Psoriasis....What I have discovered by keeping a diary

[jiml]

I started writing here about what I believe triggered my Psoriasis & what I've discovered helps but it soon became a rival to War & Peace  
I really think I'm on to something and tho' I'm sure it won't help every one I do think it might resonate with some.
One sorry sad sack day late last year I realised I needed to pull my finger out and stop whining. I wrote down every event that could possibly be connected to my Psoriasis. This is how it went. I've have the P on my scalp, in my ears, a good dose on my hands and fingers. I also have it on each elbow but I have that area under control with Daivobet 50/500 ointment. Every joint in my hands and fingers were always swollen and stiff and the pointer fingers were becoming crooked.  I've had it for over 3 years.  
In October I went to my doctor desperately looking for relief, all I left there with was a box of tissues. Next day I started eating totally gluten free and I felt so much better just 3 days later that I've kept with it and have I lost 10 Kg with no effort but it didn't ease my P.  In September it had suddenly dawned on me that the cycle of flare ups (it never went away just wasn't as bad) matched my monthly cycle (or what had been) I also out of nowhere started getting a bad tummy after I had eaten food with dairy in it (and now I suspect eggs), mayonnaise, aioli and especially cream and ice cream, it became a pattern that within 30 minutes of eating I'd have to break the one mile minute to get to the ladies.  Now I know what some people say about the 8 hour digestion cycle but I don't believe a word of it. It also occurred to me that 3 times in a row of going to the movies and eating an icecream that the meaty area of my palms were burning and blisters under the skin were trying to erupt thru the skin after about an hour. It had happened many times over the years, I just didn't put the pattern together. I am in the early stages of full menopause now but my bloods showed only a small dip in numbers, I felt like crap but I thought the only symptoms I had was minor hot flushes just thru the day. It was like a light bulb being switched on, a diary entry every day for the next 4 weeks tied hot flushes with my psoriasis flare ups. 90% of the month I was having to wear 20 band aids on my fingers just to be able to use cutlery, write with a biro and do my job. At it's worst I would only have to straighten my pointer finger and the skin would split and it was like having 100 paper cuts.  My scalp was unbearable, I'd pour vinegar on it just to change the feel of the itching to stinging. Resting my hands on a hot kettle almost felt so good it tickled.
After going to a new lady doctor who was right up on the latest HRT info I had bloods and scans done and after getting results started on HRT on Feb 17th. Today is the 27th March and I can tell you that I have not had one eruption or flare up for 2 weeks. The band aids were making it worse and I started getting plaques on my knuckles but they are looking better. My hands are dry but I am so happy they are feeling so much better, it will be some time before the hard plaques are gone. The splits are healing and I haven't had a bleed for weeks.
Another thing I know gave me relief within a day was scrubbing my whole body with chlorhexidine and scrubbing my scalp with a product containing ketoconazole (that was for you jiml... not giving you a spanking opportunity    )  in fact I used the keto on every area there is hair, particularly the eyebrows, they itched like mad and the plaques were ugly. I had also had a reoccurring crazy itching inflamed area down the right side of my entire nose. I know from being a nurse that humans develop skin bacteria, we use microshield at work, it comes from warmth, sweating and just living. I must have been in denial! I smelled funny! I blamed the water coming out of the taps, I had collected water in a container intending to take it to be tested. I really smelled generally off. By the time I had scrubbed twice in a  week the smell disappeared.  For 3 weeks I have also cut milk products and eggs. I checked my calendar and am not surprised that my cycle would have started yesterday for this month. Last night my left pointer finger started itching and it became inflamed, exactly in the same area I believe the first signs started after continually opening and closing a spring water bottle for 3 weeks. I am a strong believer now about petrochemicals in plastic causing skin disorders and I know this is where mine started 3 years ago. I also notice now that if I become stressed/ over tired/ my anxiety levels pitch that my hands and scalp start heating up and become itchy. Sorry for the book length story. I hope it helps some body.  

Gilly I have just noticed this again and it got me thinking, are you keeping your Diary going and wondering if things are better with the psoriasis. Are you still gluten and dairy free, and keeping up the regime with body scrub and shampoo containing ketoconazole  
Also is the arthritis in the fingers under control
Ps this would make a great start to a journal   as although this was very informative it will disappear down the listings whereas a journal will always be high up the listings.... Also if you start a journal you can keep it just to your posts as I do, by having it locked after you post. Or you can leave it open to comments which may or may not get messy