So I originally posted this question to the forum and didn't get any replies.

I am now at the start of my seventh week into watching my diet, and I have to tell you, I am AMAZED with the results. I had very little expectations aside from much-needed weight loss, but as of now, I am a firm believer that my nearly 7+ years of greater than 30% plaque ps coverage has been attributed to my diet. When I signed up for MFP in mid-May 2013, I was at rock-bottom. I was 263 lbs. I was eating fast food and processed foods for virtually EVERY meal. I was not exercising and I was under considerable stress with work and family. I was in a bad place and just felt awful about myself. I was lotioning up morning and night. I was so desperate that I started using all the concoctions and home remedies that people say work for their ps. Still, my skin would "snow" everywhere I went and I would bleed on my sheets on an almost nightly basis. Desperate was what described me best.

So I realize that most controlled scientific experiments seek to change one variable at a time to pinpoint what the trigger is. *kitten* that. I was so desperate I changed EVERYTHING. Here's what I changed and what the impact was/is:

1) Diet - joined MFP mid-May. I started logging my meals and sticking to a 1 lb a week weight loss target. At first I was trying nothing but salads and sticking to the calorie count religiously. I dropped about 3-4 lbs a week. I gradually started to eat healthy fats like avocado in my salads and have been grilling chicken, fish and sometimes beef. I have tried quinoa in my rice cooker and have swapped out soy milk in place of milk for my cereal. I have dramatically cut down on my pop (was a 1 can of regular Coke a day kind of guy) and fast food (McD for lunch and pizza for dinner, minimum 2x a week). I've tried to get my water intake to the eight a day, and I have swapped out coffee and cream with hot green tea in the morning.

So technically, I haven't gone gluten free, dairy free or any other free type of diet. I just point to the whole "clean" eating and if I understand that concept clearly, I am just eating foods that are minimally processed or don't have extensive ingredients used for added coloring, flavoring, or preservatives.


2) Light Therapy - At the time, I started back on every other day light-treatments with my narrowband UVB booth. I saw some flattening/leveling of the plaque ps, but nothing that ever felt sustainable. I also experienced severe itching and discomfort that would result in more bloody sheets or sleepless nights. I also would notice that my plaques would start to "bubble" up again after 36 hours from the last exposure.


3) Topical Steroids - My wife and I were going to Cancun in early June so I started using Taclonex/Clobetasol ointment 2x a day for about two to three weeks leading up to that trip. I felt this was doing a lot more for my plaques than the light. At the same time, with the coverage that I had, it's just not feasible to make a tube of that ointment last very long. I also started using this rx oil to take care of scalp ps on my body as well. This got my skin smooth for Cancun, and the skin color "off tone", but better than it has been.


4) Vacation - Five days in Cancun on the beach. I can't argue that rest, relaxation and sun may have helped my stress levels. I definitely made use of my time in the sun. I got a great tan over that time. Ate a lot and sipped a lot of frozen, fruity drinks poolside. We got back almost two weeks ago. I remember telling my wife on Father's Day that the vacation is definitely over since my plaques started "bubbling" over again.

Then a weird thing happened. This past week, my plaque ps, most of them have been smoothing out...even the areas that were difficult to reach on my back to get with ointment. I haven't had a UVB light treatment since before Cancun. I made the switch to soy milk after Cancun and I've just kept the eye on diet since I've been back. I can tell you that the stress levels are back to where they were with work. So is it dairy? Is it the clean diet? Whatever it is, I need to listen to my body and not go back to my old ways. Another five days to Cancun wouldn't be too shabby, either.

Best of luck to you! I am cautiously optimistic, and at the same time, really excited. I have not seen my skin like this in years. I have some of the patch areas that are "bubbled" which is more like a goose bump type texture, but that's the most clearing I've had in years. Even some other skin areas that didn't get sun exposure when I was vacationing in Cancun are starting to get less red and more smoother skin.

I can't explain it, and the pessimistic side of me feels like one day it'll start coming back full force. But I've made so many changes (for the better) over these last six weeks, that I have done something to disrupt the normal ps triggers in my system. It feels great to be back to somewhat normal. Six weeks ago, I was desperate and grasping for any sort of relief. I was even considering going down the path of biologics (Enbrel, Humira, Stelara, and even MTX etc). I'm hoping a more natural diet is the answer. I wish all of you struggling with ps can feel as good as I do right now.

Hi Johanna,

Welcome to the group. Here's an update to my psoriasis status. I was mostly clear for most of the summer, which was awesome, since this was the most clear I have been in so many years. However, since it's turned from shorts weather to pants weather, my ps has started to come back in the usual spots full-force. I am lucky enough to have a Narrowband UVB booth in my basement, but I've been too lazy to do any light treatments.

I have been keeping up with the diet and weight loss since I joined in May, so I've kept that positive aspect going, although it has been so difficult to eat clean. I am sticking to my calorie limits, but not necessarily eating the best stuff to hit my calorie goals.

If you've ever seen the Robin Williams/Robert DeNiro movie "Awakenings", that's kind of how my summer went with ps. I'm grateful I had a 3 month block of time being relatively clear, no scratching, no bloody sheets, and no "snow" effect of dead skin everywhere I go. But now it's back to reality, and I'm hoping that losing weight, working out and continue doing the right things will lead to some more clear skin when next summer rolls around. If not, then I guess I'm still doing the right things for myself, and that can't be all bad.

Best of luck.