My Story of Diagnosis and Treatment of Grover’s Disease (TAD: Transient Acantholytic Dermatosis)

What is Grover’s Disease?

While I have grown a lot and become more comfortable sharing about my struggles with skin, I hate telling people the actual name of my skin disorder and prefer to call it a chronic skin condition because the word disease has such negative connotations to it.

Typically people will do a quick Google search and see red rashy images and think they have an idea of what it is. The limited info you can find on Grover’s isn’t super helpful to help you do much about it. For example, most of what you find on YouTube is very scientific and beneficial for medical professionals in identifying the rash but little to help solve it.

Grover’s disease is a skin disorder named after Ralph Grover, the physician who first described it in 1970. Transient Acantholysis Dermatosis is the scientific name or TAD for short. You can see that it is much easier to call it Grovers.

Grovers disease is an itchy rash with red bumps similar to a heat rash or sometimes lesions that develops on the trunk of the body. Its most common on the chest and back but can spread to arms and legs and neck. Many sources say that it will resolve itself in 2-4 weeks and can have a seasonal variation. However, sources state it is often relapsing and can be chronic for years.

In my experience, Grover’s rash can be itchy, prickly, electrifying, or appear as raised bumps that don’t itch but may be warm, presenting similarly to a heat rash. Sometimes bumps arise during and after showering but recede within an hour. I have some bumps on my stomach where the rash originated that have been there for several years but do not bother me. They may become inflamed if I have a flare but then calm down.

The root cause of Grover’s is unknown, but sun damage and sweating appear to be the primary culprits. At one point I thought it might be an autoimmune condition, but I no longer hold this opinion. As the rash comes and goes the skin has a more difficult time regenerating to its original state.

My 2025 research has come up with more informative than what was available at the time of my diagnosis in 2020. However back then, I was in a fog and researching gave me anxiety. A lot of anxiety and overwhelm. I disconnected from thinking about Grovers for awhile after I got married in 2023 and my skin had been doing better for so long until a major flare in September 2024 which forced me to relook at how I was managing my skin and motivated me to share my journey with others.

Also, consider that if you “don’t know” the root cause of an illness. How can you adequately treat it?

I’ve learned more through the Facebook support group about this rash collectively from others who have it than I have from online research or the dermatologist.

I’ve learned through the Facebook group from research of one of the experienced members (Brian) that Grover’s Disease occurs when the skin’s ability to produce connective tissues, specifically desmosomes, is reduced due to changes in certain genes. Without enough functional desmosomes, skin cells separate microscopically, causing tiny injuries. The body’s immune system reacts with inflammation, leading to the itchy and painful rash characteristic of the disease.

There has been research done about Grover’s Disease being linked to cancer and possibly being reclassified in the future. Grover’s Disease Association with Cutaneous Keratinocyte Cancers: More than a Coincidence? – PMC

Although there is no cure, yet, is very frustrating to not have more answers. Since Grovers is considered a “rare” disease that is not life-threatening, there has not yet been funding to support for further research. But for the people who are suffering from Grovers, we can’t wait for the FDA and the CDC to swoop in with a solution for us. And even if they did, at this point I would be skeptical of the side effects. Every synthetic option out there has side effects.

I once looked to medical professionals for treatment with medication, and there is a time and place for that. Now, I believe that healing can come from within, if we give the body the right environment and raw materials it needs. I believe it is possible for us to treat the condition we have to manage our skin rashes naturally, from a holistic perspective.

This post is for someone who was just diagnosed with Grover’s Disease and has many questions. Especially for women to see what Grover’s looks like and know that it affects women as well, although you won’t find many pictures of this….

This post is for someone who has been battling Grovers disease for years and maybe one little detail I share can be an insight…

This post is for someone who is battling a chronic skin rash, or who has had many skin rashes, an unknown diagnosis and is looking for answers.

This is the journey of my skin…

Skin History, Sun Exposure, Diet & Lifestyle Before Grover’s

A brief history with my skin. Since birth, I have light sensitive skin that is prone to rashes, redness, and suburn. I had many diaper rashes as a baby and my mom used cloth diapers and the most sensitive products available in the 80s. I grew up on a farm and spent a lot of time outside as a child.

As a teenager, every storebought facewash from clearsol pads to astringent acne wipes broke my skin out in a rash or made it irritated and blotchy. The options also were’nt great. In the 90’s people weren’t ordering products online like now. It was challenging for me to find a face wash that didn’t irritate my face.

