psoriasis

katiesmummy

i have suffered with this on and off since i was 13 and unfortunately it is back with a vengence at the moment and nothing the dr prescribes is working

are there any sufferers on here who can offer advice on lifestyle changes that may help?

Fag_ash_lil

katiesmummy wrote: »

i have suffered with this on and off since i was 13 and unfortunately it is back with a vengence at the moment and nothing the dr prescribes is working

are there any sufferers on here who can offer advice on lifestyle changes that may help?

Hi

I'm sorry to hear that you have psoriasis ...... it must be awful for you.

I'm not sure if this will help you much ....

I got it after my daughter was born .... but touch wood ... only slightly on my elbows and occasionally on my shins ... but i can still wear t shirts and shorts without having to worry about it ....so i only put "dipro base" cream on it ...

A young girl ( 25 !! ) i know has it .... and about a month ago it was horrendous .... She had been to doctors numerous times and ended up with the usual lotions and potions ( cold tar for the bath and shampoo ) etc ..... but nothing seemed to work ....

She told me , the majority of her body was covered .... So she always wore long clothing to cover her legs ... crew neck long sleeve tops to cover her top half ..and trainers ..... About a month ago it started on the back of her neck and her face ....

To cut a long story short .... she went to the A & E department at Hillingdon hospital to see if they would help ...... they told her that they would put her name on the waiting list to see the dermatology department .... which was a 12 week wait !!

Anyway she was crying and was in such a state so the day after i took her to the dermatology department at hillingdon hospital and told the receptionist that we were staying there and wouldn't move until the consultant saw her ..... Half an hour later she was seen .....

I went in with her .... and although she had told me it was bad ... i hadn't realised how bad she was ..... her body was totally covered ....it was horrendous .... I could have cried for her .....

The consultant took one look at her and arranged immediate transport to Amersham ( skin hospital ) ......

She spent 2 and a half weeks in there ..... they moisturise you 4 times a day until the " flaky skin " has gone , then start you on light treatment 3 times a week ... starting at half a minute then they "up " the light treatment by 30 secs or so each time .....

She has now been out of hospital for a week but now has to go back to Hillingdon hospital 3 times a week to continue her light treatment ....

But she looks so much better ..... her arms and back for example now look like they have "bruises " on them .......instead of " flaky " skin ... her feet are totally clear ... She still has a long way to go ...... but she is like a different person .....

She has worn a t shirt for the first time in years ..... and flip - flops !!

Hopefully you won't have to go all through this ..... but if you do .... there is "light at the end of the tunnel " ..... She is now a different person ...and very happy .....

Sorry i have moved away from your original question re : lifestyle changes .....

The main thing that she has been told is to avoid "stress" .... but to be honest there was nothing major that had happened in her life ...

Red meat .... she has been told to avoid ....
Wheat .... to cut down on .....
Other than that she has to keep her skin moisturised with "dipro base " cream ....

Anyway ..... Good luck ...... and if all else fails then go directly to your dermatology department at your local hospital .....

terri xx

andiescottie

Hi katiesmummy!

I have also had psoriasis for the past 20 years. Sometimes it flares up rather badly covering my face etc, but usually those times are related to when i have had an infection, or when life has become more stressful than usual.

I would reccomend going to your GP and being referred to a dermatologist. There are quite a few therapies to help when it gets bad (PUVA or Anti-TNF just to name a couple). You name it I have tried it:D

I now have psoriatic arthritis and have been on Anti -TNF for about 7 months... it hasnt helped my arthritis at all, but it has helped my psoriasis. I am 30 years old and a life on wheels is on the cards for me by the end of the year.

Lifestyle....there are a few websites that can outline some useful dietary changes (I am a bit rushed now, but i willl look them out for you later). However as psoriasis is an auto-immune disorder it is unpredictable to say the least, there is no quick fix.

The best thing I can suggest is to relax as much as possible. I know that sounds a bit naff but in my opinion it helps.
Secondly try exposing the plaque areas to sunshine regularly (not so easy in this country i know) but it helps your body produce Vitamin D, which in turn appears to help the psoriasis.
Thirdly keep pestering your GP or Dermatologist. Yes it is something we have to live with, but there is no need to suffer.

It is all trial and error im afraid. I will try to get back later to post those links. If you have any specific questions please feel free to PM me.

k1mmie

My husband had psoriasis for the first time in his life about 3 years ago. We had returned from a summer holiday. Then stress kicked in and he was worried about work, money etc. DIdn't think anything of it, until he came out in dark skin patches on his elbows, shins, side of his body, his face and knees and head. He was referred to a dermotologist from the GP for the psoriasis. Given cream and lotions, special cream for his face and head. All these emolients and creams did nothing. He then decided as all these were only an emolient and he was paying around £40 a month for everything that he would try Vaseline. Within 2 months this has reduced the psoriasis greatly and 6 months down the line it has gone completely. May be worth a try!

Becky_2

I have had psoriasis since I was 18 but I consider myself lucky to only have psoriasis in my scalp and my forehead. For my scalp I use a scalp bar from Lush (around £4) once a week and that tend to keep the itching away. I also have a cold pillow during the night which stops me from itching which for me is the worst part of having psoriasis in the scalp. For my forehead I use at least once a week a facial scrub from Origins (Modern Friction) and then use a moisturising facial mask and that tend to be enough for me.

