Alternative remedies?

Question

I am 29 years old, and have never had any skin conditions or problems before. Recently I have gone through a rough patch(very sick baby) and I appear to have developed a reaction to the stress in the forms of both eczema and psoriasis.

Although I am being referred to a dermatologist, I get the feeling they will just treat my symptoms (which include swolen red bleeding hands, peeling ears, flaking arms and elbows, bleeding feet, itchy knees etc... the list could go on). I am currently on a short course of steroid tablets and have lots of creams.

I am keen to investigate the possiblility of treating the cause of this flare up - namely my stress levels. I don't actually feel stressed, I feel fine, but even I have to admit the timing with my skin and my baby becoming sick is too stark to ignore.

I've not tried alternative remedies before, but I am willing to try anything - I look like I am decomposing.

Any suggestions? Thanks x

Answer 1

Hello

I'm really sorry to hear about your baby! Hope she (and you) feel better soon.

I think to reduce stress levels you could use Lavender oil on a tissue at night next to your pillow.  Gentle exercises like walking with your baby will make you feel better and relaxed, I personally have half a glass of red wine at night and that relaxes me :) ... I think you need to have some time for yourself as well, I know its probably easy for me to say, and I'm sorry if I offend you, but even just half an hour a day, reading your favorite magazine or do whatever you like would help stress levels.

I hope I helped a little, and I will keep you and your baby in my prayers!

Feel better soon and keep smiling.

Ellie

Answer 2

not sure what to do about the skin directly, but as for your stress issues, maybe try deep meditation, or going to get a massage (ask for swedish, cranial sacral therapy, or reflexology which are all very relaxing).

Answer 3

http://earthclinic.com/cures.html

Answer 4

for the stress especially, look up EFT on youtube . My Doctor recommended this and it works for me . they give the full therapy instructions . The rest is best left up to the dermatologist.

Answer 5

Hello mrsmum! You are so to the point! How well you analyze this! It's amazing! Which will make it so much easier to treat.

Your symptoms are caused by stress and - from what your describe and the location of the skin disorder - by your emotions at the time: fear of losing the baby, sorrow, feeling of having no choice etc.

You are perfectly right that treating the symptoms from the outside will not help at all. At worst topical treatment will push the problem on the inside and you may get asthma as a result (skin and lungs are very closely linked and if the body is prevented from expressing itself through the skin it will choose the lungs as the next means of expression). Unfortunately, steroids are the best way to get this undesired result.

You can completely rule out that your diet is involved. This is total nonsense. It may aggravate the problem a little, but diet has never been the cause of psoriasis and will not cure the cause in your case either.

Advice about reducing your present stress is good for making you feel more serene now, in present time, but will not remove the cause of the psoriasis which was the huge previous stress and worry.

Judging by the results I've had in my 20 ++ years as a practitioner of Alternative Health Methoids, I can only strongly recommend that you go to a kinesiologist who can help you with this. In my own practice I have seen cases of eczema and psoriasis disappearing almost overnight once the cause was determined.

I don't know where you live and whether there are kinesiologists in your area, and if there are, whether they have the necessary training to deal with this. Depending on where you live, I might be able to help you.

If you don't find any kinesiologist, homeopathy will be your next best bet. Go to a homeopath of good reputation. Ask around.

I hope your baby is now fine and that you can start thinking more of yourself. Going through this ordeal must have been terrible for you.

Wishing you all the best! Take care!

PS: Have to edit this when I see suggestions for using Essential oils. Never, ever use essentials oils in the same house as a baby. They are very potent and the long term effects of EO have not yet been fully researched. They affect the nervous system and the hormonal system and may result in MS or worse diseases in adult life when the child has been exposed to them, even to so-called harmless EO like Lavender.

Moreover, never take advice from someone who does not use the latin name of EO. For example, there are at least 5 types of EO of Lavender on the market and one of them (Lavendula Stoechas) is neurotoxic and abortive. People who don't use latin names are criminaly careless about their advice or know very little about Essential Oils (which amounts to the same). Judge carefully the advice you get.

The general rule is: Never use EO at all at any stage of a pregnancy and never any EO i around children less than 6 or 7 years old.

Answer 6

When it comes to stress I would suggest using pure essential oils of Lavender, Rosewood and Sandalwood. Either use in an oil burner, your bath or even put it on a tissue and put it down the front of your top. With your itchy, flaky and cracked skin I would suggest using pure essential of Niaouli (New Caledonian Tea Tree) undiluted onto the skin or make a 1:5 mix with either grape seed oil or rice bran oil if you have sensitive skin. Steroid tablets and creams do nasty things to you in the long run. I only use pure essential oils in my cream that I make for my family and my customers.

