Psoariasis

[minkydog]

I think my DS24 has psoariasis. His skin has always been sensitive and he has really bad dandruff that almost nothing helps. Over the last few years he has been breaking out all over in these oval scaly spots. If you flick off the scale, it's a little bleedy underneath. Right now he doesn't have health insurance, so he can't afford to go to a dermatologist. What do you think might give him some relief for now? He has a lot of this rash at his hairline and two lesions on his face, plus multiple lesions on his abdomen and legs. He is obviously very embarrassed.

So, what do you think? Cortizone? I have a few meds for eczema, do you think they might help? I know ultimately he needs to see a doctor, but that just isn't possible.

 

[wdwiala]

I feel for ya. My DH has it and the meds that he uses cost a fortune. Still, he has issues when he is under heavy stress. We also suspect some sort of food issue involved.

The only thing that I can suggest otherwise is sunlight. UVB light helps. Get out in the sunshine before winter sets in!

Also, for the hair, he uses Denorex every few days. On the odd days, just Head and Shoulders.

 

[cassiez76]

i have it and that sounds like it.

i know the itchy pain he has, before i got on enbrel, i had 75% body coverage and arthritis to go with it.

before i knew what it was, i'd use hydrocortizone lotion. you can find it OTC in the pharmacy area. it provided a little relief.

i used dermarest shampoo (OTC) and that helped me more than denorex.

with P/PA, what might work for 1, might not for the other. that's what sucks about this disease.

UVB tanning is a good option. you have to ask if it's UVB, most tanning salon's aren't UVB (at least in my area, there is one dermo with a light box that's set specifically for psoriasis). cetaphil lotion is also wonderful if you get too burned (like i would sometimes).

OH.... if you go to bath and body works they sell dead sea salt. soak in a bath with it. or you can look online and find dealers that sell dead sea salt. dead sea as in middle east. it's supposed to be excellent for people with psoriasis. i was ready to buy a plane ticket when i couldn't get relief.

i bought a 50lb bag from somebody online and it took FOREVER for it to ship, but it was well worth the money. you have to do it at least 3-4 times a week. i saw a lot of redness disappear and my skin wasn't as flaky.

HOT water can irratate your skin, so tell him to use just luke warm water, almost cold. it sucks, but it helps.

i've used the expensive creams (talconex, sp?), i've had to use some sort of tape that goes on the spots, i've had to be wrapped with the creams in saran wrap (that was horrible!), done the UVB, had humira (worked for my joints, not my skin) and now finally *knock on wood* i'm doing excellent on enbrel.

if he does get insurance and can go to the dr. and the dr. is reluctant to help, fight it. i had a great one and he kept dragging his feet, the UVB dermo didn't care, so finally i found a dermo an hour and a half away and he took one look at me and handed me the humira rx. i cried on the poor guy i was so happy! what also helps is that he has it too and knows the pain. he's my most favorite dr. in the whole wide world!

if you have more questions, send me an IM. i've done just about everything.

 

[Tinijocaro]

cod liver oil. do a search on it.

 

[simba20]

OH.... if you go to bath and body works they sell dead sea salt. soak in a bath with it. or you can look online and find dealers that sell dead sea salt. dead sea as in middle east. it's supposed to be excellent for people with psoriasis. i was ready to buy a plane ticket when i couldn't get relief.

i bought a 50lb bag from somebody online and it took FOREVER for it to ship, but it was well worth the money. you have to do it at least 3-4 times a week. i saw a lot of redness disappear and my skin wasn't as flaky.

My FIL had severe psoariasis. He found that if he got in salt water (aka the ocean) it would help. However, for him it was a catch 22, because he hated his appearance because of the psoariasis. He did live on the FL coast, and had a bay for his backyard, but with his work he was often to busy to get in. He passed away from pancreatic cancer in April (not saying that's related). Anyway, he had it for as long as I knew him (16 years).

