healthy diet, not completely gluten free but 90% OFF. It doesn't make much difference either way. I stopped all vitamins and supplements. They only think I take now is wheatgrass juice shot every morning. I heard it was super good for you. 

      Take care and good luck with everything,

      Carole

    • bonnie55779
      bonnie55779 FrenglishCarole

      Posted

      Thanks.  Mercury is probably one of the causes, but it may be different for other people.
  • sarah39775
    sarah39775 sally54400

    Posted

    Mercury! Maybe that's it! I have extensive dental work and so far nothing I've tried works..this is the first time I've seen something in common with people on here. I'll have my dr test me! So far only depo medrol shots work for me temporarily..I have the generalized type now..all over my legs, upper inner arms, tops of my feet and hip area..starting to see some on sides of my boobs..noooo! I'm 38 and had mine when I was like 12 then faded and then about a year after my kid was born(she's 8 now) I started seeing big rings on my knees and hands and upper arms, localized then, tried endless treatments, dermatologist, natural dr, cider vinegar, tea tree oil, and though my bigger rings r gone I note have small bumps all over, some forming rings some just scattered. It's so embarrassing.I serve tables and it is not attractive..I do have high stress but mainly caused by this disease! So maybe something to do with dental work/mercury?
    • bonnie55779
      bonnie55779 sarah39775

      Posted

      Dental work/mercury seemed to be a factor in my case.  It may be different for different people.  I never bothered getting any treatment for it because everythng I read said there was no known cause or effective treatment.  In both cases of dental work, it faded out after about 7 years. The 3rd episode was not from dental work, but started after 6 months of high doses of MSM sulfur which was highly recommended by a friend (who also sells it).  It is supposed to help arthritis and help remove heavy metals.  It may have removed mercury from my internal organs and deposited it in the skin, where it is less dangerous but doesn't look so good.  Since I live near the sea in south Italy, I've been going in the sea daily for the past few weeks, and getting a nice tan and healthy doses of vitamin D.  The GA seems less noticable, but it may just be the tan covering it up.  I have been on a gluten-free diet for the past 2 years, which relieved my optical migraines, but didn't affect the GA.
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