I have had GD now for about 9 months and this site is the best place to learn how to manage it. I read it every day. Many of the suggestions posted here have really helped me. No one is sure what triggers the disease. I thought the shingles vaccine prompted mine, but there is no way of knowing. If you scroll back to some of the earlier posts you will see that a number of people find relief with smoothies made with a handful of frozen cilantro. Wiping down the affected areas with Witch Hazel is also helpful. The most effective treatment for me was oral steroids. You can take them for 7 days only, in decreasing numbers, as they can affect your kidneys. The other post today mentioned the light room. I did it for a number of weeks with no real results, but I can't continue for obvious reasons, so maybe it will help after I go back to it. Somebody mentioned the value of Lysine. I just received my bottle. I strongly advise you scroll back to the beginning of these blogs and read them. You will gain a wealth of knowledge. One thing you must understand is, what works for one person may not work for another and, that they all take time to work at all. It is a very frustrating disease and you must be patient, if you can, in attempting to deal with it. Stay hopeful.