Psoriasis

Forest Demon · 03-05-2013 10:57pm

Anomic wrote: »

Hey, just wondering if anyone here has psoriatic arthritis? recently diagnosed and have never come across anyone else who has it..

I have it. Recently diagnosed but suffering the symptoms for years before diagnosis. My GP was wrongly treating it for years. I was then referred to rheumatologist because of back issues and they picked up on it and sent me for tests and I got the diagnosis of Psoriatic arthritis and Ankylosing spondylitis.

huskerdu · 04-05-2013 8:53am

I have been on Methotrexate for about 3 years now. Its very hard on your stomach for the first while . Always take it with a meal. I take it in the evening, so any symptoms have receeded by the time I go to work the next morning.

Methotrexate is typically given in 10ml once per week and then you increase the dose, every month. However, the side-affects get better as time goes on, even if you are taking a heavier dose.

THe other big side affect for some users is liver damage. You need to go for liver function blood tests every month and they frown on alcohol. If your blood tests show no liver damage after 6 months, they will reduce it to block tests every 3 months.

I do drink, but not a lot, I always drink slowly and never on an empty stomach

I have no other side affects. I eat healthily, I take lots of exercise and I take a multi-vitamin every day just in case

I hope that you get relief. Iam lucky that it not too bad, I really feel for anyone in a lot of pain,

josealdo · 04-05-2013 10:48am

My mate had it and had it bad . He took up meditation and after a couple of months it was gone ...... So he stopped meditating and it came back but not as bad . Then he started meditating again . Twice a day . Half hour each time and it went and he was nicer to be around when he was meditating too .......

Anomic · 04-05-2013 10:01pm

thanks Huskerdu , will see how I get on next week, at this stage I'd try anything if it took away some of the pain, have Fibromyalgia aswell, and its hard to know where one stops and the other starts. For a long time thought the pain in my joints and back was the fibro acting up, and that I was stuck with it, have been taking tramadol and it barely takes the edge off. Hopefully get sorted next week. Good to hear treatment works, could live with reduced booze intake if it works.

david75 · 05-05-2013 11:01am

Hey all
My scalp is like hardened lava at the moment. Rocky, putting it mildly. Anyone got any reliable effective remedies? I only tend to get bad outbreaks on my scalp these days(touch wood) so apart from it being embarrassing when your pals pull huge chunks from your hair midsentence, it's not so bad anywhere else.
Any help appreciated.

Call Me Jimmy · 05-05-2013 3:09pm

Not medical advise.

I used to have a bad scalp, stop using normal shampoos. Nizorol shampoo very very good if it is a fungal thing. Overwashing was bad (which I tended to do when it was bad, I'd try and wash the badness out with shampoo and it just made things drier and worse). Aloe vera gel good also.

josealdo · 05-05-2013 3:31pm

david75 wrote: »

My scalp is like hardened lava at the moment. Rocky, putting it mildly.

Don't worry about it , it's all in your head

Shoneen · 09-05-2013 2:48pm

david75 wrote: »

Hey all
My scalp is like hardened lava at the moment. Rocky, putting it mildly. Anyone got any reliable effective remedies? I only tend to get bad outbreaks on my scalp these days(touch wood) so apart from it being embarrassing when your pals pull huge chunks from your hair midsentence, it's not so bad anywhere else.
Any help appreciated.

Overwashing was definitely the problem for me - I washed my hair daily with various clinical shampoos and when I reduced the frequency to a wash every couple of weeks it made a dramatic improvement to the point where I effectively don't have a scalp problem anymore.

It sounds though you might have it a bit worse than I did and you might need a prescription treatment to get rid of the worst of it. Xamiol and bettamousse both worked well for me in the past - if you don't want to go to the GP you can get Cocois without prescription. It works but it stinks and you have to leave it in for at least a few hours.

On the shampoo front I've found the La Roche Posay Intensive Anti Dandruff quite good.

Shoneen · 09-05-2013 3:03pm

rubadub wrote: »

Was it that she against the use of soap? rather than water? I have a shaved head so would not bother using shampoo or soap anyway. But always figured the water would aid moisturising.

That seems odd, I would have thought if you got a dose of UVB from say 30mins sunbathing, that the equivalent artificial UVB light dose would be less likely to give you cancer (narrowband UVB anyway), or that it would at worst be equal. With normal sunlight you are getting a full blast of radiation which is not of any benefit to psoriasis. It would be like if people found nicotine good for psoriasis and a doctor saying to take up smoking, but avoid nicotine pills.

http://www.psoriasis-help.org.uk/forum/psoriasis-discussion-board-the-laboratory/uvb-vs-sunlight/5/?wap2
2 posts in a forum, can't say if its correct

She is against showering in general and believes we should shower as infrequently as possible using spot washing as an alternative. All I can say for me is that its made a huge difference to my scalp although so far has only helped to improve my legs, I still wouldn't be comfortable wearing shorts in the gym.