Answer 7

i'm so sorry to hear that both you & your baby are unwell at the moment ... i surely do hope that your little one is full of beans again really soon ....... and also that you can find some peace & vitality for yourself too........  i have a feeling that your unexplained skin eruptions could possibly be related to your diet??  is there any chance that you are ingesting foods such as milk and dairy or wheat  that you are intolerant or allergic to??

Unexplained skin rashes are a symptom of having a delayed allergic reaction to foods that you are eating ....... immediate food allergies give prompt and dramatic evidence of their presence..... delayed food allergies, on the other hand, can be more subtle and difficult to recognise.......... keep a detailed food journal and record the foods you eat and how you feel throughout the day to enable you to recognise the symptoms of a delayed food allergy....... could be milk and dairy products or wheat or even the sugar contained in high sugar fruits such as oranges, apples, bananas, mangoes ........  it simply means that you are going to have to eat one type of food only at a time and record how you feel an hour or two later.

Other symptoms of delayed food allergies are ~

Chronically swollen glands;

Chronic digestive problems, including the symptoms of IBS;

Recurring infections such as sinusitis, tonsilitis, ear, respiratory, urinary and so forth;

Recurring inflammatory conditions, such as gastroinestinal inflammation, arthritis etc.;

Difficulty losing excess weight;

Unexplained bouts of severe fatigue after eating;

Tendency to hold water that is not associated with the menstrual cycle;

Dark circles under your eyes (sometimes called allergic shiners);

Frequent stuffy nose or postnasal drip that lasts for several hours after meals; also clearing your throat frequently after eating;

Anxiety and heart palpitations withing several hours of eating;

history of gallbladder disease;

history of acne;

history of antiobiotic use;

Mental fogginess after eating;

Bouts of low blood sugar;

headaches ............... read a book called "What your Doctor May Not Tell you About IBS" by Richard N. Ash, M.D. and eliminate your symptoms and live a pain free, drug free life ..

Ditch the milk and dairy products i say ........ many many people find it extremely hard to digest lactose contained in milk and dairy products.

Take a calcium & vitamin D3 rich supplement perhaps in a liquid form (easiest to assimilate) to ensure you get all your calcium on a daily basis ..........and pump up your intake of fresh fish such as salmon and tuna and leafy and green vegies & fresh fruits~ the vegies & fish  are rich in both calcium and protein and the fish are rich in magnesium (antistress mineral), calcium and vitamin D (the vitamin D is essential for effective calcium absorption) and EFA's~ essential fatty acids which are also fantastic for lowering blood pressure,levelling out any mood or stress levels you may have and bolstering your immunity, ........ go the fish i reckon !!  they have a staggering affect on levelling out your stress levels buddy and will also nourish & feed your skin & help to give you that healthy glow again.....

The calcium found in vegies and fruits has a greater impact on bone health than calcium from dairy products anyways.... a study published in The Americal Journal of clinical nutrition (2002) found that a high intake of vegies and fruits has a positive impact on bone health, but dairy did not.

Dairy products contain animal proteins, which speed the elimination of calcium from the body and make it more acidic. This can cause calcium to leach from the bones and cause problems with magnesium (essential for healthy nerve and muscle functioning and for heart health ~ known as the antistress mineral) absorption, leading to osteoporosis. In addition, we absorb only 30 percent of the calcium found in milk, compared to 40 to 70 percent of the calcium found in vegies and fruits.

pretty disturbing actually when you consider the way the milk and dairy industry pump us with their commercials to drink more milk !!

Cow's milk contains proteins that are difficult for humans to digest; when these undigested proteins enter the lower digestive system, they putrefy and cause digestive problems. Dairy products encourage the production of excess mucus in the body, burdening the respiratory, digestive and immune systems. Not surprisingly, when you ditch the milk and dairy people more often than not experience markedly fewer colds and sinus & respiratory infections.

Lactose intolerance can cause acid reflux, alternating bouts of constipation & diahorrea and will also lead to a compromised digestive system thus laying the groundwork for a body which is extremely susceptible to developing nose, throat, sinus, ear, bronchial, bladder and other infections as well....... Other symptoms of lactose intolerance are mucous in the stools, bloating and cramping, digestive troubles such as constipation, belching and burping, gassiness and wet f*arting (sorry, no other way to say it), ribbony and stringy shaped bowel movements or rabbit pellet shaped movements are all symptoms of lactose intolerance. ...........

Please also ensure that whichever supplement you decide to buy doesn't contain any lactose, wheat, yeast, gluten, preservatives or flavorings, sugar or yeast as none of these have any place in a good quality supplement anyways.

