Homeopathy has worked wonders on me, after 15yrs of suffering with HS!

Skin, nail and hair health
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I am new to this forum. I hope at least one person benefits from what I have to say. I have something positive to share.

I am a 35 year old woman and have been dealing with HS since I was 15.

Homeopathy and lifestyle changes, have had an incredible impact on my HS. After 5 years of homeopathic treatment with a really gifted doctor, I am 90% healed. I do have occasional flairups, but they cause only minimal pain and discomfort. I don't need to take any pain meds, antibiotics or steriods. No more surgeries, incision & drainage for HS.

I have a history of pilonidal sinus surgeries as a child ( there were relapses), hormonal imbalances, surgeries for HS in axillas. Severe acne scars (hypertrophic) on shoulders and back. I also exhibited PCOS symptoms, with no visible cysts in the Ultrasound tests.

The first 3 yrs of Homeopathic treatment were not easy. All the suppression (that the antibiotics, steriods and surgeries had caused) was expressed, and the HS episodes were often unbearable. Pain, burning, discomfort, sleepless nights, fatigue, low mood....I felt like I was in hell, for a large part of those 3 yrs.

However, I stuck with homeopathy as I was seeing steady, positive changes in the way the HS sites were behaving (tendencies, patterns and processes involved in HS were changing), through the course of my treatment.

I turned from a total skeptic to a firm believer... Homeopathy worked for me.

Not just HS, but even a lot of the thick/lumpy acne scarring on my back & my pilonidal sinus surgical scar look much better now. My PCOS and hormonal imbalance is sorted too.

To anyone who is reading this-

The message I am trying to give out is that there is hope. Keep trying different approaches, preferably holistic ones. Could be homeopathy, could be something else. Keep trying, hoping, believing that things can get better.

I wish you well. I hope you find something that heals you... inside out. Sending out love and prayers.

To anyone who is

Are we gonna Die of HS?
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I would also like to add another important point. From my discussions with a few homeopathic practitioners, I have learnt that if HS is not very advanced, complete healing is possible.. even in a matter of several months.

It took me 5yrs, because mine I met a homeopath after 15yrs of having HS.

Any questions are welcome. I will try my very best to help. I know what it's like to feel hopeless and helpless. I wouldn't wish it on anyone...

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so what did you actually do during that time, i have a huge improvement with just diet and staying away from trigger foods and mine is not severe, so what else are they having you do??

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Thank you for taking the time to give hope. I’m curious of the methods. I too have changed diet and have improvement but not complete remission yet. I take several herbal and a few vitamin supplements and spices. The things that help me the most include: echinacea, goldenseal, tumeric, burdock root, lysine, barley, morninga, neem, oregano oil, chlorophyll, & vitamin c.  

The other things that helped is lowering stress, adequate sleep, and meditation. I’m happy to hear of your success. When I relapse it’s very discouraging. Any feedback is appreciated. Blessings 

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Tammyjo, thanks for your question.

Are you aware of homeopathy and it's basic principles?

The homeopathic approach is very diffirent from how a conventional, Western medicine practitioner treats a patient. Thus, the question.

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Thank you for your msg. It’s wonderful to learn that things have gotten better for you. I would endorse a lot of what you do. Keep up the good work! 

The biggest role in my recovery has been played by Homeopathic treatment (which is holistic by it’s very nature) as opposed to Allopathy/the conventional Western approach. Diet and other factors have helped with the healing. But they have played a secondary role.

I will write a fairly detailed account of my journey with Homeopathy in this discussion thread. It will take me sometime to type up, so please bear with me. Hopefully, it will give you clarity and a sense of what is involved.

Apart from Homeo, other factors that have supported the healing include-

-Sticking to a vegetarian diet (organic to a large extent.)

- Stress reduction using Mindfulness meditation, Guided meditation, Deep breathing exercises ( as suggested by my Homeopath), good sleep habits, spending time in nature.

- Mild exercises regularly, wearing airy clothes, to promote oxygen flow to the wound sites.

- Stopping hair removal by shaving

- Increasing intake of clarified butter (ghee), coconut oil, organic yogurt.

More to follow....

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thank you for that info......how much does a Homeophy cost? How do I find a good one?

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no im really not..anything you can tell me would be fab!

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I live in Dubai, UAE. So I know the costing and a very good dr here.

