Psoriasis

Dapos

Hey all. I am just after getting another outbreak of Psoriasis and i have a few questions for people who have more experience with Psoriasis. First off let me say i've had Psoriasis for a few years. I got the worst outbreak more than a year ago and managed to clear it up practically completly. It's come back again. To be honest i know it's my own fault cause i have been drinking fairly heavily last few weeks (rag week, paddy's day etc). I havn't drank alchol in over two weeks, have been trying to eat good food etc. Did the alcohol just trigger the Psoriasis and am i now at it's mercy or what. Also i have consumed similar amounts of alcohol in the past yet i never had such an outbreak.

Any advice or idea's???

ntlbell

Dapos wrote:

Hey all. I am just after getting another outbreak of Psoriasis and i have a few questions for people who have more experience with Psoriasis. First off let me say i've had Psoriasis for a few years. I got the worst outbreak more than a year ago and managed to clear it up practically completly. It's come back again. To be honest i know it's my own fault cause i have been drinking fairly heavily last few weeks (rag week, paddy's day etc). I havn't drank alchol in over two weeks, have been trying to eat good food etc. Did the alcohol just trigger the Psoriasis and am i now at it's mercy or what. Also i have consumed similar amounts of alcohol in the past yet i never had such an outbreak.

Any advice or idea's???

Guy I used to work with had it very bad, he had an operation done, what is involved in the op i'm not sure I didn't like to ask too much but he was out for about 6 weeks when he came back it was pretty much gone.

maybe talk to your doc about it?

Dapos

An operation! never heard of any treatment involving an operation. he must of had it very bad.

ShriekingSheet

It's rare that an operation can be done. Usually the process is a short burst of Oral steroids (very strong), some vit D supplements and regular treatment (maybe 3 5 min sessions a week) of UV treatment at Hume St hospital. It's pretty much sun beds but apparently there is a difference.

On the Drinking question, my friend has very bad ecsema and thought the same about drinking until he went to Thailand, drank his ass off and ate like a pig yet his skin was very clear. Obviously the climate helped but diet does bot seem to make too much odds.

My advice would be to check things like washing powder, DONT use softener, DONT just tolerate it if certain clothes are slightly irritating. Just don't wear them. Same goes for bed sheets. Keep your room as tidy, aired and as dustless as possible. Keep showers as cool as you can and as short as possible.

Stress is a major factor i think too. have you exams coming up? Around stressful times it's good to have betnovate RD or whatever at the ready and be disciplined and strict to your routine of applying it.

Hope this helps. I've been there buddy.
Check out "Bad Skin Day" by Bell X 1.
It seems Paul Noonan has been there too.

Nevyn

It can be realted to stress and allgerys.
I suffer from it on ocassion.
The creams and treatment can be helpful but not as much as reducing stress in ones life.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Had it for years myself. Casued by stress and/or heriditary, not related to allergies (although some fabrics and washing materials can sooth it and some irritate it)

Lush do a product called Dream Cream which is good, but temporary. USe it after a bath or shower.

Beyond that the best thing is direct sunlight. Go for two weeks in a hot country and it disappears.

TempestSabre

Theres a chemists on 136 Parnell Street, (Dubkin) where you can get creams/tonics and such made up individually to treat it. The guy to ask for is CH Foley. The number is 8746972. Good rep by anyone I know. If you want more info PM me.

Simon201

Have to say I've also never seen reports of an 'operation' for the treatment of Psoriasis and 5 mins on Google will tell you that there isn't and never has been a cure for Psoriasis so I wouldn't want to see anyone get their hopes up and head off to their GP screaming for this 'operation'. Of course this person could have suffered with something similar or whatever and while it's true that various creams or medication and sunlight can at many times keep it to a minimum it's always gonna be (excuse the pun!) lurking beneath the skin. My own endeavours to reducing it are using Dovobet cream (prescribed), but having done a little research it seems to be that there are quite a few different types, and even if two people have the same type, their treatments to reducing it can differ enormously as in medication and diet or lifestyle changes. Personally (and maybe fortunately) the most successful treatment for me is the sun. I have a patch on each knee about 3"x5" and one on each elbow a bit smaller. I could go on holiday to somewhere hot and sunny for two weeks and at the end of the two weeks it would be almost gone and about two weeks after I come back it is completely gone. Of course, it comes back but would take 3 or 4 months to reach the same pre-holiday stage.
The hospitals have special sun lamps but you've pretty much gotta have it all over before they let you go on one, and they are very different to tanning beds or rheumatology lamps.
I might get one of these in the near future and give it a go -