I went to a dermatologist for acne and it mostly dried my face out and I still had some zits. I never took internal medication but tried a few different topical creams. Eventually I used Mary Kay make up and their acne and fashwah line with posible the best succes at the time but it didn’t completely clear my skin.

In many of my visits to the dermatologist I was advised not to use fragranced perfumes and lotions because of my sensitive skin. I felt this wasn’t fair and wanted to smell good with the latest from Victoria Secret and Bath and Body as my friends did. So I used them anyway for my hands and arms without any reactions. I was careful to only use “dermatologist tested” lotions on the rest of my body.

Over the years I have had allergic reactions to topical creams like Triple Antibiotic Cream, Hydrocortisone Cream, Vics Vabor Rub to name a few. I’ve also had allergic reactions to medications, mostly antibiotics.

I dread taking medication if I am sick because of the many allergic reactions I’ve had. It sucks being sick and then the double whammy of a rash on top of the sickness before getting better. I don’t get sick beyond a cold often, but when I do it often ends up being a dramatic rash experience.

I took birth control pills on and off in my twenties to help manage my heavy and painful periods. I never took birth control for acne. It possibly helped clear my skin up slightly, but my acne never fully went away. And when I went off birth control, there wasn’t much of a noticeable difference in my skin. It was something I struggled with that I thought was normal for going through puperty but it never improved as an adult.

As an adult in my twenties, I found success with using Bare Minerals skincare and makeup and Desatin was my go-to for any skin irritation or rash. I used Dove soap products and am careful about switching or trying new products. I had a few shampoos or deodorants irritate me but that wasn’t a signifant problem. I’ve gravitated towards sensitive skin dermatologist-tested products. I wash my clothes with baby-sensitive detergent.

Growing up in Northwest Iowa, winters were long and cold and summers were hot, humid, and always too short. I spent a lot of time outdoors as a child and teenager, mowing the lawn. I went to the pool with friends or my cousins a few times a week. I was slathered in sunblock but I still burned some. My skin is light with lots of freckles that come out in the sun and I burned more easily than my friends with darker complexions.

I used a tanning booth for the first time before both high school proms. In college, I sometimes bought a tanning package in late spring and use it to get a base tan, I’d go occasionally in the summer to help maintain a tan and once in a while in the fall and winter mostly for the seasonal depression aspect or if I had an event.

My goal was mostly to keep my skin from looking too pasty white. I knew from experience I could not achieve a dark tan or maintain it without burning. One year I tanned really dark before I was a bridesmaid in a wedding but it took a lot of effort and repeat exposure for me to actually get a tan and maintain it and not get burnt. I would go a few times a week and increase the amount of minutes very gradually to avoid burning. I always felt it wasn’t fair that some people could go out in the sun and barely use sunscreen and have an amazing tan in a few hours.

In my twenties I was a sun worshipper on the weekends. I looked forward to one day a week, weather permitting in the Midwest where I could lay out by my apartment pool and read or drink a beverage. This was all I knew in the Midwest with limited warm weather, I made the most of it. It was after the first few years when I moved to Arizona that I realized I needed to change my habits with the sun.

In 2015 I had a heat rash on my chest for most of the summer that I could not seem to get to go away. It finally resolved when the fall temps came. In 2016, I went on a 2 week road trip down the West Coast mid-summer. There were hints of a rash developing but I was able to keep it at bay that year, fearing it would come again like the year before. In 2017, I moved to Arizona. No sign of a heat rash that year that I recall.

In May 2018, I woke up one day not feeling well. I went to urgent care that morning thinking I had a UTI but it came back negative. In part of the appointment, the doctor pointed out that I had a rash on my chest and advised me if I had shortness of breath I needed to go to an ER. I brushed it off thinking it was the unfortunate beginning of a heat rash. I felt weird all day and like my body was getting warm. After work I notice the rash was a little worse so I took Benadryl and went to bed early.

The next morning I woke up with a rash on my entire body!!! I tried not to panic, but this was a first. Fortunately I was able to get in to a dermatologist and the rash resolved within a week with some Prednisone. It was a bit of a mystery how it happened, but I was mostly relieved it went away. My mom kept saying that it was stress. I really hated my corporate job in insurance, but I stuck it out so I could use my vacation to go back home to visit family before looking for a new job.

