Psoriasis follows inflammation.

If you are taking the formula and results are unsatisfactory or there continues to be inflammation and redness then its time to look at any possible source of inflammation which the psoriasis can"piggyback" on. Many infections or inflammations can exacerbate or worsen the symptoms of psoriasis..this includes a sinus infection, gum disease or tooth infection, a possible H pylori infection, Strep, IBS etc...those are all things to consider.

Next, look at your diet which is another possible source of inflammation and not often obvious but can be very common ...Its time to try a simple diet for at least two weeks, get some sun, and the formula

The Barneys diet... you can eat any combination...i skip lunch

morning,......., Oatmeal, any type.... raisins ..a little milk or half and half if dairy hasn't been a problem..,, sugar,honey or artificial sugar, coffee or tea.

lunch....... simple salad, most veggies,vinegar and olive oil, dark fruit..ie grapes, raisins , brown rice, tuna, chicken, salmon, lean beef in modest amounts, no tomatoes , onions , citrus fruit or dairy

Dinner...........brown rice fish such as tuna or salmon, lean beef or chicken.. most vegetables, salad and vinegar and olive oil, coffee, tea,

NO gluten or flour products, including no bread, cookies, breading, candy, No corn or corn syrup products, citrus fruit, lunch meat, No pizza, ice cream, cheese. no potatoes, no soda, no junk food including chips, granola, snacks , popcorn..No onions, tomatoes, potatoes, No Dairy other then the milk for breakfast. No eggs

Well, you get the picture...we are trying to remove any foods which may cause an inflammatory response....and we do this for a couple of weeks to try and get a reduction in that inflammation..Once you are convinced ( it should take only a week or perhaps two) that your diet may be an important instigator of inflammation quite possibly effecting your psoriasis and once you see some remission ..then you can begin to add things back to it to make it more reasonable..Until i get a good remission i stay on basically the brown rice diet and allow myself any meal once a week...so i might go out for pizza, or burgers and fries,,or a steak but only once a week...then back to the diet....With a remission of symptoms then you can go back to a more regular diet by experimenting,,,,..but it may take a real change along with some sun and the formula to turn this around..

So its the formula where each ingredient helps to reduce inflammation, include some sun or UV with its positive effects on reducing inflammation and finally some temporary diet changes to reduce inflammation...all three work together to get some control. In the winter without sun, you can maintain this remission with increased doses of D , omega3's or fish oil ,the rest of the formula and the right diet...

Its much like tumblers in a lock, all must be aligned ...... this includes the dosages of formula, the good effects of UV light, the reduction of inflammation with anti inflammatory diet..to get the lock to open or to get this to work... We are trying to reduce inflammation and thus reduce the psoriasis which should follow.

Vitamin C, Sore Toes, Feet and Barneys formula

If there is new or recent pain in the toes, balls of foot , pins and needles pain or sausage toes...one thing to try when you feel it coming on, along with the formula, take 500mg/day of vitamin c and 2 ibuprofen with an evening meal for a couple of days and lighten up on meat or high purine foods for a few days... try it 2-3 days but I would not continue with the two ibu beyond that..I would go back then to the single Ibu once a day. The vitamin C will reduce uric acid levels and the extra ibuprofen will reduce inflammation...it just might help... It it does, then you know your foot or toe pain may be instigated by uric acid levels which don't necessary have to be high to encourage P to settle in those joints..now this is only to see if uric acid is the instigator, if one had psa chronic long term pain from some joint, toe etc that has already been damaged ...then that is a different matter..I had some severe pain in both feet and shoulder and i probably caught it early ...after the damage has been done or for chronic PsA, the results may be wanting...i don't know since its so up to the individual ..The trick with the ibu is you want to take it only once a day...it stays in your system 6-8 hours. which, when it is out of your system, should give your body enough time to produce the necessary prostaglandins to protect the stomach ...II believe people get into trouble when they take ibuprofen throughout the day..not allowing for this production of prostaglandin and resulting in stomach problems etc.

high.medium,low purine foods http://www.acumedico.com/purine.htm

remember don't take ibuprofen if allergic to it, trying to get pregnant, have asthma especially never children with asthma or have a history of acid reflux..other then those instances, the one ibu/day is pretty safe compared to some of the stuff out there and try reducing it with remission...

