psoriasis herbal remedies

After finding out that Patrice has psoriasis in chat last night I wanted to find out more about this and maybe find some ways to share with her to help a bit. She probably already knows that it's caused by a problem with the immune system. According to Pagano in the book "Alternative Cures" he believes it originates in the intestinal tract, however, I haven't found anything else that would substantiate that. Having said that, he suggests approaching psoriasis through dietary changes. He recommends drinking 6 to 8 glasses of water a day, eating stewed fruits, exercise, moisturizing your skin with castor oil , use regular deoderant over antiperspirants, bathing using apple cider vinegar, oats and cornstarch, eat 70 to 80 percent vegetables and fruits and 20 to 30 percent grains, poultry, fish, lamb and lowfat dairy products, avoid saturated fats, stay away from plants in the nightshade family, shell fish and junk food, prepare a tea with 1/2 teaspoon of slippery elm powder in a cup of warm water , one cup a day for 10 days, he also recommends yellow saffron tea to flush out toxins, omega 3 following the dosage recommendations on the label.

I don't see anything in his list that would cause harm, but not sure if it would be of any help. Only thing I can say is it may be worth trying to see if it helps any.

In the book "The Complete Guide to Herbal Medicines" it suggests several herbs that may be beneficial. I have them listed below:

Burdock
available as capsule (425 and 475 milligrams), liquid extract, cream for topical use, tincture, dried root, tea. Some experts recommend the following doses: As a tea, 1 cup taken orally three of four times a day. Side affects, call your health care practitioner if you experience allergic dermatitis. Using a commercial burdock tea contaminated with atropine can cause poisoning symptoms such as enlarged pupils, blurred vision and fast heartbeat. Don't use burdock when taking insulin or oral drugs for diabetes as it may increase your blood sugar too much.

In "Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs" it also mentions burdock tea for psoriasis. It goes into more detail about the atropine. It seems that some people mistakenly have used belladonna root believing it to be burdock root. There has never been conclusive evidence that burdock causes atropine poisoning.

I'll cover the rest of the herbs a little at a time. Since the list is here, please feel free to do your own research on these herbs and how they can help with psoriasis.
chickweed
elderberry
evening primrose
feverfew
Oregan grape
tea tree

Thanks Sonshine, I'll definitely be checking the herbs you listed out. Unfortunately the burdock tea is out because of my insulin. I already use a natural tea tree deodorant, have for years because of the aluminum in the antiperspirants. I tried cutting out the night shades but it didn't make a difference and I'm allergic to shellfish so I don't consume those either.

I'll try to post what I can find on the other herbs for you this week. In the meantime I found a couple of sites that might help.

http://www.psoriasis.org/treating-psoriasis/complementary-and-alternative/herbal-remedies

http://www.homemademedicine.com/home-remedies-psoriasis.html

http://www.anniesremedy.com/chart_remedy.php?tag=psoriasis

Hope you can find some help on those sites, but I'll keep looking.

I take oatmeal baths often. It not only relieves itching but also is very relaxing.

Ok, let's talk about chickweed.

http://en.heilkraeuter.net/herbs/chickweed.htm

http://www.anniesremedy.com/herb_detail149.php

http://altmedicine.about.com/od/herbsupplementguide/a/Chickweed.htm

http://www.thepracticalherbalist.com/component/content/article/40-herbal-encyclopedia/137-chickweed-skin-rejuvenator.html

From "The Complete Guide to Herbal Medicines"
Chickweed can be bought in capsules, crude herb, liquid extract, oils, ointments. tea bags and tinctures

Experts recommend the following doses: As an ointment, apply liberally to affected areas as needed up to four times daily.

( I wouldn't take it internally for psoriasis, but you may get some relieve from an ointment)

Thank you, I'll check into finding it here.

Your welcome. I'm going to still be searching and also will be posting info on the other herbs I have listed.