I don't know where you are from. So best bet would be to look online for 'Homoepathy' practitioners, around where you stay.

It's important to find one who is skilled. A dr who spends time understanding you and your case. Someone who pays great attention to the details, the symptoms you exhibit.

Also, someone who makes you feel comfortable. This because, a lot of personal questions will be asked.

Only then can the right remedy be chosen for you.

If you would like, you can let me know where you are from...either with a personal msg, or here. I can check with my dr if she knows a good homeopath aepund where u live. I can't promise, but I can try.

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Tammyjo, Rocky, Kathygirl...

I'm trying to find some online resource, which will help you understand the basic principle and workings of homeopathy. This may take a few days.

Meanwhile, I can tell you some stuff...

Homeopathy treatment is holistic and works taking into consideration the symptoms you exhibit, your personality traits, your pschye and medical history.

Also, the remedies that work for one person having HS, may be completely different from those prescribed to another HS sufferer. Thus, it's not a 'one size fits all' approach.

What remedies worked for me may not work for you.... They were chosen for me, as unique individual.

Homeo looks at HS as an autoimmune disorder. You could call HS by any name... It's immaterial to the Homeo dr. What matters is the symptoms that you exhibit.

When I went to my dr, she did not know about HS, per say. But she had treated and cured a patient who exhibited similar symptoms as me.... abscess forming tendencies, sinus tracts forming tendencies, scarring etc.

So she made it clear that the name of the condition is immaterial. Since the treatment was symptomatic, she needed all my symptoms.

Also, when I went to her, I was badly suppurating (pus formation was very acutehappy) & depressed too.

She told me that years of dependence on antibiotics, steriod shots, surgeries, anti-depressants, kryotherapy etc.... had made my immune system overreactive. This with HS being an autoimmune disorder, meant the slightest HS trigger and I would have a massive episode. There was 'severe supression' of symtoms, is what was told.

Her approach was-

1. First consultation session.. 45mins of Q & A session to understand me and my condition....Some questions seemed lame, but later I realized that these were key factors during 'remedy selection.'

2. Remedy, potency, frequency of medication chosen. I was asked to meet her for a followup in a month.

I was warned... that all the suppressed symptoms would show up on my body.

They did and the nxt few months were hell.... Abscesses, raw flesh, pus oozing everywhere, burning... agony, sheer agony..

Stuck with it... because I was sick of what all the antibiotics and steroids had done to my body...

At least with Homeopathy, there were no surgeries, injections, toxic chemicals going in... So I stuck with it.

3. Over the course of my treatment, I saw gradual and steady progress... Abscesses would burst on their own. Earlier I needed hot compress to open them.

Less swelling, better tolerance to triggers, less sinus tract formation. HS got more superficial... not as deep-seated

As added benefits gut health improved, hormonal imbalance sorted (evident in my blood test report) , PCOS symptoms got better.

4. A plateau phase followed. Where things were far better than how I started off, but no real 'visible' improvement to the axilla wounds.

Not very reactive, but not sealing either.

That's when a dormant dermoid cyst on my back, got active. My dr said that this was a great sign. The body was pushing out problems from the inside out... things would get even better.

5. One painful month with the dermoid cyst....It discharged and healed totally in a few months.

6. HS sites kept getting better.

Now, I have small vents in my axillas, which keep opening and closing, based on my immunity levels.

But nothing major.

Sorry this got long... Hope this helps.

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Thank you yes it does. Ok I believe I’m on the right track. Typically now my flares are less intense and I attribute that to my food changes, herbal intake, stress relief and meditation. I appreciate again the time responding. I’m too noticing a change in how I heal. That gives me hope and shows progress.  CAn you share any specific diet changes like did you eliminate dairy, gluten, sugar and meat? Also what if any herbs did you take. I know it’s not a one size fits all. But I’ve tried so many things over 10 years and when I’m in a flare it is so discouraging and depressing. I don’t have health insurance and honestly I don’t trust that knowledge anymore. 

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I had a word with my doc.

She practices in Dubai, but belongs to a group of global homeopathic doctors.

So if you are having a tough time finding a good one in your locality, let me know. I will check with her.

Take care.