Arizona changed my perspective and reverence for the sun. In Arizona, you get A LOT more sun in regular everyday life just walking to your car and in and out of buildings. A shaded parking spot is rare and coveted. The sun has significantly aged people’s skin. Many of the homeless population in Phoenix can be observed with leathery skin. It was eye-opening and heartbreaking.

If you grew up in the Midwest or somewhere cold and then move south to warmer climate, you’ll never forget your first winter living in a warm place. My favorite part of living in Arizona was hiking the part of the year when it wasn’t a billion degrees. It was fun the first year to be able to hang out at the pool for Thanksgiving, but I could only tolerate an hour and decided that I needed to limit my sun exposure to save it for hiking. I would hike every chance I got when the weather was cooler and this was much more fulfilling than just laying out.

Eventually, I didn’t think about tanning or what color my skin was in Arizona. I was really careful about not getting burnt and very aware that I needed to protect my skin. Once when I visited the Midwest in May I was moderately tan from all of my hiking. An acquaintance commented, “I thought you’d be tanner living in Arizona.” I brushed off the comment and advised her “You know skin cancer is a much bigger risk in Arizona because of the amount of sun you get. It’s not cool to be tan.”

I can’t say I was ever very dark tan, but it was always something desirable to me until living in Arizona. Now I embrace my lighter skin tone and many freckles. My biology and my ancestry from Holland has predispositioned me for lighter skin, and I respect this now. Plus, freckles are beautful and they help disquise rashes. (Ask me how I know!)

Now on to the good stuff. Or the not-so-good stuff. The stress of the 2020 pandemic leading up to my Grover’s Disease diagnosis.

How My Grover’s Rash First Started

I was single and my friend and I lived in a two-bedroom apartment with a beautiful mountain view in Phoenix. The first year in Arizona was an adjustment. I worked two jobs, a retail job I transferred from initially and my first full time job in a coorporate setting. After being a social worker in the Midwest and dispising the coorporate world, I finally settled into work I loved, a non-profit online school geared towards working adults. I had now settled in to living in Arizona with a stable job I enjoyed and I knew my bills could be paid.

I was very active and worked with a personal trainer once a week. I hiked or worked out at the gym 4-5 times a week and followed a low-fat diet. I was pretty serious about this, had lost 20 pounds after encorporating HIIT traning into my workouts, and I wasn’t going to let anything like a pandemic hold me back from my goals.

My job in an office turned into working from home in March 2020. I was healthy and unconcerned about getting sick but there were a lot of unknowns and worldwide events. I don’t think I would say I’ve ever had anxiety until 2020 but this is the year that did a lot of us in.

Aside from working full time, I had become a court-appointed special advocate or CASA for a teenager in the child welfare system at the start of the pandemic. I finished my training and was sworn in on February 29, 2020, and I accepted a case even when the pandemic started. The world doesn’t stop for kids in foster care, I knew this advocacy work was even more important now.

My 13-year-old cat Butterscotch was barely eating. I’d noticed he slowed down a little bit but when I was home all the time it was even more apparent something was wrong. During all of the twists and turns of events in the pandemic, I was at the store buying different cat food and taking my fur baby to the doctor. He would eat a little more at first but then seemed uninterested.

The vet justified this by saying that it was an adjustment for him with me working from home. Now this is total BS. My Butterscotch was a very loving affectionate (some might say clingy) cat that never had a problem eating or with more attention. After a few months of this, he was sleeping in the same spot for several weeks, he lost so much weight he didn’t have the energy to jump on my bed. I finally had an x-ray done and discovered B had a tumor and made the difficult decision to let him go to sleep, I knew I had done everything possible for him.

I am crying at a coffee shop now, thinking about Butterscotch and how there will never be such an amazing furbaby and friend like him. We went through a lot together and it was difficult losing him, especially in a pandemic. In his final days, he experienced all the love and was treated like royalty. Rest in Power Butterscotch.

It was sometime in his last weeks I noticed a rash on my stomach but it didn’t register as a concern. I have had so many random rashes, I assumed it would go away. It was perhaps the week after he passed that I acknowledged it was growing. I thought it was a regular heat rash at first…but it wasn’t going away.

My go-to for skin problems was Desatin and it did nothing for this rash. Nor did essential oils. Or Caldemine lotion. I started googling and trying other natural remedies. Nothing was working. The rash was growing over my torso, front and back.

