22 User Reviews
I am trying to get this message out to as many ppl that have HS as possible - THIS can be the cure for 80% of you!!
Most of us have digestive issues and weakened immune systems, and our bodies are reacting to what we put in our bodies, which are bodies can not handle, and it shows up on our skin in the form of boils.
For me it was dairy, for you it could be dairy, it could be gluten or wheat, or something else!
TAKE THIS MESSAGE VERY SERIOUSLY - THIS CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE FOREVER!!!
My dermatologist told me to take anti biotics for the rest of my life - I had really bad HS - I just went to see him recently, and showed him I was almost 100% cured... He was shocked!
It is very simple for me, and will be for most of you, my body can not digest or handle certain foods, and that causes HS reactions. You need to figure out what foods!!! Day by day figure out what you ate, and see how it reacts on your body. For me, if I have diary, it will immediately show up on my body (ex- within a few minutes)... it is very obvious what is effecting me..
Allergy test is only step 1... healthy lifestyle is step 2 (yoga, gym, healthy diet)...
DONT LIVE YOUR LIFE IN MISERY WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO!!!
(Georgia, Us)
04/09/2013
★★★★★
Dear Ace, Thank you so much for repeating the message that HS was a disorder directly affiliated with our diet. I couldn't afford to see a Naturopath, however I systematically removed all possible offending groups and reintroduced them one by one. When I finally found the offending food group (Nightshades) and removed them from my diet, I stopped having the lesions. The ones that I had either ruptured and weeped or went flat. All I have now is the scars and I can live with that. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for never letting up. You saved my life. God bless you. Catherine
Dietary Changes
Now that I have figured this out, my HS is virtually almost all gone, and the only time I get it is if I eat something with dairy in it (ex- mashed potatos have a bit of milk in it, etc.)...
I recommend everyone with HS go to a NATUROPATH, and GET A FOOD ALLERGY TEST!!!
A lot of people with HS have food sensitivities!!!
(Vancouver, Bc)
05/17/2012
read attached link as to how certain foods can cause boils:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/448495-can-certain-foods-cause-boils/
FIGURE OUT YOUR FOOD TOLERANCE AND EAT ACCORDINGLY - SOME FOODS YOU CAN TOLERATE, SOME YOU CAN'T - EVERY1 IS DIFFERENT - YOU HAVE TO FIGURE IT OUT YOURSELF
I EAT DAIRY --> I IMMEDIATELY GET A BOIL - ITS VERY OBVIOUS CAUSE AND EFFECT - MONITOR YOUR BODY AFTER EATING
Dietary Changes
★★★★★
I thought I'd share my story in hopes that my experience will help others.
I've been suffering from this horrible condition since I was 18 - I am 36. I went through the vicious cycle of antibiotics (many different kinds) and lancings with little success. My aliens were all in the groin area. At first, this process did help with flare ups. I would go for several months and somtimes over a year without serious flare-ups - the condition was manageable, minimal discomfort and pain that would heal quickly. it stopped being manageable about 8 years ago.
During this period I was partying often (drinking, smoking, etc. ), not sleeping much, eating very poorly (I have never been overweight, a bit underweight... just eating a lot of fast and processed foods) and not exercising much if at all.
Several years back it got really bad (constant pain and discomfort, it was painful getting out of bed). I had sores that constantly drained, never healing. I did some serious googling on remedies and ran into this site among other sites that provided information that I was looking for.
I tried remedies looking for a quick fix still maintaining the lifestyle drinking, smoking, poor sleep, bad food, etc. without any improvement. Acv, turmeric, vitamins, tea tree oil, epsom salt baths, etc were all in the mix. I was pretty down as there was minimal improvement. I did this for a few months.
I then read posts about detoxing with raw organic foods. So I gave it a try. I went 100% raw for about a week and continued at about 90% for a month - I also added probiotics to the regimen and ate some cooked foods, but removed processed foods almost completely. I was also continued the other remedies. I was still smoking but drinking much less with my sleep slightly improving. I don't exactly remember the progress or when everything clicked, but I remember waking up one morning and noticed the pain and the draining coming to a complete stop. Everything flattened out! I continued the strict diet for a few more months with zero flare-ups. I then began adding bad foods back into the diet and increasing the partying forgetting how horrible things were. The aliens did reappear but would go away quickly, nothing like it used to be. Zero medication during this period.
