Hi,

I'm Emily and I have had KP on my arms since my early teens, I think. It's pretty bad and I feel totally out of control with it. I have also recently developed rosacea, which my mom and grandma both had. The Kp comes from my dad's side of the family. Now my 5 year old daughter has kp on her arms and on her face. She is also on the autism spectrum (high functioning/Asperger's). I have noticed that a few of the other kid's in her autism social skills group have KP, too. This made me wonder if there is a connection, as one of my brothers, my dad, and me all have Kp and we all seem to have shadow-Aspergerish symptoms.

I have read a few post about the possible amelioration of KP with a GF/CF diet, which is the diet that many autistic kids are on. Is KP related to food allergies, like some people think autism is? How about anxiety? My daughter is extremely anxious and so am I. I am sure the anxiety makes me pick (sorry if TMI) and I hope I can help her with her anxiety before she gets to tearing her skin apart, especially since her KP is facial as well, and she is OCD.

One more thing....I was dx recently with depression, anxiety, and adjustment disorder (due to my daughter's issues), and was prescribed Effexor. I never took it, as I felt too anxious about putting such a hard core drug into my system. But I am wondering, if any of you are on antidepressants, does it alleviate the anxiety and help control picking, if that's something you suffer from? I am half-considering trying the drugs after all.

Thanks a million...

Emily

Emily- you said you were just diagnosed with rosacea- are you sure it is not KP on the face? It is called KPRF and is often misdiagnosed as rosacea. There is board here on that as well.

As to the other questions- I do not know but I will look into it too!

I'm not on any medication for the issues you listed, but I believe that if your chemical balance is off, short term medication to get you back on track is beneficial. Esp. with any self-destructive behaviors (ie. picking and damaging your skin, opening it up to possible infection). I have mild anixiety-attacks, but they are not enough to warrent meds. Taking the medication in conjunction with some counseling would probably help quite a bit. Good luck and post your results!

Emily,

I'm an (self-diagnosed) OCD picker who has found relief 2 ways. One is a plant-based otc progesterone cream (Prolief). It really levels me off and I don't find myself looking for things to pick at. The other is the skin care regimen (Arbonne) I've been using has cleared up my KP entirely (although it comes back if I get lazy and stop using it).


You can refer to my other posts for specifics ("Clearing Up with Arbonne" and "Before and After Pics are here"), but I wanted to post that approx 50% of people have KP (but most don't know it). So it's not surprising that lots of kids in her class have it, too.

I don't think it is connected to autism spectrum disorder, as my mother, sister, aunts, daughter, and father all have KP and no sign of autism (or any other disorder of that sort) is in our family. I'm not lactose intolerant either, and even though we switched to soymilk (about 6 months ago), it didn't change my KP. That didn't happen until 3 months ago when I cut out all mineral oil products & meats with hormones and antibiotics (try perdue chicken and Laura's lean beef - they're free of those no-no's ), and started using Arbonne. I also switched to vegetarian grain-fed free-range chicken eggs.

When I started using the skin care system, I noticed a difference right away (2 weeks), and I didn't get my diet switched over for about a month or so. So basically, I think it had more to do with my skin care than my diet.

I would be very wary of putting the hard core drugs in my system, too! Depression can sometimes be a symptom of a hormone imbalance (think post-partum, and adolescence). In fact, there are about 70 symptoms for hormone imbalance that can plague women of all ages (not just menopause!) I would try the prolief first (it's over-the-counter, you don't need a prescription. If you have "female problems" you may want to check with your OB/GYN 1st. I did, and she said, "I don't know if it will help, but it couldn't hurt to try!") It takes 3-6 months to fully get into your system, but I bottle will last you about 2 months and I slept like a log the very first night I tried it. Does that sound like an OCD person to you? I really have mellowed out in that aspect, without having that drugged, foggy feeling that leaves you feeling "not yourself". Actually, I finally feel like me again, since I went off the BC pills I was on (to level my hormones-HA! ) and started the Prolief cream.

If you need more info, you can email me at allisonsullivan@insightbb.com . I hope you can find another way to deal with your picking besides loading up with hard-core drugs (side-effects?!? are they worth it?!?). I think your gut instinct is telling you the same thing, or you'd already be on them. Follow that instinct. Heck, maybe you can even clear up your KPRF and have nothing left to pick! And don't worry, they make skin care for your daughter's age, too. Just don't let her pick! Lots of us (on the forum) are trying to find scar-lightening products for just that reason...