http://www.androv-medical.com/product.php?xSearch=&xProd=27&xCmd=cl&xLang=1&jssCart=d1db4a34ba09c39c949a88b0a7a61e59

missingtime

Yea another Psoriasis sufferer here. Tried all the tricks: internet creams/tablets, giving up dairy products (which sucks more than Psoriasis), tanning booths, .
Anyway went to a dermatologist prescribed with Dovobet, Dovonex, A mixture of Betnovate and Coal Tar Cream and Diprosalic.
They kinda work, probably would work better if i used them more often.

Oh the dermatologist told me the dairy thing is bull plop.

slumped

I have cream at home which actually removes all sight of the red scaly patches. Will get the name and post here later.

Not betnovate or alphosyl. BACK LATER..


S

ntlbell

Simon201 wrote:

Have to say I've also never seen reports of an 'operation' for the treatment of Psoriasis and 5 mins on Google will tell you that there isn't and never has been a cure for Psoriasis so I wouldn't want to see anyone get their hopes up and head off to their GP screaming for this 'operation'.

No ones saying to go SCREAMING to a GP a discussion with a GP about the option if he didn't all ready know about it (which he didn't) is all it takes.

I never said it cured it eithier. I know very little about the operation or what was involved, All I know is this guy was covered head to toe with very bad psoriasis, after the op six weeks later it was practically gone, Cured? in remission? I don't know but talking with a GP can't do any harm.

Drama queens.

kizzyr

Dapos wrote:

Hey all. I am just after getting another outbreak of Psoriasis and i have a few questions for people who have more experience with Psoriasis. First off let me say i've had Psoriasis for a few years. I got the worst outbreak more than a year ago and managed to clear it up practically completly. It's come back again. To be honest i know it's my own fault cause i have been drinking fairly heavily last few weeks (rag week, paddy's day etc). I havn't drank alchol in over two weeks, have been trying to eat good food etc. Did the alcohol just trigger the Psoriasis and am i now at it's mercy or what. Also i have consumed similar amounts of alcohol in the past yet i never had such an outbreak.

Any advice or idea's???

Hi, I've had psoriasis for about 10 years now. It was triggered as the result of a car crash as I'd enver had it before. Anyway it took me a long time to realise what this stuff on my skin was and at that stage it had moved to a lot of areas of my body. I tried the conventional route of consultant dermatologists etc etc and all to no avail. Then I turned to alternative treatments all of which worked to some extent one more so than the others and cleared it up to the point where I only had a tiny patch on each elbow. As time has passed I've discovered that its imperetive to keep my skin well moisturised and that if I have to take antibiotics it can cause a flare up but that lasts only a short time. Alcohol is so bad for your skin though you really should try to stay well clear. I know that in Ireland that can be hard as people treat you like a freak if you don't like to get locked every single weekend but you should give it a try. Also drink lots and lots of water every day it helps loads. I buy creams for my skin from two different places and you should check them out for yourself (the second on is the best). The first is a cream available from a company in Donegal called Dermalogics (http://www.dermalogics.co.uk/) the second is an Australian comapny and I find this cream excellent (www.hopes.com.au). Best of luck with it all.:)

daithimac

I suffer from this pretty regularly aswell. In my case though It is located on the scalp within the hairline so is nearly totally invisable but also leads to what looks like one really crappy dandruf problem. any of you know of any shampoos I could use. I tryed coaltar but It smelt so bad that nobody could stand within 4 feet of me before lunchtime

kizzyr

daithimac wrote:

I suffer from this pretty regularly aswell. In my case though It is located on the scalp within the hairline so is nearly totally invisable but also leads to what looks like one really crappy dandruf problem. any of you know of any shampoos I could use. I tryed coaltar but It smelt so bad that nobody could stand within 4 feet of me before lunchtime

I've used T Gel shampoo in the past too and it worked but only to a certain extent. I had a flare up on my scalp during the winter (central heating can be a bitch:( ) and bought Eucerin (not sure about spelling sorry) shampoo and its been working really well for me. When you put it onto your hair you have to leave it for a few mintues as it works on your scalp and moisturises it really well then rinse out and you're off;) I found a difference after only a few treatments and I've carried on using it since and if I go back to normal shampoos the problem comes back because the perfumes etc in those aggravates my scalp.

