My Hidradenitis Suppurativa Story

I was diagnosed with Hidradenitis Suppurativa in January 2013.  My first flare-up was under my right armpit.  I went to the dermatologist thinking it was a boil that could simply be lanced.  I was devastated when the dermatologist told me I had a non-curable skin disease.  He immediately put me on antibiotics and told me that whenever I had a flare-up, I would be put on another round of antibiotics.  Growing up with my mom as a nurse, I knew that repeated exposure to antibiotics would eventually cause antibiotic resistance.  Depending on antibiotics the rest of my life and possibly becoming antibiotic resistant was not an option!  Not to mention, the dermatologist also wanted to put me on Spironolactone; however, after I did my research I decided against this as well.  Feeling completely hopeless, I decided to get a second opinion.  Sure enough, I was diagnosed again with Hidradenitis Suppurativa.  I made it very clear that taking antibiotics orally the rest of my life was not an option.  So, my dermatologist gave me a prescription for a clindamycin gel.  I was instructed to put this on the area of infection twice a day.  Once the area healed, I was told to continue using the clindamycin gel on a daily basis as a preventive measure.  I was also instructed to use a body wash with 5% benzoyl peroxide.  It took about two weeks for the area to heal with the use of my oral antibiotic, the clindamycin gel and the benzoyl peroxide.

After experiencing the pain and many different emotions from my Hidradenitis flare-up, I started doing my own research.  Hearing that there was no cure, all I wanted to do was find some sort of preventive measure!
The most frustrating part about being diagnosed with Hidradenitis Suppurativa was trying to understand what causes this disease.  I was told that genetics, cigarette smoking and excessive weight all played a role.  Ironically, to my knowledge, I am the first person in my family to be diagnosed, I never smoked a cigarette a day in my life and I do not carry excessive weight.  So what caused this?  The only way I could attempt to make sense out of this was in one word......INFLAMMATION!

Inflammation occurs as our body's attempt to protect us.  If there is something harmful in our body, the body responds by trying to remove it.  Inflammation is simply part of our body's immune response.  In my mind, it made perfect sense to figure out what my body was trying to get rid of.  I am sure you have all heard the saying 'you are what you eat'.  Two days after I was diagnosed I stumbled upon the ebook Fast Hidradenitis Suppurativa Cure by Therese Wilson, which changed my life!  I decided in that moment that I was going to try to change my diet and see if it made a difference.  For me, it did.  I can happily say that I have not had a flare-up for 1 1/2 years.  I try to focus on anti-inflammatory foods and foods that boost your immune system.

Bottom line, there are certain foods which cause inflammation that you should completely avoid.  To name a few, you should avoid refined sugar, processed foods, fried foods, and preservatives.  There are also foods that are considered anti-inflammatory.  These are the foods I focus on such as garlic, nuts, beans, salmon and spinach.

The most frustrating part of Hidradenitis Suppurativa is finding out what works for one sufferer does not necessarily work for another.  For me, changing my diet has made all the difference in the world.  So, I have compiled several recipes which I consider to be my Hidradenitis Superfoods.  My plan is to post the entire book of recipes; however, I am still working on it.  In the meantime, I will post a few recipes for you to try and tips/tricks that have helped my Hidradenitis Suppurativa.  Who knows, maybe the things that have helped me will help you too!

Please join me through this healing journey!