Psoriasis

Zombienosh wrote: »

It does work no doubt but I use it only when I have to... I was afraid of using it due to the side effect talk about it, but steroid creams are no better tbh.

I find the Protopic makes me very sensitive to heat the day after I apply it.

Protopic is to be used in small measures but my understanding is it works differently to things such as dovobet and is safer. I use it twice a week on my face and the results are great!

lemeister

Call Me Jimmy wrote: »

Can I ask where you get your aloe vera gel? I find it hard to find pure aloe vera gel. Thanks

You can always buy an aloe vera plant and extract the gel feom the stems quiet easily. The plant itself is very hardy and will get fairly big if you give it plenty of light and a big container.

brevity

This protopic, is it available over the counter or by prescription?

I think it's prescription that's how I got it.

lemeister wrote: »

You can always buy an aloe vera plant and extract the gel feom the stems quiet easily. The plant itself is very hardy and will get fairly big if you give it plenty of light and a big container.

Yes but how much is an average aloe vera plant and how much gel would it give?

Supraman

Used a few stand up sunbeds before my wedding recently . Would have had light patches on stomach and heavier on knees and elbows . Not particularly scaly but definitely more noticeable and something id have been conscious about .

The few sessions really helped . That was two months ago . Only in last couple of days has my stomach started to slightly flare up again .

Obviously there is potentially other issues with sunbeds but it worked for me at the time .

used dovabet up to that with some degree of success but it seemed dovabet would never clear it and just make it less noticeable .

That reminds me, Does anyone here use sunbeds on a regular basis for help with skin?
It's something I've been thinking about doing, also the less pale you are the less the redness will show.

huskerdu

Zombienosh wrote: »

That reminds me, Does anyone here use sunbeds on a regular basis for help with skin?
It's something I've been thinking about doing, also the less pale you are the less the redness will show.

No,. tanning beds are unsuitable and potentially dangerous.

If you are going to consider home phototherapy, please read the following and educate yourself first.

http://www.psoriasis.org/about-psoriasis/treatments/statement-on-tanning-beds

I've had photo therapy before, and I've wondered about the differences between tanning beds and the photo therapy...

Is the only issue with tanning beds that they potentially carcinogenic? ......because that wouldn't worry me

mighty magpie

Zombienosh wrote: »

That reminds me, Does anyone here use sunbeds on a regular basis for help with skin?
It's something I've been thinking about doing, also the less pale you are the less the redness will show.

About 15 months ago I used the stand up sunbeds 3 times a week for 6 weeks in the hospital. Started off at 30 seconds and increased 10-15% each time. Worked wonders apart from a few stubborn bits on my elbow/shin. It has came back slightly now but nothing like before.

I used to suffer around my scalp but now i keep my hair shorter.
I've also lost a bit of weight since and kept up the gym regulary. I think i read somewhere of a correlation between body fat and psoriasis. I think the sweat from exercise, especially around my scalp has also helped the dryness.

I would highly recommend Nutrogena T-Gel shampoo also. Ran out of it for a few weeks and i noticed it coming back on my scalp.

If it gets any worse I will see my GP about another session of the sun beds.

I will probably do another session of photo therapy, it's usually 12-16 weeks I think. I just though small doses of tan beds the rest of the year might help.

huskerdu

Zombienosh wrote: »

I've had photo therapy before, and I've wondered about the differences between tanning beds and the photo therapy...

Is the only issue with tanning beds that they potentially carcinogenic? ......because that wouldn't worry me

UVA light is potentially carcinogenic and mostly ineffective against psoriasis
UVB light is effective against psoriasis.

If you are using a tanning bed with mostly UVA, its dangerous and useless.

Ah ok, I've no experience with commercial tanning beds, I assumed they were all UVB.

Sunbeds do more harm than good. Phototherapy does work, I know people who have great success with it. But it involves making a commitment to a course of treatment a few times a week. I'm away at college all week so I cant do that at the moment but its something I would consider in the future

Yeah When I went before it was 3 times a week before work, so early starts.

mighty magpie

My sessions were all hospital sessions with proper UVB. sessions were all 8.30 am so was in work shortly after 9!

No experience with normal tanning beds!

