I've just been reading some literature that states that although KP is hereditary, it is also linked to a vitamin A deficiency. Is anyone taking vitamin A supplements to help combat this condition? I know high levels of Vit A (or any vitamin for that fact) can be toxic, but my diet is so erratic, that I certainly can't claim that I know I get enough vitamin A. So, I think I'll add this supplement to my regimen of treatment.

I have been taking a multivitamin everyday. I also consume a lot of olive oil which contains beta carotene. I read that our bodies transform beta carotene into vitamin A as needed. I have not experienced any significant change by doing this. However, I have never tried taking a pure vitamin A supplement. I have taken beta carotene pills. Maybe I will try taking an actual vitamin A supplement. Carrots contain a lot of vitamin A. Even if it does not help our skin, we will have healthy eyes!

but carrots makes ur skin turn yellowish on an asian person..and orangy, reddish on a white person...

Well then I wouldn't eat carrots too much, unless you're black.

well that may be why many dermatologist recommend Rentin-A because it is a topical vitamin A

Good point, then doesn't seem very possible that treating the problem from the inside out with vitamin A should have a positive effect? But then again, that seems too simple. I mean If doctors know it's linked to a Vit A deficiency, wouldn't they be recommending supplementation to the millions of sufferers? Hmmm.

Well at any rate, I'm certainly going to give it a try.

Oral Vit A doesn't seem to have much results on the skin. I believe the water soluable pre-cursers such as Beta carotene is better but can have some liver toxicity where as the topical is not abosrbed as much.

I have been taking 400 iu of Vitamin e it seems to work better
than the vitamin a, and it also seems to be safer. I have seen some of the keratin plugs loosening up a bit. I also just started
using elicinea cream. I am just concerned about the safety of the
product. It seems to be working I am just testing a small area.
I have KP ALL OVER MY LEGS.

If KP is a result of a Vitamin A deficiency, it isn't because we aren't ingesting enough of it, either through diet, or supplementation. All the Vitamin A in the world circulating through your veins is useless unless your body can PROCESS the vitamin. If there was a treatment to allow our bodies to process Vitamin A better, I think we would get better results than supplementing a vitamin our bodies can't use.

Just a suspicion

As I was logging on tonight, I was thinking that I was going to ask if anyone else has some of the other health problems that I have, because if there is a main problem causing the skin problem, then if you take care of the main problem, perhaps the skin problem will improve.
The main problem that I'm thinking of is hypothyroidism, and the reason that I am posting it under this post is that I found a source that says that hypothyroidism (and diabetes) are conditions in which beta-carotene and other carotenoids do not convert well into vitamin A in the body. So taking Vitamin A and eating things with Vitamin A in them might not do what they would be expected to do.
Anyway, tomorrow I am getting something for my thyroid and I will let you know if it helps my keratosis. I went to a dermatologist and she said I have more than one kind of keratosis, and it's on my face, so I am really hoping for some kind of solution.
But I would be really interested to hear if anyone else has symptoms of hypothyroidism, which could include fatique, dry skin,
cold hands and feet, hair falling out, and right now I'm too tired to think of any more symptoms, so I better get to bed.

I have Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Which is an autoimmune disease in which my immune system destroys my own thyroid.I have been taking thryoid supplementation for 20 years and it has not made a difference on the KP.

My girl friend was teasing me the other day when I was explaining to another friend what KP is. My girl friend said "yeah she is growing fingernails all over her body." That is what finger nails are made of.

By the way, another symptom of low thyroid is brittle weak nails

Betsy,

I had bloodwork done a couple years ago because I was so tired all of the time - everything came back negative and my thyroid was tested. I had wondered if I might have a thyroid condition, because I have some of the symptoms, but then, I've had them as long as I can remember: I lose quite a bit of hair (but it's not too thin, just "average" I guess), cold hands and feet, and I have needed a lot of sleep for as long as I can remember! I'm one of those people that needs a lot of sleep. I'm only 23, and as a graduate student, it's tough to get 8 hours of sleep per night!

Not to get off on a tangent, but I thought it was interesting you brought that up. I've heard KP can be related to other disorders as well.

Ferrisra,

It is possible to have an underactive thyroid and for thyroid tests to come back normal. The original and most accurate way to find out is to take your temperature in the morning before you get out of bed, preferably by putting the thermometer under your armpit for 5 or 10 minutes. If your temperature is 97.6 or less there is a very good chance that your thyroid is underactive. You may not need to do the heavy duty medicine treatment, but there are a number of things that you can do to help. It can make a big difference in a lot of ways.
The book that said that if you have hypothyroidism you may have problems utilizing Vit A, said that animal source Vit A may work better. They didn't expand on that, so I'm trying cod liver oil (they have peach flavored). It's fish oil, and a fish is not technically an animal, but maybe it's in a different form than in vegetables. It's definitely different than taking a supplement.

LaserNurse, do you mind if I ask you what you take for your Hashimoto's disease?

Daves320...if you are curious about the ability your body has to absorb vitamin A, look into cod liver oil pills. They are supposed to assist your body into absorbing vitamin A as they contain omega-3 fatty acids. I am not good at taking pills regularly, but when I take the Cod liver oil pill and vitamin A (in a multi-vitamin) consistently, my skin softens up. Or, eat more fish :0)

Wow, I was just reading about this possibility because I recently developed a cyst in my breast...fibrocystic...fluid filled. I was researching how to prevent them and what causes them. There was a link to hypothyroidism. Also, I have hypoglycemia. I have always believed that there is an underlying cause to all of this.....something related. Learning that vit. A seems to connect to all these things is interesting. I have also taken meds for depression/anxiety. Hypothyroidism and hypoglycemia can each cause depression/anxiety. I will try and take cod liver oil with vit. A. I have had k.p. since I was twelve. I'm thirty now and am so tired of trying everything.