Funny how something that seems bad turns out to be good. This little flare I’ve been experiencing sent me to do some more research on Dr. Coimbra’s protocol (the protocol similar to ours). We discovered our protocol by dumb luck. But finding Dr. Coimbra’s research gave us more confidence that we were on the right track.
Although I never stayed on the high dosage D3 for extended periods of time (the longest was two months and that was almost five years ago). Mostly I take 10,000 iu daily as a maintenance level. The only other time I increased was when I had a flare a couple of years back. That’s when I found out that it wasn’t just dairy that was an issue, but also anything fortified with calcium. An important piece of the puzzle.
Well, this new flare has given me a couple of new pieces.
While doing the new research I found an article by a Portuguese writer, familiar with Dr. Coimbra’s protocol. He wrote an excellent article (well researched, easy to read, and well organized) giving advice on diet while taking high dosage vitamin D. He advises cutting foods/beverages high in oxalates and eating more that are low in oxalates. This keeps the kidneys happy. Don’t worry if you don’t know what oxalates are—they are explained in the article. See the link at the bottom of this post.
Now, I’ve never had any symptoms in the past five years of kidney issues but I figure that prevention is a good idea.
A couple of other things. This much smaller flare I’m having is reminiscent of the first big one in 2014. The spots are not in my “normal” places. Now, you may not remember but the 2014 flare was set off by an allergic reaction to a laundry detergent. It was made worse by the UVB treatments at the skin care clinic here in Vancouver.
I’m now convinced that this new flare has been caused by an allergic reaction too. I got a duvet cover for Christmas that I started using a couple of months ago. My friend said that she’d washed it so I didn’t bother re-washing. But I never thought to ask her what detergent she used. And, when I lay in the sun, my skin gets red and itchy. Hmmm.
So, I think we (psoriasis sufferers) have to be very careful with what we use (detergents, lotions, etc) because what we put on the outside affects what happens inside. And the added UVB from the sun or sunlamps seems to just make things worse. So, I’m washing everything with water only (I don’t work in a coal mine:) and keeping out of the sun for a while.
That being said, my skin is improving. I did up the D3 and k2mk7 dosage and will keep that up for a few weeks.
Oh, and one more thing. This is a little tip for itchy skin. I keep a ice pack (a small one—the kind you throw into your picnic cooler to keep food fresh) in the freezer and any time my skin looks red or feels itchy, I rub the ice pack on the spots. It’s really soothing. Make sure you use the ones that are smooth on the outside. Or go to a baby store and get a couple of “teethers” that you can keep in the freezer.
Ok, that’s all for now!
Here’s that link: https://vitamindanswers.com/the-coimbra-protocol-diet/
Hope your week goes well and that your skin keeps getting better!
Much love,
Dakota and Lucky
image : A sculpture by Rodin, at the Vancouver Art Gallery. May we all have such beautiful skin:)