Finally, I made a dermatologist appointment after a month. The dermatologist initially thought I was allergic to “something in my environment.” But I had not changed anything. All the products I had were the same, with no dietary changes. I learned I should be using a different laundry soap so I changed and washed every sock, underwear, and clothing I had. My rash got worse.

I had the Nexplanon birth control implanted in my arm two years prior and I was having side effects of spotting and bleeding between my monthly cycle for months for several months before this. My annual women’s visit was postponed because of the pandemic so I had been dealing with this as well and had the implant taken out shortly after my first of many dermatology visits. It didn’t affect anything with my skin. I also found out through a blood test that my Vitamin D was low so I took a very high dosage of Vitamin D. This also didn’t have any impact on my skin.

Over the course of two months and several visits to the dermatologist, I tried different prescription ointments and creams such as Momestatason Roate Cream .1%, and Doubri (halobetasol propionate nd tazarotene) Lotion .01%/.045% along with Prednizone, Diflucan 150mg: a medication for candida: Flucanzaole 150mg: a medication for fungal infections and candida, and eventually a shot in the butt. Usually, after a shot within 24-48 hours, there is a turnaround. Predizone has cured other rashes I had, I was convinced I just needed a higher dose. But nothing made any difference and the rash was getting worse.

Another strange thing with my skin that happened alongside the rash that was spreading to my whole body was strange underarm breakouts. They were a little different then Grover’s and happened mostly after shaving my arm pits.

The dermatologist didn’t really have a specific opinion about this or any different treatment there. The dermetologist prescribed Ketoconazole shampoo to use as a body wash. This wasn’t good or bad. I did stop using any fragranced body washes I had been ok with previously. The prescription creams specifically noted that they were not to be used in the underarm area. So what was I to do?

I thought perhaps I had developed an allergy to the metal in razors and tried a few different kinds eventually getting a safety razor, old-fashioned razor with blades. I had a really hard time wearing deodorant for months bc of the irritation under my arms and had to let the hair grow, shaving once in a while. This added to the anxiety of the summer Arizona heat. But it didn’t explain the rash over the rest of my body. I also had a weird concentration of darker pink smaller bumps that came and went around my shoulder line.

I also noticed that my chest area would become darker pink. This was somewhat of a thing that occurred for me in general, just like I would blush easily, my chest was sensitive and would always be red after I was in the sun even if I repeated reapplied sunblock there. But I hadn’t been in the sun for awhile or wearing any jewelry or anything to aggravate it.

I became more and more dehydrated as the rash spread. I was drinking over a gallon of water a day consistently. I had competitions with one of my co-workers virtually to see who could drink a gallon of water faster. I was motivated and desperate to get relief from my skin. I added in Gatorade and Pedialyte to help get electrolytes.

My sleep was disrupted and irregular. I woke up in the night to go to the bathroom frequently because of all the water I was drinking. I drank more in the night and also put regular lotion on my skin to hydrate it. It felt like a never end cycle of misery. I had a ceiling fan and two other fans directed at me. I would use ice packs if I needed to cool down or a spray bottle to mist myself.

The dermatologist prescribed Hydroxyzine to help me sleep, but I experienced brain fog during the days I took it and I would still wake up to go to the bathroom in the night.  I felt like my heart was racing and my anxiety increased. Maybe I was just paranoid, but I have not ever been a big fan of medication unless I really need it. And it wasn’t helping!

Grover’s Disease Diagnosis

Finally after the underwhelming results from the shot in the bum and increased prednisone did absolutely nothing, I had a skin biopsy. The dermatologist was skeptical if it might be psoriasis, but the timing for diagnosing it was not quite right. A piece of my skin was cut off to go to the lab to find out.

“Don’t worry. There are lots of newer medications out there now for psoriais that don’t have too bad of side effects.” The dermatologist said.

Ummm… what?! Wait a minute, lady. “Not TOO bad side effects.” That is not a good answer for me. I am not going on any medication for life.

I had noticed a pattern in my office visits. There was a little conversation and out came the prescription pad, and more medications. I was reading the side effects of the meds. The last strong cream I used that was for psoriasis did help the rash some, but had limits on usage and one possible rare side effect was that it caused glaucoma. I had just had PRK Lasik the year before and I don’t mess around with my eyes. All of these creams and the lack of results made me very uncomfortable.