On the use of UVB lights she didn't say it didn't work she just said she was against it because of the skin cancer risk. As far as I'm aware she's one of the primary skin cancer specialists in the country so on the balance of things she probably doesn't like recommending anything that might carry any risk in that area.

She also wasn't advocating sun bathing - what she said was that I should try and expose it to daylight for a short while every day if I can. In Ireland unfortunately exposing your skin to daylight very seldom means sun bathing.

dahat · 09-05-2013 8:13pm

Anomic wrote: »

Hey, just wondering if anyone here has psoriatic arthritis? recently diagnosed and have never come across anyone else who has it..

I was diagnosed at 25 after i seized up like an engine with no oil!!After 2/3 years i was put on Methoxtreate and Enbrel,the combo turned my life around,really did improve my condition.
I lost alot of weight from 21st to 14st 11 and i go to the gym 4/5 times weekly doing free weights and bike.rowing but no running so do not leave PA beat you,fight back and try be positive.I was also able to keep working

Little or no side effects from Methorexate,dosage is 15mg weekly

Anomic · 10-05-2013 10:22am

dahat that is some incredible weight loss, fair play. its not easy. Lost 5 stone myself over last few years, ironically I only got arthritis after I lost the weight!! Great to hear treatment worked, I havnt started yet, have to get a few more MRIs next week, and hopefully start then. The pain is crippling me. Hope it works, studying at the mo, but want to go back to work in Jan, was afraid I wouldn't be able to. Feel much better after reading your post. Cheers.

bravo · 10-05-2013 10:56am

Hi Anomic,
Sorry to hear of your pain.
I was there about five years ago - P about 80% covered & PA feet first, then knees, elbows, wrists and fingers, and some lower back trouble.
I have been on enbrel since then and have had huge improvement - P has cleared and PA is under control but the wrists and fingers are still affected. I was also taking large doses of Omacor (cod liver oil) which I feel also helped - until it was removed from the drugs payment scheme.
There is another "biologic" as well as enbrel which gives good results for some, can't think of its name.
Hopefully your Rheumatologist can offer you something that works - I had to push hard to get the treatment I needed, rather than steroid injections, and I'm glad I did.

Anomic · 10-05-2013 7:08pm

Hi bravo, glad to hear you're improved. Have had a few steroid injections but dont want them long term, too many side effects. Will start on cod liver oil, havn't taken it in years, but if it helps will give it a go. Thankfully psoriasis isn't too bad at all, very localised. I'd say fingers crossed treatment works, but can't cross them at the mo!! Ta for info.

pfannkuchen · 13-05-2013 6:46pm

david75 wrote: »

Hey all
My scalp is like hardened lava at the moment. Rocky, putting it mildly. Anyone got any reliable effective remedies? I only tend to get bad outbreaks on my scalp these days(touch wood) so apart from it being embarrassing when your pals pull huge chunks from your hair midsentence, it's not so bad anywhere else.
Any help appreciated.

I was in the same position with my scalp last year and am thankfully pretty much psoriasis-free now. The odd patch still pops up every now and then and it took a lot of time and effort to get here, but it's really good at the moment.

Like a lot of people here, I found that coconut oil daily and Cocois ointment or Capasal shampoo once weekly to soften it all up before fine combing was the best thing. I also used Betnovate scalp application on and off. I also started taking Evening Primrose Oil and Omega 3 supplements and using MooGoo shampoo about 6 months ago. I would never have been a big believer in complementary medicines, but it seems that they have worked wonders

I've gone from popping strong antihistamines for itch and spending a good two hours a day treating it to pretty much nothing. It also started to get quite bad on my face, and Trilogy's Ultra Hydrating Face Cream has sorted that out for now.

Best of luck!

LegacyUser · 13-05-2013 8:37pm

Hey there, I don't normally post but as I have been inflicted with guttate psoriasis for the last nine months, having tried numerous things, I felt I just had to post. I went to a GP in Malahide who also happens to be a chinese alternative therapist. He gave me some herbal tablets to detox last Thursday and told me not to eat any onions, spicy food (which I used to eat a lot of), citrus fruit or sugary fruits and in only a few days I have seen a great improvement. I know everyone is different but I am so pleased, I tried all of the conventional remedies but to no avail, I really would recommend Dr Wu.

bravo · 13-05-2013 10:18pm

I've been using Stiepox/Stiprox?? shampoo for several years on and off and its is keeping ths scalp clear. I have it on prescription, don't know if you can get it over the counter. Might be worth a try.

alie · 14-05-2013 8:38pm

I must have used something I'm allergic to, my hands are so itchy, and my ointment isn't working?