Hope your psoriasis get better soon.

Becky
x

alastairq

I have psoriasis occasionally on my scalp....it has in the past been worse....and also on all the pressure points...elbows, and strangely, one kneecap.

I am quite an auldfahrt, and have had it for around 30 years or more.

My experience is that flare-ups can be seasonal.

Lots of sunshine helps, and I have been led to believe, salty baths do too.
[ for psoriasis sufferers, the ultimate treatment seems to be a holiday by the Dead Sea in Isael...just floating about.]

STRESS is a funny animal...one doesn't have to be undergoing major life-changes to be under stress.

A hectic lifestyle all of a sudden can bring flare-ups with me....or even simple problem-solving?

but stress of any sort can get things going....and it doesn't seem to matter with me whether it's positive or negative stress.

we live in a world where performance is king......where results are all that matter..and this attitude permeates all aspects of our lives.

I regularly use Polytar shampoo...I find using other types quickly brings on an attack of the flakes.....as does too frequent hair washing.

wearing hats doesn't help, either.


but I think the MAIN problem with psoriasis, and the stress factor, is the actual worrying about the psoriasis itself.

Jeff121

Hello
My Psoriasis started 8 years ago aged 43 at the time. Doctors put this down to a stressful year prior to Psoriasis beginning. My condition went from bad to worse, virtually from head to foot, at one point I had over 80 patches of psoriasis on my body, I now suffer from psoriatic arthritis. The applications I use daily are Elocon scalp lotion, Eumovate cream, Dovobet Ointment, Trimovate cream, and Hydrocortisone Ointment 0.5%.
The various ointments only keep my psoriasis at bay, they have never totally cleared my symptoms.
In the past 8 years my psoriases has cleared for short periods of time while on holiday. After a few days sunbathing for a couple of hours each day and wearing sun screen my psoriasis cleared up while on holiday, amazingly no marks on my skin from where the psoriasis has been. Unfortunately shortly after returning home from holiday my Psoriasis has returned.
Over the past eight years I have tried various methods to try to cure my Psoriasis, all different theories from the internet basically avoiding various foods, avoiding alcohol etc and none of them worked, my only temporary cure has been while in the sun, maybe being relaxed and on holiday had something to do with it?

katiesmummy

thank you all for your replies

i have been on various different treatments since the beginning of the year- dovabet, coal tar bath stuff (cant remember the name but it stinks), aqueous cream, an ointment for my scalp and nizarol shampoo

it is definately not as bad as it was in my teenage years (was covered from head to toe) but it is in clusters all over my body which looks awful- everyone who suffers from a skin condition will know how i feel. i cant bring myself to wear short sleeves or skirts etc as people always make comments to me and it really hurts so i just stay covered up.

i'm gonna go off to the gp tomorrow and ask to be referred to a dermatologist and see what they will do

Fag_ash_lil

katiesmummy wrote: »

thank you all for your replies

i have been on various different treatments since the beginning of the year- dovabet, coal tar bath stuff (cant remember the name but it stinks), aqueous cream, an ointment for my scalp and nizarol shampoo

it is definately not as bad as it was in my teenage years (was covered from head to toe) but it is in clusters all over my body which looks awful- everyone who suffers from a skin condition will know how i feel. i cant bring myself to wear short sleeves or skirts etc as people always make comments to me and it really hurts so i just stay covered up.

i'm gonna go off to the gp tomorrow and ask to be referred to a dermatologist and see what they will do

Hi again,

Unfortunately people can be very cruel :mad: ...... so please don't let peoples ignorant comments get you down .....

As i mentioned earlier ... my friend has had light treatment and it has made such a difference to her ..... even though she still need more sessions ..... She has also been told that while having this treatment she must now stay out of the sun ..

You also said that you have used the nizarol shampoo .... i'll check with my friend later to find out what she used .... now that her head is totally clear ...

I understand that this will be hard .... but please try not to stress yourself out anymore by worrying about it ....


It's great that you are going to ask your gp to refer you to a dermatologist ...

terri xx


Just edited this to add : Peanut oil or a 50 / 50 mix of olive oil and peanut oil is what the hospital recommended for her scalp ...... she was told to rub it into her scalp and hair leave it on overnight .... wash out in the morning .... then to repeat this every night for 7 days ..... and from then on just apply it once a week ......... her scalp was totally clear after a week ( she applied just peanut oil )....

Olympika

terri - did the light treatment last on your friend? My OH has bad psoriasis and while the session of light treatment he had was effective at the time, his psoriasis returned virtually as soon as the treatment was finished (and he was told it would last 2 years! :mad: ).

Becky_2

I did the light treatment in the 90´s and within 6 months after the last treatment my psoriasis returned.

Olympika wrote: »

terri - did the light treatment last on your friend? My OH has bad psoriasis and while the session of light treatment he had was effective at the time, his psoriasis returned virtually as soon as the treatment was finished (and he was told it would last 2 years! :mad: ).