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Child Item

Psoriasis

Sykk

Hey all,

So I have been to around 4 different doctors over a skin condition I've had for around a year. 2 didn't know and 2 said I have psoriasis. It's very annoying, looks bad, and has a chance of spreading...

I have it on some parts of my head and the doctor told me there is no cure for it, it's only containable.

I have done some looking up on the web about cures, and some people say it's not cureable, some say it is. I have yet to go to a dermatolisist (I've one booked) or a chinese herbalist.

Does anyone else have this skin problem? If so what are you taking for it? And does anyone know if it's actually cureable or not.

Thanks in advance.

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Orlacmx

Thanks Wonga I will try and get that today! Very fast reply. Cheers. Orla

rubadub

Orlacmx wrote: »

I know for a FACT my scalp gets a lot more itchy when I drink BEER and especially Guinness. That is a definite! Very itchy now and had 2 cans of Guinness hours ago. Scratching all night! It can start after first pint or be extremely itchy all the next day. It MUST be the yeast in it.

Guinness is filtered so does not have much yeast in it, its a common misconception. Yeast is a solid substance so if its in a beer in a decent amount you will see sediment settled at the bottom of the bottle, or in the case of draught beer in pubs it will be cloudy. If you brew beer you will know that a spec of yeast in it will make it a little cloudy, far more yeast in a tiny bit of bread.

I fully believe the beer does have an effect on you, just maybe not the yeast or you would be ruined eating bread or other things. I find staying well hydrated when drinking alcohol helps.

Orlacmx wrote: »

Doc gave me shampoo for seborrhoeic dermatitis the other day even though I TOLD HER it was scalp psoriasis

Many of these treatments will be used for various similar conditions, like eczema etc.

Orlacmx wrote: »

Was told apple cider vinegar could work but in another survey told to keep away from it as has yeasty ingredients so afraid it will make scalp worse!

Most apple cider vinegar in supermarkets is clear with no sediment in the bottle so again only bare traces of yeast in it.

Gael23

Rubadub is correct that the same medications are prescribed for various different conditions. I use Stieprox and Bettamousse on my scalp although to be honest In don't find it a huge help.
I'm dot at my best at the moment but then considering the amount of stress I have endured the past 3 weeks it's a wonder I don't have a full blown flare up. It's OT to post here but a whole back I posted that my GP had left, well soon after things changed and I had to leave the practice entirely so as regards my Psoriasis I now have to start from scratch with someone else. Added to that I've been dealing with some other health issues so I guess i could be doing worse considering!

orlaxxx

Just wondering. .. to treat my psoraisis I am using dovobet which clears it up completely! However there is white patches on the skin after I use it!

Could anyone tell me why this is?

Mountainsandh

I'd only be guessing but I think maybe the melamine in those spots hasn't had time to catch up, since the skin kept renewing itself ? Or maybe the thickness of the patches kept the sun from reaching the layer of skin where the melamine is ?

I bet you with time it would catch up.

I've had the white patches after UVB therapy and PUVA therapy. Unfortunately, I can't tell you if they do go away, because my psoriasis always came back fairly rapidly, and I forget. They must have been less noticeable, or I maybe I was too happy to notice, because after a few weeks I don't remember having them. I have pretty sallow skin since I'm French, if your skin is on the darker side too, I guess it's more noticeable.

My psoriasis usually starts to come back around 4/6 weeks after treatment. It comes back gradually. But I have it a long time and mine is pretty widespread, hopefully for you the progress is longer lasting or even definite. Best of luck !

huskerdu

The white patches are probably skin that has not tanned as much as the rest of your skin. Not sure why, maybe a very new layer of skin.

I had a flareup 10 years ago. I had a patch on my leg which was about 6 cm diameter. I was treated with anthrolin in the skin hospital for 6 weeks and it only partly worked. I treated that patch with coal tar twice a day and it took 4 months for it to go away. As soon as it was clear that patch developed loads of freckles. ( I have very pale freckly skin). Even 10 years later, I have this noticeable circle of freckles on my leg. Its a bit mad, but its not psoriasis, so I'm not complaining.

Mountainsandh

I read a bit about calcipotriol last night after posting this, and it acts like Vitamin D or something, it's very complicated and I didn't really understand it all, but I'm sure it has an influence on how receptive skin is to the sun when calcipotriol has been applied. Well, that's actually stated in the side effects too, they say skin could be over sensitive to sunlight, and changes in pigmentation are a rare side effect. Not so rare it seems !