Loomis

daithimac wrote:

I suffer from this pretty regularly aswell. In my case though It is located on the scalp within the hairline so is nearly totally invisable but also leads to what looks like one really crappy dandruf problem. any of you know of any shampoos I could use. I tryed coaltar but It smelt so bad that nobody could stand within 4 feet of me before lunchtime

I have that too.My father and grandmother both developed it due to stressful experiences they had.My father has large patches on either elbow and then a few odd small spots round his body.He works in a prison and there was an incident with prisoners a while back.It totally consumed his body within days!The worst he'd ever had it.He uses the light treatment to clear it when it's bad.
I use either T-Gel or Nizoral for my hair.I get little patches right under my eye on the cheekbone and just to the right of my mouth/nose.I notice though it gets worse the longer I let my beard get.For these areas I use Hydrocortisyl cream and a new one my father gave me the other day called Elecon.

Dapos

daithimac wrote:

I suffer from this pretty regularly aswell. In my case though It is located on the scalp within the hairline so is nearly totally invisable but also leads to what looks like one really crappy dandruf problem. any of you know of any shampoos I could use. I tryed coaltar but It smelt so bad that nobody could stand within 4 feet of me before lunchtime

Ya i have it on my scalp too. I use shampoo's like polytar. Didn't find them too strong. I think best thing to do is when u are washing ur hair use something like ploytar. Then rinse it and wash with polytar again and leave for ten minutes. If the smell bother's you then wash hair in evenings.

Thanks for all the replys. I use aqueous cream and the curea cream and i find they work well (but are very slow). I think from my experience a good diet during psorasis can help although it seems doctors and dermitologists seem to dismiss this. I tried to avoid red meat and eat more fish(omega 3).

What i'm most curious in is what people found trigger an outbreak as i feel this could be important to try and avoid outbreaks in the future.

Rantorama

For scalp/hairline psoriasis use a crushed up disprin mixed in with a bland hair conditioner and leave on your scalp for 5-10,mins then rinse off.Repeat twice a week.The anti-inflammatory action of disprin will help calm down your psoriasis.

Just to echo what others have said here,I gave up alcohol for a month a the improvement to my psoriasis was better than any cream i have used.

rubadub

any place online with meds for cheap? how much is that polytar shampoo in a store here, for how big is a bottle?

It started behind my ears a while ago and got worse. It is a catch 22 in the fact that I used to have a short blade 2 which let the sun at it, but now I have grown longer hair to cover the nasty look of the skin, which then blocks the sun.

kizzyr

rubadub wrote:

any place online with meds for cheap? how much is that polytar shampoo in a store here, for how big is a bottle?

It started behind my ears a while ago and got worse. It is a catch 22 in the fact that I used to have a short blade 2 which let the sun at it, but now I have grown longer hair to cover the nasty look of the skin, which then blocks the sun.

I gave a link earlier on for stuff I use on a regular basis and find excellent. Its not that expensive either and lasts for a long time too. www.hopes.com.au It is an Australian company and the last time I bought cream (Oct 2005) it cost about € 30.00 for the jar including postage. I know they also have shampoo etc available for purchase. You really should check it out I cannot recommend this stuff enough and (for me at least) its all entirely natural and so doesn't damage the other healthy skin it may touch off unlike the medicated creams prescribed by doctors. Also again watch diet and alcohol consupmtion as they can really trigger an bad episode of psorisais.

Dapos

Well it might be a good idea to keep hair short. I understand you want to cover up skin but you would be surprised how quickly the scalp can heal when exposed. also it is coming up to summer so you would get more sunlight.

I got polytar over counter. it's about 5 euro. there is a stronger one (also over counter) which some places have. I can't remember name but just ask for coal tar shampoo for psorasis. This is about 10 euro. I would recommend the 10 euro shampoo, sorry i don't have a name.

kizzyr

Dapos wrote:

Well it might be a good idea to keep hair short. I understand you want to cover up skin but you would be surprised how quickly the scalp can heal when exposed. also it is coming up to summer so you would get more sunlight.

