Feeling lousy

[redhed]

Hi!

I am new to this forum and I apologize if this issue has already been addressed somewhere. I'm not feeling too well at the moment and don't have the energy to read much beyond what I've already read in the forums to seek answers.

I'm almost 34 and have, in the past year or so, developed cystic acne along my right jawline and a wee bit on my neck. I've been reading the information on this website during the past few days. I decided that while I wasn't ready to do a liver flush, that I would go along with some of the other tips offered here i.e. drinking carrot juice, taking a detox bath, and trying Shelley's cleansing drink.

I started with a bath 2 days ago. How far apart should these baths be (I tried the one with the epsom salts and baking powder)?

Yesterday I started the carrot juice and the cleansing drink. I had the cleansing drink before each meal (so 3 in total).

This morning I woke up and felt lousy. My back hurts (in the kidney area) and I feel like I have some sort of congestion (mucus that isn't flowing?) in the lymph area at the back of throat. I also have a terrible headache in the sinus area.

1. Can this be a result of the cleansing? I'm asking because in the past 3 years, I've only been sick once (touch wood).

2. I read somewhere on the forum that it was ok to use Cayenne pepper (powder) vs. Cayenne tincture for the cleansing drink. Does anyone know how much is needed? I used about 1/8 of a tsp.

3. I'm somewhat confused as to the origin of my acne. It only appears in the areas that I've mentionned above. My osteopath and my accupuncturist have both told me that the area involved was affected by the liver (and inded, I am the type to store anger born of frustration and tend to be somewhat obsessive). I read somewhere on this website that the area affected was related to my kidneys.

If anyone could enlighten me, I would be very appreciative! I just want this acne to go away and want to feel better.

Thanks!

[cjb]

Argh, I know the frustration of getting acne as an adult. You are on the right track coming here and reading as much as you can.

The first thing that helped me get acne under control was diet. Eating NO refined sugar, and sticking to lots of veggies and mostly whole foods makes a huge difference. Some people find that dairy or wheat breaks them out. It's a matter of trial and error to figure out what works for you.

The next thing that helped a lot was bowel cleansing. A series of colonics helped me A LOT acne-wise.

Also, I would suggest seeing a good naturopath, if you can. Acne as an adult is a sure sign that something is out of whack, so it can be useful to get things like thyroid and hormone levels checked, as well as a stool test to see about gastrointestinal imbalance. It takes out a lot of the guesswork.

This is all just from my own experience. I'm still working at it myself.
Good luck to you!

[cjb]

Oh, and the cayenne, I use the powder myself. I just use a pinch, and I find that's plenty. Sometimes, I don't even use it, but I'm a pitta.

I don't think the amount matters TOO much so long as you don't overdo it.

[redhed]

cjb, thanks for your reply!

I'm a pitta as well so perhaps I'll cut the Cayenne dose in half.

As far as diet is concerned, I eat plenty of veggies (and a wide variety to boot) and hardly eat any sugar. I try to keep refined foods (bread, white flower, pasta, etc.) to a minimum. However, since reading some of the info here, I've decided to cut down on cheese and see how that works.

Do you think the cleaning drinks and detox bath have anything to do with the flu-like symptoms I'm experiencing today (i.e. toxin release)?

Thanks!

[redhed]

Oh yeah!

Forgot to mention that my osteopath is a naturopath as well. She says my problem is all in the liver but my acne is NOT on my forehead as this site says it should be.

I've tried everything from diet, to assorted creams, to homeopathic granules, to the clear skin regimen (acne.org), to dermatology creams. The creams made my face worse (i.e. cystic acne) and I wasn't crazy about the idea of anti-biotics. The only thing that really worked for me was Diane-35 oral contraceptive but my gyno took me off of that after 2 yrs as he claims there are side affects (higher risk of blood clots than other oral contraceptives).

I guess time will tell with my new findings... I'll keep you posted.

[cjb]

Hi Redhead,
I don't know about the flu-like symptoms. I guess it could be. I always find those detox baths to be quite powerful.

Believe me, I know about all the things we try for acne. I've always had half-way results (even with diet, probably due to cheating), until I did some cleansing. After 3 liver flushes, my skin is looking better every day.
So your ND says it's your liver. Does she suggest liver cleansing?

[redhed]

Hi!

She hasn't suggested liver flushes but she's given me some homeopathic drops called "Avena Sativa." These drops are supposed to be good for cleaning out the liver but they've never actually worked for me on any noticeable level.

I think I'm starting to see results from applying ACV to the area but today is only day 3. I'll let you know how it goes.

I'm following Shelley's steps for an alternative to flushing (outlined in the "Comprehensive Liver Cleansing" section). She says to take stone disolvers for 10 days but do you have any idea of how long I need to be drinking the cleansing drink and following the other steps?

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply!

Red