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***Testimonies on Psoriasis
*** These are actual unsolicited testimonials in our files. They are not
to be considered as a claim of
medical efficacy and should be considered as anecdotal in nature. You
should always consult your
physician before beginning any treatment program. ***
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I have suffered from psoriasis for more years than I can remember. I
have tried everything that has come
down the pike, including Dovonex. Then I was referred to a
dermatologists who set up a light treatment.
With the information and brochures, I was sent home to think about it.
After reading about the procedure I
decided that there had to be a better way
All my life I have been attuned to health prevention. I truly believe in
natural healing. My son had
been begging me to use a product that was sure to help me with my
problem. In February 19961 started
taking OPC#3 and Ultimate Aloe orally. After a three-month period all my
psoriasis was cleared up with
the exception of a few small patches on my scalp. I am hooked on OPC#3
and Ultimate Aloe.
Evelyn Shuman
Lititz, Pa.
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Dear Theresa,
In response to your question regarding psoriasis, a combination of
Ultimate Aloe Juice, OPC#3 and
Oxygen Plus have worked well for some of our customers. It may also be
helpful to topically apply the
Aloe Gel.
Good Luck,
Andy & Teresa Pizzo
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Joyce,
I have a customer with psoriasis and has gotten great results with Face
pads and OPC#3. The itching has
been greatly reduced. The reddness has not completely gone yet but she
has just started the 3rd bottle of
OPC#3. The Face pads help with itching and reddness.
Hope this helps you.
Linda Hall
Dublin, Va.
ATG 3176
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Sonya,
My husband has always had psoriasis, used many tar ointments and photo
therapy treatments, all helped
for limited time, if you could stand the smell.
He used OPC#3, 3 caps a day and he healed in 3 weeks, along with aloe
drink 2 oz. A day. There are times
in the different seasons that it flares up a little more and he uses
Clearshield to protect it from long sleeve
shirts.
Gloria Henne
S.Williamsport, Pa.
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My wife's Uncle had a horrible case of psoriasis for many years. He
would go to the dermatologist and get
a different cream after different cream. Well after the success that his
daughter had with shingles he
decided to use the OPC#3 and Ultimate Aloe. Well within a month he had
completely cleared up! We
don't know which one helped or if it was a combination, all he knows is
that he does not look like a leper
any longer!!
Larry Herring M.C.
So. Calif.
ATG 8900
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I have been taking ThermoChrome 5000 for just about two months, the 25th
will be two months. I have
lost forty-two pounds, and I've gone down from a size twenty-four to an
eighteen, and I'm not done yet.
My son has lost fifteen pounds in the same time frame, and his knee pain
did subside some, but not
enough. Keith Doyle told me about OPC#3: "Tell Bob to take a double
shot twice a day." We did that -
after a week, need I say more? It's gone, no more knee pain.
Well, I will not leave my daughter out, she likes to be involved. The
only thing she was troubled with is
Psoriasis. I was told to try it, it may work. She has been taking OPC#3
for about a month and a half. Her
skin has cleared up one hundred and ten percent. We are all so excited
about our changes we can hardly
stand it.
Betsy L. Stump
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I do not have psoriasis, but I do have very, very dry skin. I have found
that the best product for my skin is
Aloe. I hate the taste and try every once and a while to not drink it
for a few days, but I ALWAYS notice
and have to go back on the Aloe. It just helps to heal the cracks I get
in my hands and feet and makes me
not so scaly. I get less cracks when on the Aloe. I definitely notice a
difference. It takes about 4-7 days
from not taking it at all to notice a difference in the skin. I take
only 1-2 oz a day mixed with juice. I also
read in "Prescription for Nutritional Healing" by Phyllis and
James Balch that "Current research points
also to an immune system role in psoriasis. People with HIV or AIDS
often have severe psoriasis. The
buildup of toxins in an unhealthy colon also has been linked to the
development of psoriasis." (p.452) So
Aloe may also stimulate the immune system and help keep the colon
healthier which may also contribute
to good healthy skin. Hope this helps!
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I have heard the aloe is great for psorisis! It worked for my mom but
she didn't have it real bad. It works
from the inside out. I had her using clearshield as well.
Terri Bailey
Moundsville, WV
baileysmarket@sihope.com
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By Donovan J. Anderson, M.D.
Willow Valley Medical Center, August 29,
1996
Psoriasis is a chronic disease that is found more prevalently in the USA
than in less developed countries.
Its cause is unknown. It is characterized by scaly, shiny lesions that
break out on the erythematous areas
of the skin. Although unsightly and irritating, psoriasis is neither
painful nor contagious.
