...My
own experience
In Sept. 1997 I developed itchy blisters on my hands. I
was told by a friend who is a Nurse Aid that I had scabies.
I was prescribed Quellada, which I used according to the directions.
Two weeks later there was no let up in the irritation on my skin,
actually it was worse. I called my doctor who called to see me
and looked at my skin from a few feet away. He prescribed Lyclear.
Again I used this according to the directions.
A week later I ended up in ER. My body was swollen, my skin ached
and I could sit and watch the blisters develop. My left index
finger became red and swollen as I waited to be seen by a doctor.
A blister developed just below the nail bed and filled with yellow
fluid. I had blisters all over my legs, in particular on areas
where I had scars from a car accident in 1995.
The doctors thought perhaps I had folliculitits and prescribed
me Flucloxacillin and pain killers and sent me home. For the
next week I persevered with the rash and itch. I presumed that
after awhile I would recover once the medication kicked in. However
I ended up back in ER the following week and was admitted to the
hospital for a week.
My body was so swollen at this stage that they could not find
a vein to take blood from, they had to take it from my groin.
I was put on IV Flucloxacillin. They also took skin scrapings
to have lab tests done to see did I have scabies.
Three days later the IV was removed and I was informed that according
to the extensive lab tests I did not have and indeed never had
scabies. I was not informed of a diagnoses though.
For the next week I was treated from head to toe with Betnovate,
a topical steroid. At first they applied the Betnovate cream but
this stung my skin and made the itch much worse. They changed
to Betnovate ointment. I was given daily baths with an emulsifying
ointment and based from head to toe in Silkcocks Base.
I continued to have the "pus" filled blisters all
over my body but the swelling had gone down by the time I was
discharged after a week. I began attending the Dermatology
clinic twice a week for the first few weeks after discharge. Eventually
the major rash cleared from my body. My hands continued to flare
up and blister. After three years I was attending only now and
then. I still never received a diagnoses.
I used only emulsifying baths and Silkcocks Base on my
skin and whatever medication the hospital were prescribing me.
I was prescribed the following:
Prednisone
Betnovate
Eumovate
Floxapen
I was also prescribed a liquid steroid for my nails. I was on
Prednisone several times throughout the three + years I was attending
the hospital.
Eventually in 2000 I took my brothers advice and bought some Neem
cream over the Internet. At the time I had faith in the medical
profession. I trusted that they knew what they were doing and
what they were prescribing for me. As nothing prescribed for me
had any long term beneficial effects I did not hold out much hope
for anything else helping me.
Within three weeks of starting using Neem cream I had sensation
back in my fingers, I could brush my hair and dress myself without
crying in pain. Within six weeks the skin was healed and there
were no signs of scars or dry skin. My nails however were still
thick and deformed.
The company I was purchasing my Neem cream from changed hands
and there was a mix up in my orders. I received a rebate from
them and was then left with the dilemma of where to get my Neem
from.
It was then I decided to go straight to the source, India.
I contacted a company my brother recommended to me and ordered
raw neem oil and leaf powder. At first I was using a plain base
I was purchasing in tubs in the pharmacy to make the cream for
my hands. When family and friends saw the way Neem had healed
my skin they began asking me to make up creams for them.
Now I purchase my natural base from a company here in Ireland.
I have expanded to making shampoo and lotions, all of which I
use myself so I know the benefits of them on skin which is chemically
sensitive.
Three years on and my nails are more or less back to normal.
I have learnt more in these three years about psoriasis than I
did in all the time I was attending hospital's, dermatologists
and doctors. I have to be careful what I come in contact with
regarding chemicals in household cleaning products, cosmetics,
personal hygiene products, chemicals in food and the biggie STRESS.
Kathy
McMahon
Some things that helped me:
Avoiding spicy and processed food.
Not using perfumed soaps.
Not using harsh household chemical
cleaning products.
Avoiding stressful situations.
Avoiding latex and rubber gloves.
Avoiding certain perfumes.
Avoiding soft drinks especially ones
with Aspartame.
Avoiding moisturizers with strong perfumes,
lanolin and alcohol.
Avoiding products with petrochemicals in them.