Barneys formula for spring and summer

1000iu-2000iu of vitamin D3 (25-50 or ug)
one multivitamin
one 200mg ibuprofen
2-4 1000mg fish oil capsules with an epa+dha of 300mg/capsule...reduce with D reduction and with remission

2 x1000 mg flax oil
25-500 mcg b12
200mcg selenium
400mcg folic acid with sun

Take everything with meals and split the fish oil up between two meals. less meat...more veggies

For those just beginning...the 1000iu of D and the 400iu in the multivitamin makes it 1400iu-2000iu of D which is a good start with the expectation of some sun soon The softgels of vitamin D are preferred but the hard pills will work also....another good option is a tanning booth, or uvb light. but the formula alone can be effective especially with some sun.
If you don't get much of a response after four weeks you may have to bump up the vitamin D dose to 2000iu-3000iu until May or when you can get some sun and then reduce it again to about 1000iu. Vitamin D dosage is variable to the individual, body size, amount of sun and season. Assuming a winter dosage of approx 3000iu, with spring and as one begins to get sun, you can slowly lower daily dosage and check your response..by summer with sun a few times a week dosage should be around 1000iu-1500iu/day and increasing again in the fall. If you don't get sun the dosage may have to be slightly higher...it may take some trial and error.

Those beginning may also experience a week or two of intense itching. Quite a few who went on to clear have had the same itching. My advice is to use a thick ointment or lotion until it passes or reduce the dose to every other day until it subsides.

The lowering of the winter dose to 1000iu-2000iu of vitamin D should reduce any redness if some developed this past winter while on the formula and as a side effect of increased D levels. With the lowering of the Vitamin D dosage a reduction in the fish oil is also suggested.

For those with psoriasis, the vitamin D is a double edged sword...on one hand it controls one part of the psoriasis puzzle such as skin turnover and flaking ... and on the other, at higher but needed winter doses, it can cause an increase in redness which i've mentioned in the previous post. The increase in omega3's or fish oil should keep that inflammation or redness under control. Sunlight or uvb light would normally control it in the summer. Sunlight at any latitude or even a tanning light can be a great help now or later in the spring and even in late winter the uva in the sunlight available has merit.

To those in the southern hemisphere, with fall approaching one has to begin thinking about increasing Vitamin D dosage to 2000iu or more and an increased fish oil to 4-6 capsules. A winter dose is approx 3000iu of Vitamin D and 4-6 fish oil capsules or approx 1200-1800mg of EPA and DHA as listed on the back of the bottle and 2x1000 flax. This has been my best winter in four years and the 3000iu (75mcg) dose gives me good control even in the sunless winter.

A little about fish oil dosage..This is not cod liver oil which is dangerous in high doses. We do not want cod liver oil.

I am discussing fish oil or omega3 fatty acids (EPA and DHAas listed on the back of the bottle) with no other additional additives such as Vitamin A . Some companies add vitamin A to their fish oil and this we do not want...Too much Vitamin A can increase the risk of fracture so we don't want fish oil with any vitamin A added.

For many, the increased fish oil (our dosage is within safe guidelines) will put them in a better mood, decrease their risk of heart attack and lower triglycerides... a few might feel more anxious when taking fish oil or omega3's while some others feel slightly manic or hyper...if this is the case reduce the dosage to 3 or less. Essentially the fish oil has to be decreased in summer and increased in winter along with the changes in vitamin D dosage.

email me with any questions bj@barneysformula.net

Why we on vitamin D need omega 3 especially in winter

A short somewhat technical blurb on what i think is going on and why we need the omega3 fatty acids from fish oil especially in he winter..