Thinking I was in the clear, I discontinued the strict diet completely. I was eating poorly , but still taking the probitics and other remedies mentioned. At this point I quit smoking but continued to drink. I was good for about a year. flare-ups did occur but they healed quickly with minimal discomfort - more like zits instead of cysts.
About 2 months ago an angry alien came to visit and has not left. It is in a new area and has been very painful. It grew and continued to drain. I've been back on the strict diet (95% raw, daily green juices, no processed foods, etc) for about a week now as I've been rudely reminded of this horrible condition I have and will likely always have. I've also quit smoking and have limited the drinking. I'm also trying to rest as much as possible. The alien has, today, stopped hurting and is flattening out with minimal drainage. From previous experience, I'm confident the sore will heal as long as I continue the lifestyle change.
Your body does a good job of telling you when something is wrong and I believe, from experience, what we ingest plays the biggest role is HS. All the processed foods we ingest, I believe, act like poisons to our system. From my research, medical conditions have increased dramatically since processed foods were introduced. These foods do not have any nutrients and not having the balance by consuming nutrient rich, raw, living foods results in our bodies breaking down. if you really think about it, it makes sense and I suggest all of you to do your own research.
A dramatic change in food required a huge lifestyle change for me and I think it will be for most of you, but it's so worth it. As I've found and as many of you already know, there isn't a cure or a simple fix for HS, but I believe there is a long term solution that will keep me symptom free. This is my experiece for those suffering. I tried most everything and I feel that I've found what works for me and I hope this helps with many of you suffering.
(Gardena, Ca)
11/03/2011
I too have suffered from HS all of my adult life. I'm a 52 year old African American woman. Within the past two years I finally found a solution that really works. I changed my diet from predominately fast and processed foods to 80-90% raw foods. The boils began to dry up immediately. Now whenever I fall back into my old habits, the boils return with a vengeance. I can actually feel the sinus of the boil swell within hours after eating the wrong foods. I only regret not being aware earlier in my life of the suffering I was causing myself: by ingesting bad foods. I believe HS victims are more sensitive to these poisons than most people. I pray that my words can help another sufferer.
(Arlington, Tx, Usa)
11/03/2011
(Arlington, Tx, Usa)
11/03/2011
Hi Karien, don't envy your position. I would recomend you add coconut oil to your diet, it will do wonders for you, not matter what ails you. 3 tablespoons per day is the avgerage daily dose.
You may detox from it in the beginning but stick with, I know it will give well deserved relief. Let me know.
BOL, tom
Dietary Changes
★★★★☆
I've truly believed for some time now that food can be either a medicine or a poison. Although I've known this intuitively, I've never really tried to eat to the standards I knew I needed. I thought "now or never, ya gotta do it Susan! " So after two days of using the antibiotics (it just got worse anyway, which I knew would happen) I decided to cleanse out my system and give my body what it needed.
Here is what I did:
1. ) having read everyones praise about turmeric, I started take 1/4 tbs 3x day. (I've taken it before without much improvement, but have considered the fact that it might not be all I needed to do)
2. ) I only ate vegetables, mostly greens such as swiss chard, kale, spinach, and mixed salad greens. I sometimes would juice these to get more in one setting.
3. ) I drank distilled water with lemon added (roughly 84 ounces each day.
4. ) I took vitamin D and a multivitamin.
5. ) I avoided sugar, caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, meat, dairy and gluten.
6. ) I saw a naturopathic doctor who agreed that gluten-free dairy free was the way to go if you have H.S. She is currently looking into my blood work to see how we can adjust my diet to be more appropriate. Additionally, she has several H.S. patients that are in remission! A doctor who actually has positive feedback!!!
So the results: After two days of this my boil came to a head and started draining. After one week it shrunk to the size of a pea! Additionally, the rest of my smaller symptoms of H.S. are dried up and gone, my skin overall is smoother, my hair shinier, face glows more, and I have energy like never before! I'm not 100% yet, as I have days where I cheat (I'm only human ;) but I strive to eat well at least 90% of the time. My final conclusion is that our bodies are actually totally amazing at healing once we nurture ourselves. Disease is Dis-Ease. Sickness is our bodies being out of balance and striving to re-balance themselves. When a condition is acute (such as my baseball size boil on my buttock) I nurtured myself completely. Got plenty of sleep, flushed my system with clean water, and gave my body the vitamins, minerals and nutrients it has been craving for years and years.
