Pityriasis Lichenoides Chronica

[elseaeff]

HI everyone,

I was diagnosed with Pleva about 5 months ago, since the initial breakout, it was getting a lot better. But then i started tanning and the spots started to multiply, has anyone else had this experience? i don't get breakouts unless i go to the tanning salon

The tanning salon is one of the only places that I can be assured I will NOT get PLC spots and bumps! I never use a tanning bed, I don't like to stew in someone else's juices. I use the tanning booth where I get 100% coverage. But not for long. I tan only 5 minutes a day. Every day. Then I put on SPF 50 and go about my day until the temp reaches 80F when I have to get out of the sun, MS thing.

The tanning salon is such a great solution to what the light box at the derm's office has to offer. There's no copay, no driving all the way to the middle of downtown and no light box technician and use time. My copay is $20 every time I go. I can tan all month, every day for $25 month. Hmmm. Hard decision? Not.

Linda

[KK]

Hi Linda,
Just a note responding to your post.  I don't quite understand why you think my dr. wouldn't have given me a proper diagnosis or wouldn't know PLC.  He took tons of notes, photos of the rash and diagnosed Mucha Haberman through a biopsy which was done last January. Also, he did call it Mucha Haberman and/or Pleva rather than PLC although, to my understanding the difference is that PLC is the chronic form and Pleva more accute. My Pleva did not disappear rapidly, it took at least 6 months to slowly resolve once diagnosed and I did experience flare ups.  I'd go back on steroids, bump up the tanning salon use and it gradually subsided.  All in all I had the condition for about a year or so, which was why I was thinking it was PLC rather than Pleva at that point.  My last visit to the derm who was helping me for this was this past January.  He said if I could make it through the spring w/out a significant flare, that the worst should be behind me and I did. I am truly hoping that this rash is a thing of the past. My only reason for posting was to give hope to those who are suffering through this.  It was a tough time for me with a lot of sleep deprivation and I truly feel for all who suffer as well.  It sounds as though you're dealing with many issues and my heart goes out to you.  Maybe my rash will come back, but I'm hoping it won't.  I hope that your PLC also resolves itself, I know it's an uncomfortable road.  Best wishes.

[lindadiane]

KK Good for you and I hope it stays away forever. My derm also recommended steroids at one point but I was too worried about it. What did your doctor put you on and did you notice any adverse side effects, weight gain, etc. ?

[KK]

I'm not certain what steriod I used (I believe it was the usual prednisolone) and I'd only use it for approx. ten days at a time, not long term.  I didn't notice any side effects at all.  Best wishes.

[emmamae]

Hi KK, I am very happy to see your post that your plc/pleva seems to be clearing out of your body. My daughter was diagnosed through a biopsy almost a year ago to this date. She only had pleva for 6 weeks. I still to this day have no idea if it was the meds/steroids that helped  or if it just left her body. Her derm would say things like the pleva has left her system and her immune system just kicked it out and that she was very lucky. She was only 4 when she got it. The 6 weeks she had it was horrible for me, and to this day I am still always afraid of what may trigger another viral immune response in her that it may come back. It DOES leave in some people and I feel horrible for those who have to suffer for years with this, especially children. Thank you for your post, it is good to hear from those who it does leave and does bring hope.

[rebel2000]

hello!  i am so happy i stumbled upon this site!  it was a relief for me to find out that i am not the only one afflicted with plc.  i have read this whole thread and it gave me hope that my plc will be cured.  btw, i am rebel from the philippines.  my ailment began when i spotted spots on my back.  at first i thought they were ringworms.  so i tried all the topical ointments to get rid of it.  but they didn't go away. so i went to see a derma.  i was diagnosed with pityriasis rosea. and that was in 2006. my derma told me that it would soon go away.  but it didn't.  and because it didn't cause any itchiness, i just let it be.  there were times that the spots would subside and go... then they're back again. my spots are confined in my torso, legs and thighs and a little in my arms. flash forward to 2009.  i decided to go see another derma recently because of this recurring pr.  and lo and behold, my pr is now a plc.  i am happy though that my plc isn't itchy. 