So I'm not sure, but I think it tells your body to stop processing sunlight with vitamin D or something (for the time you are applying it).

See if you can make sense of the wiki, you might get a better understanding than me : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcipotriol

Gael23

Calcipotriol works by reducing the amount of times the skin cells multiply, thus reducing the scaly patches we get. I understand its basically a synthetic vitamin D. Both Dovobet and Dovonex contain it but Dovobet also has a steroid to reduce the inflammation.
I would never use any creams in sunlight because in my experience, sunlight is the bext treatment of allso I just let it do its thing!

Gael23

I have been going through some stress the last while and have definately noticed my skin has not been as calm. I have increased the Dovobet like im supposed to during a flare up so that helps but still im not as good as I have been.
My year on the Protopic is almost up so when my exams are done I am going to go about seeing a Dermatologist again. I need to get things sorted with the Protopic and without the GP that helped me through getting on this plan I feel I need to see a specialist for myself, to sort of give me the confidence to deal with this on my own in a way.

grumpydwarf

I take methotrexate for my psoriasis 25mg a week, which I started in October; I have exams this week and one of the side effects from the methotrexate is my short term recall is not very good, so I didn't take my methotrexate last Thursday - I'm in agony! It's only one dose, should I be in this much pain?? I need my brain cells this week to past my exams

Chattastrophe!

Just wondering how much people find diet helps, or does it have any effect at all?

I read the Pagano book a few years back and tried the diet (mostly involved avoiding wheat and nightshades, i.e. tomatoes, peppers etc.) At the time, it didn't seem to help at all, however my psoriasis was extremely severe then, and I was under a lot of stress as well.

A lot of people swear by that diet ... I'd probably be willing to try cutting out wheat, but I'd find it a pain in the arse to cut out nightshades, I'm trying to eat healthily and I find tomato-based sauces with loads of veg (including peppers!) are the quickest and easiest to make from scratch.

At times when my psoriasis cleared up 100% and stayed like that for several months (when I was pregnant, and following UV therapy), I was still eating wheat and nightshades all the time, and it didn't seem to make it come back any quicker.

I'm starting another course of UV therapy today, my psoriasis is only moderate at the moment, but it's a preventative measure really. I could live with it as it is now, but I know how bad it can get, and I never ever want to let it get that severe again. However the only reason this is an option to me is because I'm on maternity leave, I wouldn't be able to get it done when I'm working again. So I'm really hoping that, once I get it clear, I can keep it clear for as long as possible, as UV therapy seems to be the only thing that works for me (well, that and pregnancy!) and there's no way that either of those will be an option in the next few years. So basically, if that means really drastic changes to my diet, that's what I'll do ... if I thought it would work ... so I'd be interested in peoples thoughts about the Pagano diet or other diets?

By the way, I'd recommend Dr Nicholas Walsh for anyone going privately in Dublin. I saw him the other day, and while it was expensive, at least I felt like he took my opinions and wishes into account, and he really took his time and was very friendly and easy to talk to.

My previous dermatologist in Sligo actually had a reputation for being horrible - as my GP said at the time, when she was referring me, "He is a horrible nasty arrogant little man, but he's the only one I can get you an appointment with in the next couple of days, so we'll just have to go with him." I'm sure anyone who's ever attended him will know exactly who I'm talking about!

Gael23

I have never tried changing anything in my diet and I am not really convinced that makes a difference but some people believe the Pagano diet does help.
I never tried UV therapy either and am not really in a position to at the minute either.
Will be looking to see a Dermatologist in the near future. My GP who was a massive support to me moved away and without him i feel I need specialist advice. Anyway, I think he was going to refer me soon because of the risk associated with Protopic

Budawanny

made some changes in my life.
18 months ago i gave up my long running Nicotine habit.
5 months ago i changed my diet to include 125g blueberries 5 days a week.
and 1 head of raw red cabbage per week.

I have been in complete remission for the last 4 months for the first time in
my life. (im 38 and have had this since i was 9 years old).

my life has changed. i can go to swimming pools. i have learned to swim. i can walk around in shorts and not give a damn. i sleep better. i dont itch and scratch and leave a flakey mess after me.