Basically, ALWAYS check the ingredient lists on products you buy,
whether it is food, cosmetics, toiletries, household cleaners
Managing disease and restoring health involves assessing
the whole person to understand the nature of the imbalance. If
you are only prescribed medication without looking at your diet
or your lifestyle then the condition will only be masked over
rather than tackled at the source.
What
is Psoriasis?
Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease that generally appears
as patches of raised red skin covered by a flaky white buildup.
Although the exact cause is unknown, psoriasis is believed to
be related to faulty signals sent by the body's immune system.
These signals accelerate the growth cycle in skin cells, which
pile up on the surface when the body can't shed them fast enough.
Psoriasis is not contagious no one can "catch" it from
another person. It has a genetic component that makes certain
people more likely to develop it, but often an external or environmental
"trigger" is necessary to make psoriasis appear. These triggers
may include emotional stress, injury to the skin, some types of
infection and reaction to certain drugs.
Psoriasis of the Scalp
In scalp psoriasis, areas of the skin grow much faster
than normal and form red, scaling patches. Psoriasis is a problem
only because it itches and can be unsightly. It is not contagious.
Although it is not dangerous, scalp psoriasis can be persistent
and difficult to treat.
Psoriatic Arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis is a specific type of arthritis that
develops in approximately 23 percent of people who have psoriasis.
The disease can be difficult to diagnose, particularly in its
milder forms.
Stress can trigger or aggravate psoriasis in some people.
Therefore, practices that promote relaxation and stress reduction
is a good idea for people with psoriasis.
The best diet is the one that makes the individual feel
the best, because people with psoriasis benefit from a healthy
lifestyle and eating habits, just like everybody else. Many people
report that certain foods either aggravate or improve their skin.
Further advice on Neem for Psoriasis
Neem oil is probably the best product currently available for
treating psoriasis. It moisturizes and protects the skin while
it helps heal the lesions, scaling and irritation. Experiments
and reports from patients with psoriasis have shown taking neem
leaf orally combined with topical treatment with neem
extracts and neem seed oil appear to be at least as effective
as coal tar and cortisone in treating psoriasis.
In a case study a patient with severe psoriasis was given neem
three times a day and the skin treated with Neem mixed in coconut
oil. The treatments lasted less than three months, stopped the
itching, redness and continued to improve the condition of the
skin for the duration of treatment. The final result of the treatments
was the complete disappearance of the signs of psoriasis. They
produced no noticeable side effects.
Anecdotal reports indicate that improvements are faster when the
areas treated with neem are also exposed to sunlight.
Washing the skin with a neem soap (shampoo
if the area is sensitive) to remove dead cells and to kill bacteria
is a good first step in the process of treating psoriasis. To
soothe the skin you can add twenty neem leaves to the tub before
turning on the hot water and soak in the neem filled water. After
patting dry, apply a neem-based
cream or lotion to the troubled
areas. To enhance the effectiveness, oral doses of neem
leaf work internally to produces quicker results than topical
creams alone.
The usual treatment for psoriasis involves either coal tar or
cortisone. Coal tar products are messy and smell, and cortisone
can thin the skin after repeated use. Neem has neither drawback.
Topical applications of neem are easy and inexpensive, and since
it is usually oil or cream based, neem helps to lubricate the
skin. There are no unpleasant smells or stains on clothing, and
its antibacterial and anti-viral compounds help prevent infections.
It also can be used for extended periods of time without side
effects.
Neem can also take the place of oral medications and injections
that may have strong side effects or cause liver damage or birth
defects. It is perhaps the best and safest alternative for treating
psoriasis.
Neem Special Pack
Research
Articles
Neem and Dermatitis
A Study on the Role of Neem, Haldi,
Sajina and Garlic oil (Nutriderm oil ® )
in Pyoderma and Infective Dermatitis
Sadhan Kumar Ghosh
Seventy cases of pyoderma and infective dermatitis were studied.
These included, as control, 10 patients who applied 1% gention
violet only. Other 60 patients (30 impetigo, 20 infective dermatitis,
10 falliculitis & furuncle) were treated with application of Nutriderm
oil for 2 weeks 83% of impetigo, 75% of infective dermatitis and
50% of folliculitits and furuncle were cured after 2 weeks of
treatment, free of side-effects. Neem, Haldi, Sajina and Garlic
oil (Nutriderm oil) in judicial combination can act as an inexpensive
substitute for topical antibiotics and corticosteroids....READ