Mandabees_mom welcome! I loved reading your post! I was just talking to my aunt about going on a gluten-free diet for a while to see if I would feel better physically, and if it would have any affect on my KP (as I have read that Celiac Disease sufferers and those intolerant of gluten - and other foods - HAD KP before switching to a diet that restricted gluten, or whatever foods they believed themselves intolerant of), and she said that a friend of her's put her son, who also suffers from Asperger's, on a gluten-free diet, and saw a huge improvement in his quality of life (I don't know any of the specifics, though).

Here's what I think (So sorry this is so long... tedious, really. I wanted to include everything. This is also a near replica of two other posts I made earlier in the month in other parts of the site... So, if it seems familiar, that's why. Thank you Copy and Paste!):

I am aslo not a doctor or a nurse, nor have I had any training in any medical field. I am merely a curious consumer and KP-sufferer. I HAVE read up on all of the conditions I mention here, but only via some medical newsletters, websites, and sources of that nature; I can hardly be deemed "an expert."

Brief/tedious history: I have had KP my whole life. I get it from my mom's side of the family, along with allergies and some digestive and anxiety problems (OCD among them). Since I found this website a few months ago, I have been doing research off and on (along with many other posters, lol) on the possible internal causes of KP. So many connections between seeminginly automonous conditions have been found by different people. It's wonderful, but vexingly confusing, too... In addition to my KP, an aggravating but purely asthetic condition, I have been looking for a reason behind my chronic fatigue of 6 years (which is, I know for sure, partially stress-induced).

Along with other members of this site, I have lately been under the impression that KP is caused by nutritional deficiences/imbalances. It seems that the vitamins and minerals most associated with this condition are vitmamins A and C, and the ever-connected calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, and others (but supplementation of these nutrients does not always do the trick!!). Even more complicated is what is specifically causing the nutrient imbalance...

1. Gaps in a poor diet?? If you're not eating the right foods, your body isn't receiving the correct nutrients. Evidence: Some posters on here have mentioned that they have seen an improvement in their KP by improving their diet (more fruits and veggies, less bad fats, and all that). Also, some have mentioned that supplements, especially fish or flaxseed oil, and a balanced calcium/vitmain D supplement has helped.

2. Lack of sunlight?? Sunlight produces a certain kind of vitamin D, which helps utilize calcium in the body. Evidence: A few people on this forum have posted how, after moving to a more Northern climate, their KP worsened - or simply started. The opposite is true for another poster who moved to New Zealand and began to receive a lot of sun.

3. Imbalance of hormones?? From what I have read and doctors have told me, hormones help to regulate various processes in your body, as well as utilize some vitamins and minerals. Evidence: There have been a number of testemonies given on this forum hailing the clearing effects of a progesterone cream, or ingested bio-identical progesterone. In addition, many people see KP clear up as they become an adult, after leaving the hormonal period that is adolescenance. Finally, an even greater of amount of women on here have explained how severe their KP became upon becoming pregnant and beginning to lactate (when there is a greater need, and often a greater deficiency, or calcium, etc.) - both conditions controlled by an extreme amount of hormones.

4. Damage of the gut due to certain food allergies?? The villi of the small intestines are in charge of bringing in nutrients from your food to the cells in your body. If the villi are damaged (often the result of an intolerance to certain foods - most notably gluten for Celiac Disease sufferers) the body does not get the nutrients it needs. Vitamins D and the minerals calcium and magnesium are, in what I have read, often the first listed among those nutrients unable to be brought into the body by the villi. Evidence: There are many people on this forum who have reported allergies. Damage to the villi by food intolerances can lead to allergies, from what I understand. Dietary changes (often the cutting back or exclusion dairy and/or bread products) have been reported to have good results. I have also read that those suffering from Celiac Disease who began the gluten-free diet saw a change in their KP (if they had it) in 3 months time (as the villi heals).

