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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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ush

rubadub wrote: »

there seems to be nowhere near the risk of the UVB, which could give bad sunburn to a new spot in just 60seconds. This one has a built in 30min timer anway, and turns itself off.

I was reading studies, it seemed the acne wavelength of light was effective but the 453nm was more effective. There was talk of the acne one been possibly damaging if treated for too long a time and the 453nm was less damaging. I am not sure of what the damage is.

They tell you what intensity of light should be used too.

I have seen 3W LEDs online of htat wavelength, this is 1/5th the power of the phillips. These can be powered with a old phone charger so I will just but 1 and see if it works for me. The philips has a higher amount of LEDs widely spread out.

The LEDs are cheap, it would be nice to have them all wired separately and be able to strap them onto all your patches and treat all at once. This would require a special power supply etc.

Was there an episode of MacGyver where he treated psoriasis?

fionny

Does anyone know how much Phototherapy in a private clinic costs? My ****e health insurance doesnt cover it...not sure do any... and before I waste my time going to a consultant dermo who will likely recommend phototherapy I want to know if I can afford it privately or not.

PS did anyone every get it covered on health insurance? Laya do NOT cover it on my policy anyway... Glo who I have an option of moving to couldnt say over the phone without a code.

Gael23

fionny wrote: »

Does anyone know how much Phototherapy in a private clinic costs? My ****e health insurance doesnt cover it...not sure do any... and before I waste my time going to a consultant dermo who will likely recommend phototherapy I want to know if I can afford it privately or not.

PS did anyone every get it covered on health insurance? Laya do NOT cover it on my policy anyway... Glo who I have an option of moving to couldnt say over the phone without a code.

My advice is go privately to a consultant in a public hospital. Then you get referred to the public system for treatment. Im not aware of any private hospitals offering phototherapy anyway

fionny

The Lee Clinic in Cork and the Bons both do phototherapy privately in Cork... I was told that there is a long long long long long waiting list for phototherapy through the public system.

Also it seems GloHealth do cover phototherapy.

Gael23

fionny wrote: »

The Lee Clinic in Cork and the Bons both do phototherapy privately in Cork... I was told that there is a long long long long long waiting list for phototherapy through the public system.

.

I dintt know there was a clinic in Cork. I have VHI cover but in Vincents theres no divide when it comes to phototherapy and I think I was waiting 8 or 9 weeks between seeing the consultant and starting treatment

fionny

Gael23 wrote: »

I dintt know there was a clinic in Cork. I have VHI cover but in Vincents theres no divide when it comes to phototherapy and I think I was waiting 8 or 9 weeks between seeing the consultant and starting treatment

Turns out GLO health covers the treatment in full anyway so I am moving onto my wifes corporate policy and cancelling my works corporate one

rubadub

Do any dermatologists have the small UVB units themselves? some people are not supposed to respond to UVB and so you would think they would test it on patients before going to the bother of organising full on hospital phototherapy.

I see a large unit on adverts now, however it is not narrowband UVB bulbs so I would not get it.

http://www.adverts.ie/healthcare/uvb-psoriasis-canppy/9110092

there is another smaller one which is also not narrowband uvb

http://www.adverts.ie/other-health-beauty/uv-sagin-light-for-dermatological-disorders-psoriasis/8839649

Ronney

fionny wrote: »

Does anyone know how much Phototherapy in a private clinic costs? My ****e health insurance doesnt cover it...not sure do any... and before I waste my time going to a consultant dermo who will likely recommend phototherapy I want to know if I can afford it privately or not.

PS did anyone every get it covered on health insurance? Laya do NOT cover it on my policy anyway... Glo who I have an option of moving to couldnt say over the phone without a code.

Think its about a Grand in Blackrock Clinic

fionny

My doctor while im waiting for the consultant gave me a new script more dovobet which never quite clears the psoriasis but also dithrocream... its definatly harsher stuff but after just 3 days I can see an improvement already.

rubadub

Zombienosh wrote: »

Are bleach baths recommend for psoriasis? I know they are for eczema and helping keep the bacteria count down. I use them when I have flare ups and I think they really help, especially if there is any broken skin or risk of infection. I use Milton in the bath combined with emulsifying ointment.

Do you still do bleach baths? or anybody else? (bleach being sodium hypochlorite)

I have no bath so was wondering about using a slightly stronger solution for a shorter time just before having a shower. I was reading how it certainly helped eczema and some others found it benefited psoriasis.

