Dovobet warning

Posted Tue 21 Mar 2017 17.08 by Sasha100

I have only had psoriasis for around three months and what a nightmare. I was originally prescribed dovonex. Unfortunately I had major side effect from it , it burnt me beyond belief. So much so I don't think areas of me will ever be the same again. I only used it for around a week. When I eventually got another appointment two weeks later another doctor gave me a prescription for betamethasone. He didn't explain what it was at the time. He is known for this. So I looked it up on the internet. It came up as a potent steroid. Which I was supposed to use with the dovonex. Having read about and knowing other people who have used steroids and problems with side effects I decided not to use it and make an appointment to see another doctor. This is where dovobet comes in. The next doctor prescribed dovobet I had researched it I said I don't want to use a steroid cream . He said don't worry it's not a very strong steroid we will just use it for three weeks then come back and see me again then we will discuss treatments. So like an idiot I believed him. Back I went in three weeks. He asked how I was doing. I explained for around a week and a half it began to tone down the redness. But after that they got redder and redder and it looks like the psoriasis is also staring to appear on my hands and feet. So it doing some benefit then. And I said no ,and repeated what I said before. He took no notice of what I said and said we will carry on using it for another 4 weeks. And I thought what choice do I have. Boy did I suffer for it a week later. I woke up the Tuesday morning and I had had a massive flare all the way down my arms on my thighs and shins. Managed to get an emergency appointment later that day to see an advanced practice nurse. Showed her what had happened and explained all the side effect I had with it. Headaches, areas of my skin had turned purple and that morning very strange the veins in my arm looked like they were bulging. Developed a cough and sniffles and the massive flare that had happened. I must admit she looked shocked when I pointed out how many had come out overnight. Now I am off medication for two weeks to let my skin settle. No ideas what they are going to do then. But worse of all I have now noticed spreading of the plaques and what I can only say is areas of dead skin. No flaking appearing but it also looks like any healing has stopped altogether. I thought this usually happened over long term use or suddenly stopping the medication. But what I have also discovered not I don't know whether to blame myself for using it ,or the doctor for prescribing it when I said I did not want a steroid. What I am most angry about is the fact that he told me it's not a very strong steroid, which after I looked it up last week found it was a potent steroid. Has anyone else had similar problems with dovobet?

Posted Tue 21 Mar 2017 17.48 by thin-skinned
Irascible septuagenarian fed up with the psoriasis constantly at me :wink:

After about 2 months of Dovobet Gel, I started to get problems with pain and redness on palms and fingers, so I was switched to steroid free Calcipotriol which is in an ointment form. That ointment for me is free from side effects and healing has been observed.

Posted Wed 22 Mar 2017 11.03 by Sasha100

Unfortunately I was prescribed calcipotriol in the form of dovonex first. But I had a bad reaction by it severely burning my skin. The problem was my doctor told me it can have that effect when you first use it , carry on using it. But all that happened was it burned even more. So at the moment I am on a two week wait with no treatment whatsoever to wait for my skin to settle which it isn't,t. I have read there is a vitamin a ointment which may help but the problem it has similar side effects. Has anyone tried the vitamin a ointments?

Posted Wed 22 Mar 2017 12.52 by thin-skinned
Irascible septuagenarian fed up with the psoriasis constantly at me :wink:

Calcipotriol is a vitamin D analogue bound up in an ointment carrier, so yes I do use a vitamin ointment and without the added steroid as in Dovobet I have lost all the side effects. As vit D is burning you then I would suggest steering clear of other vitamin ointments. Have you tried Chinese herbal skin creams? I use one for otherwise incurable hot red itching and have achieved great success.

Posted Wed 17 Feb 2021 12.05 by Paul

Hi, I have used Dovobet and found it worked for me. However my doctor refused to repeat the prescription saying it was too dangerous to continue with it because of skin thinning. I had a massive flare up going from psoriasis on legs (just 3 or 4 places) to 85 %of my whole body. I saw a skin specialist who said Methotrexate treatment was the next step. While reading various forums looking for an alternative, I changed my diet, no nightshade family foods and cut out alcohol. I take a probiotic, zinc picolinate, 4000iu of vitamin d every day and gradually the psoriasis disappeared. The best topical cream I have found is Sorion.IIt is truly wonderful. It is completely natural, originally from India and manufactured in Germany. It is getting hard to find, I used to buy it from Helloskin but often out of stock. Last tube I bought from Ireland I think from Sorion Skin. Got to be worth a try. I still get the occasional odd spot of ps but sorion clears it in a few days. Ps the diet change and probiotic also cured my IBS.!

Posted Wed 17 Feb 2021 15.39 by Steview
A P sufferer for over 30 years, through good and bad times.

Hi Sasha, sorry to hear of your current flare up. Sometimes doctors don't give the full facts and side effects of meds whether that be ignorance, lack of research or lack of time with the patient.. Dovobet is an established strong steroid ointment and yes it is known for the downsides of extended use. Similar a newer application, Enstillar is know for its strength and also unfortunately negative affect. Could it be that your P got worse as you were experiencing a major flare up and the dovobet was not having an affect? Where do you go next will depend on what you have tried and failed previously plus the severity of your P. So possibly referral for light treatment or systemic treatments I. e acitretin, methotrexate or cyclosporin. That is if the doc thinks it is suitable for you and you want to go down that route. Good luck.

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