Please dont take this as a declaration of a cure or anything. there isnt one for us. but maybe there is an action here that people can take that may help them. Do please try it out. worst case scenario is you improve your general health anyway.

interstellar

I believe your comments re your dermatologist in Sligo are highly inappropriate. I have attended there and found them to to be highly professional, competent kind and considerate.If your quote from your gp is accurate then they could be referred to the medical council for slander.

QUOTE=Chattastrophe!;90411622]Just wondering how much people find diet helps, or does it have any effect at all?

I read the Pagano book a few years back and tried the diet (mostly involved avoiding wheat and nightshades, i.e. tomatoes, peppers etc.) At the time, it didn't seem to help at all, however my psoriasis was extremely severe then, and I was under a lot of stress as well.

A lot of people swear by that diet ... I'd probably be willing to try cutting out wheat, but I'd find it a pain in the arse to cut out nightshades, I'm trying to eat healthily and I find tomato-based sauces with loads of veg (including peppers!) are the quickest and easiest to make from scratch.

At times when my psoriasis cleared up 100% and stayed like that for several months (when I was pregnant, and following UV therapy), I was still eating wheat and nightshades all the time, and it didn't seem to make it come back any quicker.

I'm starting another course of UV therapy today, my psoriasis is only moderate at the moment, but it's a preventative measure really. I could live with it as it is now, but I know how bad it can get, and I never ever want to let it get that severe again. However the only reason this is an option to me is because I'm on maternity leave, I wouldn't be able to get it done when I'm working again. So I'm really hoping that, once I get it clear, I can keep it clear for as long as possible, as UV therapy seems to be the only thing that works for me (well, that and pregnancy!) and there's no way that either of those will be an option in the next few years. So basically, if that means really drastic changes to my diet, that's what I'll do ... if I thought it would work ... so I'd be interested in peoples thoughts about the Pagano diet or other diets?

By the way, I'd recommend Dr Nicholas Walsh for anyone going privately in Dublin. I saw him the other day, and while it was expensive, at least I felt like he took my opinions and wishes into account, and he really took his time and was very friendly and easy to talk to.

My previous dermatologist in Sligo actually had a reputation for being horrible - as my GP said at the time, when she was referring me, "He is a horrible nasty arrogant little man, but he's the only one I can get you an appointment with in the next couple of days, so we'll just have to go with him." I'm sure anyone who's ever attended him will know exactly who I'm talking about![/QUOTE]

Mountainsandh

I don't think diet is the answer.

I've tried dropping dairy out of mine once, made no difference whatsoever.
I don't notice flares or lack thereof linked to diet changes, apart from alcohol consumption (I don't usually drink, so when I have a few, I get a very obvious flare up after). Maybe I just haven't connected the dots between types of food and flares.

Imo the diet changes are mostly reactions to inflammation, so yes, if an ingredient tends to start up inflammation in your system, it will follow that your psoriasis will flare. That's as far as it goes in my opinion.

Although I must say an avocado a day greatly improves my skin condition, so yes, to an extent, you can improve the symptoms or get comfort from certain types of food.

No clearing though.

sligoface

You have to be pretty strict with the diet for quite a while. Three months according to the Pagano book. It's not just avoiding a few things, either. Sugar, wheat, processed meat, alcohol, nightshades (which includes potatoes), all sodas, sugary drinks, all fried food must be cut out. Dairy kept to a minimum. Coffee must be black and decaf and just 1-2 cups per day.

I'm not going to say I believe diet will cure everyone, but I have to say that when people say diet made no difference, I have major doubts that they followed the diet properly for a long enough time. It's very hard to do. I couldn't do it. Though willpower is not my strong suit!

Not many people in Ireland are going to give up all of these things: milk and sugar in their tea/coffee, pizza, chips, pints, bread, cheese, pasta, curry, tomato sauce and ketchup, coke/7up/lucozade etc, crisps, ham, bacon, sausages. I got hungry just typing that list!

It means you basically have to eat just fruit and veg all the time, which is boring and takes more effort and is often more expensive. While psoriasis makes us miserable, having to give up so much of the food we like is miserable too. And most, like myself, will give up because the healing does not come fast enough and we'll quickly get sick of having psoriasis AND not being able to have a takeaway or a fry, or even a freakin sandwich and a traditional Irish cup of tea.

