HELLO everyone! I've had PR for about one week now and it's drastically fading and going away. I'd like to share my story and tips in hopes that this will help anyone suffering from this awful disease.
BACKSTORY:
I noticed a hearld patch on my inner thigh about the size of a penny and mistaked it as a boil. Exactly one week later I started I started to itch and breakout with spots all over my neck while eventually moving down the front of my torso over the course of 4 days. My neck was completely covered-- no clear skin to be seen, a little less on my chest and sparse on my stomach. At this point I did a ton of research and realized I had PR (Dr would later confirm I was correct). It was a Friday and I couldn't get in to see my Dr until the next Tuesday so I knew I had to research and treat myself the best I knew how. I made a plan, stuck with it and now am on the mend.
MY PLAN:
Knowing the skin is the biggest eliminator of toxins and anything you do to you body shows through you skin, I decided it was time to drastically change my diet. My diet was poor and along with no sleep and stress I eventually contacted a virus that would lead to the breakout of PR.
1. Juicing - Only fresh fruits and vegetables. Your body need to flush and heal in order to clear your skin. Because juice is easy on the digestive tract, your body then is actually forced to put that energy toward healing. I drank a detox drink of lemon, ginger, coconut oil and garlic in the morning. Then, juiced anytime I felt hungry throughout the day. This isn't store bought juice either; it's fresh juice from an actual juicer. If you don't have access to one, use a blender. Juicer or blender, you will be doing your skin a favor regardless. Think of it as clearing your skin from the inside out.
Here is the link to the juicing diet I followed: http://www.all-about-juicing.com/detox-diet.html
2. Liver Detox Tea - Your liver is then responsible for flushing out the toxins in your body. Whether the tea actually helped or not, I felt good about doing something for my liver. After all, if your liver is poor-- your immune system is low. And anything you can do to kick that immune system back into high gear may help your PR or ward off lingering ailments.
I found this tea and my local grocery store and drank probably 4-5 cups a day. I'm a tea addict to begin with-- so this was easy. Organic or not, I don't think it really matters, but just remember not to add anything to the tea like sugar, milk, etc.
3. Drink as much water as you can to flush your body. Buy a fun water bottle or something to keep with you at all times. I found one with a straw which I found myself mindlessly drinking.
4. Shower with mild water. I love hot showers, but the itching and irritation were horrible.
5. Wash head to toe with Head & Shoulders Clinical Strength Shampoo. Let it sit on your skin for as long as you can. I sat for about 3-5 mins before I got too cold and had to rinse.
6. Following shower use Eucerin Eczema lotion.
7. Following lotions, apply a nice thick coat of Zinc Oxide - baby's diaper rash cream. This will act as a barrier to keep moisture out. We all know that sweating is like a breeding ground for PR as well as an irritant-- especially in the skin folds.
8. Even though I'm not pregnant or nursing, I started taking a packet of PreNatal vitamins containing: 2 calcium, 1 folic acid, 2 greens (veggies), 2 fish oil (omega-3).
9. Biotin Forte (Found at The Vitamin Shoppe) - Although my PreNatal vitamins contain biotin and pantothenic acid, I added an additional supplement to increase the dosage. Biotin and pantothenic acid promote healthy skin and immune system.
10. Tanning 3-4 times a week. This is very important. I will stop the spread and fade the spots. Even if you are worried about the effects of tanning beds, go 3x a week for one week and see if you notice a difference. It's worth a try!
With all of that said, I started this plan in full force on day 3 after the mass of spots arrived. By day 7 ( one week later after the spots showed up) I am on the mend. My neck, which was at one point completely covered with red, scaly rash is now faded almost back to my normal skin color. The raised lesions have flattened and the itching has subsided. I truly believe some sort of concoction that I listed above it to credit for this as well as acting immediately. I'm noticing that the fading is starting to move down my chest, but not without a terrible peak of itching first. I anticipate that this will be completely gone in another week with no trace. I'm assuming the fading will take a little bit yet. After all, it may take weeks or months to completely fade back to normal, but I'm hopeful!
What I will say to anyone reading this is to try what I did. At this point you have nothing to lose. Am I right? That's how I felt. Don't get discouraged if you don't notice a change in a day or even a week. Everyone's body/skin has it's one timeline. Keep your head up.. you can get through this!
