What I wish someone had told me...

A little bit about myself, i have been a doorman for over 25 years , full of confidence & was always the one to have a laugh and join in a party. Now its all gone ive given up due to this horrible Ps, I always said i didn't mind as long as no one could see it but its beat me now with a vengence. After years of spending huge amounts of money on prescription charges i have know given up on prescribed drugs / tablets / lotions as none work for me. I have even stood in the full ultra violet tardis for hrs on end. I have had psoriasis for well over 10 years know, I have it over most of my body & the only part of my body not affected is my face. I find now by covering myself twice a day with aqueous cream it doesn't get any worse in most area's & if it does get scabby i cover the affected area with petroleum jelly and cover with cling film for the day. When i remove the cling film the scabs come off with it. The only major problem i have at the moment is the back of one of my hands that is bad suddenly starts to bleed for no reason, it seems that that part of my body has totally given up as the skin is so thin on there now, does anyone have any suggestions as to how i can sort this out.

My daughter who has just turned 4 has scalp psoriasis and has small patches of psoriasis over her body. The GP referred her to a specialist. After use of a variety of treatments and approaches: oils, t-gel, various coal tar shampoos, a range of a salicylic acid creams (a nightmare to wash out - 6 hair washes and still greasy), we were finally given Sebco. This was the most effective thing we had used and we were delighted....until my consultant called me up 6 weeks later saying she should have not prescribed it as Sebco has not been tested on young children. I was very upset, having used two tubes at this stage. Back to the drawing board. I then discovered Aloe Propolis creme. I rub it in her hair overnight (it doesn't contain any nasties so I'm happy to do this). I then wash it out in the morning - one wash is all it takes. The flakes literally lift off and I then use a nit comb for any small bits that are still attached. It's amazing! Safe to use on my young daughter. It smells nice so she enjoys is and we don't have the trauma of countless hair washes. For us, this has been life changing.

In response to mickb: I'm from Portugal and I've got psoarisis for over 20 years. Luckly i've been managing my disease with PANDEL (http://www.rxlist.com/pandel-drug.htm) and with a cream, called POMADA INGLESA, made in a portuguese pharmacy (http://www.farmaciatrindadebras.com/contactos.html). Those are used by night. During the day I use AVEIA CREAM. (http://www.dermoteca.com/Bebé/tabid/104/ProdID/2/Language/pt-PT/D_AVEIA_Creme_Hidratante.aspx) Best of luck!

Hiya I'm 25 and have only suffered from p for over a year, I've been hospitalised for six weeks due to a severe flare up been on cyclosporin, steroids,moisturisers you name it nothing worked then I was put on methotrexate tablets which at first helped them I was abruptly taken off them as I was admitted to hospital for vomiting and they then started me on sub q injection form of methotrexate that has just resulted in 3 and a half week hospital admission. I was started on antibiotics for a uti infection through the Vein (iv) which to my surprise cleared up my skin completely my only worry is when it comes bk how to control it and if anyone has any advice I'd be grateful to hear from you and also has anyone had any experience of iv antibiotics clearing up their skin as I was at a combined clinic and loads of dermatologists seemed interested as I'm a bit of a mystery and if so could be the way forward for p thanks don't No if I can live with this condition much Longer xx

I too was onintravenous antibiotics but only for 3 days. I noticed my left leg which was badly marked had reverted to clear skin! So soft! No trace of psoriasis. Right leg had improved, sadly rt leg much worse again but left leg still very good. I am sure this is due to the antibiotic. So glad to hear someone else say the same. Surely this should be investigated. Psoriasis isnt life threatening, but it is so disfiguring and depressing to have.

Have been in remission for 5 years. My first experience with ps was when I was in my mid 50s & it was a shock. I have it on my hands & feet & it can be totally disabling. My hands & feet are cracked & bleeding. Most topical treatments are smelly, discolour clothes & either don't work at all, or have an impact for a few weeks before the condition reasserts itself. Methotrexate tablets certainly worked for me 5 years ago. A Spanish friend of mine who lives near the sea spends all summer bathing in sea water & she is currently in remission. I am about to see my consultant to see what other treatments might be on offer. Meanwhile, I am keeping my local pharmacy in business, buying thick dressings for my feet, white cotton gloves for my hands & Diprobase lotion for temporary relief. I've become a dab hand at bandaging my sore fingers & I can't do any washing up, so I guess there's always an upside.