Vitamin D receptors when activated by calcitriol or high test vitamin D can effect how genes act and in this way have an impact on our psoriasis.. With supplemental D3 we increase our circulating vitamin D blood levels which a variety of cells can convert to high test D (calcitriol) with benefits of dampened immune response and reduced inflammation etc.....With this increase in D blood levels there can be an increase in a natural wound healing peptide LL37 which we with P already have in large amounts(why we seldom get skin infections when compared to the general population) and which can promote inflammation, blood vessel formation and microbial destruction as a normal part of wound healing.........unfortunately for us with P, this enhanced level of LL37 is implicated in our inflammation and angiogenesis..

An interesting exchange takes place when we produce vitamin D from sunlight or uvb...while vitamin D in both circulating form and high test can increase the amount of this inflammatory wound healing peptide , The calcitriol or high test D produced in the skin from sunlight can also mitigate some of its effects and thus reduce the associated angiogenesis and inflammation.

We see the redness..or inflammation, and with time blood vessel formation...once it gets to this stage it becomes entrenched...... .... Normally UVB induced calcitriol (high test D)in the skin and or the movement of melanocytes or tanning cells can mitigate these peptide effects reducing the blood vessel formation and inflammation,,...but in the winter and with no solar production of either we lose that control. Normally this is not a problem because vitamin D levels drop and one could assume for argument so would the levels of LL37...but with supplemental D and the creation of elevated healthy vitamin D blood levels and considering from research that that vitamin D promotes higher levels of this inflammatory peptide without the calcitriol from uvb to keep it in check..... This is why in an attempt to duplicate this control over LL37, we substitute higher doses of fish oil or omega 3 fatty acids which can control some of the associated inflammatory and angiogenic factors like VEGF,TNFa and ANGPT2. especially necessary when uvb or uva isn't available and we are taking only supplemental vitamin D.

The higher doses of omega 3's from the fish oil makes a specific type of prostaglandin E3 which interferes with the growth factors and modulates genes involved with this blood vessel formation or angiogenesis.....and in this way controls that part of the puzzle for guttate and plaque during winter...conversely, too much omega 6 in the diet develops a prostaglandin E2 which promotes processes increasing blood vessel formation and inflammation. So we haven't diminished the peptide...but have mediated some aspects of it...reducing a part of the inflammation and angiogeneisis. This is a simple explanation..complex doesn't begin to describe it
.
This ratio of omega 3/omega 6 is important because the benefits of fish oil are diminished if one continues to eat a large amount of omega6

so a rule of thumb during winter is if i see see flaking, i increase the vitamin D within reason (and this takes weeks)....if i see redness, i decrease the D (if i'm taking a substantial amount) and increase the fish oil (omega 3) and eat less omega 6 (arachidonic acid meat, veg oil,fat eggs etc)

its a multi faceted thing but it works when you get all the ducks in order..

Piggybacking inflammation and dosages

A couple of people on the formula recently mentioned they had tooth problems and this brings up the subject of piggybacking inflammation. I believe psoriasis will piggyback or flair with any inflammation in the body. The cause of this inflammation can be obvious as in the case of a sinus infection or an infected tooth but it can be very subtle as with gum disease or a food intolerance.

Someone asked what dosages I was taking...this winter has been my bestcontrol in five years ...

I take the 2000iu-4000iu softgel of vitamin D, and lowering it now to 1000iu with spring
4-6 fish oil capsules, (2-3 at breakfast and 2-3 evening meal) i would reduce this in spring and summer
two flax oil1000mg (optional but i take them)
one multivitamin,
one 200mg ibuprofen,
b12 25- 500mcg
200mcg selenium

I'm having a very good response and will post some pictures soon as well as some pics others have sent me. Email me with any questions...bj@barneysformula.net

Barneys formula for fall and winter

What we are trying to do is to reduce inflammation with adequate vitamin D levels, a better omega3/omega6 balance by increasing omega3 and some diet changes decreasing omega6.
This includes the addition of a once a day 200mg ibuprofen, a multivitamin and sunlight or uva when possible.
I think psoriasis is a process which appears to piggyback any inflammation or immune response...by reducing that inflammation, we can gain some control over this disease.

