Grover's Disease: What works to help find relief?

Posted by 43219876x @43219876x, Sep 23, 2016

I have been diagnosed with Grover's disease under my breasts. I had a biopsy for diagnosis. Tried topical ointment with no really good results. Any ideas?

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I also had light therapy for a year 2 and 3 times a week and that really helped me in addition to the creams

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@justmemyself

As nodgabnoj recommended, I would review all the posts here and check out the SkinCell forum too. What you’ll find is the following:
1) Supposedly Grover’s is exacerbated by heat and sweat — except for those that aren’t actually affected
2) Supposedly Grover’s is worse in the winter months but plenty of people have it in Florida and California where real winter is not a factor
3) Supposedly Grover’s is exacerbated by dry skin — except when it isn’t

Grover’s can be transient, recurrent, or persistent. Some people have been cured, or sent into permanent remission, (however you want to phrase it) by using a DMSA under doctor supervision, eating cilantro, avoiding gluten, avoiding grains, avoiding sulfites, taking vitamin A and D, etc.

I’m less inclined to think of this as a disease and more as a symptom caused by some environmental toxins (which, of course, are everywhere) and the body’s difficulty in addressing it.

In the West we are conditioned to think a) you get something and b) you then get a prescription to make it go away or manage it. And while that is sometimes true, I’d suggest it makes sense to look at things holistically and take a systemic approach.

1) What are your vitamin levels? What are your heavy metals levels? Do you have elevated inflammatory markers in your blood?
2) What is your diet and is it anti or pro inflammatory (sadly, there is no middle ground)?
3) What is your stress level and how much sleep to you get?
4) Do you come into contact with toxic substances through work?

Addressing all of the above will make you healthier but is no guarantee of a cure. The only thing I’ve seen, though, is that the long term solutions have only occasionally come from topicals or drugs. If it isn’t transient, systemic changes in lifestyle are likely the best way to address it and all of the anecdotal evidence points to that.

Granted, that is just my two cents.

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@justmemyself I loved your response above. Especially the supposedly...except. In the end it all boils down to addressing the source, not just the symptoms. I'm a cilantro winner! I beat it! Still have that cilantro smoothie occasionally.

REPLY
@justmemyself

As nodgabnoj recommended, I would review all the posts here and check out the SkinCell forum too. What you’ll find is the following:
1) Supposedly Grover’s is exacerbated by heat and sweat — except for those that aren’t actually affected
2) Supposedly Grover’s is worse in the winter months but plenty of people have it in Florida and California where real winter is not a factor
3) Supposedly Grover’s is exacerbated by dry skin — except when it isn’t

Grover’s can be transient, recurrent, or persistent. Some people have been cured, or sent into permanent remission, (however you want to phrase it) by using a DMSA under doctor supervision, eating cilantro, avoiding gluten, avoiding grains, avoiding sulfites, taking vitamin A and D, etc.

I’m less inclined to think of this as a disease and more as a symptom caused by some environmental toxins (which, of course, are everywhere) and the body’s difficulty in addressing it.

In the West we are conditioned to think a) you get something and b) you then get a prescription to make it go away or manage it. And while that is sometimes true, I’d suggest it makes sense to look at things holistically and take a systemic approach.

1) What are your vitamin levels? What are your heavy metals levels? Do you have elevated inflammatory markers in your blood?
2) What is your diet and is it anti or pro inflammatory (sadly, there is no middle ground)?
3) What is your stress level and how much sleep to you get?
4) Do you come into contact with toxic substances through work?

Addressing all of the above will make you healthier but is no guarantee of a cure. The only thing I’ve seen, though, is that the long term solutions have only occasionally come from topicals or drugs. If it isn’t transient, systemic changes in lifestyle are likely the best way to address it and all of the anecdotal evidence points to that.

Granted, that is just my two cents.

Jump to this post

Thank you for this, I’m going to try cilantro and take a look at my supplements. I read that sun damaged skin could also trigger GD but I’m trying to figure out why I never had an outbreak like I do now. No issues last summer or over the winter except for two years ago. I take viatimin A but I will look into viatimin D. It appears sun makes it worse for me. Any suggestions for creams and what are the best anti inflammatory vegetables to eat?

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@nodgabnoj

Thanks. I've been taking the cilantro for at least 45 days and will continue to do so.

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What type of cilantro do you take? Supplements or cilantro shakes? Do you know of any cilantro shake recipes

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@sarkei

Thank you for this, I’m going to try cilantro and take a look at my supplements. I read that sun damaged skin could also trigger GD but I’m trying to figure out why I never had an outbreak like I do now. No issues last summer or over the winter except for two years ago. I take viatimin A but I will look into viatimin D. It appears sun makes it worse for me. Any suggestions for creams and what are the best anti inflammatory vegetables to eat?

