chinese medicine

[suekels]

This is my first post ever  so a bit of background. I have had P for over 10 years and am currently enduring my worst bout ever. I have it in my scalp and nails, my arms and legs all over, my back all over, over my chest and some on my torso, its quite severe and I am more than happy to post pictures to show.

 I have been using coal tar which as we all know smells horrible and doesn't do much for clothes either, it  makes my skins sting then when its soaked in I put Double base all over. I also occasionally use Duovbet but not very often as I am unsure whether it is working for me

Last week I visited a Chinese Dr, who after taking my pulse told me I had hot blood and kidney problems and prescribed a mixture of what looked like a random birds nest. I was told to boil this mixture up and simmer for 20 Min's then drink a cup full 3 times a day and add the rest to bath water. It tasted revolting, like rotten leaves with rotten wood bark!! but I did it.The baths were bliss and I am a shower person, I also used it on my face and hair, I tried to carry on using coal tar but it appeared to make the itching worse so I stopped and haven't used it since.

After a week, my p has changed, I am not so itchy, its lessen by about 50% and my P seems less thick really, that's the only way I can describe it. She took my pulse again and told me she wanted quicker results, she also did a type of acupuncture on my ears and rubbed some ground up herbs on them, looked weird but hey didn't hurt then she gave me some more stuff to boil up and drink, still tasted revolting but not as bad as the first lot, this has got like a curry base and after kick to it and I seem better at drinking it. I had a bath yesterday and so far still not itching and I don't have to tell anyone how that alone is a bonus!

Not sure how this is going to turn out by wanted to let you know just in case it works, reduced itching does it for me. Hopefully 2 weeks in Greece will also help.. first time I have gone on Holiday with my P so severe but just trying to think positive about it and not worry about showing so much skin... not sure what sun tan lotion or cream to use though so if anyone can recommend one or several I would be grateful.

Will keep posting about my Chinese experiences to let you know .

[hshah]

I went to a Chinese doctor around 6 years ago and started on the herb mixture you mention... it did taste horrible but I got used to it in the end.  For me it helped my psoriasis a little but then I went to university away from home and I didn't really keep up with the herbal drink and it went downhill from there.  Plus keeping up with the herbs costs a huge amount because I used to have weekly appointments.

[Tattiebogle]

I tried going a Chinese herbalist a few years back, and went through pretty much the same routine. But all it did for me was make me sick (the tea from the hebal mixture taste's truly revolting) and ran up a huge bill on my credit card.

[purple phish]

Good luck with this hope it continues to work for you.

I tried chinese herbal medicine 11 yrs ago. The tea was the most vile thing I ever hope to have to taste. I can still gag now just thinking about it,lol.
Unfortunately I ended up in hospital for three weeks becasue of the stuff in the bath I think, not the actual drink: my skin got infected and I went virtually overnight to complete coverage from the waist down and could barely walk. I stoped drinking it while I was in hosp obviousl and didn't go back becasue I came out of hospital clear, due to treatment in there.

Not meant as a scare story - I really hope it works for you. I think it is worth trying these things out if you can afford it and it feels like the right thing for you now.

[suekels]

well this second load of Chinese stuff I am on appears to be making my skin dryer at the moment, when I get home from work and have my bath all I seem to do all night is moisturize with double base, and it takes a while to soak in then while my skin feels dry underneath I still have a film off double base on top of my skin... I need a moisturizer that actually moisturizes my skin me thinks.....

[Kate05]

Hey I just thought i'd let you know my experience of chineese meds. I had what your describing and it tasted vile, i also had to wash in it and put it in my scalp. It seemed to help my P but when i stopped taking it my p flared up worse then before and hasnt really recovered since :/ so not such a good expereince for myself. Hope you have better luck x

[bobmarch1]

Hi Suekels

I tried the chinese herbs, much like everyone else who has commented, it tasted bloody awful, was very expensive and the pot of moisturiser provided had a curious whiff of curry!

Did your chinese doctor advise you on foods and drinks to avoid? If so stick with avoiding them, its usually spicy foods(Heat), chocolate, alcohol, shell fish, red meat. Try a liver cleanse instead of the dreaded 'twigs' and see what happens. Give it a solid 3 months, tough I know but what have you got to lose! Save you a few quid.

Also, take a couple of photos of patches and compare with progress every 2-3 weeks

Good luck

[suekels]

hello again,

I have decided to come off the Chinese medicine. I had a really bad time yesterday and most of this week really with feeling very dry and itchy and some other skin related stuff. When I got home I just sat in the bath and cried, then lay on the bed to moisturize and cried a bit more! I really wanted to scratch my skin off, I made myself bleed.

I went to the Drs this morning due to wanting an emollient that works for me and my ankles and lower legs being all swollen up however I told him how I was feeling, skin very tight, me being cold and shivery and he thinks I have an infection, so gave me antibiotics, and antihistamine and a small tube of DiproBase. Now I know what suits one doesn't suit another etc, but double base feels like its just sitting on top of my skin and not hydrating it at all.

 I called in work sick and went home after collecting my prescriptions, took the tablets, coated my skin in DiproBase which felt good and took 2 herbal sleeping tablets and went to bed. Woke up late this afternoon and felt loads better. Skin feels more hydrated.  I took more antibiotics and sat in the sun for a little while. My order of unrefined Shea butter also arrived so this evening after having a bath , which I added (thanks thanks this forum) a tablespoon of Aqueous cream diluted in hot water.. and soaked for half an hour then melted a little Shea butter and put all over my body except my back which itches the worst, I put the DiproBase there, am going to take more herbal sleeping tablets and get another decent nights sleep. Hopefully the antibiotics will kick in soon , the swelling will go and the new moisturizes will hydrate my skin. I have also started taking those kiddies rehydrate drinks to help it all along even tho I drink 2.5 liters of water a day I am still swollen yet my skin is so very dry...

[suekels]

hello Bobmarch1,

The Chinese Dr didn't advise me on drinking or eating anything, I have been on a kinda detox for the past 12 weeks as I have been on the Cambridge diet. I haven't "eaten " anything for 11 weeks no alcohol, spicy food or any food, no chocolate.... Nada, am only just reintroducing foods now in small amounts and I am a vegetarian anyway (except as I am introducing food now I have decided that I will eat fish this time around)

I don't think having an infection happened because of the Chinese stuff it was just a bad coincidence. Will see how I feel on my return from holiday.