I wish I can help you. I have 30 PAGES of Food Allergies, so I avoid ALOT of Food, and unfortunately my HS Has Not Improved at all, just gotten worse. I don't eat Wheat, I don't eat Dairy, All I can have is Soy, Potato, and Rice. Some veggies, and some fruit. But nothing that I have attributed towards HS. I don't drink alcohol either. Gluten free diets help some people but they don't help Me. And I do hope that they work for you...give it a shot, I am crossing my fingers for you. :)

Thank you so much and I hope something works for you! What other options have you looked at?

Welcome to the group Stillirize
but at the same time I'm sorry you are another victim of this horrible disease. You will find great information here, lots of support and love.
Blessings

Hello there, I've just come back to this site after a long absence... I read your post and wanted to answer.

First of all HS is so different for everyone! So getting suggestions of things to try is totally the right approach but please remember, what works for one person may not work for you...ask me how I know! LOL

Folks have given you some awesome things to think about. I for one don't have a problem with gluten, but DO have an issue with dairy though not really HS related. BUT I do try avoid as many processed foods as possible...I think that's probably an overall good thing for me.

It has been years of experiementation for me to find out my "magic" combination and it evolves if/when I hit a hormonal threshold...trying hard to avoid those though. I didn't see a marked improvement after quitting smoking, but I did when I switched to whole grains...*shrug*

Since there is no "cure" we just have to always be vigilent. Good luck!

Welcome....Sorry that you have to be here due to this stupid diesase but glad you're here.
I tried all the antibiotics as well with mixed results. I am currently taking Tumeric and Zinc and have cut out pretty much all processed foods. I found that with the Tumeric, it takes a while to see total results. I also found out for me that I HAVE to take the zinc as well or the flare ups come back. I lurked for a long time before I joined the site but there has been so much good information I wished I had joined sooner.

Anywho...I wish you luck on this journey and remember that you are not alone...we are here for you!!!

I live in NC too and go to Dr. Atwater @ Duke. She put me on the cocktail of rifampin, metronidazole and moxifloxacin. I have had this since I have been 9 years old (I am 29 now) it started on my inner thighs and progressed upwards EVERYWHERE! now its on my neck and tracking and gets inflammed everyother week. I also experienced severe outbreaks when drinking alcohol! not a good thing and had me out of the game for a few days at a time even a small sip would start the process! I also did the glutenfree diet for about a year and although i lost weight it really didnt work for my hidradenitis. I dont eat dairy though because it will cause me to start a "cycle" as well. I hope this is helpful to you! I would suggest stopping certain foods on the gluten-free diet that you think may add to your pain and then add them back into your diet to see if the hidradenitis gets better or worse.

Wow. Thank you all for your advice and support. My mom has been helping me a lot with switching my diets. At this point I'm willing to try anything!
Thank you all I will keep you updated
@Kylesauntie I am seeing Dr. Cardones but I'm not too pleased she's been sending in students to see me lately. Are you pleased with your Doctor?

@ Kylesauntie... I have the same experience with alcohol and sugar.
@ Stillirize... I've never tried the gluten-free diet but i remember when I was doing the Atkins diet in 2009 to lose weight, I didn't have new cysts while on the diet and every sore I had at that time closed. I don't know if it was because i was not eating gluten and carbs, or because I was taking the steroids shots. I will have to try again to see the results.
But right now I'm starting a new diet too... very strict
I really hope it helps... at this point I'm willing to try anything too

It must also be said that, while there is no harm in Gluten Free or Paleo or whatever; for some people, like me, diet (beyond eating in a healthful way) has had no effect on their HS.
Except for a couple of very small, minor bumps with no discharge of any kind, I am free of HS and I never changed what I was eating to achieve this.

If you are in HS hell and feel (or even remotely think) that a serious diet change will help you, by all means...Proceed. But it is not always neccessary.

My grandmother is also suggesting that I do a body cleansing (laxative) She's form the islands and believes strongly in home methods so she's making me drink an epsom salt solution this week to rid my body of any toxins. Not sure how helpful it will be but she had HS when she was younger and a cleansing seemed to have helped her!

For me, dairy, caffeine, alcohol, sugar and gluten are big no-no's. I got a lot better when I went organic/grass-fed/natural with meat.

Daily exercise really helps - it balances hormones naturally and is a stress reducer. Doesn't have to be a lot - just regular.

Stress does NOT go away by itself. Humans have to actively do things to keep stress levels lower and manageable. Have a stress management plan. It helps to write it down / put it on your calendar and look at it daily to keep on track. (I'm a Mental Health Counselor and teach people in all circumstances this stuff all the time. And personally, I know this to be true.)

Morning meditation is my favorite stress reduction. It gives me deep peace and strength to handle whatever happens that day. A half hour of just breathing is such an enjoyable gift I give myself. And it's free!

Here's my favorite tip: Have some FUN every day! Yes, every day. It makes life worth living no matter what HS is doing that day. Laugh, dance, act silly, create, be in the moment for awhile, play. Take a break from thinking about the imperfections of life.

Having a written down daily routine that includes diet, exercise, rest, meditation, socializing and fun time gets it done for me. It doesn't just happen by accident. When I do what I can do, that's all I can do. It feels good to organize and do what's good for me. Then when flare ups occur or fatigue hits, I just take care of myself and go with it because I've done all I know to do.

You are so on the right track trying different combos and getting to know what works for you. It's a process, for sure!

Good luck. :o)

UPDATE:
Hey everyone so I've been doing pretty well. I stopped taking my Minocycline. I've been drinking plenty of water lots of vegetables and fruit. I'l have a baked potato every now and then but mostly sweet potatoes and pumpkin. I'll have a spoonful of rice just to satisfy my taste buds =). But my skin is healing very nicely between my breast and this has been a problem for MONTHS! Also I've been taking Hair,Skin & Nail vitamins for acne on my face but I feel it may have also helped with my HS. I've been using Dial body soap and try my sibling NEUTROGENA face wash to experiment. I don't whats working but I'm yielding results from this combination!

hi stillirize :)

you mentioned the epsom salts drink your grandma was having you do.. do you think that may have helped?

@MsClassique I didn't get to do it. I was working full-time and a laxative just was out of the question lol. But i hope to try one during this upcoming winter break.

Welcome honey to our group; This disease is a bad one and not one thing will help all. We are all individuals with different chemistries and bodies and so food is a very good place to start but you have tobe a detective to find out what foods trigger your HS and what doesnt. My daughter has been on a lower carb, gluten free, grain free diet now for 9 months now. she does not do cows dairy, and does coconut milk, chicken, turkey, and low carb fruits and veggies.... She does pretty good for the most part but now has folliculitis issues.... so she has multiple skin issues besides HS. drives me crazy so that is our reality.... gluten free did nothing for her. She had to change to grain free to see improvement...sugar makes her hs worse.... I try and give her xtra zinc, vitamin D, and the tumeric stuff tastes so nasty I dont give it to her..... I hope you find lots of advice here... there are many on the same diet my daughter is on who are in remission with it...it does help..... antibiotics stink and make the system weaker..but are good when all else fails..... good luck and I hope your find lots of support and love on this forum....tangerinebear xo