While I was awaiting my test results I researched how diet and lifestyle changes could help psoriasis. By this time, I had to alter my wardrobe, in July in 110+ Arizona heat to cover my chest. My rash had krept up my neck and was showing. I didn’t want to wear a scarf. I am telling myself for comfort that regardless of the outcome, I am going to learn to be ok with how I look with this rash, practicing self-love and acceptance, or something…

Sunlight can help psoriasis. I researched about diet and lifestyle changes in the handful of days I thought I might have psoriasis. To practice being ok with my seemingly permanent skin rash, I walked across the apartment complex to get the mail in my sports bra on day one. I laid out by the pool in a swimsuit with my rash exposed for 45 minutes on day two. A few days after my diagnosis was out, I learned I didn’t have psoriasis and learned sweating is bad for my condition.

My biopsy came back as Grover’s Disease. I’d never heard of it before. The dermatologist seemed pleased. This is supposedly better than psoriasis although little is known about it and there is no cure.

“Google it,” the Dermatologist tells me as she is explaining my diagnosis. She has seen a few other local people where “It comes and goes.” One of her other Grover’s patients is an avid biker who does not take breaks in the summer, therefore the rash never goes away for him. Great!!

I’m halfway listening at this point because I’m wondering why the heck I would take the time to come here and pay a professional to tell me to “google” something… Especially something that has so little known information available on it.

The dermetologist prescribed me Triamcinolone cream that I can use twice a day for 2 weeks and then take a week off and then 2x a day for 2 weeks… and rinse and repeat… for the rest of my life? And one of the side effects is that it causes skin thinning with long term use. Yeah, I am not ok with this.

Another disturbing thing. This is supposedly a disease for middle-aged and older men!!! I was a 35-year-old woman, healthy and in my prime, how embarrassing and infuriating!

In hindsight, I am grateful that I was able to get a diagnosis for clarity of mind and that my dermatologist was familiar with Grover’s Disease. This is not the case for many. But still there is so little consistency with the answer to how to solve it.

Beyond the Initial Diagnosis: Cilantro Smoothies & How I Started Seeking Natural Solutions

I went home in a daze and decided to try the new prescription Triamcinolone cream. Although I was afraid of glaucoma, skin thinning isn’t quite as bad of a side effect with the new cream so I’ll see if it helps since this is the “right cream” for my condition. I started researching natural remedies and “googling” Grover’s Disease. 

I kept finding the strongest natural cure suggestion is cilantro. I search on facebook and find two Grovers Disease Support groups as well as read some chats on the Mayo Clinic website. At the time in August 2020, there were around 400 people in the group and by January 2024 there are just under 3,000.

After finding the Grover’s Disease Facebook group and reading other stories that people had Grovers for years along with my own experience, I was done with the dermatologist. I believe that she had done all she knew of from her training to help me and I was on my own from here out.

This is kind of scary/overwhelming but exciting at the same time if you view it as an experiment. You are giving yourself permission to be the expert decision make for your own body trusting your instincts

I started making cilantro smoothies. I have a better recipe now but at the time I did half a banana, 3 strawberries, a 1/3 to 1/2 bunch of cilantro, and a juice. I rotated (pineapple, cranberry, orange, etc). I knew it was a lot of sugar to consume regularly, but it was the only way I could suck down that much cilantro. If I skipped the banana or used 2 strawberries instead of 3, it didn’t taste good. I added in the chlorella supplement. I had this religiously for 6 months straight. Cheers!

I started the cilantro smoothies in August, along with using Triamcinolone cream to manage the rash. I was also taking a generic alergy medication which I believe kept me from itching. In September, I decided to cut processed food out of my diet for good and go all in on clean eating.

I considered a suggestion in the group about sulphites in food and start researching what foods this includes. Many if not all preservatives in processed food that may be linked to sulphites.The mask mandate may have been a good thing as I’m talking outloud to my myself and cursing with frustration like a crazy person in the grocery store. What can I eat? I used to be a regular wine drinker and wine even has sulphites in the label!

September 1, 2020, the day I started my diet change with a detox plan I find on Pinterest. I had a veggie burger and tempura fried green beans for my last hurrah from the Habit restaurant. The next morning, I had a vengeful rash above my wrist up to my elbow, the back of my legs, and near my armpit on the front of where my arm and shoulder meet. 

