Hidradenitis Suppurativa Support Group
Hidradenitis suppurativa (hi-drad-uh-NIE-tis sup-yoo-ruh-TIE-vuh) is rare, long-term skin condition that features small, painful lumps under the skin. The disease manifests as clusters of chronic abscesses or boils, sometimes as large as baseballs, that are extremely painful to the touch and may persist for years with occasional to frequent periods of inflammation,...
Hi, I'm new to this support group. I came here to tell everyone that I used to suffer from HS, including all the "treatments" that didn't work. Antibiotics, draining, surgery, etc. About a year ago I stumbled across a natural food website that said the spice Turmeric cures boils. Well, I consider my HS sores boils so I tried it.
I couldn't believe it. I freaking works. I cyst that I had near my bikini line for over TWO YEARS started draining within four hours. It was totally gone within two weeks.
I still take one turmeric capsule a day to keep the HS under control. If I stop, it comes back. So...this is not a cure, but it is a VERY effective treatment that doesn't require doctors or medications.
Please, please do yourself a favor and just try it! You have nothing to lose - turmeric capsules are sold at Wal-Mart, I think. If not, you can definitely buy them at a health food store. Or, if you still can't find them just bite the bullet and take the powder mixed in water.
I started with two turmeric capsules with breakfast, and two with dinner. You can always just buy the powder, but I found it bitter.
I love turmeric!!!!
I couldn't believe it. I freaking works. I cyst that I had near my bikini line for over TWO YEARS started draining within four hours. It was totally gone within two weeks.
I still take one turmeric capsule a day to keep the HS under control. If I stop, it comes back. So...this is not a cure, but it is a VERY effective treatment that doesn't require doctors or medications.
Please, please do yourself a favor and just try it! You have nothing to lose - turmeric capsules are sold at Wal-Mart, I think. If not, you can definitely buy them at a health food store. Or, if you still can't find them just bite the bullet and take the powder mixed in water.
I started with two turmeric capsules with breakfast, and two with dinner. You can always just buy the powder, but I found it bitter.
I love turmeric!!!!
Yes, DustBucket, it stained my skin as well as my night shirt but that is way better than the stains from the pus & gook after 1 drains! Kind of looked like iodine, lol
Anyway, hope I don't have to do this again (right, lol) but hope it works as well the next time!!
I took 1 500 mg everyday, but I think others may have taken more, you'll just have to read back through the discussion to see.
and note that I said I thought it was working while I was taking it orally, but evidently not, as I had the flare ups. But it did seem to relieve the pain & I'm now into Friday & pain has not returned, however the knot is still there, just not as big.
I have been using the Turmeric and Zinc for more than three years now.
The dosage I have used is 50mg of Zinc and 500mg of Turmeric in capsule form. I have also used the ground turmeric (1/4 teaspoon) mixed with food. either seems to work just fine.
Take the combination daily for the first 30-40 days or so, then take it daily for 5 days then off for two. Stay with the 5/2 for another month or so, then adjust the dosage down over time to find the control point.
This is NOT A CURE it is a very effective management program for most of us. There are variants, it is different for everyone.
Our collective experience:
Taken with food causes less stomach upset.
On average it takes 8-10 weeks of Turmeric and Zinc to see any noticeable improvement.
If you stop the T&Z or you miss a couple of days you will flare up with in a matter of days.
By themselves, T&Z are less effective.
It will take a week or so once you go back on the T&Z to clear up,
Increased stress and prolonged stress will trigger a flare up. Adding an additional capsule of Turmeric seems to help.
Turmeric in a paste applied to an active cyst will reduce the cyst in a matter of hours and will reduce the associated pain. Applied twice daily, the cysts will usually dissipate in 24 to 48 hours.
Some have noted an unusual body odor, we suspect related to the Turmeric. Others have noted that insects especially mosquitos do not like you any more.
Turmeric has some mild blood thinning properties to it, but was not a problem June of 09 when I had gallbladder surgery. My surgeon said that I could resume the T&Z the day after surgery.
Over all, the T&Z has dramatically impacted the frequency and severity of the number of active cysts and lesions. From several large active sites to smaller and less active sites. Dave has gone from an average of 10-15 active cysts at anyone time to less that three or four. The ones that are still there are much smaller and are much easier to care for.
My experience has been, I was advanced stage 2, mild stage 3 now down to a mild stage 1. I was looking at major surgery. I was having 3-4 I&D's yearly. I have not had an I&D in four years. I no longer take antibiotics daily. When under stress I will still have one or two flare up, but instead of golf ball size like before, now they are about the size of a large pea to marble size. Using the paste, I am able to get those down fairly quickly.
We also recommend that you use Clearasil Ultra Pads or something like them to clean the affected areas each morning and each night. These products help keep the pores clean and open which facilitates gland drainage.
That we know of, there are a couple of hundred folks using the T&Z as a control measure. Most have had good to excellent result. Sadly for some, there has been little to no effect.
Hope this helps those of you who are starting the T&Z. program.
There is a lot of work to do to find out why this combination works as well as it does. Even more work to do to figure out why it does not work for some.
Site like this and the HS-USA forums are helping tremendously. Sharing our information, what is or is not working, and other combination's of things will continue to advance and improve our quality of life.
Please keep posting and journaling, while it may not seem like it matters, your information and experience makes a major difference. In the four years since T&Z was first identified, it has come along way in making our lives better.
Thanks to Everyone!!!
Peace
KIBTL
Rick H.
(ricky4511hs)