New and struggling.

Hi Emma, sorry to heear you've had it so bad. I've had psoriasis on and off since a child and it flared up abour 12 years ago. I eventually worked out that it was worse in winter than summer and it was mainly due to the skin getting too hot. From that I found the following helped ... > wear cotton next to the skin - I wear cotton vests and this helped to reduce outbreaks on my lower torso and around the waistline. > avoid too many layers or tight clothes - when you have psoriasis the temptation is to cover up. Try to air the skin as much as possible - again - I found cottom layers worked better. > I had problems on my face too so made sure my hair was swept away from my face. I hope this helps you too. Elaine

Dovobet at first was my life saver i put it on for the first time and that night no word of a lie i started to see patches fade!!! i wondered why i had never been prescribed it sooner, and then i noticed it stopped working and now 6 years later im still being prescribed it and a month ago i just stopped using it due to severe bruising out of no where on my legs and the fact that when i stopped using it, the psoriasis got ten times worse i got spots everywhere now, i hate that stuff id avoid it like the plague! unfortunately i do not know what advice to give anyone with psoriasis but to cream religiously day and night!! everybody is banging on about these diets etc i did briefly diet for 7 weeks in fact avoiding all meat apart from chicken and fish i bought all gluten free foods and drank soy completely come off dairy and took daily vitamins from omega 3 to flax seed oil the list goes on. i even when to the extreme of bathing in fish oils i got that desperate!! im going to avoid sugar and cut down on my dairy this time and continue to eat fish daily i am taking a vitamin d supplement its a oral spray and i am taking castor oil capsules as i do believe it is related to toxins in the gut! If u cant diet start talking supplements but try to avoid dovobet or steroid creams, i am a student nurse but medication for me is not always the answer, if it helps i am also gping to try make my own body butter that way u know whats in it, i am going to mix coconut oil with almond oil and try get hold of some cocoa butter good luck to everyone and welldone to those that have found a cure for themselves i hope i can find my trigger in foods im just a bit sceptical i suppose when u wake up everyday to it u never imagine the day that it will be gone ive now got it in my head it will never go but im gonna keep trying!!! :) and emma psoriasis is horrid nasty and im not gonna lie i wish i cud shed my skin and walk away from it but im just finally glad to know im not the only one because not one person i know has psoriasis and it gets me down being the only one and i must do my friends and familys heads in goin on and on and on its heartbreaking for me too!!!

Hi I'm new to the forum too and I find it a relief to find people who are in a similar situation. I would never wish psoriasis on anybody, but to know that other people can struggle to cope too from time to time makes me feel less of a failure (for want of a better word) when the psoriasis starts to get me down. All I can say by means of comfort to you is to say that it will come and go in waves, it may be really severe for a few months, but then you could have a few months where it is almost clear.... Always hold onto the thought that it will get better!

I've had P for 14 years now and the only time I've been completely free is when I've been pregnant. It's different for everyone but mine gets better in summer and also when I eat healthier and exercise. I've found putting my dovobet on on an evening before bed and plenty of emollient cream throughout the day to stop it drying and itching really helps. Also, the more stressed I get about it, the worse it gets... As soon as it's 'under control' I stop the dovobet and just stick to emollient creams as much as possible. I also stay away from certain shower gels, shapoos etc as they seem to irritate it. Good luck