In addition to my diet change detox plans, I  had a critical virtual meeting for my volunteer work mid-afternoon that was particularly stressful. My head was pounding as I discovered my caffeine addiction is a thing and my skin is burning. The rash on my joints was flaring up more. During the meeting, the back of my legs were burning and I had a rash on my whole body at that point. In hindsight, I think the joint rash was from stress since it looked a little different than Grovers and went away within a week while the rest of my Grovers was just slightly improving. 

The emotional ups and downs of my volunteer work were impacting my life and I needed a break. My once trip a year home to the Midwest in 2020 got canceled, with many other things,  I was growing restless. I traveled around the Arizona, up to Flagstaff or Sedona for cooler weather doing some hiking and trying to stay sane as I navigated my skin problems. 

My friend in Denver who is a frequent traveler and I decided to meet midway in Durango, Colorado to explore the Southwest area and the San Juan mountain towns like Ouray, Telluride, and the area along the Million Dollar Highway. 

I took my blender on the trip and maintained my cilantro smoothie regimen. My skin flared up at least once. I was also experiencing a lot of anxiety and paranoia because at the time my whole world and all my efforts revolved around trying to fix my skin. 

I also returned from the trip to appear in a early virtual court hearing for my advocacy work. I had to take a phone call about my court report on the trip as well. Not a relaxing end to a vacation, but I made it work. I signed up for this and it was important to me.

As much as I mediated that year, did yoga, read, wrote down and memorized Bible verses, and prayed, in hindsight I can see how all of these stresses were impacting me. I also learned many others with Grovers experienced the loss of a spouse, friend, or pet around the time of their initial rash flare. Stress seems to be a trigger for me.

Looking back now a few years later, I believe that spread of my Grover’s rash and what I thought were possibly auto immune type reactions to food were partially due to my body detoxing with the cilantro and also stress. Stress is really the only way I can explain many random rashes I have been getting randomly over the years while managing Grovers.

Sometimes it Gets Worse Before it Gets Better… And a Breakthrough.

On Halloween 2020, I watched a scary and gory movie with a co-worker. It was a bit much for me as I don’t handle blood well and I had scary dreams that night. I woke up with a dull pain in my side. I realize I am and have always been an emotionally sensitive person, but am I really that much of a sissie? But the dull pain in my side wasn’t going away so I end up first at Urgent Care and then in the ER where they checked me in for more testing.

Things went from bad to worse in the time I went into the hospital. My symptoms progressed and it turned out I had Walking Pneumonia. Within a half hour of being discharged, I experienced shortness of breath as the morphine wore off. I meditated as we drive first to the wrong pharmacy and then to the right one and the medication helps me, the first day. The next day after my second dose of medication I could feel my body temperature rising and my legs were irritated. Now I have the HIVES.

I still have the Grover’s rash, Walking Pneumonia, and now Hives spreading across my body. I am lucky I didn’t have a fever because the next day, Election Day 2020, I had to get my temperature taken at the entrance to the doctor’s office in order to be seen for an appointment.

The doctor looked quite conflicted and intent as he listened to all my skin problems and reactions and prescribed me a new medication for pneumonia: Doxycycline. This happens to help skin conditions as well. And more prednisone. Maybe I have taken prednisone too many times in life for different rashes but it worked for the hives.

For the few weeks I took this Doxycycline I recovered slowly from pneumonia and my skin improved. When I stopped taking it, much to my dismay, the rash grew again. I missed two days of smoothies when I was at the doctor, but I persisted with the cilantro. Smoothies, cilantro lime dressing, cilantro lime chicken, salads, guacamolie overloaded with cilantro. My skin was slightly improving or staying the same. I wasn’t sure.

Now it was December, I was skeptical of everything that happened that year but dang it, I could either be really afraid of what was out there and stay home indefinitely or I can go on and live my life! I have been single for a while and I deserve to find someone this year. I decided I couldn’t wait until the circumstances were perfect.

My rash was being managed with Triamcinolone cream, I wasn’t sure if it was helping or staying the same. It seemed like it was shrinking the bumps slightly but I wasn’t sure. I slowly reduced how often I used it with the goal to be off of it before the end of the year. I transitioned into using over the counter lotions like Eucerin or CereVe and was able to manage.

After my ER visit, I had started researching more about gut health and started taking a probiotic. I had a hunch that Vitamin D was important but was apprehensive of the quality of supplements at the store.