Specialists who treat psoriasis frequently, believe it is brought on by
genetic factors in combination with
several factors including diet, immediate environment, and lack of
vitamins A and D. The lesions respond
well to sunshine, concentrations of ultraviolet rays, and recently they
have been found to respond well to
saline rich muds of the Dead Sea resorts. (I wonder if the mud from the
Salton Sea would work?)
The Aloe program includes an applied regimen of regular daily topical
applications of Aloe vera gel.
Large daily doses of Aloe drinking juice, supplemented by a specific
regimen of megavitamins and anti-
oxidants. And with a strict all natural diet which excludes any intake
of processed foods, "junk" foods,
fast food meals, sugar or foods heavy in animal fat or other high LDL
cholesterol. We also find that more
fresh fruits and vegetables help the skin to heal faster.
1.After showering with mild soap,
2.spray the affected area with Aloe liquid spray.
3.Apply Aloe gel 4 times per day is best. 2 times minimum.
4.Drink at least 4 oz of Aloe drink per day.
5.Take multivitamin and mineral combination.
6.Get at least 1 hour of sunshine to the affected skin each day or UV
light.
7.Eat natural diet with fruits and vegetables with as little animal
products as possible.
8.Try to limit processed foods and "junk" foods.
9.I strongly recommend a potent antioxidant such as pycnogenol or grape
seed extract.
The Aloe juice and gel must be high quality.
About Psoriasis...
Great that you started Ultimate Aloe and Isotonics OPC#3... The
quantities you mention are fine (Aloe
starting with 1 oz/day, progressing to 2 oz morning and 2 oz evening;
OPC#3 - 2 caps morning and 2
evening). Tapering on is a good precaution and make sure to inform that
nothing may happen for a while.
Ultimate Aloe Gel is a good idea to help keep the lesions soft and to
heal more quickly. Apply at least
three times daily. Isotonics Isochrome twice daily, or once each morning
with 200 mcg of chromium at
dinner. Zinc - 50 mg. always a good idea for any kind of skin or immune
system
problem.
Isotonics Isotonics Multi-tec multiple vitamins - one cap daily.
Isotonics Mineral Blast colloidial minerals - once weekly .
Magnesium- 250 mg. twice daily.
Isotonics Calcium Plus - one cap at bedtime (important for the Vitamin D
especially)
Flaxseed oil..1 tsp 3x/day...( a VERY IMPORTANT nutrient in psoriasis)
may be taken with food or
mixed into salad dressing...
Vitamin A - 50,000 IU daily (PS...never give this much to women if
pregnant or at risk of pregnancy)
Vitamin C - 1000 mg twice daily with meals, three times daily if
tolerated.
Vitamin E - 800 units daily
Oxygen Plus - two caps each AM ( Selenium and Glutathione are important
)
Psyllium husk - 5 gm at bedtime.
Goldenseal extract - 1 tsp daily
Milk thistle...As concentrate or Silymarim extract, 100 mg three times
daily
Ointment containing licorice root, chamomile, and cayenne pepper can be
used if the Aloe Gel doesn't
help. This is especially helpful if itching is a problem.
Ultraviolet light is helpful but hard to get in Oregon...
It is important to stay away from animal fats. Olive oil should be used
in cooking.
Many people with psoriasis have unrecognized food allergies. Wheat,
Corn,
Soy, mildigestive k allergies are common. Adding digestive enzymes such
as Bromelain or other enzymes
with meals is often helpful...
Dr. FG
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Dear Dr. Wilmer:
My son, 21 years of age, has psoriasis on his hands, scalp, and more
recently on his face. He tells me the
medical profession is treating him with some very scary drugs, steroids,
and other meds that can cause
damage to the liver and other organs.
Do we have anything in our nutritional line that may help him. None of
the conventional drug therapies to
date have worked. Next week the doctors will be giving him UVA
treatments!
Thank you
Jim Forde
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Dear Mr. Forde:
Like so many diseases, psoriasis appears to have a major component that
involves the overproduction of
oxygen radicals. The second major component is a hyperproliferation of
keratinocytes. The production of
oxygen radicals and their release into the local cellular environment in
the skin can stimulate the
additional production of proinflammatory cytokines (or signaling
proteins) that call for immune cells to
circulate in the skin and attack the skin cells and associated
connective tissue. Also, some forms of
psoriasis can affect tissues other than the skin. I think that ingesting
a variety of antioxidants might be
one way to influence the frequency of flare-ups. He has probably tried
steroid creams, such as
triamcinolone, which suppress the skin-associated lymphoid system and
the production of
proinflammatory cytokines by keratinocytes.