i have observed also that the sun is very, very effective in making these spots go away.  philippines is a tropical country so basking under the sun isn't a problem (it's the people who look at you because you are filled with red spots that may cause discomfort). my derma advised me to go out between 7 and 9 am and expose my spots under the sun for 2 to 3 minutes.

to those who are taking bromelain, i just want to know how effective it is.  is this expensive? are there side effects?  how often does one take it in a day? 

thank you! this forum is truly a blessing!

[DixieDiva]

Hi Rebel

Welcome. If your's doesn't itch, you're one of the lucky ones. I have Grover's Disease, but I've had luck using limited sun exposure and a tanning booth. I also gave bromelain a try, 40 mg/3x day. It's not expensive. I found mine at Vitamin Shoppe, something like $10 for a bottle of 180 chewable tablets. It does have some side effects: increased heart rate, easy bruising, diarrhea, and menstrual issues if you're a woman. If you're taking any kind of blood thinner or heart medication, I'd check with a doctor first. I did notice a decrease in inflammation while I was taking it.

Elizabeth

[rebel2000]

hello, elizabeth!  thanks for the info.  will hunt down bromelain in the local drugstore.  good thing i am not under any medication.  hope its works.  are you still on it? 

[DixieDiva]

hello, elizabeth!  thanks for the info.  will hunt down bromelain in the local drugstore.  good thing i am not under any medication.  hope its works.  are you still on it? 

Don't know if you'll find it at a local drugstore. Vitamin Shoppe carries it on-line, and is about the only place I could find the 40 mg size.

I stopped taking it a few days ago, due to the side effects I mentioned.

Elizabeth

[Dan101]

to those who are taking bromelain, i just want to know how effective it is.  is this expensive? are there side effects?  how often does one take it in a day? 

Bromelain is definitely inexpensive compared to regular medications.  The study (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17671882?dopt=AbstractPlus) that we found indicates using 40 mg 3x per day.  However, Bromelain comes in different potencies measured in the US in GDU per gram or in MCU per gram.  Please see this earlier post of mine for details.

I'd like to introduce myself, and talk a little about Bromelain.

The Bromelain used in that study was "Ananase", made by Rottapharm, a European Pharmaceutical company.  I expect that it has a higher potency than the 40 mg chewables that seem to be available here (which I've only seen as 600 GDU/gm).

I have contacted the company (in Italy), and am still awaiting an answer on the potency.  I've gotten past the person handling incoming email, and it has supposedly been forwarded to their medical director, though it's been a week since this has occurred. 

In Europe, Bromelain is a prescription drug, and although it is not here in the US, it is well worth speaking to your doctor before taking it.  I have not personally had any adverse reaction to it, and it has been mildly effective for me, though I think the dose is too low (40 mg of non-enterically coated 600 GDU/gm tablets 3x per day).

However, Elizabeth has personally experienced some increased heart rate and other issues, and some people have allergic reactions or other issues with it, so it is best to consult a doctor before beginning this type of treatment.

When I hear from Rottapharm, I'll post an update.

Good luck,

Dan

[Dan101]

I stopped taking it a few days ago, due to the side effects I mentioned.

Elizabeth, have the side effects stopped?

[Dan101]

Don't know if you'll find it at a local drugstore. Vitamin Shoppe carries it on-line

There are a lot of places online that carry the 40 mg Bromelain.  Search google products for "40 mg Bromelain" or follow this link:
http://www.google.com/products?client=safari&rls=en&q=bromelain%2040%20mg&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wf

Dan

[lindadiane]

I did not experience any negative side effects and felt that I was digesting better to be honest - not that I had a problem, but I just felt better. It did not clear my bumps but it did seem to reduce them. I've been off for a month or so just to give my body a rest.