A quick post of the newer version..I'll get to the particulars and reasoning later as well as some posts on fish oil as the prefered omega 3

fall and winter in northern latitudes...

2000iu-4000iu/day Vitamin D softgels with meals
4-8 x1000mg fish oil capsules ....that is 1200-2400mg of total EPA and DHA as listed on the back of bottle. (EPA and DHA are the omega3 fatty acids) If you get too hyper reduce dosage to 4 capsules
one 200 mg/day ibuprofen
one small multivitamin or half of a centrum type
2 x1000 flax is optional but not a substitute for fish oil (I take 2 flax 1000mg capsules)
25-100mcg b12 and
200mcg selenium

Don't take the ibuprofen if you are allergic, or have acid reflux, etc.. especially do not give ibuprofen to a child with asthma or if you are trying to get pregnant although for most, the one ibuprofen is relatively safe but as with many things, some can't take it.

If you have any heart problems or are on a blood thinner i would talk to your doctor before taking fish oil..which can help some help some heart problems but it can worsen others...so ask an informed doctor if you have any heart problems or are in doubt. Also the caffeine in the green tea , although less then coffee, may be a problem for some and is something to consider.

I'll clarify this in the next few days with some discussion of fish oil etc..also...for those down under...the spring and summer dosage would include sun and lowering D to 1000iu and adding 400mcg folic acid for the sunlight which breaks down folic acid.

Summer in Southern latitudes

Where it is now summer such as for our mates in Australia, S Africa, The Philippines , and New Zealand ...your D dosage depends on how much sun you get. I suggest taking 1000iu (25ug or mcg) during the summer and getting a half hour of sun three times a week if possible..and longer for darker skin or as one tans. I would take the fish oil, flax , multi and ibuprofen just as in winter...but i would include an extra 400mcg of folic acid on days you get sun. We lose our folate when our skin is exposed to sunlight..and although there is 400mcg in the multivitamin.. with sun, an additonal 400mcg will be needed...

More good news on Vitamin D

Vitamin D might reduce the incidence of childhood diabetes...."This research suggests that childhood type 1 diabetes may be preventable with a modest intake of vitamin D3 (1000 IU/day) for children, ideally with 5 to 10 minutes of sunlight around noontime, when good weather
(click on) Vitamin D and diabetes

Low Vitamin D increases the risk of heart attack "Vitamin D deficiency has been related to an increasing number of conditions and to total mortality.
(click on) Vitamin D and heart attack

Vitamin D lowers breast cancer mortality "Patients low in vitamin D were 94 percent more likely to see their cancer metastasize and 73 percent more likely to die from it, compared to women with normal levels of vitamin D in their blood, researchers found.
(click on link) Vitamin D and breast cancer

Clearing, what to expect.

Some changes should be obvious in the first month of the formula and for some sooner.With a little sun until you are prepink, plaques should flatten, from flaky to dusty ..red or purple and then pink..they may slightly increase in size and slowly breakup from the center with openings of clear skin. (click on image)

If you have darker skin, you will have to stay in the sun considerably longer since your skin acts as a filter and you absorb fewer of the uv rays.

Red spots and lesions seem to slowly fade , get lighter and smoother and return to normal skin.

With sun and the formula, the inflammation should decrease..if redness remains, i would increase the fish oil to 5 capsules (300mg in each of epa+dha) and try to get more sun. Some who can't get sun increase the D to 2000iu/day.

When starting, you may get a week of itching..i took an extra ibuprofen to sleep but it will pass. If its a real bother...back off the formula for a few days....go a little slower...

Scalp P is a tricky thing..for me at about 3 weeks, it was the first sign i was clearing and my scalp has remained clear for 3 years...for some who have cleared 95% their scalp is still a bother. So let's hope this helps..I will put all the scalp treatments together in one post.