 

[armywife]

Start reading the forums at talkpsoriasis.org. I've found that different things work for different people, but you will find out a lot about different causes, medications, foods and vitamins. The sun helps mine, but if I get sunburned it clears up for a few days, then gets really bad a few days later. If I drink alcohol I can see a flare up the next day. You're supposed to eliminate sugar, greasy foods, alcohol, caffeine, processed white flour and stress. The Omega oils like cod liver, flax or fish oils are supposed to help a lot too. Good luck to him! I hope he finds relief!

 

[armywife]

Also, my dermatologist told me about a shampoo and liquid called P&S for severe dandruff and other skin problems. It is over the counter and worked for me. My drugstore didn't have it on the shelves, but I just asked at the pharmacy counter and they had it back there. I have seen it for sale online too through amazon.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

The pool and sun help my DSD. The chlorine really helped her. She also used the light box treatments at the dermatologist office. That helped too but we were going 3 to 4 times a week.

She's on her own now so I don't know exactly what she is using on her body. She used to use Neutrogena T-Gel shampoo. It was in a blue box and was dark like tar. It helped with some relief though. She was able to get this prescription from the doctor though for some form of mouse that she would put right on the spots on her scalp. It really helped!! Of course we would put it on a styrofoam plate to rub into her scalp and by the time we were done it was eating through the styrofoam.

And the weird thing about this disease is what works for one doesn't always work for another. I know someone that would get relief from eating peanuts. He would chow down a couple of bottle of peanuts a day (Planters). Something about the oil from the peanuts seemed to ease his itching and pain. Weird. We tried but it didn't work for DSD. But she did enjoy the nuts.

Good luck.

 

[powellrj]

My dh and ds both suffer from it. Pine tar soap and shampoo are what work best for my DS, while my DH is having good luck with Dove for men with the green label.

 

[minkydog]

You're supposed to eliminate sugar, greasy foods, alcohol, caffeine, processed white flour and stress.

Oh, snap! That's pretty much his whole diet.

I'll tell him to try the salt water, dermorest shampoo, pine tar soap and anything else that I think he'd actually try. He's had this stuff for so long I think he's about given up on it.

 

[hopemax]

My psoriasis is extremely sensitive to wheat. I had to give up eating Triscuits and Frosted Mini Wheats, two of my favorite things. I should give up eating anything with wheat, but I like bread too much, but I do try not to eat it more than once or twice a week. If I don't, my lesions get red and very itchy.

Sun is the most effective treatment for me. I used to go for UVB treatments, when we lived in WA, but stopped when we moved to a sunnier climate. I also try to keep my skin super hydrated, so I drink a lot of water and I use Jergens lotion (it's the only one I've tried that didn't dry out and leave my skin cracky). I have also had varying degrees of success taking a combination of B12/Folic Acid; I get the sublingual one that Trader Joe's sells. And I also take extra Vitamin D.

 

[Chim Chiminy]

I use the neutrogena tgel shampoo for my scalp.
I have lesions on my legs and elbows and what has been working well for me lately is tea tree oil dabbed on. I also use a lotion like eucerin.

 

[RNMOM]

I have Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Fortunately, the rash is minimal and the methotrexate I take for the arthritis has helped the rash a lot. I also have some along my hairline and face. I use a strong hydrocortisone ointment elsewhere but not on my face or scalp. I have been having good luck with T-gel shampoo and lately their 2in1 in the grey bottle. It conditions and controls my breakouts really well.

Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition and can be related to a whole bunch of others. If at all possible it would be great if you could have him seen by a dermatologist. Do you have a teaching hospital near you? Large city hospitals usually have some sort of program where they offer discounted or even free care. Please see of you can't find a place to send him. Even a free clinic if there is one would help. They may be able to give him samples of some of the meds.

The patches are simply the body producing skin cells much faster than the rest of the skin. Keeping the skin moisturized is key. Lots of suggestions in the above posts. I have been having good luck with Cetaphil cream. It comes in a big jar and I get a huge one at Sam's club at a good price. Wally mart and Target are also good places. I use the Cetaphil facial moisturizer and it has been doing well so far. I also have very sensitive skin and finding a moisturizer is hard for me.