I would say the turmeric is also essential with this as after I would take it initially, the pain would stop altogether. I wanted to share this story because, like I said, I've tried the turmeric in the past with not much in the way of results, but I was really looking for a quick solution rather than a total revamp to how I treat my body. Once I gave my body what it needs to heal, the turmeric had a friendly playground so to speak to clean up all the junk! The good new is that there really are a bunch of healthy options for food out there now days, especially if you have a whole foods or trader joes near by. Luckily, even grocery stores are coming around with organic throughout. (Oh, that being said, try to eat as much organic and clean food as possible). The initial period of switching your diet will be difficult, but the results are worth it! The longer you eat clean food, the more you like it and the less you want all the junk/processed foods that you used to think tasted good. Good luck to all my brothers and sisters out there who deal with this dis-ease. Love yourself and give your body what it needs!
(Melbourne, Australia)
04/17/2011
hi susan, I was just wondering how you have got on with your diet and hs on a longer term? did the hs come back?
I am trying a similar route to yourself and have been visiting a naturapath to boost my immune system. I am currently taking antibiotics, and plan to come off these within the next month (though im not convince that the hs wont come back).
(Vancouver, Bc)
01/31/2012
Get a food allergy test - a lot of ppl with HS have food sensitivities, ex- natural digestive issues!!
Go to a naturopath and get a food allergy TEST!!! It might be the best investment of your life - it was for me!!!
After struggling with HS for 3-4 yrs - I am finally starting to now live a normal life since I found out that I am allergic to dairy!!
Ppl with HS have weak immune systems & digestive issues, and there really is a way to greatly control it, and almost cure it!!!
Never take anti biotics - handle this naturally - it is a natural issue, and dermatologists are not much help in this matter!
(Columbus, Ohio)
04/18/2013
Dietary Changes
http://www.skincell.org/community/index.php/topic,24751.0.html
Please help me get this information to the people that need it! thank you
(Los Angeles, Ca)
02/06/2010
I have been suffering from HS for 31 years, since I was 8 years old. I have always had a healthy body weight. I have experimented with food throughout my life, but never in an attempt to control my HS. I have been a lacto-ovo-vegetarian, a vegan, a raw-foodist, a fruitarian, and currently have a mainly lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet but I also eat seafood now. Currently I'm on the least restrictive diet I've had in the last 23 years. Thanks to you and your links and a KNOWING there are dietary triggers to this disease, I feel the burden of taking on yet another restrictive diet.
But anything is better than the constant fixation of trying to cure myself.
I did experience changes in the disease during my dietary explorations but it's hard to measure since the disease seems to get progressively worse with age and time. What used to be a single eruption at a time is now a multitude. Tobacco use definitely exacerbates the problem.
The reason I'm writing this is because I don't know where to start. Okay, I can google Gluten Free diet. That's not so tough. But what about the night-shade foods. I have definitely noticed spinach is a big no-no for me. I don't know how to do this scientifically. It seems nearly EVERYTHING needs to be analyzed. All foods with caffeine, potatoes, corn, eggplant, tomatoes, citrus, alcohol and now gluten. I often shop in international grocery stores, such as Chinese markets, how will I know the effects of these foods? They don't even have English names and if they do, nothing but the most basic stuff is listed on the internet. And after all of this stress, I can't even drink a glass of wine? WTF. How do I conduct this dietary experiment in a scientific way?
(Columbus, Ohio)
10/01/2010
I highly recommend searching out a good naturopath in your area. If you are needing to fine-tune your diet, they may be able to find out some little details about you that may shout out an allergy. Plus, some of them can look at the bloodwork your regular doctor has dismissed as "normal" to see subtle signs leaning one way or the other. Hope this helps and good luck!
(Columbus OH)
11/19/2021
Susan @ Columbus. I would like to know which doctor in Columbus that you saw? You post is so long ago and I am desperate to find some help for my son. We avoided nightshades but his boils are still hard and big. He's living with this through his high schools years. Please answer this post. I hope you're still active on this website.
