Hi Guys
I've been reading the comments and it's very interesting, I do believe the main problem with the current vitiligo treatments is that none of the available treatments address the underline causes of the condition. The problem with steroids is well documented and they can not be used for a long period as they are a very potent immunosuppressant. The cause of vitiligo is multifactoral and simply suppressing the entire immune system is not the answer. Therefore it makes sense that people are more likely to depigment when the course of steroid treatment is stopped as the immune system will continue to kill the melanocytes the cells that produce melanin, which is one of the theory behind vitiligo.
Personally, I do think the only way we can conquer vitiligo is by boosting our melanin level, not suppressing our immune system. It took the scientists years and years of research to formulate insulin in vitro so that it can be given as a supplement/replacement for the treatment of diabetes. The problem with vitiligo is lack of AWARENESS, otherwise all those gready pharmaceutical companies would have been quick to find a 'CURE'.
I agree with 'whocares' lol Gene Therapy might be the answer for vitiligo 'cure' who knows?
There are many interesting expermental ideas posted on the vitiligo corner forum & I really do think it's worth exploring all the possible 'treatments' as we've got nothing to lose and finger cross we might even gain repigmentation!
thx sarah for the insightful comment also am happy that my "not so real name" gave you a laugh :)
also i may add
i think the reason why those greedy pharmaceutical companies do not involve in a lot of research to find a cure is because they don't rank vitiligo as a real illness , to them its a minor issue , also a lot of dermatologists agrees on that as most of them would simply tell you " live with it"!
I believe vitiligo is an autoimmune disorder in which our own body is attacking the pigment cells.
Maybe an immunosuppressantcream or ointment can be applied to areas affected by vitiligo. Does anyone know of any creams or ointments which have this type of effect?
I believe that to restore color to areas affected by vitiligo, the melanin will need to be stimulated once the immune system is suppressed.
A combination of narrow band uv light + a cream or ointment to stimulate melanin + a diet geared toward melanin stimulation will help to restore lost pigment.
you are correct , the immunosuppressant cream do exist in types of steroids like elecom cream / ointment , or another type in the likes of protopic .
also your mix of medication is used commonly by a lot of doctors
but your main topic is so find a CURE , and what you said is what i call " a fix treatment " and certainly not a cure , simple because your vitiligo will come back after you stop your medication .
i tend to believe that the cure of vitiligo lies in the reason you get it in the first place , maybe a genetic cure !
or changing the chemistry of our respond to stress ! am not a doctor , its just what i believe as a patient
Well, I suppose a temporary fix is better than no fix at all.
At the moment, I am not taking any immunosuppressant creams such as protopic or elidel. I plan to visit a dermatologist in the near future to get a prescription. I hope my insurance will help to pay, as these creams seem awfully expensive. Does anyone know of any over the counter topical immunosuppressants that do not require a prescription?
After getting the creams, I plan to buy one of those dermalight 80 narrowband uv wands. Again, extraordinarily expensive, but i figure that I can use the light at home at my own convenience rather than going to a dermatologist's office each week.
I plan to continue with my current diet rich in psoralens, and continue to take a multivitamin, vitamin b complex, vitamin c, l-tyrosine, ginkgo biloba, and paba. maybe i should consider buying Recouleur as most of those supplements are in the ingredients.
personally i tried two types of medication the immunosuppressant creams and the uv wands
BOTH gave great result , but i really hate the risk factors in the uv pills treatment , plus i think you only allowed to use it for a minimum amount of time !
good luck man , keep us updated if you can
Replies
I've been reading the comments and it's very interesting, I do believe the main problem with the current vitiligo treatments is that none of the available treatments address the underline causes of the condition. The problem with steroids is well documented and they can not be used for a long period as they are a very potent immunosuppressant. The cause of vitiligo is multifactoral and simply suppressing the entire immune system is not the answer. Therefore it makes sense that people are more likely to depigment when the course of steroid treatment is stopped as the immune system will continue to kill the melanocytes the cells that produce melanin, which is one of the theory behind vitiligo.
Personally, I do think the only way we can conquer vitiligo is by boosting our melanin level, not suppressing our immune system. It took the scientists years and years of research to formulate insulin in vitro so that it can be given as a supplement/replacement for the treatment of diabetes. The problem with vitiligo is lack of AWARENESS, otherwise all those gready pharmaceutical companies would have been quick to find a 'CURE'.
I agree with 'whocares' lol Gene Therapy might be the answer for vitiligo 'cure' who knows?
There are many interesting expermental ideas posted on the vitiligo corner forum & I really do think it's worth exploring all the possible 'treatments' as we've got nothing to lose and finger cross we might even gain repigmentation!
also i may add
i think the reason why those greedy pharmaceutical companies do not involve in a lot of research to find a cure is because they don't rank vitiligo as a real illness , to them its a minor issue , also a lot of dermatologists agrees on that as most of them would simply tell you " live with it"!
I believe vitiligo is an autoimmune disorder in which our own body is attacking the pigment cells.
Maybe an immunosuppressant cream or ointment can be applied to areas affected by vitiligo. Does anyone know of any creams or ointments which have this type of effect?
I believe that to restore color to areas affected by vitiligo, the melanin will need to be stimulated once the immune system is suppressed.
A combination of narrow band uv light + a cream or ointment to stimulate melanin + a diet geared toward melanin stimulation will help to restore lost pigment.
also your mix of medication is used commonly by a lot of doctors
but your main topic is so find a CURE , and what you said is what i call " a fix treatment " and certainly not a cure , simple because your vitiligo will come back after you stop your medication .
i tend to believe that the cure of vitiligo lies in the reason you get it in the first place , maybe a genetic cure !
or changing the chemistry of our respond to stress ! am not a doctor , its just what i believe as a patient
At the moment, I am not taking any immunosuppressant creams such as protopic or elidel. I plan to visit a dermatologist in the near future to get a prescription. I hope my insurance will help to pay, as these creams seem awfully expensive. Does anyone know of any over the counter topical immunosuppressants that do not require a prescription?
After getting the creams, I plan to buy one of those dermalight 80 narrowband uv wands. Again, extraordinarily expensive, but i figure that I can use the light at home at my own convenience rather than going to a dermatologist's office each week.
I plan to continue with my current diet rich in psoralens, and continue to take a multivitamin, vitamin b complex, vitamin c, l-tyrosine, ginkgo biloba, and paba. maybe i should consider buying Recouleur as most of those supplements are in the ingredients.
BOTH gave great result , but i really hate the risk factors in the uv pills treatment , plus i think you only allowed to use it for a minimum amount of time !
good luck man , keep us updated if you can