Progesterone and Grover's Disease

by Jerry Bearman
(Palm Springs, CA)

I'm an 84 year old male with "Grover's Disease", not in med books, but on the Web. Horrible rash, bumps under skin, clusters, red berry like pimples, puss-like head all over trunk, arms and legs. Constant itch and burn, low degree, that every few hours becomes highly intolerable.

I have tried 4 Dermatologists this past year, prescribed 16 different corticosteroid pills and creams to no avail. I was at a compunding pharmacy. The owner has a reputation for making up formularies, together with vitamins and supplements. He said I was over medicated, stop taking Aciphex (reflux), Proscar and Flomax (Prostate) and that I should see an improvement in a few days. While there, my Grover's began, I was squirming with pain, he took me in the back and applied a large amount of progesterone cream. The pain decreased right away. He followed up with a large amount of zinc oxide.

I thought the progesterone was a pain reliever, like lidopaine. I needed my MD to prescribe 3 containers of the Progester-One, 2 tubes Destin, zinc oxide. He also showed me the water miracle, Kangen Water, see the web. I am a skeptic but will try anything. On 4th day, my first full day of low grade itch and burn. Only one terrible attack. I may become a believer. I had already started with another healer using various supplements, calcium/ magnesium, alkalide, etc. so I don't know which is helping.

Comments for
Progesterone and Grover's Disease

Click here to add your own comments

NSAIDS
by: Anonymous

Have Grovers. Noted that it has the hallmarks of inflammation... calor (warm to my touch), rubor (pink skin in affected areas), tumor (edema) and dolor (tender, hyperaesthetic skin more than true itching).

So tried NSAIDs... ie naproxen... and find that NSAIDs provide real relief; can't find any ref to such therapy. Any experience with such rx?

Pharmacist issue
by: Nobama

Jerry, if your pharmacist really applied a biologically active compound to your skin without a prescription, then he should lose his license for prescribing without a prescription! He either applied a placebo or prescribed without a prescriber's license... either way that is illegal.

Good luck on your condition, but I would suggest reporting that pharmacist to the state board of pharmacy.

Progesterone and Grover's Disease
by: Wray

Hi Jerry. Grover's is a particularly unpleasant disease. It mostly occurs in winter, which makes me suspect a vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is vital for normal skin development, please try this. The recommended dose is now 10 000 IU's per day. In fact calcipotriol ointment has been used, with significant improvement in the condition. Calcipotriol is a synthetic derivative of calcitriol, a form of Vitamin D. Far better to use a natural source of vitamin D though, creams are available too.

Although retinoids are sometimes used to suppress symptoms, I would avoid these due to the dangers they present, but if you feel vitamin A would help, take this instead. Progesterone does relieve pain, it's an excellent anti-inflammatory as it raises levels of IL10, a natural anti-inflammatory found in the body.

It seems the amount you are using is sufficient if it's helped, too often a low dose is recommended, which does nothing but give progesterone a bad name! Incidentally progesterone has helped many men with prostate problems.

30 plus years later there is still no concensus about the cause of Grover's disease, but it seems that heat and sweating have been ruled out, please see the following paper:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WM8-4KD8M0F-
B&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000
050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=b8ede4def707333
2b732da56243740a7

Take care, Wray.

X Close Editor

Rating

Submitted by: Wray

Title

Comment
Hi Jerry. Grover's is a particularly unpleasant disease. It mostly occurs in winter, which makes me suspect a vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is vital for normal skin development, please try this. The recommended dose is now 10 000 IU's per day. In fact calcipotriol ointment has been used, with significant improvement in the condition. Calcipotriol is a synthetic derivative of calcitriol, a form of Vitamin D. Far better to use a natural source of vitamin D though, creams are available too. Although retinoids are sometimes used to suppress symptoms, I would avoid these due to the dangers they present, but if you feel vitamin A would help, take this instead. Progesterone does relieve pain, it's an excellent anti-inflammatory as it raises levels of IL10, a natural anti-inflammatory found in the body. It seems the amount you are using is sufficient if it's helped, too often a low dose is recommended, which does nothing but give progesterone a bad name! Incidentally progesterone has helped many men with prostate problems. 30 plus years later there is still no concensus about the cause of Grover's disease, but it seems that heat and sweating have been ruled out, please see the following paper: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WM8-4KD8M0F- B&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000 050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=b8ede4def707333 2b732da56243740a7 Take care, Wray.

Cancel Delete Delete & Ban

throbber Updating Comments page...

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How?
Simply click here to return to Progesterone Therapy Home