Any other Hidradenitis Suppurativa sufferers out there?

I have hs as well!

Bird mites.

We moved to a new hone and my skin condition improved. At first I thought it was that I eliminated gluten -- and I think it did help. But I now know it was bird mites.

Before we moved from our "garden apartment" I sprayed our air conditioners with mitacide. The next day it was like someone sprinkled pepper on our window sills -- a pile of dead black mites.

These tiny creatures which are too tiny to see generally, feed on birds. But lacking a bird host they will feed on humans.

Needless to say, we ditched the air conditioners when we moved. And guess what? No more skin rashes, itches, bumps.

Eliminate gluten rule out mites (google it) before suspecting a major health issue.

Hi All! I am new to this site. I was diagnosed with Hidradenitis Suppurativa back in January 2013. I have tried numerous things to control my HS. What I find so strange is that what works for me may not work for you! It has been a scary journey for me, but I completely changed my diet and started other "tricks" such as washing with a 5% benzoyl peroxide every day. I started a blog (just this month) to try and spread HS awareness and offer some of the tips that have worked for me. As well as share my story! I think its good to get it off your chest!!!

If anyone is interested in my blog you can visit it at http://hidradenitishealing.blogspot.com/

Just a quick report in to let you guys know that I haven't had a flare up for ages now, so it looks like gluten is the big one for me! I won't ever be going back onto it, that's for sure

I hope you guys are doing ok x

Hi everyone, hope you are all Well. I found a good skin cream called "Self Heal" very soothing and has "Flower Essence" of "Plumaris Vulgaris, also called "Heal All" just has a nice ring to it!
As far as the nightshades I went off them for 60 days and it didn't seem to made a difference.
Xoxoxo

Glad to find this site. I read all of your stories and am going to try the gluten and nightshade free diet. Already added Zinc and Tumeric this week. I have been suffering from this for over 40 years. Fortunately, I only get the cysts/boils along the area where my underwear legs rub against my thigh, and only a few times a year. But, I haven't left the house in two days now. I am in so much pain. I had to cancel on a client for tomorrow morning because I can't walk that far. This is a very hard illness to live with. Glad to find people that understand.

Be careful the IV treatments don't contact Cipro : it can cause many other bad outcomes other than tendon injuries. Many permanent. Google this stuff before you allow MDs to drip this poison into you...if it's what they prescribe.

*************
Federal regulators are ordering new warnings on Cipro and similar antibiotics because of increased risk of tendinitis and tendon rupture.

The new warnings apply to fluoroquinolones, a class of antibiotics that includes the popular drug Cipro. The FDA has told companies that the drugs must now carry "black box" warnings alerting doctors and patients that the drugs can increase risk of tendinitis and tendon rupture in some patients.

Fluoroquinolones have carried similar warnings for years, but officials say they continue to receive reports of safety problems. A "black box" warning is the FDA's sternest warning.

hi folks.My name is Ashraf and i am 23.i am having HS from last 10 months.i have consulted 2-3 skin doctors.one of them suggested me to take a surgery.Will sugery help us to stop HS permanently???? Does any one has surgery ?.what is percentage of success.after reasind your postings i feel like ending up my life.but god dont forgive me if i do so.thats what making me very much worried.please reply anyone who have read this post

I recently was diagnosed w/ HS. After many years of painful sores under my arms, a doc has finally treated it! I am currently taking some antibiotics to clear up the current breakout. But after discussion w/ my doc, she informed me that STARCH is a major contributor to this condition. And the another contributor to breakouts is ARTIFICIAL NAILS...who knows how that works. Also, using deodrant only, NOT anti-perspirant and cleaning break out areas w/ anti-septic wash.
Today is my first day of cutting/limiting starch from my diet. For sure this is going to be extremely hard thing, b/c i love bread; but if I notice less and less breakouts, this will be for the better! I was sort of hoping that maybe it was just gluten, as I see other ladies are posting about. But I think in the beginning the best thing to do is cut starch and maybe add it back after being breakout free w/ gluten free products.
Hopefully, with all these lifestyle changes, i will be break out free!

I look forward to reading your posts on your success with dealing and managing HS.

I was diagnosed with HS this month. But part of me feels like the dr. didn't listen enough, and after reading so many of your descriptions, I don't feel like I actually have HS. Would anyone care to read this, and give me a non-medical opinion?

It started the way HS starts: panty line area, early puberty. Drainage rarely smells bad and often contains tissue.
It looks like HS: Cyst/boil-like, Under the skin, needs to drain, has a "tunnel" or a "sinus" as my dermatologist put it.
It doesn't spread. I have one lesion and it comes and goes, but it never goes away on its own.
It barely hurts--only when messed with too much. It hurts when the sinus is blocked and the pressure builds up with that funk that needs to be drained.
When it began, I was 14 (19 years ago) and it was an ingrown hair. When I opened it, it was FULL of hair and tissue and was only a few cell layers below the surface. It healed. Months later, it came back in pretty much the same spot. I dealt with it and had the same results. Over the years, it would reappear and scar tissue started building up. It is VERY possible I created the tunnel sinus myself with the giant needle I used. Years passed and the "cyst" would shift a bit, further away from the original problem, but every time I dealt with it, I removed all the foreign hairs, and it would heal.

This year, the "breakout" has been more sub-dermal than normal, so cutting it open has been too painful to do. Therefore, I can't get rid of it. That's why I finally made an appt and the dr asked me a couple of questions, diagnosed me with HS, and prescribed me PanOxyl 4% as a wash and a topical antibiotic. And, of course, he told me to stop messing with it. After 3 weeks of treatment, it had healed and was so swollen that the pressure made it really sensitive, the treatment was doing nothing, and I had to open it. I actually managed to pull one hair out of it this time, but the doc wouldn't even listen to me when I told him it was a really big mess of ingrown/inverted hair follicles.

Does this sound like HS? Should I seek a 2nd opinion?

Well I don't have it but I'm a nurse that has taken care of a young man with it. What a horrible disease. You have my prayers. I really admire you for dealing with it and putting yourself out there.

Kathystrauss1- is nice to hear of a compassionate nurse, last time I went in the nurses were like "OMG what is it" and I felt dirty and like a freak. I spoke up and told them that we are not unclean etc. Also, they keep telling me to go to the doctor whenever it occurs, 9 times out of ten when I do go they say there is nothing they can do and I'm resistant against antibiotics which never helped anyway.
I did have surgery under my right arm and there has been no recurrence there.

Here is a website of docs specializing in HS all over the nation. http://hs-usa.webs.com/doctorexchange.htm except for the Alabama listings, they all seem to be plastic surgeons.

I have personally linked my HS to smoking. Initially got it in my teens in the groin region. I was operated on to have the areas removed which coincided with me stopping smoking and didn't have any sign of it for 7 years. I didn't link the recovery to stopping smoking but credited the surgery.

Stupidly started smoking 3 years ago and it appeared in my armpits, thighs and breasts. I have stopped smoking on and off over the last 3 years and have found when I quit the HS goes berserk as if trying to clean out the toxins from my body. Was interested in the nightshade theory and after having lots of tomatoes in my salad at lunch time today the lump under my arm is throbbing after me thinking it was getting better. The lump also has hardened tracts leading from it which is creating a throbbing all down my arm. Just trying to wish it away at the moment to no avail. Tend not to go to the doctors as history tells me that riding it out is what has worked for me in the past.

Did you ever look into Laser hair removal? With waxing, shaving etc, you can still be subjected to ingrown hairs b/c your hair may grow back thicker?