Most say half a cup of bleach to a bath of water. These would be US sites and bleach there is typically 5-6%. Some bleach here is less, tesco value thin bleach is only 1.5%, it should state it on the bottle. Milton is also weaker, their website currently says 2%, other sources said 1%, it should be on the bottle.

Most sites are saying the bleach bath should be 0.005%. This would mean 100ml of 5% bleach diluted up to 100L of water.
(100ml up to 1L would be 0.5%, 100ml diluted up to 10L would be 0.05%.)

On wikipedia it says

Treatment of gingivitis

Diluted sodium hypochlorite at a rate of 2000–1 (0.05% concentration) may represent an efficacious, safe and affordable antimicrobial agent in the prevention and treatment of periodontal disease

So this is 10 times stronger than the bleach bath and intended as a mouth rinse which is guess is momentarily so this is possibly the concentration I could use before a shower. Some sites say up to 0.25% as a mouthwash for 45-60seconds. One study was 0.25% for 5mins.

Another study was comparing hand sanitizing solutions and they used 0.05% solutions, this study was concerned about dermatitis from hand santitizers. So I think the 0.05% is the one to try if quickly washing it off after. I would only use thin bleach or milton, not stuff with thickeners etc added.

EDIT:
found sites talking of "Dakin's solution", which is named after a chemist and for disinfecting wounds. It is 0.5% or they have "Dakin's half" which is 0.25%. It also contains sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)

Some commercial ones say to get a wound and apply a dressing and the solution is used to moisten the dressing which stays on all day. I would still start out with a weaker one and see if there is any bad reaction.

http://www.dakins.net/fullstrength.html

Century Pharmaceuticals exists to provide solutions
to your acute and chronic wound care problems, by offering Dakin's Full Strength® (0.500%).

Directions: Pour on or apply to affected area. For wound management, use as an irrigant, cleanser, or the wetting agent for a wet-to-moist dressing. Apply once daily for lightly to moderately exudative wounds. Apply twice daily for heavily exudative or highly contaminated wounds. Protect surrounding intact skin with a moisture barrier ointment or skin sealant as needed.

Zombienosh

I use bottles of Milton, and measure using the cap for the bottle, This is how they did it at the dermatologists also. up to 3 cap fulls of Milton per bath. don't know how you would do this without a bath tbh.

Gael23

I don't think using ordinary bleach would end very well. Milton would be a lot safer if you really want to do it

Lady is a tramp

fionny wrote: »

Does anyone know how much Phototherapy in a private clinic costs? My ****e health insurance doesnt cover it...not sure do any... and before I waste my time going to a consultant dermo who will likely recommend phototherapy I want to know if I can afford it privately or not.

Gael23 wrote: »

My advice is go privately to a consultant in a public hospital. Then you get referred to the public system for treatment. Im not aware of any private hospitals offering phototherapy anyway

Blackrock clinic do phototherapy BUT there use a loophole ... they do it through the physiotherapy clinic there. I'm not sure how they get away with it, but that's how I got it done last time I went there (a couple of years back) ... my VHI covered twelve physiotherapy sessions a year, so it covered the first four weeks, and I think it cost €25 per session after that (I only did three more sessions, so not so bad.) So I just sent the physiotherapy receipts for the twelve sessions to VHI, got the money back no questions asked. Worth looking into!

(Though I'm not sure if they still do it.

wonga77

What benefits would there be from a bleach bath for your average sufferer? Never heard of it before

Mountainsandh

Me neither. I get pretty inflamed with chlorine in pools, so I think in my case it would be totally counterproductive. I could see a use for it if the skin has lots of lesions due to psoriasis alright, like when my hands get really bad, I do feel very exposed to infection with lots of raw cracks.

Maybe I'd go the salt route rather than bleach. I used to love bathing with dead sea salts, brilliant soothing, and I'd guess just as antibacterial as bleach in the right concentration ? But more expensive (that's why I haven't bought them in a while).

fionny

I was given dithrocream from my gp to use alongside the dovobet as dovobet was controlling things but not improving... the dithrocream is a little harder on the skin and you need to make sure you wash it off but after only 3 weeks im seeing a very notable difference in my skin... its returning to a lighter colours and not thickening up etc...

I believe its one of the "older" school of psoriasis treatments and as it says on the notes it does feel like you have sunburn afterwards some times but I can live with that shortterm if it clears my skin!

Lady is a tramp

Thought I'd just mention, I used Dovobet years ago (both the cream and the ointment) and was totally put off it. It was sooo messy, so very difficult to maintain a routine of putting it on. And, while it got rid of the psoriasis, the minute I stopped using it, the psoriasis returned.