Jump to this post

This is for everybody on this site : I do the smoothies every day. For itching I take very hot showers targeting the site of the itch, when out I apply Tiger Balm Shoulder and Neck and, or, generic hydrocortisone immediately. It works for a couple of hours at the very least. Good for me. For those who read and are interested in the skin, the Aug. 3 & 10 issue of the New Yorker has an article called Your Skin is a Wonderland that reviews a book about skin. No cures but very, very enlightening. You will question all the soap we use as well as all the other so called "skin care" products we think are helping our largest organ.

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@sarkei

What type of cilantro do you take? Supplements or cilantro shakes? Do you know of any cilantro shake recipes

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What I do: I buy several bunches of cilantro, cut off the bottoms where the dirt is, clean thoroughly, divide in half, put in freezer bags and freeze. The smoothie is honey, flavored yogurt, a bit of juice, some diced up fruit, and the frozen cilantro, sometimes an ice cube. Bananas are great to help negate the cilantro flavor as well. The pills are useless. Your recipe is up to you. I blend it on high until the drink is really smooth and their are no big hunks of cilantro in it. Actually can taste pretty good once you get it right.

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@help4meandu

Wow! Very informative thank you. I have suffered from stress and anxiety most of my life and of course the covid situation exacerbates everything. Just had blood work done. Will ask dr for report. Take lot of supplements and medications but should work on diet. I did notice it’s worse in winter for some reason yet heat of summer supposedly contributes. Very disheartening.

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You need a biopsy to be positive.

REPLY
@justmemyself

As nodgabnoj recommended, I would review all the posts here and check out the SkinCell forum too. What you’ll find is the following:
1) Supposedly Grover’s is exacerbated by heat and sweat — except for those that aren’t actually affected
2) Supposedly Grover’s is worse in the winter months but plenty of people have it in Florida and California where real winter is not a factor
3) Supposedly Grover’s is exacerbated by dry skin — except when it isn’t

Grover’s can be transient, recurrent, or persistent. Some people have been cured, or sent into permanent remission, (however you want to phrase it) by using a DMSA under doctor supervision, eating cilantro, avoiding gluten, avoiding grains, avoiding sulfites, taking vitamin A and D, etc.

I’m less inclined to think of this as a disease and more as a symptom caused by some environmental toxins (which, of course, are everywhere) and the body’s difficulty in addressing it.

In the West we are conditioned to think a) you get something and b) you then get a prescription to make it go away or manage it. And while that is sometimes true, I’d suggest it makes sense to look at things holistically and take a systemic approach.

1) What are your vitamin levels? What are your heavy metals levels? Do you have elevated inflammatory markers in your blood?
2) What is your diet and is it anti or pro inflammatory (sadly, there is no middle ground)?
3) What is your stress level and how much sleep to you get?
4) Do you come into contact with toxic substances through work?

Addressing all of the above will make you healthier but is no guarantee of a cure. The only thing I’ve seen, though, is that the long term solutions have only occasionally come from topicals or drugs. If it isn’t transient, systemic changes in lifestyle are likely the best way to address it and all of the anecdotal evidence points to that.

Granted, that is just my two cents.

Jump to this post

Loved your summation of GD!

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@nodgabnoj

You need a biopsy to be positive.

Jump to this post

Just be aware that your GD must be in the active stage for the diagnosis to be correct. It took over a year for a derm to finally guess that I might have GD and by then my 1 year outbreak was calming down. My papuales, front and back of torso, upper and lower torso with only the sides clear were crusted and falling off at that time. My diagnosis was negative, but there was no doubt in my derms mind or mine after doing research that is was GD. I had 6 months of calm and then it came back and both derm and I decided not to bother with biopsy. To give any of you hope, each recurrance only lasted 6 months, giving me 6 months off and each time it was slightly less severe.
Because of cilanto I'm still free of GD doing all my regular outdoor activities!

REPLY
@nodgabnoj

This is for everybody on this site : I do the smoothies every day. For itching I take very hot showers targeting the site of the itch, when out I apply Tiger Balm Shoulder and Neck and, or, generic hydrocortisone immediately. It works for a couple of hours at the very least. Good for me. For those who read and are interested in the skin, the Aug. 3 & 10 issue of the New Yorker has an article called Your Skin is a Wonderland that reviews a book about skin. No cures but very, very enlightening. You will question all the soap we use as well as all the other so called "skin care" products we think are helping our largest organ.

Jump to this post

Fascinating article. So hard to let go of the over cleansing and over moisturizing etc. Will look for book at library.

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