Case Study: Psoriasis And Migraines

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Case Study: Psoriasis And Migraines

Rita visited my clinic seeking help for her skin condition and chronic migraines. She is 44 and has been experiencing migraines since her early 20s. They varied in intensity and duration. She dreaded the really bad migraines that were accompanied by nausea, vomiting and severe throbbing pain. She was forced to take sick leave from work and she was incredibly anxious about losing her job.

Psoriasis was another of Rita’s problems. This started after she gave birth to her son at 40 years of age and never left. The psoriasis was on Rita’s scalp and it made her extremely self conscious and depressed. She tried a number of shampoos but none of them worked well enough.

Over the years, Rita suffered with many headaches and had used considerable quantities of analgesics, which had made her tired and irritable. A recent blood test showed that she had elevated liver enzymes, which was probably a result of the frequent pain killers she took. They were taking a toll on her liver, compromising its health and functions.

Rita was worried about the side effects of medication and also worried about her brain health and whether she was at higher risk of having a stroke or developing dementia. Rita had been unable to tolerate very much alcohol and if she indulged in several drinks with her friends on a weekend she would get the inevitable headache the next day.

Compromised liver function probably contributed to the development of psoriasis. Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease. It occurs when the immune system produces antibodies and inflammatory chemicals that attack the skin. There is always a genetic predisposition that places a person at risk of psoriasis, but then there needs to be a triggering event. Leaky gut, food intolerance, medication use and poor liver health can all be triggers.

My recommendations for my patient

I asked Rita to begin regular raw vegetable juicing and told her to use celery, cucumber, cabbage, radish, parsley, mint and ginger. She was instructed to drink one large glass of this juice every morning. There are juice recipes for many different health problems in my book Raw Juices Can Save Your Life.
I explained the importance of removing gluten, dairy products, sugar, alcohol, artificial additives and legumes from her diet. These foods are common triggers for migraines and skin conditions. Rita knew that chocolate triggered her headaches, so she rarely ate it. I gave Rita Bactoclear capsules to kill harmful bacteria, yeast and fungi in her gut. They contain the essential oils of oregano, clove and thyme, plus berberine. They all act as a disinfectant for the gut. I gave her glutamine powder and asked her to take one teaspoon in a little water twice daily on an empty stomach. Glutamine is healing and soothing to the lining of the intestines. When the skin on your body is red and inflamed, it’s an indicator that your skin on the inside (gastrointestinal lining) is also inflamed.
A magnesium supplement is essential for migraine sufferers. Magnesium must be taken daily in such cases to gradually build up the magnesium levels in the body. Magnesium is very effective in reducing migraine and vascular headaches, as it relaxes the arteries which supply the head with oxygenated blood. This prevents the arteries from becoming constricted and narrowed, which is the genesis of migraine headaches.
The liver tonic Livatone Plus contains the ingredients that make liver cells more efficient at detoxification. Nausea and vomiting are classic symptoms of a poorly functioning liver. I asked Rita to take 2 capsules with breakfast and 2 with dinner.
Rita told me her migraines were much worse the week before her menstrual period and this is a sign that progesterone levels are dropping too low during this time. I prescribed bioidentical progesterone cream, 2 pumps daily to prevent the progesterone dropping. Progesterone is an effective anti-inflammatory natural hormone and also has a wonderful calming effect. Rita would start the progesterone cream 10 days after her menstrual period started and stop using it when the next menstrual bleed commenced.