My friend encouraged me to try dating again. I thought it would be fun to say that I did speed dating during the 2020 pandemic, masks were required. After driving by the location where the event was held, I didn’t like the parking situation so I decided I would just try a dating app. What was the worst that could happen? I could be disappointed and delete the app again.

I had no expectations of what would happen from here, I wasn’t thinking too much about it. I figured that maybe those who were willing to still date in 2020 had something in common and maybe it would be a good thing. My conversation with a handsome dark-haired and brown eyed man named Jorge flowed well on the app, let’s see how it goes on a hike.

Our hike turned into a date #2 on the same day, getting beer at a local brewery. The conversation flowed smoothly. I loved that Jorge practiced gratitude and had a great energy about him. I learned that he has had a previous health issue that led him to research gut health. Jorge mentioned a lot of things that I had only begun to research or have an interest in and knew what he was talking about. Interesting coincidence?

I wasn’t going to mention my skin problems on a first date but I had an understanding that he was a good person and wouldn’t judge me. I wasn’t expecting to have to deal with my skin condition in the context of a new relationships so soon. But, I had peace that night driving away, I had a quiet confidence my life was about to change that I never had before. Amidst my skin situation, I decided I would trust that God had a plan for this.

I went to Sprouts after our date to buy more cilantro and blended up another cilantro smoothie at 10 pm as I texted Jorge confirmation that yes I got home ok. Cheers!

Fast forward to current, Jorge and I have been married for 2 years this month. Jorge moved to Colorado while we were dating and we were long distance for almost 14 months. I completed my Masters degree during this time and transitioned out of my advocacy work in Arizona beore moving. All while planing a wedding and traveling back and forth.

We have navigated the ups and downs of my chronic skin condition naturally without any medicaition. I have not been back to the dermetoligist since August of 2020. We both have a passion for helping others improve thier health.

Jorge developed a program for gut health to solve his struggles with a hyperthyroidism diagnosis. Jorge’s health journey started in 2012. He was 28 when he started getting brain fog, was gaining weight nonstop, his hair was falling out, and he had low energy and anxiety. Jorge did not want to be on medication for life either, so he set out to solve his issues and with his success developed a program to help others. More on Jorge’s story here: Hypothyroidism Success Story.

One of the things I did that made a huge difference with my skin within a few weeks was adding magnesium and minerals to my diet. If you aren’t taking a quality magnesium supplement, you are likely difficient in our current modern diet. I also incorporated a fermented cod liver oil into my regimen as a natural form of Vitamin D and doubled or trippled the amount recomended for awhile.

I continued cleaning up my diet by removing seed oils and focused on foods that help lower inflammation. I took a month to cut dairy and gluten. I also started to focus on foods that would support gut health and skin like bone broth. I started to incorporate juicing into my routine.

I was skeptical at first but now I crave green juice! Greens are good for the skin. I have used juicing to give me a boost if my skin flares and I include cilantro. I will still do a cilantro smoothie during a flare. It seems to help me some but it doesn’t eliminate the condition for me like it does for some.

The brain fog that I didn’t realize I had cleared up and I wasn’t dependent on coffee. I thought some of what I was feeling before was normal but now I see that it was a result of my body being out of balance. Just like a battery, we need electrical charge from minerals to be have energy.

About a year after the initial Grover’s rash started, my skin was clear enough for me to feel confident about buying a new dress that showed my skin at my friend’s wedding in June 2021.

Natural Treatment for Grover’s Disease

May of 2021 I considered myself in remission from Grovers, around a year after the rash began. In the next few years I have occaisional flare ups on my chest, primarily along my bra line in areas where women naturally sweat. Flare ups have happened mostly when I wake up hot at night. I’ve been able to calm them down in a few days to a week for the most part. (This is the comes and goes part?)

The rash was clear from all of my body accept what I refer to as a shadow of the rash on my stomach, in the area where it first started. It didn’t actively itch, but you could see visible dark pink spots where the bumps have been minimized and the dark pink color hasn’t fully gone away. I have many darker freckles on my stomach that are more noticable than the spots.

In September 2021 I got covid and it hit me harder than expected. A few days when my temperature was high I developed a new rash on my whole body that looked similar to Grovers.. It didn’t itch but it felt warm. Apparently this can happen with 1% of covid patients. When my fever came down it went away without a lasting side effect and my chest did not flare up noticiably. It seemed different than Grovers and even when I was sweaty from the fever that didn’t trigger the rash in my chest area the same way as it has been triggered a few times since.