[danilynn]

I'm new here. I started having symptoms in early March, and was finally diagnosed with PLC last month after a skin biopsy. My derma has me on minocycline. I was wondering if anyone else has been prescribed this for PLC, and if so, if it helped. Since I've been on the minocycline, my PLC definitely has not gotten worse, but I'm not sure if the very slight improvement I'm seeing is the med or the aveeno I'm using after each shower. My PLC itches, but not severely, and bothers me most where my clothing seams are, and lately mostly on my legs and lower torso.
Dani

[rebel2000]

thanks, dan!  read your previous entry on bromelain.  i am inclined to get bromelain 500 mg (2000 gdu) and see how it would work on me... good thing i am not on any medication whatsoever.

[Dan101]

I'm new here. I started having symptoms in early March, and was finally diagnosed with PLC last month after a skin biopsy. My derma has me on minocycline. I was wondering if anyone else has been prescribed this for PLC, and if so, if it helped.

Dani,

Welcome.  I was treated with the following: topical steroids, a month's worth of antibiotics (not sure which one anymore), anti-viral (Valtrex - 2 weeks), none of which did much good.  I perceived some slight benefits perhaps, but really nothing noteworthy.  The Bromelain seems to have been the most effective, but I am still unsure of the dosing, while awaiting a proper response from Rottapharm.

Oh, I also used some Hibiclens on the areas as the spots were always getting infected and large.  (I think I had staph colonization.)  This helped these secondary infections, but didn't stop the spots from coming.

Good luck with your treatment,

Dan

[Dan101]

thanks, dan!  read your previous entry on bromelain.  i am inclined to get bromelain 500 mg (2000 gdu) and see how it would work on me... good thing i am not on any medication whatsoever.

I'm inclined to increase my dosing too, but you should be careful.  Consult your doctor/read up on bromelain side effects and dosing recommendations. Doses that high are typically recommended for no more than 10 days if I recall.

The study that was referenced used 40 mg 3 times per day.  Even if we assume that it was GDU 2400, and enterically coated, (which I don't know, but I'll guess that it makes it 2x more effective), that would be the equivalent of 250-300 mg per DAY of the GDU 2000.  So even at 1 pill per day, you would likely be doubling the study's dosing, given what I would consider some extreme assumptions at this point.

I've run out of my Bromelain supply, and need to get more.  If I don't hear from Rottapharm soon, I'll probably go up to 500 mg per day of the GDU 600, which is about the equivalent of 120 mg per day of GDU 2400.  (I was able to find 100 mg chewables in this potency.)

Keep in mind that Bromelain is a prescription medication in Europe.

Take care,

Dan

[DixieDiva]

Hi Dan

Yes side effects stopped several days after I quit taking it.

I've also come to the conclusion that I'm more than likely dealing with 2 different issues: Grover's Disease, and an allergy to xanthan gum. Xanthan gum is made from corn and is used as a thickening agent in food, gel toothpastes, cosmetics, skin & hair care products. I've noticed a difference since making an effort to avoid it. I read labels almost obessively now.

I also stumbled across some tea tree and lavender soap and salve on eBay last week. Tea tree oil is known for it's many healing properties as is lavender. I started using both items last Wednesday and my back is almost clear, finally, after nearly 4 months. I've noticed improvement in both the Grover's lesions and the suspected allergic rash. Ingredients are minimal and it doesn't smell too bad either. If you're interested, the seller is sacredorganics on eBay.

Elizabeth

[lindadiane]

Dixiediva:  What made you come up with Xanthum gum??? Considering all the additives in our foods. I have SO many food allergies. I was wondering if it was a gluten thing. I'm going to check out the products you mentioned. Thanks!

[rebel2000]

hi, dan! rey here.  i was just wondering why some bromelain products (ie. the 500mg (2000gdu) and other lesser doses) have a dosage of 3x a day (during meals).  wouldn't this also have an adverse effect on those who are taking it as part of their diet since it's being pushed as a food supplement?