Nail pitting ..nails take about 5 months to grow out which is how long it took me to get clear nails. I had pitting in every nail and while you are on the formula with each month, the pitting will slowly move up your nail to the end. My nails have remained clear for three years...perhaps a small dot or two in midwinter when adjusting the dosage.
I use coconut oil or baby oil in the sun but the experts from the Dead Sea crowd suggest carrot oil and they know quite a bit about sitting in the sun...so thats something to consider.

bj@barneysformula.net

The Barneys formula Diet

We know that for many, some foods can act as triggers which result in flaring or more inflammation in our psoriasis. A small short term diet change may help. If the formula is effective..the flaring will slowly stop but a small diet change can speed this up.

Often it is very hard to know or pin down what foods are the triggers because inflammation can be very subtle especially when you are already inflamed with psoriasis or have other health issues.
Trigger foods causing inflammation often involve the things we crave or eat most often.....wheat gluten is a common offender and gluten intolerance so common avoidance should be considered by most with flaring psoriasis. The cause could be a single food or a general diet which might have large amounts of meat, high fat and fewer vegetables or anti-inflammatory foods.

A high fat, meat or junk food diet may worsen psoriasis as evidenced by a picture of my knees at the top of the page. If you suspect this effect from some foods or diet , then I would just go on a very bland diet for a week or two to see if a change can dampen your inflammation or flare.

The Barneys formula Diet

I found my best response with what i call Barneys diet. Once you get remission then you can eat a wider variety of foods.

You might try this for a week or two and see if it helps.

Oatmeal for breakfast, with a little milk and maple syrup or sugar, coffee or tea is fine, main meals are brown rice, most vegetables, salads..vinegar and olive oil for dressing tuna in olive oil, salmon, stir fry (olive oil) , some lean meat(chicken,beef or pork etc) in smaller amounts . A little butter is ok
You can eat larger amounts of rice, and vegetables, on lean meat simply keep the quantity down.

Absolutely no breads, gluten or wheat products, including cakes,cookies,candy, no fats,margerine, little fruit, less meat, and lean, no pizza, no tomatoes, potatoes or dairy ,including cheese, ice cream, junk food, chips, pop, or anything which might cause an inflammatory response..
So, its a more fish, lean meat in smaller quantities, brown rice, most vegetables. and salads.... cut out the heavy fat fill meals or the snacking on chips and junk food.

I have a severe case of P, if your case is moderate then you may not have to go to extremes and some small adjustments may be effective and once you heal up a bit..then you can eat just about anything but not for days in a row. Try a change in diet for a few weeks and look for a response...it works for me.

We are attempting to reduce the inflammation of Psoriasis from three different directions

1) increasing sunlight or uv light (produces vitamin D, destroys tcells, inhibits angiogenesis)
2) increasing supplemental Vitamin D, omega3's (fish and flax oil) and the rest of the formula including ibuprofen which reduce the amount of inflammatory prostaglandins
3) diet changes which can limit immune response.

I took the knee pictures at the top of this page to show the results of poor diet and the effectiveness of the barneys formula and a little april sun....they were taken after two months off the formula while eating largely junk food, ice cream, preserved meats, hotdogs, sausage, bread, candy. cookies.pizza, nachos,chips potatoes, gravy, pork chops...(the american diet)

It was fun, but for those two months I gained 12 lbs and developed a severe sinus infection and gout. The second picture was taken after a month on the formula with sun and the dalai lama diet. While on the formula, I have not had an illness for three years including colds, the flu or infections of any kind .

email me with any questions bj@barneysformula.net

More on sun

Sun (a few hours a week) is very important in the spring and summer. I suggest no sunscreen until you are prepink but i do use sunscreen on my face (if there is no P) because the face makes little Vitamin D and since it is most often exposed to damaging UV light and more at risk of radiation damage using sunscreen on the face is a cautious decision.

Due to genetic reasons, vitamin D isn't as effective for some but the sun does things other then only producing vitamin D and this is also important in reducing the Psoriasis . Some (310-316nm) wavelengths can destroy tcells or immune cells which are involved with inflammation and psoriasis. Some wavelengths can cause special cells in the skin to make a high test form of vitamin D (calcitriol) which can effect these tcells by changing their behavior and also reducing blood vessel formation, a side effect of natural immune wound healing proteins found in elevated levels in psoriatic skin.