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Hello.. it’s been so comforting to read all of your advice. I have had HS for 11 years now. Mine started just after I had my first child, I would get the odd boil in my armpit and I would always end up at my GP’s office getting antibiotics and getting the boil lanced.. over the years these boils would multiply and open and weep. I am now experiencing the worst of it... I have deep sinus tracts and open wounds in both armpits. They feel very inflammed and it’s almost unbearable to put my arms beside my body! It’s such a devestating and painful skin disease! It makes it so hard as well as the doctors cannot help, there is no cure! I have just recently seen a naturopath and he has given me lots of herbs to support my immune system and said that my adrenals were very depleted and this would not be helping my condition! Also that the lymphatic drainage in my body was not flowing properly and some gut issues that he felt were contributing.. Since taking all of these herbs  in this last week, things feel at their most raw and painful! Would these herbs have caused that?? I have tried everything topically for some relief on the skin, coconut oil, calamine lotion, manuka honey, tea tree oil.. I am desperate to find some reprieve?? Do you have any suggestions? What worked for you in this area? This is the first time I have reached out. It so so draining to feel like this each day, the pain is just constant all the time.. I won’t consider surgery as I have heard and read awful things about it... that it doesn’t fix the problem and that they almost always reoccur. Sorry for such a long message! It felt good to write this all down..

Kind regards...

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Thanks for writing back. I truly am glad that you too are seeing positive changes in your healing. These changes are a great indicator that you are listening to your body and doing things right!

Regarding diet, as I have mentioned earlier, diet has played only a secondary role in my recovery. From all the experimentation I have done with food, I never could identify food triggers for my HS.

I tried cutting out nightshades, caffeine, gluten, refined foods (sugar, flour etc.), palm/hydrogenated/sunflower oil, processed foods, Eggs, Dairy..... But my HS episodes were still ongoing.

But that's just my body. I do know there are others like you, who have benefited greatly with dietary changes. 

What I did notice regarding foods was an improvement in my PCOS symptoms on sticking to organic milk in small quantities, cutting out cheese & butter, cutting out eggs, reducing gluten intake, reducing sugar and processed foods. So I stick with these dietary restrictions. 

Since PCOS is again due to cyst forming tendency, I'm fairly certain that these foods increased my overall inflammatory tendency.. So they must have a somewhat indirect role in my HS too ( though not obvious). That's what I believe.

Regarding my general food habits- 

I don't eat meat. I have never eaten meat. I am a vegetarian, from the very beginning.

Being an Indian, have always consumed a lot of turmeric, cumin, mustard seeds etc... 

My doc asked me to increase ginger and lime intake...

Also took Calendula Mother Tincture  (MT) & Echinacea MT, diluted in water ( as suggested by dr), when healing was very slow or lymphatic system was over congested.

 

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Thank you! 🤗

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Happy to help. May you be healed.

You have mentioned that when you are having an HS flare, you can get depressed and discouraged. Understandably so... ( Been there often)

I developed a bad lower back, with nerve root compression in 2014. Life hasn't been the same since. So it's not just recurrent pilonidal sinus surgeries, 15yrs of HS, PCOS, now this back issue as well. I enter such low phases often...

Somethings what help me- Mindfulness meditation, writing in my gratitude journal, mild exercises

Gardening, sitcoms,

spending time with loved ones, music etc etc.

I keep going back to the book 'The Power of Now' by Echkart Tolle. See his videos and those along those lines. Gives me a sense of peace in knowing, everything is temporary.

This too shall pass..

Take care...

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Thanks for your message Carly. I'm glad you gave yourself the opportunity to write all of this. I often find writing to be very therapeutic. No need to apologize for the length of your message.. It's not even half as long as my messages, on this page

Regarding what you are experiencing. I feel for you, very deeply indeed. I know what it feels like. Both my underarms were worst affected. So i know what it feels like to walk like a scarecrow.... not being able to place your arms by your side, as you normally would. The muscle soreness it brings with it right from the shoulders down to other areas of the arm...Not to mention the pain of HS itself.

Did you check with your naturopath, regarding the increased rawness and pain? I'm not a medical professional. So I cannot comment on why this is happening. It's important you check with your naturopath to see if this is expected. 

During my homeopathic treatment, my dr insisted that I should not take any pain meds. That was the hardest part. So I'm terribly sorry, but I have nothing I can suggest for the pain.

I would use coconut oil routinely,

Organic clarified butter (ghee) on areas that had a burning sensation, after the pus had drained.

