My pyoderma gangrenosum is gone!

I am here for one reason. I want to get the word out how to heal PG. My name is Edwin, and I'm trying to let people know that no drugs are needed. I was in a hospital in Reno, NV and had a large open wound (I was there for other reasons, especially severe anemia). No one had a clue what was wrong with me. Turns out that diverticulitis (which I had) can trigger PG (though that's rare), same way as Crohn's, IBD, etc., can. I had this quite large open wound on my leg for about 10 days and they sent a surgeon to my room who wanted to debride it. I would not let him do it because I was not convinced it would help and I knew it would hurt like h***.

Later, I was in NY where the medical care is excellent. The doctor I saw diagnosed it as PG, but had no idea how to treat it. He sent me to a plastic surgeon who wanted to do skin grafts. I searched the internet like crazy for an answer. I found one man who wrote he gave his wife potassium iodide and after 9 months her PG was healed. I thought what could I lose. (Later I found a scientific paper that supported potassium iodide as a treatment.)

There were a number of such products on the market, but I chose one in tablet form because I felt the dosage would be more standardized that using drops. The product is Iodoral. I used the 12.5 mg and took one tablet daily. After a few days I thought I was improving. After a week I knew I was. After three weeks it was TOTALLY healed over!! BTW, after the first week I started taking two a day. The PG did leave a scar that looks like a burn, but I don't mind. I'm just glad it is healed.

I now take the occasional tablet of the product because I thought probably best not to keep taking it. My dermatologist was amazed and asked me for specifics. His office is now using Iodoral on another PG patient.

Please let people know. This can be healed very simply, at least it worked that way for me. I have nothing to do with this product in any way. I just want to get the word out. PLEASE let people know!

Just wanted to add this information here:

"In conclusion, our experience of dramatic effectiveness of KI for PG suggests common pathogenesis between PG and Sweet’s syndrome. KI should be an alternative choice for treatment of PG, at least when other treatments fail, are contraindicated, or cause intolerable side effects (6)." http://www.medicaljournals.se/acta/content/?doi=10.2340/00015555-0006&html=1

Hi Edwin,

It is certainly good to hear that you have had such a wonderful outcome with healing your PG.

Unfortunately for many of those with IBD PG is an Extra Intestinal Manifestation (EIM) that parallels disease activity and is more likely do so for those with Ulcerative Colitis than Crohn's.

Because of the parallel nature of the association unless the inflammation in the bowel is treated then the PG will not heal. So for those with IBD steroids are an integral part of the healing process.

This is a good broad based article regarding the causes and treatment of PG, including Potassium Iodide solution of which there is a link to further information:

http://dermnetnz.org/reactions/pyoderma-gangrenosum.html

Dusty. xxx

Thanks, Dusty, for bringing this additional information to my attention.

No worries.

I do want to add, though, that my pyoderma gangrenosum was also a case of an Extra Intestinal Manifestation (EIM). My colorectal surgeon told me it was rare, but sometimes a PG can occur with diverticulitis. My diverticulitis had been encapsulated over and over, so that my sigmoid colon had narrowed to a dangerous degree. I took the potassium iodide before having my colon resection, and the wound healed completely. This is not to negate what you wrote, but just to let anyone who reads this know that in my case of serious diverticulitis which caused the manifestation of the PG, the complete healing of the PG took place before I had the colon resection. I'd be interested to know of anyone else who had a PG who healed it with potassium iodide and how long it took to heal.