Herbal Replacement for high potency topical steroids?

Desiree
Desiree Posts: 255 ✭✭✭
edited November 2020 in General Health

I am having use a high potency topical steroid for GA (granuloma annulare) on my hands or in extreme rashes steroid injections.

I was curious if anyone know of any herb that would work or has similar actions.

I keep reading the safety cautions for long term use and the main being thinning or atrophy of the skin. This is not something I want!

Comments

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,690 admin

    @Desiree You could try a salve with chickweed and plantain along with either calendula or self-heal. This will help with itching and inflammation, cooling the area as well as initiating healing of the tissues. If you are going to be out and about doing things, I would use a cottonwood bud salve as it will help protect the areas from any damage as well as being healing and anti-inflammatory. Alternating these two salves should bring relief. But that is only a treatment of symptoms, not a cure. I would suggest that a good homeopath would be able to treat this much more effectively so that it does not return. There are a couple of specific remedies for granulomas but it requires a full interview with a homeopath to take your constitution, modalities and any other symptoms into account before deciding on the best remedy choice for you.

  • Desiree
    Desiree Posts: 255 ✭✭✭

    @torey Thank you, I wasn't even sure if there was a way to treat it naturally. You have given me hope that I didn't have before. I will look into your suggestions.

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,690 admin

    @Desiree I forgot to mention another treatment option. It is not something to do at home but a naturopath (or a Medical Doctor if you can find one that does this) could use this treatment. It involves using measured UV light with psoralen (from certain members of the Apiaceae family, Water Parsnip, Cow Parsnip). The psoralen is taken as a drug by mouth or applied as a cream to specific areas and then UV light is applied to the area. The treatment is known as PUVA. It is primarily used for treating psoriasis but from what I understand it has been useful for granulomas as well. Again, not a complete cure, so I still recommend seeing a homeopath. But if you are going to see a naturopath anyway, try to find one that has extra homeopathic training and then you can "kill two birds with one stone".