I gave it a go again recently. It now comes in a gel, which seems to absorb almost instantly and I found it very very easy to use. It cleared up my psoriasis within a week, and - while I planned to phase it out gradually - I actually just ended up stopping it immediately once the psoriasis was gone, and it didn't come back!

(It has since returned, but that's due to all sorts of other complicated factors!)

So just for anyone who's written off Dovobet due to past experiences, it might be worth giving it another go if you haven't tried the gel!

ibarelycare

Can you get Dovobet over the counter?

Gael23

No Dovobet is only on prescription.
I used it for 11 years, the ointment wasn't messy at all. You just need to wash your hands after.
It does work but the effects are short lived, it will return within days of stopping applying the ointment.

Lady is a tramp

ibarelycare wrote: »

Can you get Dovobet over the counter?

No and a lot of GPs are very reluctant to prescribe it, as it does thin the skin with prolonged use, it should never be used for more than a couple of months. It does work though. It's very expensive!

sheep?

Gael23 wrote: »

No Dovobet is only on prescription.
I used it for 11 years, the ointment wasn't messy at all. You just need to wash your hands after.
It does work but the effects are short lived, it will return within days of stopping applying the ointment.

Not if there's Psoriasis on your hands.

I've been using Dovobet/Dovonex for yonks at this stage. The ointment is messy, but I always felt it was more effective than cream. I tried the gel and it didn't feel as effective either.

To be honest, I'm getting pissed off with the meds at this stage. Have an appointment with dermatologist at the end of the month to talk about it all.

ibarelycare

Lady is a tramp wrote: »

No and a lot of GPs are very reluctant to prescribe it, as it does thin the skin with prolonged use, it should never be used for more than a couple of months. It does work though. It's very expensive!

I used to use Diprosalic Ointment which was by far the most effective thing I've ever used for my psoriasis but it seems like they discontinued it (or at least stopped selling it in Ireland) a few years ago. My doctor told me it was because of the thinning of the skin. I had been advised to only use it every so often but because it was so effective I used it loads

My psoriasis is generally under control these days (due to medication I'm on for psoriatic arthritis) but I do get the occasional flare-up. Unfortunately I'm having one at the moment on my face

It's on my forehead and a few very small patches elsewhere. I'm using Diprobase, which I find decent enough, and I'm gently exfoliating the areas every second day.

Lady is a tramp

Phototherapy is what gets best results for most people, but it's just too expensive and not practical for most people.

Ordinary sunbeds are the other option. Cheap, convenient, however we all know the risks of skin cancer.

It's a case of weighing up the benefits against the risks. My own GP, who specialises in dermatology, is grand with me using sunbeds a couple of times a week for a couple of months at a go (once a year, and provided I don't also go on a sun holiday that year.)

I've had the same discussion with other GPs and they feel similar - once you're aware of the risks of sunbeds, and keep it to reasonable exposure, it works and is the best solution for a lot of patients where the psoriasis is widespread.

Lady is a tramp

IBC can I ask how your psoriatic arthritis started? I've suddenly gotten cracking and pain, very regularly, in two fingers on my left hand following an injury to my wrist. I'm really hoping it's not the start of arthritis.

They're not visibly injured and I can move them fine. (I'm with my GP in a few days so will mention it then, just wondering how and where yours started?)

Gael23

Phototherapy didn't work for me. I was back to square one about a month after I finished treatment.

ibarelycare

Lady is a tramp wrote: »

IBC can I ask how your psoriatic arthritis started? I've suddenly gotten cracking and pain, very regularly, in two fingers on my left hand following an injury to my wrist. I'm really hoping it's not the start of arthritis. They're not visibly injured and I can move them fine. (I'm with my GP in a few days so will mention it then, just wondering how and where yours started?)

The first sign of it was my ring finger on my left hand - I broke it when I was about 12 and it was re-set but as I got older it started going out of shape. I thought it was because it hadn't re-set properly but I didn't think a huge amount of it. It would get stiff and sore at times, but I really didn't pay a huge amount of attention to it. As I got into my early 20s, I started getting pains in my knees. These would range from very slight to nearly debilitating. I went to countless doctors, physios, etc over the years until I was eventually referred to a rheumatologist. They did tests and keyhole surgery in my knees and after that I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis (mid-20s). They were able to confirm that I had arthritis in my finger as well. Unfortunately it's my wedding finger and I hate that it's bent out of shape and doesn't straighten properly

sheep?

