vitamin d/ibuprofen treatment

[AnitaG]

Anita...bravo!  You look amazing!  Congrats to you.  It is so nice to see everyone here having a measure of success.  BJ is our hero!

Now Mr. Hero, I need your assistance.  My body has been doing well.  I do have some light spots on my back and rear end, but it's light and fading.  My scalp is touch and go.  It's not as good as it was, not as bad as before I started taking Peppermint oil.  The real problem right now are my nails.

Before I went on BF, some of my nails used to be really bad.  Then when I started BF, it improved almost to the point of perfection.  Now in the last 6 months, my nails have some issues.  The main issue is the top part of the nail (the end you cut off when the nail grows long) has whiteness underneath the nail.  Even after I cut the nails short, you can see some of the whiteness.  On the middle finger of my left hand, the whiteness has made it feel uncomfortable.  It's like there's a buildup of psoriasis between the nail and skin and it makes the corner tip of the finger sensitive to pressure.  The pressure is alleviated when I cut the nail and try to scrape out some of the psoriasis from underneath the nail.

The whiteness is very visible when my nails are a little longer.  When I cut them as I did yesterday, it's very visible on 3 nails.

Any suggestions BJ?  I don't know why, but it seems like since October/November, I have slipped a little in controlling the psoriasis.  Nothing by my doing as I have been consistent since May 2007, added Peppermint to my regimen, and have been better with my diet.  My diet since May 2007 has only improved since it's easier today than it was 3 years ago to avoid the bad stuff.

Thanks.

Hi and thanks Glad to hear you are doing well too   As for your fingernails, I'd suggest getting your doc to take a look at them.. to confirm that it is P, cos there are other things that can cause that.. the 2 most common being Vit C deficiancy or a fungal infection.. Are you taking Vit C within the formula?  Less common is calcium deposits and I'm sure there is one other but I've been out of nursing a long time so can't remember accurately..  so best to check   and I'm sure BJ will have words of wisdom to add too

[bjm]

Before I went on BF, some of my nails used to be really bad.  Then when I started BF, it improved almost to the point of perfection.  Now in the last 6 months, my nails have some issues.  The main issue is the top part of the nail (the end you cut off when the nail grows long) has whiteness underneath the nail
Any suggestions BJ?  I don't know why, but it seems like since October/November, I have slipped a little in controlling the psoriasis.  Nothing by my doing as I have been consistent since May 2007, added Peppermint to my regimen, and have been better with my diet.  My diet since May 2007 has only improved since it's easier today than it was 3 years ago to avoid the bad stuff.

Thanks.

i  think i had something like this at one time but i forget the particulars...my father had a similar effects under his toe nails..like a whitish buildup of unformed nail

might be psoriasis..which is my guess...perhaps too much selenium if you are taking the selenium supplement..i would end that...and as Anita suggests..some other fungal, or bacterial thing going on...so a check with the doc might help.

as far as the psoriasis and controlling it...i  think its a small broken part of our immune system increasing with almost any immune response..much like one bad tire..as we go faster, the wobble gets worse...with more inflammation,,so does the P..
..., and if, as you suggest , your intake such as supplements, diet and perhaps emotion hasn't changed  ..then the change is internal..either genetic,epigenic or some inflammatory stimulus...Since we can do nothing about the first, and little about the second..then looking for an inflammatory stimulus is about it....
 If there is no obvious infection such as gum disease, strep, abscessed tooth, gout, yeast, arthritis, allergy,hormonal change,,, or even obesity which can be inflammatory, then I believe flairs or most psoriasis increases are due to a family(s) of pathogenic microbes in the GI tract producing inflammatory cytokines ..in itself inflammatory and causing some of our control problems...but as important also causing a cascading GI inflammation and deterioration (we may feel normal) making us susceptible to numerous " triggers" and their inflammatory responses leading to  localized responses ..all causing increased psoriasis  or what we call a flair...
  As Art, chapper and others might allude to and i agree, the recent addition of peppermint helps  considerably ..it has some anti microbial effects, is a calcium channel blocker relaxing smooth muscle, increasing bile flow, some suspected positive changes in the gi tract suggested by IBS studies and possibly some calcitriol/menthol associated antiproliferative effects as suggested by  recent research

If this hypothesis of pathogenic microbial GI involvement for some is correct, to reduce this  we may need something beyond the basic supplements, ibu, peppermint  and sun or uv,  I suggest an adequate amount and  variety of lactobacillus microbe with yogurt as the carrier .... preferably homemade yogurt as it has many more microbes (1000x)by volume and no lactose or sugar unlike commercial varieties. ....specific families of microbes found in common yogurts may reduce some of these pathogens in a number of ways as suggested in the following link.

a healthy diet will help with some raw foods, fiber etc giving us some beneficial microbes and a friendly GI environment...but i really don't know what  a healthy diet consists of...paleolithic?, all veggies, a modest combo of meat and veggies, no grains? some junk etc??...... mine is pretty haphazard...so hence the D,supplements, yogurt etc seem to work.. and as with me, i have no doubt yogurt in sufficient amount and type can help some..... i think many..

"This review focuses on the most recent advances in probiotic research from genetics to biological consequences regulated by probiotics and probiotic-derived factors"....from Gastroenterology via medscape.. You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

as an example...here is an article on MS and gut related bacteria..producing th17...also implicated in psoriasis...and again the focal point of the new bio stelera...

You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

the possible association rather then in the brain but in our case the skin, joints etc as with psoriasis should not be difficult to comprehend even for those on the dark side.. 


bj

[Eveloftus]

Good references bj! The second study on the relation between gut bacteria and MS was fascinating. Here is an important passage in the article:

 "This study shows for the first time that specific intestinal bacteria have a significant role in affecting the nervous system during MS - and they do so from the gut, an anatomical location very, very far from the brain.

