The suggestions listed here come from the wonderful message board at this link:   
Prurigo Nodularis Support

Updates

Person

Treatments

05/13/03

Pat Lamb

Chinese Herbs --I am a long time sufferer of PN (31 years) and have just started treatment with Chinese Herbs.

07/16/03

Lacey

Herbal Supplements --As for the herbs, I do take a lot of herbal supplements either recommended and purchased at my environmental docs or at the health food store. I get the Baar catalog too. I just finished a two week herbal detox. I do that about every three months.

02-25-04

Laura

Vitamin C --I started taking 500 mg. of Vitamin C in the fall and a couple of months later bumped it up to 5,000. I get chewable (which means sugar laden, and sugar is an immune suppressant - but that’s the only way they go down). 

02-25-04

Sandy Ree

Vitamins --I strongly believe in the vitamins. They are working for me. If I don't take them for a couple days, the sores return.

07-30-05

OT

Stinging Nettle Leaf + Turmeric  --It will be interesting to see how you do with Devil's Claw. Also, consider the other two suggestions for it TNF-alpha inhibiting properties. Both Stinging Nettle Leaf and Turmeric has those properties too. Turmeric is somewhat messy to use. But it's relatively cheap, and safe to use regularly. Indians use it a lot in their cooking, and when purchased in bulk spices from a good health food place, it mediates other inflammatory cytokines too. Good Luck!  

06-23-05

OptimalThinking

Protease + Vitalzym  --I suggest using a good proteolytic enzyme (Protease) to eat up the excessive protein and the protein coating, and assuming your immune system is in good working order, and not handicapped by taking immune suppressing drugs, a reasonably healthy immune system should be able to go to work dealing with the excessive bacteria and viruses, after the proteolytic enzymes finish off the protein coating, exposing the foreign visitor to our immune system, and allowing our immune system to effectively deal with it.

I have used Vitalzym and am quite pleased with it. One caution: Vitalzym can thin the blood so if you are on any blood thinners like Waferin, etc. be extra careful. Vitalzym is a proteolytic enzyme that you can take on a empty stomach as this can be used as an systemic enzyme. Don't confuse this with digestive enzymes which can share some similar ingredients, but is meant to be taken with food.  

04-15-05

Lacey

Various Things to Do  --drink lots and lots of water. Putting a slice of lime in will help alkalize your system. Don't wear synthetic fabrics if you can help it. Cotton and linen are best. Wash your clothes in a detergent that is for babies or get the ones that are for people with allergies. Shop at the Dollar stores for that. Moisturizing is good. If you have a Sam's Club there is a nice vitamin E cream (Gene's) that sells for just $5.00 and lasts a long time. Has lots of natural ingredients.

Get exercise if you can. It helps reduce stress and is good for your overall health. Just walking in a pleasant place like a park or along a shore if you can is good. Watch the sunset. Pray. Try to find things that please you like gardening, yoga, listening to music, reading, keeping a journal...something creative and inexpensive. I can almost hear you saying, "sure, like I have time for that." It is just so important to take care of yourself. You deserve it and your skin does too.

All these things help you center yourself and find peace. Laugh, love and look for rainbows. I hope this doesn't sound like new age hog wash to you. I am going to be 61 in a few months and my mental, physical, spiritual, emotional health are all better when I practice some of these things. I can cope better with whatever comes along too.   

10-06-06

Blueskymyne  

Coconut Oil  --Coconut oil is great. Buy it nonhydrogenated, virgin in a glass jar at the health food store. It is a solid at 76 degrees and liquid when injested. It is a beneficial saturated fat that is actually great for metabolism and since it is comprised of 50% lauric acid converted to monolaurin in the body, it destroys the protective coats of bacteria and virus. Search Mary Enig Ph.d for more info. This is better than any antibiotic. I am up to 6 tablespoons per day.

05-03-04

Catook

Echinacea  --I have started taking Echinacea and for me it is working. The bumps are smoothing and losing their mean look. I have no new ones. It has been almost a month. This is all natural and does not need a prescription.

07-07-04

Alex

Water, Lemon Juice, Tea, Rice Biscuits, Fruit, Ginseng, Vegetables, Zinc, Bardana, Clobetasol Ointment, UVA Light  --I start in the morning when I get up to drink a glass of warm/hot water with 1/2 lemon squeezed into; then I take a tea of nettle: This is recommended for allergic rhinitis, that in my case is a trouble that seems to be related in someway with PN. I eat rice biscuits or fruits.
In the morning I take Ginseng extract, that is good to recover from stress.
My meal now are based on green vegetables or carrots (carrots are very good for stomach and intestine), fruits, some fish, a little of white meat, sometimes, rice, potatoes. No more wheat, corn and its derivate like bread or pasta. I want to make exams to see if I'm celiac.
No more wine or beer (no alcoholic drinks in general). No more sugar and sweets.
Every two days I take also zinc to stimulate my immunity system.
I drink a lot of water and twice a day a use 20 drops of Bardana (it's an herb to purify the organism).
Then I use good moisturizing creams. And I put on PN bumps Clobetasol cream. Before to go to bed sometimes, when it's seem to me that my bumps are starting to itch I take an antistaminic so I can sleep without scratching. Sometimes I go to make an UVA.
I'll keep you informed if this almost natural way will give to me the hoping results. For the moment it's working quite well: few itching, skin getting better.

02-20-07

PJgertz