Dietary Changes
★★★★☆
(Vancouver, Bc)
09/14/2011
Foods reported that cause a reaction or flare of Hidradenitis lesions included: Cow dairy products, Chocolate, Fried Foods that are fried in hydrogenated oil such as fast foods, Pork, Red Meats, Smoked Meats, Salty Foods, White flour breads and products, Refined Sugar and products containing refined sugars such as, cakes, candies (chocolate), and pies. Some reactions reported to tropical fruits. Alcohol, coffee and other drinks containing caffeine have also been reported as causing major flares in (HS). There have been some reports of known sensitivities to gluten.
Cut all of the above out of your life --> and you are likely to get much much better... if you are willing to make the lifestyle changes, you can really increase your quality of life (like I have)... Best to Eat -
Salads, Vegetables, Fresh Vegetable Juices, Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Nuts, Legumes, Fish, Poultry (ex- Chicken, Turkey)
Drink plenty of purified water and herbal tea
Dietary changes are KEY
Read below report - there is a natural way to greatly reduce or eliminate HS!(Vancouver, V5e 2x4)
11/09/2011
★★★★☆
As a follow-up to my previous msg - I had really bad HS (very ugly) all over my groin, buttocks, and chest. It has almost completely healed.
I would recommend to everyone with HS - go to a naturopath and get a food allergy test. I found out I was allergic to dairy, and have been avoiding dairy, and eating healthy in general, and from a horrible situation, I am actually getting close to living a normal life, thank God... There is a natural way to fight off HS, to make it a minor issue in your life (rather than it taking over your life)...
Dietary Changes
★★★★★
I have suffered with HS for a long time and had to have an operation on my armpit 8 years ago but was not actually diagnosed until much later. Once I knew what I was dealing with I started to use tea tree oil and echinacea. But to be honest, particularly when I was stressed, the painful sores would still emerge. Finally a dear friend read on the net that coffee can have a massive effect on sufferers. So I gave up coffee (was on 3 or 4 large expresso's a day). And it worked. I'd occasionally get the odd little murmur of an outbreak but was able to control it with a dab or Tea Tree and up until this weekend, I'd been clear of any real offending sores.
Unfortunately I realise that I've been gradually reintroducing coffee into my diet over the last year (hubby got a coffee machine for Christmas) and I am now suffering for it. Safe to say, I'm off coffee again and will try the Turmeric and the other suggestions to deal with my current and extremely uncomfortable sore. I've also changed my deodorant and now use crystal spray which has been great. What a wonderful site. Thank you all for sharing and making me feel less of an outsider.
(Glendale, CA)
11/14/2008
★★★★★
I was advised by my acupuncturist last year, after having been diagnosed with hidradentis suppurtiva (basically means recurring boils in areas around hair follicles and sweat glands...all the fun spots)to eliminate caffeine. I did, and for the past year, I have had no boils. Recently, I started drinking caffeine in small quantities and now have a new boil. Nothing else in my diet changed, so the connection is pretty clear.
No more caffeine for me.
I am trying the tumeric remedy now for the current boil as I detox from caffeine again.
Also, laser hair removal in areas like the armpits has been advised, the theory being eliminate the hair follicle, reduce the likelihood of a boil from an ingrown hair. I will be trying this.
(Newcastle, England)
05/10/2009
Hi ive recently been diagnosed with HS after 20 yrs of symptoms. I have had a recent flare up in my arpit area and my buttocks which I can only remember 2 occasions of this happening. I have been drinking a lot of coke lately and wonder if this is a trigger of my HS. I am currently using evening primrase oil which is an anti-inflammatory and have started using tumeric powder, which has good anti-bacterial properties, as does garlic. i have only had the tumeric once as i thought it tasted vile, but im sure i will become a fan of it as it seams to be very benificial to HS sufferers. good luck.
(Coppell, Texas)
04/24/2011
★★★★★
I definitely agree that caffeine is a big factor in HS. I am in the process of getting Laser Hair Removal. I have done 4 treatments and I am very happy with the results. I did have one issue when one of the hairs grew back under a keloid scar from a previous HS flare up, but after the swelling and inflammation went down, the hair was able to come out and I have had no problems since. At first, my dermatologist didn't believe the LHR would help my condition, but he has since found a recent study that supports my research and treatment. Also, for those of you who would like to save money on this procedure (as this is not for cosmetic purposes), look into going to a Plastic Surgeon that specializes in Lasers instead of going to a commercial business because your insurance might cover it that way. Mine did! =)
