[ Home | Contents | Post | Reply | Next | Previous | Up ]
From: Celestial
Date: 4/13/2007
Time: 11:42:42 PM
Remote Name: 69.92.199.187
Hi there! I am 55 years old and have had hidradenitis since I was 14. But of course, onset is always post pubescent, because the apocrine glands become active at puberty. I have been on every anitbiotic made by mankind, and must caution everyone, that we who suffer from hidradenitis are at risk for becoming resistant to antibiotics, because we take them continuously all our lives. Tomorrow we will be resistent to the antibiotics that worked for us today. Good thing they are always inventing new antibiotics, but, if your antibiotic isn't working anymore, ask your doctor if a switch would do you good. Chronic antibiotic use also makes us vitamin K deficient, because antibiotics kill the friendly bacteria in our guts which synthesize vitamin K. Okay, surgery is not a great option either, as it is painful, debilitating and involves severe scarring. I've had my share of surgery sometimes, your back is up against the wall, something has to be done, all therapies have failed, and there is nothing else you can do. I had full wide bilateral excisions of all epidermis in both axilla. Which means, I have no skin left in my underarms, none at all, just scar tissue. But, no skin means no apocrine glands and therefore no more abscesses. At least not there. Unfortunately, such radical excisions are not always an option, as we have apocrine glands and therefore a tendency to get hidradenitis in other locations besides the axilla. It would be no fun to have all the skin stripped from your penis, vagina, buttocks, etc, would it? Say, no. So, nowadays, they are trying light therapy, with good results, according to the internet. Thank goodness they are trying something new. Meanwhile I will tell you what gets me by. My goal is not to be free of this disease. This is a genetic disorder, so, I realize I will always have this tendency, all my of life, I forgive myself and love myself anyway. What the hell. My goal is to avoid the need for anitbiotics as much as possible, (if I do take antibiotics, I try to remember to replace my vitamin K by eating leafy green veggies!) and to avoid needing surgery as much as possible. The things I have found useful in avoiding antibiotics and surgery are: hydrotherapy, icthemol ointment 20 percent, nutrition, and stress reduction. First, hydrotherapy works as a good preventative. If you can afford a jacuzzi, get one quick. Hydrotherapy really makes hidradenitis abcesses happen less often. You need water at 102 or 103 degrees, don't make it any hotter, you might hurt yourself. The bromine the water is treated with actually does also kill some bacteria on the skin. You need about 20 min once a day, a very relaxing treatment indeed. Enjoy daily and be pleasantly surprised that it helps. Okay, if you can't afford a jacuzzi, you need a long hot bath once a day, showers just don't have the same effect, and toss in some epsom salts if you can. Baths don't work as well as jacuzzi's as they cool down too fast. Icthymol Ointment 20 percent is an old fashioned homeopathic remedy that you can buy for under $5 in any drugstore. Ask at the pharmacy counter. The stuff smells like tar and is black with the consistency of tooth paste. The moment I notice a red mark signalling the beginning of an abcess, I slater that stuff on it and cover it loosely with a non absorbant bandage or just some black underware. Keep applying it throughout the day, as often as it wears off. Okay, it smells like tar, but it works. You can use it at night, while you are sleeping, and skip it during the day. It will make many incipient abcesses disappear before they ever get all out of hand. Use early, when the abcess is very young. If the abcess doesn't go away immediately, add antibiotics and eat your green vegetables. Save surgery for the most desparate moments, when you have painful abcesses that will not respond to anything else. Apocrine glands are over activated by stress, so, don't stress, don't worry, be happy, love yourself anyway. Eat your green vegetables, especially Kale, which is good for the skin. Good luck.