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Add a Comment16 Comments
This is for anyone who is now suffering from PR and needs advice on how to heal fast and effectively! I'm in college and am a very social person so it really bothered me and I wasn't but gonna let it ruin my life! I noticed my herald patch and first I thought it was eczema as I have been diagnosed with it before. However weeks later I started noticing smaller numbs on my legs chest arms stomach and back. I went to my primary doctor and she immediately diagnosed me with PR. She told me it's a pain in the ass and all I can really do is wait it out. I wasn't having that answer. So I finally took matters in to my own hands. I bought head and shoulders shampoo, eucerin eczema body cream, aloe lotion, coconut oil, and dt teals epsom salt body wash. I've been using the shampoo for 4 days now and I really think it made a difference. I also have been taking shooting baths at th the doctor teals and I really think that has calmed my skin down. I've also been to the tanning bed twice. One for 10 minutes and the other for 11 on a level 1 bed. I have brown skin I should add so I don't have to worry much about burning. Ive also been eating healthier, things like salmon with omega-3 and been taking vitamin c everyday. My skin isn't starting to dry and peel off on the previous pr spots. The first part of your body the spots appeared is the first place it will fade first! But it's only been 12 Days since I've had these bumps and I can already tell I'm winning the battle. I expect to have this for no more than a week from today! I hope I can help someone with this info!
October 6, 2016 - 9:56amThis Comment
I'm in 9th grade and I have PR. Do you know exactly what specific foods I should stay away from? Since I'm in high school and I don't buy the groceries in my house, I have to work with what's in the pantry.
March 24, 2017 - 7:02pmThis Comment
This rash is AWFUL! I've been washing with head and shoulders and using the zinc oxide, which is the only thing that seems to get rid of the itch. I'd like to try tanning a few times per week to see if it will help. My problem is, I can't seem to get the destin off long enough to go to the tanning salon to see if it will help. We're youu able to get yours off long enough to get in the tanning bed without it? I'm guessing it would act as a barrier if it's on the skin. This SUCKS! Thanks for the info!
December 30, 2016 - 1:33pmJenny
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I noticed my herald patch about two weeks ago. Thought it was just a bug bite until it got bigger and bigger. Finally one day I started getting little bumps that look almost like acne or hives all over mostly my chest, some on my belly, neck, and a couple on my arms.. But not noticeable on my arms. I immediately went to the dermatologist and she told me that what I had was pityriasis rosea... And how it has no known cause or cure and can last up to 6-8 weeks. This was a Tuesday... I had a formal on Saturday. With a plunge neck dress. Immediately I freaked out and started googling, went out and bought everything I read would work. I have tanned every day since Tuesday (which I know is not healthy, but I tanned even before I received PR) and take oatmeal baths every night, leave head and shoulders on for 10 min before rinsing twice a day, take Benadryl at night time and before bed and when I wake up; apply Topicort, which is what my dermatologist gave me. I also take milk thistle and vitamin C daily now, as I read that it could help. I am now coming to you Saturday, the day of my formal, and my herald patch is 95% gone, as well as the rest of my bumps. My chest has one or two white bumps, as well as my belly. I am defeating pityriasis rosea!
I hope this helps for anyone. I just feel so much better about myself now that I'm not covered in this disease.
I also never got huge spots. I had my one herald patch, and little bumps all over me about the size of pimples, no bigger. None of mine ever looked like what you would see on google images, other than my herald patch. And now even its almost gone. I'm hoping it's gone for good and I will not have it reappear.
January 30, 2016 - 8:55amThis Comment
Thank you for the info. This is my second bout with PR. The first time, it lasted nearly 4 months. I tried everything during the first few months (head-n-shoulders, oatmeal baths..etc) and nothing worked.
Eventually I was prescribed erythromycin and did the tanning bed to fade the spots. This worked great.
However, I now have a recurrence of PR, so it's evident that erythromycin was Simply a quick but brief fix for this virus.
Like you, I believe that this is a systemic problem that can only be cured when one addresses the root of the problem instead of the symptoms.
Therefore, I am now detoxing my liver, kidneys and gallbladder as well as a parasite cleanse. Also, I have changed my diet to vegetarian. I've excluded wine, alcohol, sugar and processed foods from my diet as well. This change is tough, but its better than having to possibly address this issue every year.
So far, I am on day 6 of my new diet and have included your detox juice in morning regiment. To date, the itching has subsided and there have been no new spots. I plan to visit a tanning bed salon 2x per week for the next 3 weeks, I did this during the first bout and all of my spots faded (no dark marks existed afterward)
To corroborate your suggestions, I will update my comments
with the results as they occur.
Thank you again
November 8, 2015 - 9:06pmThis Comment
Hello lindsaylou4,
Welcome to the EmpowHER community. Thank you for sharing your pityriasis rosea treatment plan.
For the benefit of all our readers, pityriasis rosea is common skin rash. It can affect anyone, but it most commonly occurs between the ages of 10 and 35. It usually goes away on its own within six weeks.
The exact cause of pityriasis rosea is unclear, although there is some evidence that the rash may be triggered by a viral infection, particularly by certain strains of the herpes virus.
I would like to caution against the use of tanning beds as a treatment option. Exposure to natural or artificial sunlight can help the rash fade. In some people, however, this therapy can cause lasting darkening in certain spots, even after the rash clears.
Other options to reduce the discomfort associated with pityriasis rosea is to take oatmeal baths using lukewarm water and apply calamine lotion to the rash.
Regards,
October 15, 2014 - 8:47amMaryann
This Comment