As promised, after getting a proper tan under the Tenerife sun and roasting in a way only a rotisserie chicken could understand, I am back to tell you how my journey is going as I try to bring my Hidradenitis Suppurativa into remission.
A new way of eating
If you missed my last post, I explained that I had recently started a new dietary journey, initially following advice from a book and a naturopath. This approach is based on the AIP protocol, a dietary framework often used by people with autoimmune conditions, and it involves removing certain potential "trigger foods". These are foods that may be problematic for some people and could contribute to inflammation or symptoms. HS is generally considered an autoinflammatory condition, rather than an autoimmune disease, and individual food triggers can vary.
After learning about this approach, I began removing several foods:
- dairy (I had already cut out lactose-containing products because of an intolerance)
- foods containing gluten
- legumes
- grains except rice
- eggs
- sugar
- chemical additives
So what do I eat? Air, which thankfully no one has banned me from having yet, plus fruit, vegetables other than nightshades such as potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers, as well as meat, fish, and rice (preferably white), with a few spices and other random foods that do not fit neatly into a major category.
But... does it work?
Well, whether by coincidence or for other reasons, I can say that over the past two months I have not developed any new abscesses or cysts. Bill is gone (or was it Bob? Who knows, I never named them individually), while Bob appears to be healing. I have still had the occasional ingrown hair, but considering the laser hair removal I am undergoing and how often I shave, that seems understandable.
Can I say that I am cured? Of course not. HS has no definitive cure, it is still too early, and this is only my personal experience. I would want to go at least six months without HS symptoms before feeling comfortable describing this as remission. For now, though, it seems that I may be heading in the right direction.
If you are interested in exploring this approach, please read up on the AIP protocol and speak with an appropriate healthcare professional. The standard elimination phase also excludes rice, but for now I have decided to keep it because I rely on carbohydrates and am very physically active. I am not a doctor, and this is not medical advice.
I will try to explain the AIP protocol more clearly in my next article. In the meantime, anyone who wants to talk or needs support can email me. If I can help by sharing my experience, I will be happy to do so 🙂
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