I try to use my steroid creams/ointments as little as possible as they have effects on the skin as well. I use just a tiny dab and rub it in well. He can certainly start with OTC cortisone and suggest the ointment as my doctor says it stays in the skin better than the creams. Just a dab, rub it in well. Use a couple times a day to start. Suggest he use mild face cleaners...again I use the Cetaphil skin cleanser. I have used many others over the years and probably will change again in the future when this starts bothering me.

There are a couple good psoriasis sites out there...The National Paoriasis Foundation is a good one too.

Let us know how he does.

 

[Barbossa]

If you can get to a Derm, ask about Clobex. It's an extremely potent topical steroid. It's very effective but should be used in moderation as it can get into your bloodstream and cause problems like HPA Axis etc. I dab it on my scalp lesions 3-4 times a week, which keeps them in check. For days when my scalp psoriasis is mild I'll use a less potent steriod i.e. Fluocinonide. Clobex is pricey, though a 4 ounce bottle will last me about 4-5 months.

 

[kellyg403]

My dh has it, and as others have posted, the sun helps him a great deal. He does use the tar shampoo and when he showers he always puts baby oil or another oil I can't think of right now, when his skin is still wet. Seals in the moisture. He hasn't had a lot of luck with the medications and creme's the derm has given him, they actually seem to make the lesions larger. So he sticks with the sun, the ocean and baby oil And honestly, in the summer he has very little. The winter time is a little harder on him.

Kelly

 

[Lynn_A]

My sister used to suffer from psoriasis terribly. And you'll no doubt laugh at the remedy she found for it, but it really did work. She would soak a gauze pad with colloidal silver and lightly tape it over the scaly area before going to bed. And within 2-3 days, she was watching the patch dry up. I know, I know, but it really did work.

She even had me try a tablespoon of it for a couple days when I had a bad sinus infection and it seemed to help there, as well. I'm not going to argue with something that works.

 

[Disneyadore]

I don't know were you live but for my BIL a simple bath in the ocean works miracles. It is the salt minerals that does it.
Last April they went swimming in the Dead Sea and his skin was perfect for months.
I know there are products on the market that contain these minerals. Maybe it it worth a try?

 

[luvwinnie]

As another poster also said, I have psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. For me the skin issues were not as bad as the arthritis. I take Enbrel for the arthritis and i haven't had any skin lesions in a few years. I really hope you can get him in to see a dr. Autoimmune issues really require medical attention. I know there are many over the counter creams, but I haven't tried any. I know people do swear by the sun, but since my autoimmune issues started the sun makes me sick (I have some lupus-like symptoms also). I wish him all the best.

 

[minkydog]

As another poster also said, I have psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. For me the skin issues were not as bad as the arthritis. I take Enbrel for the arthritis and i haven't had any skin lesions in a few years. I really hope you can get him in to see a dr. Autoimmune issues really require medical attention. I know there are many over the counter creams, but I haven't tried any. I know people do swear by the sun, but since my autoimmune issues started the sun makes me sick (I have some lupus-like symptoms also). I wish him all the best.

Thanks. John doesn't appear to have any pain, just embarrassment over his appearance. But so far, it hasn't kept him from having serious girlfriends. I didn't think of it as an autoimmune disease. My DH has an autoimmune disease, sarcoidosis. He can't take heat or sun(or cold or damp or much of anything else.) I'm sorry you've had such a bad time of it. You have my sympathy, for sure.

 

[wdwiala]

I don't know were you live but for my BIL a simple bath in the ocean works miracles. It is the salt minerals that does it.
Last April they went swimming in the Dead Sea and his skin was perfect for months.
QUOTE]


I had never heard of the Dead Sea Salt method until now. I mentioned it to DH who has psoriasis and he had. He said that his dermatologist takes a group routinely to the Dead Sea for bathing. I wondered just how long the effects would last (for such an investment). Interesting that you say a few months. Lots of new info! thnx.