I was tested for Celiac diease recently, and the results were negative, but, as my immunologist mentioned, that does not mean that I am not sensitive to or intolerance of gluten (or wheat or dairy...) I tried an elimination diet, in which I went off wheat and dairy for about two weeks, then incorporated dairy back into my diet, followed the next week by wheat. I noticed no real difference physically - certainly none in my KP. BUT I know that it can take months for your body to return to normal after cutting out foods your intolerant of, so I think I will be going off gluten and dairy for a few months to see if there in a change in my skin and/or my quality of life. I will let you know!

Mandabees_mom good luck to you! In regards to the antidepressents: Man, it's a **** shoot. Sometimes they work, and sometimes not. Some work better for some than for others. Side effects vary from drug to drug, too. It really depends on you - if you want to try it to begin with, and that can be a tough decision. The meds take awhile to get used to (expect at least some woosiness for a while), but if they end up working, they may turn out to be a Godsend. Again, it's one of those unknowns in life that makes the ride so bumpy - and worthwhile. Good luck to you!

Peace to all!

Namaste,
GreenBean

Dear Emily



Like you I’m new to this, and joined the forum to ask a similar question.



I have a 2 yr old boy who has really bad KP, (and used to have horrible baby eczema), food allergies and now we think he has an ASD - we are waiting for an assessment.



Like you I also suffer from anxiety and depression. I also have KP which is generally not too bad, but interestingly it really flared up when I was pregnant.



We sound so similar don’t we! I am convinced that all these things must be connected.



From some initial research I think part of the solution may lie in fish oil supplements and Epsom salt baths. I’ve tried to outline the science behind this below – it’s not as daft as it sounds! So I’ve started my son and myself on this treatment to see if there is any improvement.



If anybody else has tried this, please let me know!



Thanks





I read a book recently by Prof. Basant K. Puri from Imperial College London about ADHD and ASDs. He maintains that people who suffer from these conditions are also likely to have an ‘abnormal fatty acid metabolism’ resulting in a fatty acid deficiency. Amongst the list of signs and symptoms for this he includes ‘follicular keratoses’, allergies and mood problems.



He recommends that rather than take medication which often has nasty side effects, these conditions could be treated with fish oil supplements which are high in EPA and low in DHA (or better still without DHA) and also contain virgin evening primrose oil.



However you also need to make sure you are not deficient in the key vitamins and minerals which are needed for the body to ‘take up’ the fatty acids properly.



I read elsewhere that many people with autism and mood problems also have low levels of minerals like zinc and magnesium. So there is also some digestive problem which means that these cannot be absorbed properly.



For people who have problems absorbing these minerals through the gut, it may be possible to get magnesium directly into your blood stream through the skin by having a bath in Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate).



This may also be beneficial because sulphates help rid the body of waste products. Low levels of sulphate can lead to retention of toxins, which can lead to damaging effects on the central nervous system.



Dr Rosemary Waring at the University of Birmingham has found that most people with autism have very low sulphate levels, resulting from a deficiency in an enzyme called phenol-sulphur-transferase (PST deficiency). So Dr Waring recommends Epsom salt baths in order to absorb the sulphate through the skin.



People with PST deficiency have problems processing of a type of chemical called a phenol. All foods contain some phenolic compounds. However, some foods have a much higher content than others do. My son is allergic to foods containing salicylates which belong to this ‘phenol family’ of chemicals. Phenols and salicylates are also found in artificial food additives, some medicines and environmental chemicals. Besides requiring PST, it is also thought that salicylates further suppress the activity of any PST enzyme present, making matters worse!



Cutting out phenolic foods is thought to help people with ADHD and ASDs improve. For more info on the Feingold and Failsafe diets see

http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/

http://www.feingold.org/



I have also read that phenol intolerance can cause problems such as night waking, mood problems, eczema, and other skin conditions. I wonder if this includes KP!

Hi again Emily

I just thought - instead of anti depressants have you tried Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)? It really helped me. You can get this on the NHS (are you in the UK?) if referred by your GP but there may be a long waiting time.

Linking back to my other posting - I also found that taking mineral supplements of magnesium , zinc and selenium help. These are also supposed to really help with PMT along with evening primrose oil.

From my experience anti depressants may help in the short term but they are not the answer - and the side effects can be pretty rubbish.

If you can cope with trying these other methods then give it a go - you've got nothing to lose!