Activated Charcoal and Zinc Oxide Cream
★★★★☆
A week on, I realised I'd misdiagnosed it and I had in fact got pityriasis rosea, reading symptoms and looking at photos I realised it was that. I read all the advice on Earth Clinic, but not having any of the things recommended to hand, I decided to mix activated charcoal with some powdered tumeric and make a wet poltice which I put inbetween a muslin cloth and lay it across my chest and wore with an old T shirt. I went to bed with it on and amazingly, I had no itching at night and the next morning, on taking it off, the area looked so much better, less red and inflamed and no itching!
I then covered the area in zinc oxide cream (nappy rash cream) which I had read someone had used. It itched a little just after putting it on but I've now just realised I've had my first itch free day! I'm going to continue using these two things and I'm really hopeful it will get rid of it very soon. I thought I'd share this as both of these things are good at promoting healing.
(London)
03/07/2018
★★★★★
I'm just posting an update on using the Activated Charcoal Poltice and Zinc Oxide Cream (Nappy Rash Cream) on my chest. I have never experienced itching like it but from putting the Activated Charcoal mixed into a paste with water between a muslin cloth on my chest overnight, I put an old T shirt over the top to keep it in place. In the morning I then put the zinc oxide cream on for the day. After a week it's gone completely! I'm so happy and just to let anyone know whose suffering with this awful rash, this works so well and quickly.
General Feedback
(St. Louis, Mo)
04/15/2010
I totally hate these things. It makes you look like you have a seriously fatal disease, however I had to get my pitryasis treated through a doctor. I diagnosed myself. When you go, request a KOH test, its a test in which they scrape the scaley skin to test it to see what it is. I diagnosed myself like I said. I thought it was a ringworm, but it stayed for 8 mos. and its coming back now. 8 mos and I lost 60lbs from this whole situation. Talk about being depressed...
(Preston, Maryland, Usa)
05/04/2011
I found out I had pityriasis rosea a week ago. I've had the herald patch since mid-March. I thought for several weeks that it was ringworm and was treating it with antifungal meds with no results. I started treating it as if it was psoriasis and started washing with selenium sulfide shampoo 3x a day on the affected area and using medicated gold bond powder. After a week my symptoms were much better. My dr diagnosed me with pityriais rosea and said to cut back to once a day and my rash started all over again. Going back to 3x again til it's gone. Hope this is helpful to someone else...
(Missouri)
11/01/2013
Diagnosed this morning with pityriasis rosea. Last night I had terrible stomach pain, I thought it was appendicitis. However that could be related to the ulcers I've had the last couple years.
Ask your mother if she breastfeeding you as a child, this is likely the cause for parasitic and gastrointestinal problems. Your gut flora is established in the first year of life. Unfortunately my mothers actually left me early on so I was forced weaned with hardly any breastfeeding. This also can affect your brain chemistry premanently. My son on the other hand doesn't even get runny noses and he's been breastfeeding for almost two years now. Breastfeeding is the key.
I've been slowly learning about how to change gut flora and the best bet seems to be Kimchi. Make it yourself, when we were in Korea for a few days this year, all my problems disappeared. I have to figure out how to make that stuff. It helps me to stay away from animal products too and bread. Take it for what it's worth, I hope this helps someone.
Indigo, Xylitol, Pine Bark
★★★★★
Upon searching for vitiligo remedies for my son (who had psoriasis as a child), I found Art Solbrig's Psoriasis and Eczema remedy on EarthClinic using xylitol, pine bark, green tea extract, and indigo ointment.
https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/art-solbrig-psoriasis-protocol.html
We had most of those ingredients handy already, and thought it was a cheap and harmless experiment to try. I always take the natural remedies I give my children, so I can feel any possible side effects they may experience as well. Right or wrong, that's instinctually what I feel called to do.
Well, the vitiligo hasn't changed for my son, but the pityriasis on my knees disappeared completely, an unexpected benefit! In fact, I was expecting it to start getting worse since fall is here and my legs are getting less sunshine. As a side note, I also noticed my knees popping more when working out, along with bearable hip pain that comes and goes "randomly." I wish I remembered which hip had the herald patch 14 years ago, but alas, I do not. At any rate, I'm delighted to have the red spots gone and will continue taking the xylitol, pine bark, and green tea extract. The indigo was a little tricky to find, since Art's link takes you to an out of stock item, but I found it on Amazon after a little more digging. We use the ointment made from the indigo on our skin, but I believe it's the internal ingredients that are working for me so very well.
I use one tablespoon of xylitol with about 1/16 tsp of pine bark powder (that's what I already had in the cabinet when I read Art's recommendations), and one dropper of green tea extract that I get at the grocery store (HEB in Texas) in a glass of water and us a frother to stir it all up. I'm a busy mother of teenagers, so I down the glass before my busy day starts instead of sipping on it, but sipping is probably better, especially because xylitol can cause some interesting intestinal situations, initially--start small:) The only ingredient I carefully pay attention to is the green tea extract. My heart is pretty sensitive to caffeine and green tea, historically, has given me a little trouble. Like I said, I just maintain close awareness to the green tea dosage and how I'm feeling. All is well.
Blessings...
Hi Haro,
I am very happy that that combination finally alleviated the red spots and dryness for you! I am also very happy that you came back to share your successful results as that is helpful for the EC community as a whole for the longer term!
Art
L-Glutamine
★★★★★
(Colo)
08/13/2015
I have pityriasis rosea all over my body for for over a month now. Interested in your comment about getting rid of it in 2 wks. with L-Glutamine powder. Do you drink it? What strength and how often or are you using it topically.
Appreciate answer soon as I look like I am a canidate for a leper colony!
Jim
(CA)
02/03/2023
★★★★★
Pityriasis Rosacea
In 2020, I came to this site for assistance. We were under quarantine and I couldn't see a doctor in person. First I brought L-glutamine. After week of drinking that, I brought activated charcoal. I never ended up using it bc my rash was gone by the end of the 2nd week after watching this rash grow and cover my torso for 4 months.
L-Lysine
★★★★★
I too finally realized what the itchy patch on my stomach was and started getting one on my back. Someone on you tube used L-lysine, it works!!!
1000 mg x2 day with my usual D and C - rash was angry and large and 4 days later faded and I can see it will heal. I wish I had known about this when I had the shingles years ago.
(Peoria, IL)
08/24/2021
That makes sense that L-lysine would help. I was reading in a medical journal about pityriasis rosea (and it's variants), and it said that scientists believe there's a strong link to the rash and HHV-6 (a type of human herpes virus). HHV-6 is something nearly all people are infected with at birth/ in childhood, but not many people get the reactivation of the virus (in the form of the PR), though it's still a common rash. Also, even fewer people get recurrent eruptions in their lifetime.
Thanks for sharing your remedy! I have PR now and will try the Lysine.
Light Treatment
★★★★★
Supplements, Milk Thistle
(Denver, Colorado)
12/06/2013
(Chickasha, Ok)
03/26/2015
★★★★★
I am in week two, and figured out it wasn't eczema 2 days ago and doctor diagnosed PR. It just spread to neck and I've used aloe vera for the past 24 hours after previously trying dandruff shampoo, cortizone creme and yogurt. The aloe vera took the heat out and the redness was reduced greatly. I reapplied three times now and I think this will be the winner.