Lady is a tramp wrote: »

Phototherapy is what gets best results for most people, but it's just too expensive and not practical for most people.

Ordinary sunbeds are the other option. Cheap, convenient, however we all know the risks of skin cancer.

It's a case of weighing up the benefits against the risks. My own GP, who specialises in dermatology, is grand with me using sunbeds a couple of times a week for a couple of months at a go (once a year, and provided I don't also go on a sun holiday that year.)

I've had the same discussion with other GPs and they feel similar - once you're aware of the risks of sunbeds, and keep it to reasonable exposure, it works and is the best solution for a lot of patients where the psoriasis is widespread.

Agreed, I used to go to Hume Street, amazing results, but I lived on Thomas Street at the time, so not too bad. Now I live in Wexford, soo.....

I spent a bit of time in Japan and never used any creams or ointments. My psoriasis was generally very very quiet. I think it was because I ate a crap load of fish, veg and also spent a lot of time outdoors in the sun.

I should head back I think.

rubadub

wonga77 wrote: »

What benefits would there be from a bleach bath for your average sufferer? Never heard of it before

I was reading more about it and some were saying it should have no benefits as psoriasis had a different action than eczema, however many did say it benefitted them. I also am a bit prone to eczema & dermatitis too (in other places) so it might be more beneficial to those who suffer from 2 or all 3 conditions.

I have tried it the last few days and I think there is some improvement, I have some patches close together so should have really just done 1 and leave the other as the control to compare.

Mountainsandh wrote: »

I get pretty inflamed with chlorine in pools, so I think in my case it would be totally counterproductive. I could see a use for it if the skin has lots of lesions due to psoriasis alright, like when my hands get really bad, I do feel very exposed to infection with lots of raw cracks.

I read that though you have open sores there are a high level of white bloodcells (or something along those lines) that fight against infection.

Some also said the stuff in pools is different and may not act the same as sodium hypochlorite.

Here is another article on the use of a commercial bleach cream for atopic dermatitis.
http://dermatologytimes.modernmedicine.com/dermatology-times/content/tags/atopic-dermatitis/bleach-based-gel-wash-may-improve-severe-atopic-der

gel body wash containing 0.006 percent sodium hypochlorite...

patients were to use the gel body wash daily in the bath or shower with instructions to lather it on and wait one to two minutes before rinsing.

So this is far weaker than the "dankin's solution"

This is the site for it, http://www.clnwash.com/ it mainly lists eczema but there are a few mentions of psoriasis. A doctor saying infections could make the psoriasis worse.

Mountainsandh

Lady is a tramp wrote: »

Thought I'd just mention, I used Dovobet years ago (both the cream and the ointment) and was totally put off it. It was sooo messy, so very difficult to maintain a routine of putting it on. And, while it got rid of the psoriasis, the minute I stopped using it, the psoriasis returned.

I gave it a go again recently. It now comes in a gel, which seems to absorb almost instantly and I found it very very easy to use. It cleared up my psoriasis within a week, and - while I planned to phase it out gradually - I actually just ended up stopping it immediately once the psoriasis was gone, and it didn't come back!

(It has since returned, but that's due to all sorts of other complicated factors!)

So just for anyone who's written off Dovobet due to past experiences, it might be worth giving it another go if you haven't tried the gel!

Thanks for that, it makes me want to chance another course. It's probably way more economical in gel form too if it absorbs quickly ? I used to need so much of the old one, dab here, dab there, and half of it ended up elsewhere on clothes etc... I often felt I might as well massage it over entire limbs.

Lady is a tramp

Mountainsandh wrote: »

Thanks for that, it makes me want to chance another course. It's probably way more economical in gel form too if it absorbs quickly ? I used to need so much of the old one, dab here, dab there, and half of it ended up elsewhere on clothes etc... I often felt I might as well massage it over entire limbs.

Definitely give it a shot! It doesn't just absorb quickly, it absorbs instantly. And you need absolutely TINY amounts of it. My dermatologist prescribed two bottles to do me two months ... I only used the first bottle for around ten days, it was so easy to use and my skin was clear, I didn't even bother phasing it out and my skin was still clear!

As mentioned my psoriasis has returned a good few weeks later, but that's due to other very definite identifiable factors. Whereas with the Dovobet cream and ointment, it returned immediately when I stopped using them.

Of course all treatments are different for everyone, but in my opinion it's well worth a go.