Shoneen · 15-05-2013 6:53am

alie wrote: »

I must have used something I'm allergic to, my hands are so itchy, and my ointment isn't working?

If you go into your pharmacist they might be able to give you an anti-histamine that will help. Its hard to tell from above how bad your hands are but at least the pharmacist should be able to tell you whether you need to get something prescribed for it.

missingtime · 23-05-2013 8:10pm

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/dont-scratch-the-itch-scientists-find-neurotransmitter-that-could-be-key-to-stopping-the-sensation-8629833.html

Scientists have discovered a key substance in the central nervous system responsible for transmitting the sensation of an itch from the skin to the brain – a finding that raises the prospect of new treatments for serious itching conditions.

Medical researchers have found that the neuro-transmitter, a small molecule that transmits signals between nerve cells, plays a crucial role in the perception of an itch, which in some people can lead to chronic, long-term scratching.

Removing the neurotransmitter – called natriuretic polypeptide b (Nppb) – causes an itch to disappear while replacing it within the spinal cord results in the re-appearance of the itch, said Mark Hoon, a lead investigator at the US National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research in Washington DC.

KwackerJack · 31-05-2013 6:10pm

I'm 28 and have had Psoriasis for a number of years.

Tried all the creams the doc gave me and the usual non medication creams but nothing helped.

The past few weeks I have being using Johnson's baby wash, moisturising with Coco Butter from Penny's and for some strange reason after eating 2+ bananas a day my condition is vastly and quickly improving.

I haven't added or taken away any of my usual foods bar eating the bananas more frequently!!

So is my Condition getting better all by itself or is my Coco Butter and Banana treatment Working ha

Gael23 · 31-05-2013 10:54pm

bravo wrote: »

I've been using Stiepox/Stiprox?? shampoo for several years on and off and its is keeping ths scalp clear. I have it on prescription, don't know if you can get it over the counter. Might be worth a try.

No it's prescription only, use it myself.
I was at my GP a few weeks ago and he wasn't too happy with the amount of steroid based treatments I use and has referred me to a dermatologist.Has anyone else been told similar?

huskerdu · 01-06-2013 1:29pm

ryanf1 wrote: »

No it's prescription only, use it myself.
I was at my GP a few weeks ago and he wasn't too happy with the amount of steroid based treatments I use and has referred me to a dermatologist.Has anyone else been told similar?

Yes. Psoriasis is a lifelong conditions and steroids are unsuitable for longterm use. In my opinion, all psoriasis sufferers should be seen by a dermatologist.

Gael23 · 01-06-2013 5:58pm

huskerdu wrote: »

Yes. Psoriasis is a lifelong conditions and steroids are unsuitable for longterm use. In my opinion, all psoriasis sufferers should be seen by a dermatologist.

Thats true but its just really hard to not use something that gives so much relief. Also I was originally prescribed these ointments by a dermatologist a few years ago. But I trust my GP's opinion so dont mind going back to the dermatologist

rubadub · 04-06-2013 10:20am

huskerdu wrote: »

Psoriasis is a lifelong conditions and steroids are unsuitable for longterm use. In my opinion, all psoriasis sufferers should be seen by a dermatologist.

But some dermatologists might prescribe steroids to get a consistent life long customer. I view them as "repair men" just like any other trade, who may be after repeat business and not tell you a permanent or alternative fix you can do yourself.

Gael23 · 04-06-2013 1:04pm

rubadub wrote: »

But some dermatologists might prescribe steroids to get a consistent life long customer. I view them as "repair men" just like any other trade, who may be after repeat business and not tell you a permanent or alternative fix you can do yourself.

The best long term fix is light therapy , but im away at college all week so not in a position to do that for the next while. It is something I would like to have done at some point but not at the moment

rubadub · 11-06-2013 9:09am

ryanf1 wrote: »

The best long term fix is light therapy , but im away at college all week so not in a position to do that for the next while.

I have my own small N-UVB light. Some reckon home treatment could be more beneficial as there is less stress going to & from a hospital, and I expect some might be embarrassed showing it, even to medical professionals.

ollib1984 · 19-06-2013 12:31am

its so horrifying, Been working in england for a couple of years, got into a terrible diet andi have asthma which i think gave me psoriasis.
Its really really bad starting to lose my hair over it, i just cannot get rid of some of the purple patches anymore even with weeks of treatment.

i have seen an improvement but its still just flares up big time from time to time.

i found any fizzy drinks, any sugary things, red bull in particular, any chocalate just makes it go berserk.

im soso disgusted by having this man

id do anything to get rid of it pay anything. i lived relatively normal life with mild eczema from time to time that e45 got rid of. now this stuff. i have like all these spots that come up on my back my ass my legs my feet and burst.