Pretty much buddy, you have to ensure you get a little of each of the following each day to revitalise your  beautifull skin.

Eat plenty of antioxidant rich foods ie ~ foods rich in Vitamins A, C, E and selenium and zinc.

ie ~ Vitamin A ~ liver, dark green and yellow vegies, carotts, pumpkin and yellow fruits;

Without enough Vitamin A in your system no amount of potions or lotion will ever give you that rosy glow..... sweet potatoes are brilliant for giving you healthy, vital skin or a rosy glow....... it's definitely time to top up on your vitamin A rich foods if your skin is dry or rough, or it breaks out in spots. Vitamin A helps ensure that skin is taut, silky soft and youthfull looking by nurturing the fat lying beneath the skin. Vitamin A also makes sure that the skin cells rising to the surface remain supple so your skin feels soft and smooth.

Vitamin C ~ citrus fruits such as lemons, limes and oranges, strawberries and blackberries, leafy and green vegies, red and green peppers and tomatoes and potatoes.

Vitamin C extends life by enabling protein cells to bind together and seriously makes your skin look fine ♥

Vitamin E ~ wheat germ, vegetable oils (olive oil), nuts, leafy and green vegies, spinach broccoli, whole wheat, whole grain cereals and eggs.

vitamin E will keep you looking younger by retarding cellular aging due to oxidation (by plumping out those lines and extending the life of your cells).

Selenium ~ seafood, liver, wheat germ, bran, tuna fish, onions, tomatoes, broccoli, garlic and brown rice.

Selenium works in tandem with vitamin E thus they increase each others potency. selenium is another antioxidant that will slow the aging process for you & maintain supple skin.

Zinc ~ essential for protein synthesis and collagen formation.

foods rich in zinc are ~ meat, liver, seafood (especially oysters), wheat germ, pumpkin seeds, eggs and ground mustard.

Pump up your fresh filtered water intake on a daily basis too to hydrate your body properly and plump up your skin and maintain your health, youth and vitality...... you need at least 2 - 3 litres of water per day. Geez, we need at 2 litres daily just to maintain aspiration (to breath!!)...Try to cut right back on sodas and soft drinks, coffee, tea and alcohol ( if you drink any of these) as they will all do a fine job of dehydrating you and robbing you of your essential B complex of vitamins. Also try to ditch the prepackaged junky foods and sugary treats as these foodswill only rob you of your skin's suppleness, beauty and vitality by draining your body's limited resources ......... they really have no nutritional value anyways ♥

Take a multi B complex supplement also to support a healthy neural, digestive and immune system and to help you deal with the stress of everyday living and keep you fit and healthy........... :0)

i know that this is  probably a huge overload of information for you to digest and you're prolly thinking that you can't be bothered eating all that stuff but really & truly you are what you digest.

You have only vibrant health & vitality to gain by ditching the milk and dairy products mate ............. i sincerely do wish you the very best of health & vitality ♥

i hope this helps you a bit

peace 2 u

cheers

♥

Answer 8

hi, I think you should go and see a homeopath, it is very effective and they will treat you as a whole and won't just look at you symptoms! it will be really worth it.

Answer 9

to avoid eczema flare ups there are lot of things to consider like:

* keeping fingernails trimmed

* using an all natural moisturizer throughout the day will be helpful in keeping skin moist

* hydrating the skin by drinking loads of water

* avoiding foods that are processed and that have preservatives

* use natural fabrics that are soft

* avoid tight, rough and scratchy clothes

* do not sweat it, avoid activities that makes you sweat

* avoid temperatures that are extremely hot and cold

* avoid drastic change of weather

* try not to scratch the infected area

* watch and check out diet

* avoid long baths

* get rid of skin irritants like dust and pollens

* keep your environment clean

for more tips about preventing eczema outbreaks visit http://www.skinoriginal.com

Answer 10

There are loads of different types of therapy out there, and to be honest, the only way you will find out if they are the right one for you is to try them. The one thing you have to remember is that mixing different types of therapy is not generally a good idea (think what would happen if you mixed 2 different recipes without understanding how both work.........you could end up with a right mess)

You do seem to be saying in your question that you believe your symptoms are caused by stress, so any therapy where you relax for half hour sound ideal.........reiki, crystal therapy, aromatherapy, massage etc. A safe place where you can concentrate on yourself

Whatever you decide to do, make sure it's your choice. The thing I find with stress is that a lot of it comes from the fact we don't have as much control over things as we would like (e.g. you having no real control over your babies health) the last thing you want is to make that worse by doing what someone tells you to do (including me!)

Hope things turn out well for you