Cleaned the weeping wounds with Calendula Mother Tincture & Echinacea MT , mixed with some water.

Allowed the wounds to breathe, by not covering the areas, as much as possible.

My homeopathic dr monitored my progress very closely. So she kept changing the remedies, based on my progress. Thus, if the pain got too bad, she would change the remedy, not to help with the pain, but to take my overall healing to the next stage.

 

You are right. Surgery does have many risks. I have undergone surgeries myself and was left with wounds that took forever to heal. Finally when they did, flareups came up in the same areas, and the scar tissue caused more pain. So all of that was in vain.

It's important to remember that HS is an autoimmune disorder. Our skin tissue has developed some unhealthy/abnormal tendencies. Surgery can only work on isolated abscesses. It cannot undo this underlying tendency that is deep-seated in the cell/tissue memory of your skin.

If you get a sense that your naturopath was confident of what he/she is doing, be patient. ( no pun intended)  Even with the best Doc, this will take time. Dealing with HS is like a game of chess... 

 

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Hi ChitraM. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences. My daughter has suffered with this since she was 12. Mis -diagnosed for years. Tried all the antibiotics, steroids, expensive chinese herbs tonics. Missed many days of school. Currently in the hospital recovering from her first surgery after being turned away by two hospital's emergency rooms with excruciating pain because the boil wasn't ready to be popped yet. The third emergency room on the 4th day took her in for surgery. I'm determined to ensure this doesn't happen again by looking for natural preventative measures. I am in New York, can you please ask your doc. if there's a naturopath she knows in the New York/New Jersey/Connecticut who might be familiar with this condition. You are welcome to private message me as i am not sure about the rules of the forum.

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Hi rose. Thanks for writing to me. It saddens me to read your story. I know first hand what it's like....both as a HS sufferer and a daughter. What saddens me the most about it is that this story is not an exception, more the norm.

I hope your daughter is recovering well. She will be in my prayers. Hope you are staying strong too.

Since your daughter has taken antibiotics, steroids etc. there is a high possibility of initial aggravation of the HS symptoms, with Homeopathy. Have you read the section about how things got really bad for me, before they got better? The greater the suppression, the higher the chances of initial aggravation.

Also, great will power/determination, discipline and patience are needed with Homeopathy.

Another thing, as per my understanding... I don't think naturopathy and Homeopathy are the same. Yes, both are holistic, but I believe Homeopathy works on different principles and only a few of the homeo remedies are used by naturopaths.

If after reading all of this you are still interested, get back to me.. Will check with my dr. Can stay in touch through private msgs for sure. Good luck!

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Thank you so much Chitra.. sorry for the long delay in replying to your lovely message. I have been in a great deal of discomfort for some time now and it’s been school holidays here for my kids... so I have been run off my feet with stress and exhaustion, which I am sure it is not helping my HS situation. I am at the stage now where I have open flesh wounds / holes in my armpits, mainly in one armpit.. this makes it absolutely excruciating! It’s so raw and sore and weeps continually. And I have started itching in my armpits like crazy! At night I am nearly tearing myself to pieces!!!! Did you experience this Chitra?? I have been applying Aloe, calamine lotion, ice packs.to no avail.. last night I took nurofen for pain and an antihistamine for the itching!!! The itching is brand new, I would relate this to healing..... ??? but it doesn’t feel like it’s healing. I am currently not seeing my naturopath. I need to see someone new. I am in the process of trying to make an appointment with a homeopath who comes highly recommended, he has a waiting list though. This mans name is RAJ and apparently he is an incredible healer! I need to have faith that he can help me..  I can’t go near my doctor as they just don’t know what to offer me!?  It’s always the same, oral antiobitocs, topical ones and cortisone injections and off course he always mentions surgery! No thanks...  it’s really the loneliness and most frustrating thing to go through... this awful HS. The awful thought that there really is no cure for this. I notice through all the reading I have done that people say they are currently having a flair and it may subside for them...  well my flairs are there every second of each day, the pain from the boils sitting under the skin and now these open wounds are always always there.... chitra did yours get this bad in your armpits?? I accept that it’s there and I am trying to remedy this the best way I know how..... but it gets you down terribly. Thanks for listening and for your truly lovely compassionate advice.

Kind regards, Carly 😊🙏🏼