I got polytar over counter. it's about 5 euro. there is a stronger one (also over counter) which some places have. I can't remember name but just ask for coal tar shampoo for psorasis. This is about 10 euro. I would recommend the 10 euro shampoo, sorry i don't have a name.

Prolonged use of coal tar shampoo can render the scalp very sensitive though, especially if the skin is broken. I've been dealing with this for over 10 years now and while the coal tar worked for a while eventually your body gets used to it and moves on. There are other equally effective but gentler shampoos out there. Got to a good pharmacy and talk to the people there and if they are any good should be able to help you. I know I found McCabes Pharmacy in the Blanchardstown Centre to be excellent, very informed about psorisais and how to treat it. Do yourself a favour though and stay well clear of the Boots on the ground floor, the woman I spoke to in there couldn't have been snottier if she tried.:mad:

bravo

Hi Guys, I've got it for over 20 years and tried a lot - creams over the Internet, faith healers, homemade remedies - and in the end I turned back to the medical profession.
I was 90% covered and at present I am practically clear.
My medical route was: some steriod creams for small patches, when things progressed Dovonex and Dovabet (usually aternated as one has stronger steroids in it), and then later PUVA treatment organised by dermatologist (lie in a bath with a chemical that makes your skin able to take light easily, and then into a cubicle that covers you in UV light), and finally a new biological injection twice weekly ( this is only for extreme cases and has to be arranged by dermatologist). This is called Embrel and within six months I was practically clear but must continue on the injections.
The cause of this psoriasis in my case has been put down to just simple throat infections, I only got it in my twenties. Food has no bearing on it, but drink and stress have some affect.
There's probably a lot more I could add, but hopefully this may be of help.

Dapos

bravo wrote:

Food has no bearing on it, but drink and stress have some affect.
.

Really? I though some foods aren't great for skin and stuff like fish oil aid's skin. I used to take flak seed oil tablets and i avoided some foods and citrus drinks. Of course it's hard to know did this help or was it just creams etc.

kizzyr

bravo wrote:

Hi Guys, I've got it for over 20 years and tried a lot - creams over the Internet, faith healers, homemade remedies - and in the end I turned back to the medical profession.
I was 90% covered and at present I am practically clear.
My medical route was: some steriod creams for small patches, when things progressed Dovonex and Dovabet (usually aternated as one has stronger steroids in it), and then later PUVA treatment organised by dermatologist (lie in a bath with a chemical that makes your skin able to take light easily, and then into a cubicle that covers you in UV light), and finally a new biological injection twice weekly ( this is only for extreme cases and has to be arranged by dermatologist). This is called Embrel and within six months I was practically clear but must continue on the injections.
The cause of this psoriasis in my case has been put down to just simple throat infections, I only got it in my twenties. Food has no bearing on it, but drink and stress have some affect.There's probably a lot more I could add, but hopefully this may be of help.

Psoriasis is such a personal thing that its impossible to say food has no bearing on it. From my point of view changing my diet was the main thing that worked for me and the passing of time (with regard to the crash business). Conventional medicine did damn all for me, the consultant I was seeing was so confused about the fact that nothing he did was working that he was all set to make me stay in hospital for over 6 weeks for tar baths, the UV light etc etc. It was at that stage that I decided enough was enough and there was more than one way to skin a cat and I opted for the herbal and diet route. Granted I did have to try a few different people before I hit on one that worked for me but through diet (albeit a very strict one), drinking lots of water, not drinking alcohol and using the lotions and herbal drinks she prepared for me my skin recovered. Everything you eat has an effect on your body.

Dapos

kizzyr wrote:

Psoriasis is such a personal thing that its impossible to say food has no bearing on it

Ya i think u hit nail on the head there.

Rogueish

I have to say that no two people I've met with Psorasis have been the same nor has the exact same treatment worked for them either.

I developed psorasis coming up to, during and after my leaving cert. It was mainly confined to the back of my head and hidden by my hair. It was horrible. It eventually got so bad that I prettly much lost 1/3 of my hair. I was afraid to brush it because I would have half a wastepaper basket full of hair by the time I finished.