anyone can help me pls do. anyone could even reccomend a good private doctor who can actually do something about it i would be very greatfull.

and ye someone mentioned this but im mortified by this. ive seen people with severe psoriasis and honestly, this is a life ruiner for me anyway.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 19-06-2013 12:35am

ollib1984 wrote: »

its so horrifying, Been working in england for a couple of years, got into a terrible diet andi have asthma which i think gave me psoriasis.
Its really really bad starting to lose my hair over it, i just cannot get rid of some of the purple patches anymore even with weeks of treatment.

i have seen an improvement but its still just flares up big time from time to time.

i found any fizzy drinks, any sugary things, red bull in particular, any chocalate just makes it go berserk.

im soso disgusted by having this man id do anything to get rid of it pay anything. i lived relatively normal life with mild eczema from time to time that e45 got rid of. now this stuff. i have like all these spots that come up on my back my ass my legs my feet and burst.

anyone can help me pls do. anyone could even reccomend a good private doctor who can actually do something about it i would be very greatfull.

and ye someone mentioned this but im mortified by this. ive seen people with severe psoriasis and honestly, this is a life ruiner for me anyway.

That doesn't sound lik psorasis - you should really get it correctly diagnosed.

ollib1984 · 19-06-2013 12:48am

im pretty sure its psoriasis ive had mild eczema all my life, i went to the doctor last week when i got home from england he reckons its psoriasis and hes a great great doctor. i dont trust any doctors. but id trust this guy. he gave me 2 weeks meds and told me to return hes going to refer to me a dermatoligist i know before i go.

ye i dont know what i have sometimes it comes up in spots on my back on my arm its like a pimple really itchy soar and it turns into an infected cut. ive had STD tests done in the last while and there clean.

first time it happened badly was about 9 months ago in england, i just got this mad mad outbreak after some bad diet my whole legs from knee down just went red and itched insanley, then all the back of my legs got infected from it. I went to the hospital in the uk and they gave me dermol and elecon tons of it, it got rid of it quickly, but then it came back and recently its just popping up on my head my back tops of my legs elbows.

it would seem once this thing whatever it is infects an area badly its near impossible to get rid of. i can get rid of it on a new area quite quickly and easily.

i had the most stressing things happening to me this year though that is for sure throughout the 9 months ive been on and off the elecon and dermol but no other treatments. I think my psoriasis is quite mild at the minute anyway compared to some. its the back of my calfs down near my feet where ive had most trouble but with recent good diet and meds ive seen a slight improvement, very very slow improvement. scalp is at me now though

very very down about all of this

time for a smoke and some of larry davids curb your enthusiasm, **** me if that doesnt make u laugh nothing will.

Gael23 · 19-06-2013 2:38pm

ollib1984 wrote: »

im pretty sure its psoriasis ive had mild eczema all my life, i went to the doctor last week when i got home from england he reckons its psoriasis and hes a great great doctor. i dont trust any doctors. but id trust this guy. he gave me 2 weeks meds and told me to return hes going to refer to me a dermatoligist i know before i go.

ye i dont know what i have sometimes it comes up in spots on my back on my arm its like a pimple really itchy soar and it turns into an infected cut. ive had STD tests done in the last while and there clean.

first time it happened badly was about 9 months ago in england, i just got this mad mad outbreak after some bad diet my whole legs from knee down just went red and itched insanley, then all the back of my legs got infected from it. I went to the hospital in the uk and they gave me dermol and elecon tons of it, it got rid of it quickly, but then it came back and recently its just popping up on my head my back tops of my legs elbows.

it would seem once this thing whatever it is infects an area badly its near impossible to get rid of. i can get rid of it on a new area quite quickly and easily.

i had the most stressing things happening to me this year though that is for sure throughout the 9 months ive been on and off the elecon and dermol but no other treatments. I think my psoriasis is quite mild at the minute anyway compared to some. its the back of my calfs down near my feet where ive had most trouble but with recent good diet and meds ive seen a slight improvement, very very slow improvement. scalp is at me now though

very very down about all of this time for a smoke and some of larry davids curb your enthusiasm, **** me if that doesnt make u laugh nothing will.

You need to get your doctor to refer you to a Dermatologist. That way you can be certain you are using the correct treatment.
Psoraisis does suddenly flare up from time to time. Those are the times where you must use the steroid ointment daily to get it under control. Only then should you use the E45, thats just a moisturiser so only keeps it down.
I was first diagnosed as having excema because it was itchy and apparently thats not a characteristic of psoraisis but about 8 years ago i went to a dermatologist and he diagnosed me with psoraisis and changed all my prescriptions.
You need to remember that the focus is management rather than cure, but I always found by using the ointemnt and E45 the right way I can keep it under control

Psoriasis

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