Posted by Beth (South Carolina) on 05/04/2015
★★★★☆
I have had Grover's for about 4 years. The first time it appeared I was covered on chest, back and legs. Went on a 2 week steroid which also made me crazy. This did send into remission I think. However, since then I have taken 1 allergy pill a day and a hydroxsine and this kept it at bay for a while. It seems to come back twice a year and usually I can calm it by taking Hydroxine. I had been taking vitamin d and fish oil for a long time. I stopped for some reason and then went to HOT YOGA! Big mistake. The virus came alive and have had a horrible time getting it to calm down.
I started taking 1000mg vitamin D, claritan, 2 Hydroxine's every 4 hours. Still would not go away. Started hibiclens and oat mill shower wash and then started laying out in the sun an hour a day. (light treatments gave me this idea) Before I wasn't sleeping hardly at all. Now its under control and seems to be going away. I also use cerave lotion twice a day. Hope this helps somebody!
Posted by Brenda (Florida) on 02/09/2015
★★★★☆
I was diagnosed with Grover's Disease in 2011 and suffered 12 weeks. Five of those weeks I could not sleep at all. It covered my back, front, down my legs to my knees and around my shoulders. There was nothing the doctor could do for me. By the grace of God, I went from sores to a clean back in one night. I thought that was that. But, ten weeks ago I started to break out again. For three weeks there was no sleep. Between the two experiences I went off all wheat which changed my life for the better. I do not plan to go back on wheat, but I did get Grover's again. I do think there is a link to wheat. I was found to have very low vitamin D in 2011, so I think that might be another link. I was also a little low in B12 and I was taking a supplement off and on. I am currently in the 11th week and last week I discovered lavender essential oil. I applied it to the skin and saw improvement. But the best effect was I was able to sleep most of the night. I found out later there have been double blind studies that it helps sleep. We heal when we sleep and I think, now I am about finished with this Grover's. I plan to stay off wheat and take a Vitamin D3 supplement along with my organic whole food supplement for the other vitamins.
Also, some of the best advise I received was to take 3 tablespoons of cold first pressed olive oil in the morning and again at night. It does wonders. I also used the organic coconut oil on the rash and it helped a little. It is my choice of lotion. If I break out again, I will try the ice packs. I get a mega dose of Grover's when I get it. I also think a quick lukewarm shower twice a day helps at the worst of it and then down to one quick shower for moisture. This year I bought a humidifier to keep the humidity at 55 in the house when the heater is running. FYI my blood tests look great for the usual things. I am usually very healthy. I am not overweight. The Grover's did make it to the skin that as not seen the sun. I currently eat all whole foods. There are great recipes out there. I have eaten this way for about a year and a half. My theory is that I got into something I shouldn't have eaten at Thanksgiving (that is when rash started again) or my D and B dropped down again. Hope this helps someone.
Posted by Timothy (London, UK) on 03/28/2014
★★★★☆
I first noticed evidence of Grover's disease in 2011 with spreading lesions on my torso both back and front. Visits to dermatologists in London and New York including biopsies confirmed that the lesions were caused by Grover's Disease which I was told was incurable. However, I noticed that the symptoms were far less noticeable in the summer months and guessed that sunshine and therefore Vitamin D may be effective. In 2012, I started to take 4 x Vitamin D3 (Potency 10ug = 10 micrograms equivalent to 400 IU = 400 International Units) per day.
I immediately noticed an improvement to such an extent that after some months the symptoms and the scars had completely healed. I then experimented by coming off Vitamin D3 in the summer of 2012 but after some weeks the symptoms returned. I then stayed on Vitamin D3 for six or seven months over the winter of 2012/2013 and once again the symptoms disappeared following which I stopped taking Vitamin D3 for approximately eight months with no further symptoms. However, as I write this in February 2014 the symptoms have once again returned and I have therefore re-started the Vitamin D3 which once again has suppressed the symptoms.
The conclusion to my experience is that if not a cure, Vitamin D3 in the dose that I have used is a highly effective way of treating this unpleasant and irritating disease. I hope this works for you.