Mountainsandh

They work brilliant. Such a shame it's 3 times a week, and in my case anyway, a minimum of 8 weeks (more like 10/12 since like the nurses said, the course is a bit pointless if you're left with some patches). When you don't live near a hospital, it's totally unworkable, and justifying leave for a cosmetic treatment with an employer is a bit delicate.

PUVA was even more spectacular, and supposedly quicker, but for me again, after 8 weeks I would have needed more, and just couldn't take the 3 mornings a week for another 2 to 4 weeks.
That's the one where you take a psoralen treatment (tablets) to sensitise your skin before the sessions, and then you get the UVA treatment (in stand up cabin, same as UVBs).
Because the psoralen also makes your eyes vulnerable to sunlight, you have to wear sunglasses for most of the day you're getting the treatment.

My job is indoors, and very public, so I looked like an idiot with my shades indoors every second day

.

In my case the psoriasis usually starts to come back within 2/3 months, little by little, and by month 4/5 I'm back to square one.

There's a very definite number of UVA/UVB treatments allowed for a person for life, to stay on the safe side. My GP told me but I can't remember. It's good to know so you can save them for important times, like before your wedding, etc...

Forgot to say, I loooved the treatments, the feeling of heat and light, what a great way to start the day.

huskerdu

Mountainsandh wrote: »

There's a very definite number of UVA/UVB treatments allowed for a person for life, to stay on the safe side. My GP told me but I can't remember. It's good to know so you can save them for important times, like before your wedding, etc...

I was told a maximum of 10 courses of treatment over your lifetime but that was only for UVB, we didnt discuss PUVA.
Luckily, I have not had a major flare up in a few years.

You are also right, that is is so much easier for those of us who live close to a hospital that offers the treatment.

I was in and out of Vincents and back at my desk at work in less than an hour.
No-one, except my boss knew anything.

It used to be great when they were still at Hume St. So handy if your working in town.

Chrisita

I buy a very high quality, edible standard of aloe vera gel from iherb online, which I store in a fridge,once opened. It is for use in my work ,so don't have the brand name at hand. It is much purer than anything I was able to purchase locally.

When you get a chance can you post the name? Very interested in getting a better quality gel, cheers!

Chrisita

It is called Lily of the desert.

EDIT: Okay ordered the lily of the desert aloe vera gel from iherb.com. It's edible so that is a good sign of the quality in my opinion and I think it'll help my skin, cheers for the shout!

rubadub

Zombienosh wrote: »

I've had photo therapy before, and I've wondered about the differences between tanning beds and the photo therapy...

Is the only issue with tanning beds that they potentially carcinogenic? ......because that wouldn't worry me

I use a UVB narrowband light. This light only emits light in a very tight range which works well on the psoriasis. If I went out sunbathing I would get light in that same narrow range, but also I am unnecessarily bombarded with loads of other wavelengths, all of which carry a cancer risk, including the one I really want.

You could think of it was sort of similar to vaccines going to foreign countries. If you tell the doctor I am going to the amazon jungle you might get 1 specific shot, and possibly suffer some side effects, thats the narrowband UVB. With the sunlight its more taking every single vaccine they have on offer, and unnecessarily suffering loads of side effects.

I also use phototherapy in my nose for hayfever, it uses a different specific wavelength.

KwackerJack

rubadub wrote: »

I use a UVB narrowband light. This light only emits light in a very tight range which works well on the psoriasis. If I went out sunbathing I would get light in that same narrow range, but also I am unnecessarily bombarded with loads of other wavelengths, all of which carry a cancer risk, including the one I really want.

You could think of it was sort of similar to vaccines going to foreign countries. If you tell the doctor I am going to the amazon jungle you might get 1 specific shot, and possibly suffer some side effects, thats the narrowband UVB. With the sunlight its more taking every single vaccine they have on offer, and unnecessarily suffering loads of side effects.

I also use phototherapy in my nose for hayfever, it uses a different specific wavelength.

I am looking at getting one of the UVB lights myself but there is so many online its hard to know whats reliable and whats not.

I went to the doctors today because I was just so afraid of getting an infection as those folds of skin are breeding grounds for infections.
He said it is not psoriasis but more a dermatitis exacerbated by the skin rubbing together. He told me to use dacktacort cream for a week or so but interestingly he said to use emulsifying ointment instead of body wash in that area so as to avoid the natural oils being stripped away
Will give it a go for a few weeks and see what happens

Any emulsifying ointment in particular?