Chattastrophe!

interstellar wrote: »

I believe your comments re your dermatologist in Sligo are highly inappropriate. I have attended there and found them to to be highly professional, competent kind and considerate.If your quote from your gp is accurate then they could be referred to the medical council for slander.

How would you know which one I attended?

How would you know if you had attended the same one?

The quote from my GP was absolutely accurate, and I'm very grateful to her for warning me in advance of what to expect.

GreeBo

I'm a week into using salcura zeoderm on a patch on my scalp, back and ear.
Really happy, scalp pretty much gone, ear totally gone back much better.
It's expensive, 20 for 100ml bit really seems to work.
Might be worth a try for someone.
zeoderm

Gael23

Im not convinced of the relationship with diet either although there are a lot of different opinions on that.
Will be looking for a Dermatologist soon too. My GP felt that we are coming to the point where a specialist opinion is needed. There is no Dermatologist in Waterford at the minute so will probably have to be Dublin or Cork.

Call Me Jimmy

GreeBo wrote: »

I'm a week into using salcura zeoderm on a patch on my scalp, back and ear.
Really happy, scalp pretty much gone, ear totally gone back much better.
It's expensive, 20 for 100ml bit really seems to work.
Might be worth a try for someone.
zeoderm

Using the moisturiser or wash?

Volcanic zeolite? I'll have to read up about it.

Mountainsandh

Just had a quick skim over the wiki : alcaline, silica, non clumping cat litter, porous, chemically easy ion exchange/modifications, hemostatic, potassium, clays.

interstellar

Chattastrophe! wrote: »

How would you know which one I attended? How would you know if you had attended the same one?

The quote from my GP was absolutely accurate, and I'm very grateful to her for warning me in advance of what to expect.

Maybe if you had a less aggressive attitude it might go some way to improve your psoriasis!

GreeBo

Call Me Jimmy wrote: »

Using the moisturiser or wash?

Volcanic zeolite? I'll have to read up about it.

Moisturiser...it's greasy but absorbs well

Call Me Jimmy

And so then what do ye wash with?

I always think of stuff ye wash with as potentially the most important, but I suppose once it's 'sensitive' it doesn't make too much difference. A form of soap?

Mine is on my face so its not a case of me being able to just lather up any ould soap ye know?

michael999999

Call Me Jimmy wrote: »

And so then what do ye wash with?

I always think of stuff ye wash with as potentially the most important, but I suppose once it's 'sensitive' it doesn't make too much difference. A form of soap?

Mine is on my face so its not a case of me being able to just lather up any ould soap ye know?

Elave bodywash

sam34

interstellar wrote: »

Maybe if you had a less aggressive attitude it might go some way to improve your psoriasis!

Leave out the personal digs please.

Gael23

Call Me Jimmy wrote: »

And so then what do ye wash with?

I always think of stuff ye wash with as potentially the most important, but I suppose once it's 'sensitive' it doesn't make too much difference. A form of soap?

Mine is on my face so its not a case of me being able to just lather up any ould soap ye know?

Think I may have said this before but I was told to use emulsifying ointment. I don't that often though because its as thick as candle wax so its annoying.
Apparently its supposed to replace the lipid layer that psoriasis destroys

huskerdu

ryanf1 wrote: »

Think I may have said this before but I was told to use emulsifying ointment. I don't that often though because its as thick as candle wax so its annoying.
Apparently its supposed to replace the lipid layer that psoriasis destroys

Silcocks Base is a really good soap substitute. Emulsifying ointment is great dissolved into a bath, but I agree that its not really a good soap substitute.

GreeBo

Call Me Jimmy wrote: »

And so then what do ye wash with?

I always think of stuff ye wash with as potentially the most important, but I suppose once it's 'sensitive' it doesn't make too much difference. A form of soap?

Mine is on my face so its not a case of me being able to just lather up any ould soap ye know?

I just use a regular "sensitive" shower gel (being a bald ass!)

rubadub

Boots had big tubs of silcocks base and all sorts of other big tubs of various creams fairly cheap. I know regular chemists can have these out the back but I prefer to be able to browse and check prices without having to ask, also you can compare stuff side by side easier.

This was boots in the newish park pointe shopping centre in glenegeary dublin. I had a €5 voucher off a spend of €25, so people might have one that came in the door, think it expires in a few days.

Got my boots castor oil nappy baby cream again, can't recommend it enough.