Itchy Skin
Bentonite Clay Paste
One Cup of Bentonite Clay or Aztec Clay or Green clay
One tablespoon of raw honey
Add enough olive oil to make a paste
CAUTION olive oil can make shower surfaces very slippery
As bilirubin rises with PLD we can get itching or this might be an attempt by the to liver to eliminate toxins through the skin. When the kidneys do this, it is known as uremic frost, covering the surface with a dry haze. Soaps are incredibly drying. Try bentonite clay paste in lieu of soap. Many personal care products aggravate polycystic liver symptoms or increase cyst growth. EWG has a database listing chemicals in personal care products.
Some suggestions to relieve itching
- Baking soda: shower with extra virgin cold pressed olive oil utilizing it like soap; wash off with baking soda.
- Alpha keri blue oil: While showering apply a few drops of alpha keri blue bath oil to the skin with a wash cloth or sponge.
- Aloe vera: rub aloe vera gel over the dry parts. Aloe vera is also useful for softening thick nails that may have a nail fungus. This softening effect, aids in cutting and trimming thick nails.
- Olive oil: After a bath or shower apply olive oil to the skin. Fresh rose petals added to the olive oil give a delightful fragrance. For the men, bay leaves are a spicy addition.
- Cranberry Juice: consumed daily (two ounces of 100% juice diluted in one ounce of mineral water) changes facial skin so it is smooth and supple.
- Vitamin E & D: Some of us have noted that taking extra fat soluble vitamins may help dry skin. Some require vitamin D to activate calcium absorption. Long walks in the sunshine for an hour can give the daily dose D Vitamin. A blood test can check your vitamin D level. All natural Vitamin E made without wheat or yeast seems to prevent leg cramps.
- Heating pads: Avoid heating pads or getting overheated. This can intensify the rash and itching. Or overheating due to an increase in the outside temperature also intensifies itching.
- Itching Gabapentin Neurontin: There is a completed clinical trial using Gabapentin Neurontin to relieve itching. It turns out it did not relieve itching in liver disease patients, but it was not harmful to livers. One individual with liver cysts experienced (2) motor vehicle accidents within the same year. She had residual neck and spine injuries causing pain. After taking one dose of Gabapentin she experienced a restful night's sleep, the first in a long time. This drug has also been used for post herpetic neuralgia.
- Alkalinity: Mackenzie Walser writes in his book Coping with Kidney Disease that itchy skin is when the body is too acid.
- Aztec Clay or Bentonite Clay: mixed one to one with equal parts of apple cider vinegar it foams up and sizzles and blends to make a really wonderful paste that is easy to spread with a cream like consistency. I add additional olive oil and a teaspoon of tupelo honey. Allow it to remain on for up to 15 minutes. The surface of the skin is left smooth but a little dry. Additional olive oil on the skin surface may correct this.
- Acid Water: The external body, the skin, is happy with acids, like a sliced half lemon rubbed on the skin or as the back of the Aztec Clay recommends apple cider vinegar.
- Nose Bleeds: nasal passageways have become so dry sometimes causing nosebleeds. To prevent the drying out of my mucous membranes, try a bit of olive oil inside the nose. Vaseline works also but it contains petroleum. Elevated blood pressure is the most common cause of nose bleeds.
- For some with bile ducts that are troublesome, a prescribed dose of cholestyramine seems to be the only thing that helps. Itching can be a side symptom of PLD.