Mazmanian and his colleagues don't, however, suggest that gut bacteria are the direct cause of multiple sclerosis, which is known to be genetically linked. Rather, the bacteria may be helping to shape the immune system's inflammatory response, thus creating conditions that could allow the disease to develop. Indeed, multiple sclerosis also has a strong environmental component"

this could very well apply to psoriasis!

and another passage:

"For their part, Th17 cells are needed for the immune system to properly combat infection. Problems only arise when the cells are activated in the absence of infection - just as disease can arise, Mazmanian and others suspect, when the species composition of gut bacteria become imbalanced, say, by changes in diet, because of improved hygiene (which kills off the beneficial bacteria as well as the dangerous ones), or because of stress or antibiotic use"

and:
"As we live cleaner, we're not just changing our exposure to infectious agents, but we're changing our relationship with the entire microbial world, both around and inside us, and we may be altering the balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory bacteria," leading to diseases like MS, Mazmanian says. "Perhaps treatments for diseases such as multiple sclerosis may someday include probiotic bacteria that can restore normal immune function in the gut... and the brain."    

So this "living cleaner" could apply to psoriasis too, and may be the reason why psoriasis seems to have increased in incidence in modern times, we need to restore this balance of microbes in the gut, which is why this yoghurt idea is very interesting.

[Eveloftus]

it would be interesting to study and compare the gut bacteria of different groups on the forum who follow different diets: yoghurt people vs no yoghurt, vegetarian vs meat eaters, raw veggies eaters vs cooked, gluten avoiding people vs non avoiding, paleolithic vs cereal and pulses eaters etc. any volunteers?

[Jamie..]

hi jamie, although you never asked, i hope you don't mind if i jump in and disregard if i am out of line..but from my experimenting,  i don't think that will do it at those dosages and/or ingredients.......i would look to clearing any subtle infection,  reduce D to 1000-2000iu, more sun until pink,in your case, begin and/or increase ibuprofen but only once a day, a small multivit, folic when getting sun, b12 if over 50 and either more peppermint or better yet, adequate and preferably homemade  yogurt

hope this helps....bj

Hi Bj, no problem, am looking for advice, so thank you for your help. I will start with the iboprufen tomorrow and look more at yogurts. Have been alternating between Activa & Soya yogurts for the last few years. How much yogurt is it recomended to eat a day?

Thanks

Jamie

[elliejay]

Hi Eve
I would be very willing to join your comparison group but what parameter do you think you would use to show the results ?
How can we tell the state of our gut flora ?
Ellie 

[Eveloftus]

hi Elliejay, we would have to obtain samples of our small intestinal content (or lining) with an endoscope of some type and then determine what species of bacteria are present and in what percentage, and then compare the kinds of bacteria and their percentage between different groups eating different diets, and see if there are more friendly ones in one group than in the other (or unfriendly ones)! (obviously we don't have the know how or lab facilities, I was jesting when i asked for volunteers! But thanks for volunteering! )

[elliejay]

Hi Eve
I'm sure Gillian McKeith can do something with our poo !!
Ellie 

[bjm]

Have been alternating between Activa & Soya yogurts for the last few years. How much yogurt is it recomended to eat a day?

Hi Jamie, i see where activa suggests 2-3 containers a day..i would start slow for others  who haven't tried it as these varied yogurts can effect each differently...some adversely as i see some complaints online for activa..... i tried activa...seemed to help reduce inflammation, reduced gluten reaction etc....then i used it as a starter when making my own yogurt...now i use yoplait plus as a starter for my homemade..very light and sour so i add equal (aspertame, fruit etc.....i have a cup or two a day along with the formula and seems to really help as i have no inflammation, no longer respond to gluten or other foods which i have in the past (but then with remission i can eat most anything in moderate amounts and frequency).......the test will be winter when there is no beneficial effects of the  sun.

A little info for those unfamiliar, .... to be called yogurt by law it has to contain two microbe types...L. bulgarius, and streptococcus, thermophililus....these convert the lactose or milk sugar to lactic acid..they have been studied for years and are considered very safe..  Additional families of microbes are often then added by different manufacturers for desired or advertised effects....
here is a fairly general description relating to peds,,,
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

Most families of microbes in the GI tract are unknown..it has been suggest there are 100 trillion microbes and 500-1000  varieties...as they thrive without oxygen..or are anerobic...they are difficult to grow in a lab...expensive to take a sample..etc...

a few of the common ones added to yogurt have been tested with some benefits...
beyond the basic two..bulgarius and thermophilus which are associated with some good effects in their own right, different manufactures add their additional variety

Activa ............................bifidobacterium animalis
yoplait plus .....................   bifodobacterium Israel  bp-12
Nestle boost (kids).........  L. reuteri
danactive  .......................L. casei
DAnnon Danimals  ...........L rhamnosus GG   (fewer cavities)
Align............................... Bifidobacaterium Infantis 35624

an interesting article from the NYT on yogurt...

You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

..i think one has also to consider the type of microbes and getting sufficient amounts for this to be effective and of course, not everyone has GI involvement.....If you are on meds., a biologic or are immuno compromised be sure to ask your doctor about taking yogurt..especially homemade which can have increased microbes by a factor of 1000..such as a trillion per cup..

some links...the normal bacteria of humans.. very interesting..
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

homemade yogurt..   You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

immune response
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

hope this helps...bj

[Jamie..]

thanks Bj. That is very helpful and will have a good read up later. Have already bought some 450g Probiotic yogurts to have one a day, so maybe over doing it already!!!

Iboprufen bought, but found out Tesco will only let you buy 2 packs max in one go! Just got to remember to get in the habit of taking them now

Cheers

Jamie