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   Neem and Psoriasis
 

...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




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