It’s been about a week on bamboo extract (silica) now, and so far I haven’t seen any improvement. I had to stop taking the methylfolate due to extreme nausea that started after a few days. I haven’t noticed any negative side effects of the bamboo extract, so I’m going to continue taking that for now.
Month: March 2021
Update On Things I’ve Tried
To recap, here’s my journey:
- Isotretinoin (aka Accutane)
- Tazarotene (reduces lesions, in moderation)
- Laser therapy (worked on some, but not others)
- Vitamin A cream
- Accutane (worked, but terrible side effects)
- Epsom salt lotion
- Neem oil
- Differin gel
- ProActiv acne cream
- Calcium supplements
- Vitamin C
- Naltrexone
- Calcitriol
- Gluten-free diet for 3 months
- Magnesium supplementation
- Methylfolate (in progress)
- Bamboo Extract (in progress)
Bamboo Extract for Darier’s Disease
I’m going to start another supplement that may be promising. Bamboo extract contains silica, which is apparently very good for skin issues. It stimulates collagen production, and supposedly helps strengthen the skin to prevent against various issues. I’ll give it a few weeks and then report back.
No Improvement So Far on Methylfolate
I’ve been taking methylfolate for around 10 days now, and it has not improved the outbreak. I’ve had some stomach upset, which is a normal side effect of taking B9 vitamins. I might give it another week and then discontinue the methylfolate, as I’m not seeing any other benefits.
Trying Methyl-Folate
After suffering another outbreak in yet another new location, I’ve decided to try Methyl Folate (vitamin B9) as a supplement. Apparently a folate deficiency can cause skin rashes and scaling, so it’s worth a try. There is a condition that causes some people to be unable to absorb regular folate found in multivitamins, called MTHFR (more info here: https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/gene/mthfr/). I will update as I notice any improvements.