The hair could not come out of the follicle because of the keratinised skin so it lay dormant and no new hair grew. The doctor could find no reason for the hair loss after a battery of blood tests etc. He had never seen hair loss due to the psorasis. He prescribed dovonex and another medication but they didn't work either because the scales were so thick that the medication couldn't reach the skin to have an effect. Eventually the college doctor came up with a solution.

It was a .2% or 2% (not quite sure of the w/v I think it was .2%) of salycilic acid (ground asprin) in 50:50 solution of peanut oil and oilve oil. It was applied to the scalp at night every second night over a week or so (under a swimming cap) to soften and dissolve the scales. It did the job. All the coal tar and tea tree shampoos didn't do a thing for it. It eventually took a couple of asprin tablets (literally) and the dovonex to clear it up.

I am now 99% psorasis free. I've only two small patches inside my ears. My scalp cleared up and my hair grew back. I spent a year looking like the wild witch of the west til it grew long enough to be tied back . I've been left with a small bald patch just on my hairline at the back but my hair is long so noone notices.

In my case it was all triggered by stress so long as that is controlled all is dinky.

Dapos

Thanks for the replys anyway lads

lemeister

I'm also a sufferer for about 20 years and during my teens tried all sorts of remedies but found sun exposure to be best. The only remedy I've tried in recent years has been dovonex and I've had some success with it but I find that it really thins the skin. When I went sunbathing after using it for a few months I got really badly burned when I normally take the sun really well. This has put me off using it now and I haven't tried anything else but I'm toying with the idea of acupuncture. Anyone ever take this route with any success?

4red

An important thing when deciding on treatment is to ascertain which type of psoriasis you have. For instance, I have guttate psoriasis (meaning 'like raindrops') but there are other categories depending on severity.

In my experience stress and lack of sunlight have been the main catalysts of an outbreak.

Successful treatment for me personally has included sunbed sessions in the past, and now visits to sunny countries. A one-off higly successful treatment was a course of herbal medicine in my late teens - I have never had a major outbreak since. And finally (out of desperation) regular positive reinforcement, in the form of daily positive 'sayings' such as 'My skin will become clearer and clearer' also seemed to work for me.

The unfortunate thing about an outbreak of psoriasis is that the stress involved only precipitates the condition more. Just remember it's a condition which many many people have.

Good luck!

towger

A few people mentioned an operation a few posts back. In fact, a friend of mine had it quite bad some years ago. Then within 6 months she needed to have her tonsils and then appendix removed. Since then, no psoriasis. It seems that in SOME cases the virus / infection ( or whatever ) that can cause tonsils and appendix problems can also cause psoriasis. Is not always the case .... but if you get sore throaths a lot it might be an avenue worth considering.

rubadub

Dapos wrote:

I got polytar over counter. it's about 5 euro.

Got the polytar stuff. 250ml was €6.75 (125ml was only a euro less), it is 1% coal tar. There was a smaller bottle of stuff which was 4.3% coal tar. And several other ones, all on the shelf so I could get a good read. Only used once and it seems to have had a great effect already. Less reddening and the flakes coming off seem drier and "deader", hard to explain. No itching or anything.

I would be certain food has some effect, if only small. People are saying stress, but foods can stress the body too, allergys, processed stuff etc.

the Guru

Phototherapy is when the skin is exposed to wavelengths of ultraviolet light generally under the supervision of a doctor. There are two types of phototherapy treatment available:

• Phototherapy (UVB) – Ultraviolet light B (UVB) is present in natural sunlight and is an effective treatment for psoriasis. UVB penetrates the skin and helps to slow down the abnormally fast growth of skin cells. This treatment involves exposing the skin to an artificial UVB light source on a set schedule. This is normally performed in a doctor’s office or there are home units that can be purchased for this treatment. Treating psoriasis with a UVB light at home can be an effective, convenient choice. However, it requires a very consistent treatment schedule. There are two types of UVB treatment available, broad band and narrow band. Broad band is the more commonly used in the United States. The difference between the two is that the narrow band UVB unit emits a more specific range of UV wavelengths. Narrow band has been shown to be a more effective treatment with fewer treatments needed per week. It is hoped that the use of narrow band may increase in the United States as doctors learn more about its effectiveness and safety. At this time, the equipment is also very expensive.
• Phototherapy (PUVA) – Psoralen, which is a light sensitizing medication, combined with exposure to ultraviolet light A (UVA). UVA is also found in sunlight but by itself is not usually used to treat psoriasis. UVA has a long wavelength that penetrates deeper into the skin than UVB. Psoralen which is an oral or topical medication is used to make the skin more sensitive to light. This type of treatment is generally used when more than ten percent of the skin is affected by psoriasis or when the disease is affecting a person’s daily living. PUVA treatments must be given two to three times a week for best results. There are known side affects of PUVA such as nausea, headache, fatigue, burning, and itching. After taking Psoralen, it is important that you avoid sunlight and your eyes must be protected for up to two days. Long term treatment with PUVA has been associated with an increased risk of melanoma skin cancer.

Roddy23

Long time sufferer here too, about 20 years, first got it when i was 4. Was using head and shoulders for a few weeks, and got an outbreak. Doctor said i had an allergic reaction to soapy products. Other times I have noticed outbreaks is when i'm under stress, exams, starting new jobs, that sort of thing. But as the auld one always said "just let the sun at it".Seems to work for me, as a previous poster said" it is a personal thing".

Oh yeah I use a shampoo called E45 (have it really bad on the scalp), no soap in it, seems to do the job.

Scruff

developed it in about 9 years in college after a prolonged drinking spell and putting cheap red dye in my hair. (dont know why i did that, was practically bald at the time) Started on my scalp and spread pretty much everywhere. Had to get uvb and hideous coal tar treatment that took about 2 months to clear it. Horribly depressing experience having to cover oneself in that tar gunk every night and then trying to sleep feeling slimey
Clear of it now except for the odd spot every now and again that i treat with betnovate. Heavy drinking sessions and getting run down cause it to flare up around my nose. Use a betnovate liquid on that as well but want to stop that as i hear betnovate can leave you with non psoriasis red patches, so if anyone has any recommendations on an alternative let me know!

And there might be hope for a cure in the future. Now that they found the gene that causes eczema they should be able to do the same for psoriasis as the two are so similar.

Dapos

I suppose i have all the symptoms of stress. Have to hand up my final year project in two weeks, got a job in dublin so have to sort out place to stay etc. And i had been drinking heavily. The thing is i don't feel stressed. Maybe i am subconsiously!

Scruff

you mightn't be mentally but your body could be physically!

stress is a big factor in outbreaks.

Dapos

Scruff wrote:

Now that they found the gene that causes eczema they should be able to do the same for psoriasis as the two are so similar.

That's some breakthough alright

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=39974

athena 2000

Dapos wrote:

Any advice or idea's???

The treatment listed above that included the olive and peanut oils reminded me of this....
Check into your diet and the possibility of increasing essential fatty acids by eating things rich in Omega-3 and Omega-6 sources as well as taking flaxseed oil. I have a friend who is a clinical nutritionist. He suffers from psoriasis on the elbows and knees at times and says this is one of the most helpful ways to control his psoriasis and some of the inflammation. At least it works for him. Linky for info.

Be The Holy

I have had it along the hairline for the last ten years. Have recently started taking fish oil and flaxseed oil capsules daily which gets rid of the bloody itch. Also take zinc (pumpkin seeds) and vitamin B supplements. I use nizoral and tea tree oil shampoo's as well as applying aloe vera gel to it at night which works pretty good. Suppoosedly applying apple cider vinegar (diluted with water) and applying tea tree oil helps as well.

daithimac wrote:

I suffer from this pretty regularly aswell. In my case though It is located on the scalp within the hairline so is nearly totally invisable but also leads to what looks like one really crappy dandruf problem. any of you know of any shampoos I could use. I tryed coaltar but It smelt so bad that nobody could stand within 4 feet of me before lunchtime

LegacyUser

I suffered from the same scalp problems that have been described in previous posts. Multiple doctors said it was Psorasis, (mainly becuase I had odd patches on legs) and I went through all the usual treatments as described. Found it was always bad after drinking and severe weather temperature drops!!! Anyway, went to a new specialist and he now thinks it is folliciticus decalvens and he put me on antibiotics to see how it goes. I think that a lot can be learned by sufferers meeting and sharing their experiences but there appears to be no where to do this on the web or at a public help group. Does anyone know of such, particulary for scalp conditions and Psorasis?