He might consider applying Vita Shield Moisturizer which contains
antioxidants loaded into liposomes
for deep penetration in the epidermis and dermis. This product is also
an excellent moisturizer---damaged,
inflamed skin can lose a fairly large amount of water, leading to
increased dryness and the likelihood that
the damaged skin will be even more brittle. Brittle skin tends to
liberate more interleukin-1alpha, a major
proinflammatory protein stored in high concentrations in keratinocytes,
which can augment the flare-ups-
-kind of a vicious cycle. I would suggest the new OPC#3 Triple Serum,
but I recall that you live in
Canada. I recognize that Vita Shield products are expensive and it would
be a bit much to apply the
products over large areas of skin, but perhaps it might be possible to
catch the flare-ups in an early phase.
I hope this discussion helps.
Sincerely,
Scientific Affairs/Quality Control
Mrkt America, Inc.
7605 Business Park Drive, Greensboro, NC 27409
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Talk with others who are coping with psoriasis on the Better Health
boards!
Psoriasis is a common chronic skin condition, characterized by reddened
patches called plaques covered
with thick silvery scales. It usually starts with involvement of the
scalp, elbows and knees, but is also seen
frequently on palms, soles, nails and trunk. The face is rarely
affected. Two to three percent of the
population has psoriasis.
What Causes Psoriasis?
The cause is unknown, although a genetic component is likely. There is
some evidence that the body's
immune system is involved.
Symptoms
The red plaques and scale on the affected areas of the skin are easily
recognized. In the milder form, the
lesions are usually more of a cosmetic problem. Itching is minimal,
except when on the scalp or skin
folds. The more severe cases can involve almost the entire skin surface,
including genitals, and cause
discoloration and pitting of the nails.
Complications
Psoriasis is rarely life threatening, but it can contribute to serious
emotional and behavioral problems,
because of social interaction and self-esteem difficulties. Persons with
psoriasis may also have rheumatoid
arthritis or another form of arthritis, psoriatic arthritis.
Normal-appearing skin in a psoriasis patient often
is not really normal; if the skin is scraped or cut, a psoriasis lesion
may form at the injury site.
Diagnosis
Psoriasis is relatively easy to diagnose by physical examination of the
lesions alone. The borders of the
psoriatic lesions are well defined, as opposed to the more diffuse
boundaries of other skin conditions,
such as dermatitis. When confirmation is needed, a skin scraping can be
done for a tissue analysis.
How Can You Prevent Psoriasis?
Unfortunately, there is no known way to prevent psoriasis.
What Can You Do?
It is recommended that people with psoriasis avoid trauma to the skin
(see Complications), keep the skin
well lubricated, use mild soap and not over bathe.
Is There a Medical Treatment?
When the psoriasis affects less than 30 percent of the body surface,
high- potency steroid creams or
lotions are usually recommended, starting with twice-daily applications,
then dropping down to three or
four times on weekends. Less potent steroids plus tar formulations can
also be employed after the high-
potency start-up treatment.
Covering the affected areas on the trunk or extremities with a thin
plastic film for up to a week has shown
to be effective on a few people. A number of steroid and tar shampoos
formulations are available
specifically for scalp involvement.
A newer drug, calcipotriene, a chemical relative of vitamin D, has been
shown to work well in two recent
research studies. However, it is quite expensive and is, therefore,
recommended for use as a supplemental
agent to an existing treatment plan, or for those who don't tolerate or
are resistant to other treatments.
Psoriasis, when it affects more than 30 percent of the body surface, is
difficult to treat with lotions or
creams. When it is this severe, ultraviolet (UV) light is often
recommended. Exposure every other day for
a few weeks until clearing is seen seems to be the best approach.
Relapses after this course of treatment
are frequent, so a maintenance treatment plan of UV light plus a drug to
increase the skin's sensitivity to
the light may be put into place. However, there is a real concern about
skin cancer with long-term
exposure to this combination.
Cyclosporine, a potent immunosuppressive drug, has shown promise as a
treatment for psoriasis but here,
too, relapses occur after the initial course of treatment. The long-term
safety of cyclosporine has not been
established.
Prognosis
Psoriasis is a chronic condition with no cure. Current treatment targets
relieving the symptoms and
providing emotional and psychological support. Response to medical
treatment, much of which has
serious side effects, is unpredictable and relapses occur frequently.
Tammi Grant
Philadelphia, PA
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