Day 245 Diet and TSW

The sun has actually come out! After weeks of horrendous rain here in the UK, we finally have some sun, so I am keen to get some on my skin. Dr Rapaport says that sun on the skin can speed up healing, but only in the later stages of withdrawal. I figure that now I have 8 months of TSW under my belt, I classify as in the "later stages". Too much sun can flare people in the early stages on steroid cream withdrawal.

I was reading a positive post from another "skin friend" who has seen amazing healing in her skin after spending 4 hours in the sunshine. I am so happy for her. This is a long process and it is nice to see some light (literally) at the end of the tunnel. 

Over on the itsan forum, we have been debating various aspects of TSW. One of the most interesting debates of late was about diet. Can changing diet improve or worsen TSW?

Everyone has a different approach and a different take on the subject. As so little is still known about the mechanism of steroid withdrawal, I cannot say whether any single approach is best. One thing is absolutely certain; a balanced diet is best for long term health. But does it affect healing time? Well, to be honest, I haven't done anything special diet-wise since I stopped using steroid creams. In the initial withdrawal stages, I got very hungry and craved sweet foods, so ate virtually non-stop the whole time. I think that maybe my body was craving "building blocks" to rebuild my skin! The combination of the high-energy foods and the fact that I was stuck on the sofa meant that I put on half a stone rather quickly.

I am a lot more active now, so hope to shift the weight. My diet is balanced, I eat food from all of the food groups and plenty of lovely fruit and veggies, but I don't deny myself treats either. I eat chocolate and sweets as treats and also indulge in crisps and chips sometimes. I drink tea and coffee throughout the day in addition to my dandelion and herbal teas. I drink fruit juice, but also buy squash with sweeteners. None of these things make me flare. I do avoid alcohol, as it it a potent vasodilator. If it makes normal people flush, it isn't going to benefit my skin.

One dietary factor that I do actually believe to be important is protein.Studies of patients withdrawing from steroid creams have shown that a high protein diet aids healing, as protein is a building block for the body.

In my experience, there is no need for steroid withdrawal to be an expensive. I just stopped using the creams, which actually saved me money, as I wasn't paying out for prescriptions. I do not fork out wads of cash on "magic creams", in fact, at the moment, I use very little moisturiser. I eat the same food, do the same things and try to get on with my life with as little disruption from TSW as possible.

And I am healing, so it must be working.