LegacyUser

I've recently developed it at age 40 in the anus area, which rules out exposure to the sun for treatment! I was prescribed elocon but when I stopped using it, it came back worse and in pustular form.

Anyone else had this problem and successfully treated it.

My brother has a bad case of psoriasis, and he always has as far as I can remember. He has it from his head to his toes, covering basically his entire body. It can get extremely bad close to exams, and he has tried everything from alterative medicine, to acupuncture (probably spelt wrong).

The one thing that has helped him alot is UV-rays and sunshine. Currently he is living in San Diego, California completing his PHD and the sunshine has helped him dramatically. It's no where near as bad as it was say 5 years ago.

deisemum

My husband suffered from this for years and tried most of the things mentioned. Nothing worked. He doesn't suffer from it since I was at a talk on skin conditions given by a local Homeopath. She recommended Creightons Capucine shampoo for dandruff. It costs €5.55 in local health food shop and lasts ages. You can use it in the shower and as you rinse your hair it clears up the psoriasis on your body. The only time he's had a recurence happened when the health food store ran out of it and had to wait a few months. It was gone after a couple of times using it.

face-the-phase

Great to hear everyone's stories! I'v got it on my scalp as well. This last month i have been drinking alot and i am also quite stressed and its awful at the moment and im afraid it will spread from my scalp to other parts of my body in the future. For now i just use aqueous cream of my face as its also v. dry and t-gel for my scalp which works ok.

turbot

Good approaches to explore for mitigating psoriasis are:

1) Hypnosis

2) Different Creams

3) Scenar Devices - google "scenar"

4) Bio Energy Healing

5) Different creams seem to be effective

It's my understanding, also that:
- Anything that de-stresses you, detoxes you, or vitalises you will tend to help, though you need to reach certain thresholds of relaxation to have a major effect.

Dapos

turbot wrote:

Good approaches to explore for mitigating psoriasis are:

1) Hypnosis

2) Different Creams

3) Scenar Devices - google "scenar"

4) Bio Energy Healing

5) Different creams seem to be effective

It's my understanding, also that:
- Anything that de-stresses you, detoxes you, or vitalises you will tend to help, though you need to reach certain thresholds of relaxation to have a major effect.

That Scenar Device sound cool. have u used it or know of anyone who has?

Dapos

Hey all,
Just said i'd give an update on Psoriasis. I started this thread looking for a reason (other than too much to drink) why Psoriasis flared up on me again. Well for all of ye who said it was stress i think ye hit the nail on the head. At the time i had final year project to do in college and i was sorting out a full time job after college. Since i finished the Final Year project the psorisis has improved. Coal Tar ointment helped but i have been a lot more relaxed latly. I have exams coming up but they are my last set of exams and i don't feel stressed out about them. I think the drink help flare the psoriasis but the root cause was the stress. So for any of ye with flare up's first thing is chillax...(I know psoriasis can effect everyone different but there are similarities).

katiemac

The psoriasis assoc of ireland has a website with lots of details, discussion boards and contact details. www.psoriasisireland.ie

LegacyUser

Good thread!!
I have had this as well for around 12 years. I am lucky that it is mostly on my head and my hair covers it. Although it is fairly thick in patches, and i try to wash it as much as i can, but never found any product that really worked., Although in the lasrt few years it has very slightly gone down my back and sholuders. It was not flaky, more like a rash.
So anyways i was doing a bit of work outdoors and took off the shirt as it was so hot. After a few days, my back and shoulders were unbelievably smooth. Sunlight is the only thing that has kept it at bay, i only wish i had more time to be out in the sun as well. Also i wonder should i shave off my hair during summer months to see if it would clear up, but it wouldn't look to nice i guess...

I dunno about any factors that could set off an outbreak. My case is not really severe at all, it has been pretty much confined to my scalp. I don't really ever get stressed, don't smoke, and drink maybe once or twice in the past year (haven't had time for it!!)
Will try that Eucerin shampoo and see what happens..