Shortly after having covid, I discovered an elderberry ticture at a local farmers market which helped end my occasional cough that lingered after having covid. I decided to stop taking my alergy medication and use elderberry instead. I had been eating clean consistently for over a year and my monthly cycles were so much better I decided to stop taking ibprofin or other synthetic drugs and leaned on herbal teas, essentail oils to manage it. I didn’t know how long it would last but after I made it several months and then past the year point I no longer look to Western medicine for remedies unless it is a special circumstance.

When I relocated to Colorado in January 2023 I had a flare up the week before my wedding. I did a 5 day green juice cleanse with lots of cilantro and other greens. I was able to calm the rash down within a week, enough that it did not show for our wedding. In 2023 I had a few other smaller flare ups that resolved within a week or less on average.

Most of 2024 my skin was looking the best it had up until end of September. I felt it coming on like my skin felt a burning sensation in my chest before the actual rash appeared. And a few weeks later I could feel a burning on my back before the bump spread in that area. It seemed out of my control.

October of 2024 was a rough month. Instead of getting better, from what I thought was a random flare the last week of September, the flare got worse than I thought it could. My entire upper chest and was burning and stinging like never before. The rash also creeped lower than my belly button under my waistline and my entire back broke out too. It was incredibly itchy and on times it seemed like my chest was on fire! The only thing in this situation that made it not as bad as the original event was peace of mind that I alreay knew what it was and I just needed to adapt my strategies and have faith it would pass.

Looking back now, although it was hard to trace what the trigger was at the time, I now contribute it to stress. While it seems like there are aspects of Grovers that are out of our control in terms of how long it lasts and perhaps when it comes, I think that stress is the the underlying catalyst that triggers this condition in our bodies. It isn’t the root cause, but it’s the defining factor that pushes our body into defense mode.

It doesn’t have to be a traumatic event that triggers Grover’s outbreaks. The chronic stress that comes with dealing with this condition in general affects your whole life in ways that you wouldn’t really think about until you have lived it. A lack of sleep and altered daily functioning in combination with everyday stresses with work, family, and other life situations over weeks, months, and years has a potential to trigger this condition at any time if you don’t continually take active steps to slow down.

Our fast-paced culture makes it appear like you can’t slow down, there’s FOMO or fear of missing out and there is constantly something new people are chasing. If you don’t decide for yourself to slow down and dedicate the time for your wellness and cultivating inner peace as you navigate this, the world will not do it for you.

Conclusion

Everyone wants to be healthy, however many of the modern conveniences we enjoy are actually to our detriment, leading to the epedimic of chronic disease in America. Often, it takeas a life altering health condition or diagnosis to motivate us to change. At first I resisted, and my journey hasn’t been perfect. But after surrending to my new reality, I have a greater why that motivates me to take the extra time to do things that will help me in the long run.

The journey I’ve taken with my skin was a negative experience to start but through time and work on myself, I consider my skin condition to be a blessing beause it has led me to truly appreciate my beauty from within and let go of past judgments and unhealthy habits. Through a lot of researching, experimenting, and learning I’ve made many impactful changes to my diet and lifestyle for the better.

Although I have on occasional flare up of Grover’s rash at times, I have been able to maintain clear skin on my face. I am off any synthetic medications I was previously taking. Birth control, allergy meds, and ibuprofen, and I have been seeking natural ways to heal my body. I never realized that I had brain fog until I made adjustments to my health that eliminated it!

Natural and holistic care for your body is not like taking a pill. It requires addressing the root cause of your ailments which is systemicatic. It requires lifestyle changes, habits, and consistency. It involves perseverance and commitment to be different in a world that is accustomed to quick fixes and instant results.

So here I am, finally stepping out with my story publicly with the hope that it can do at least someone who is struggling with a skin rash, struggling with self-acceptance and worthiness, someone who struggles with perfectionism to be able to let things go.

Read Part 2 where I discuss in more detail what has worked well for maintaining clear skin and keeping Grover’s flares under control.

If you would like to share your skin story with me or be notified of my next post as I share, please email me at leahb018@hotmail.com with the subject line Grovers Blog.

With Hope & Gratitude,

Leah Z