What I wish someone had told me....... Psoriasis can be incredibly itchy , sometimes it feels like a burn. It can limit your movement especially when it feels tight or is cracking. It's hard to function at times, loved ones will say it doesn't bother me, I don't even notice it, but you can forget it. It's not only the psoriasis that gets you down, it's the inability to be able to do 'normal' things,.......dying your hair: Loreal is no longer my friend, shaving: before you look like yogi bear, using soap & using deodorant! applying cream constantly, no more chucking yourself into bed when your dead on your feet as you need a good 20 mins to get all those hard reach places. everything you own to wear now looks like you've stood over the oven cooking a greasy fry up for the 5000 That FACE people pull when they notice it for the first time: think chimp, sucking on a lemon while taking dump. Trying to cover up in the middle of summer with out looking like a member of ISIS Being able to wear black/dark tops all the time, not just for funerals. That psoriasis holds a: any holes a goal policy, ear hole, nose hole, no hole to great or to small! and it will just appear totally uninvited. Get yourself a pre pay prescription! You pay per item. Get on the water sure scheme, if you have a meter you can get your water capped at around £500 a year (depending on where you live) so you don't feel so guilty about testing the amount of water available in the country. Try and stay as positive as you can.....life could always be worse.

Hi, I hope this helps... I cured my psoriasis in 12 days by applying electronic cigarette liquid (propylene glycol and nicotine) to the affected areas. The areas had thick scales, and scabs from my scratching when extreme itchiness happened (usually at night). Each day, I applied the e-cig liquid in the morning and at night. Within two minutes of applying the liquid, any itching completely stopped and my skin felt warm. I am not sure if it was the nicotne or the propylene glycol that cured my psoriasis. Why did I use the e-cig liquid? After disappointment with the results of other treatments, I reasoned that my experiment with e-cig liquid on my skin will not harm me, and it may help me. If this remedy works for you, please tell others about it.

I wish someone had told me, a derm. or other doctor, that pso can attack anywhere on the body. I only expected it to appear on my knees & elbows & I can easily cover that. W-R-O-N-G !! Pso started to attack my groin, then legs, ears, back, & now is doing a great job causing itching on my face. I've "trained" myself to medicate the minute I feel a flare up coming & not to scratch but it's hard with my face, since I've never had it there before. I don't even know I'm starting to scratch. I've learned of a site called goatmilkstuff.com where this family raises a herd of goats that are never fed organic food and are taken very good care of. They even name each goat. Pso & goats? The family gets 2-3 gals. of milk from the goats at their peak and with it they make various products that are said to help exzema & pso sufferers. They make several different kinds of soap & so you can see which kind works best on your skin, they sell a gift pack of all four different half bars for $15. Sounds like a pretty fare price to me & the soap can't hurt you. They sell chap stick that's hand poured so it doesn't have a flat top like store bought chap but like the family says, "your lips won't know the difference." I'm going to try the gift pack payday & see what happens. At least I'll feel like I'm doing something positive. I'm also going to buy some Dead Sea mud & see how that works. Can't hurt & who knows, maybe I'll have a better complection!

I wish Drs. would tell you how extensive it is. This is not just a disease that leaves you with flaky skin, it is an autoimmune disease that can wreak havoc with your overall body. Brief history: I have had guttate psoriasis for close to 30 years, which means I have lived with it almost all of my life, It covers almost all of my body including arms, legs, chest & breast, back, ears, face, scalp, and inverse. I have had a lot of health issues that may not be directly linked to Psoriasis, but is common with people with Psoriasis to have or Psoriasis to trigger. PCOS- Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome which is another autoimmune disease. There is research to believe that there is a close link with woman who have psoriasis to develop this disease which links to infertility, weight gain, and possible development of diabetes. Vitamin D deficiencies- this was the largest red flag that I wish my Dr. would have caught/told me about. I had a metabolic workup that showed my vitamin D was severely low. Which can cause heart pains, tiredness/weakness, and whole host of issues. There are many reasons why Vitamin D is deficient including how the immune system works, to the fact that you can only obtain this vitamin naturally from the sun which people with psoriasis tend to stay away from. I started taking a recommended dosage from my Dr. and my psoriasis has become very manageable without prescription creams and light treatments. To this day my Dr. never told me that psoriasis and vitamin D deficiency was linked until I started reading articles that linked them together. It was an ah ha moment that I am glad that I found, but am angered that my General Dr. and Dermatologist did not tell me about the link. I make sure to take my dosage everyday and my psoriasis is VERY manageable. Psoriasis can cause inflammation and joint discomfort. Extra Vitamin D has helped with this! Upper Respiratory infections can cause a trigger flare ups and development of Guttate psoriasis. I unfortunately had a thyrossal duct cyst on my thyroid which is a birth defect. It was not discovered until just recently where I underwent surgery to take it out. It however made me susceptible to upper respiratory infections and sore throats for most of my life which made me constantly go into flare ups. Psoriasis sufferers may be more susceptible to groups of foods/items that can wreak havoc on your intestines such as gluten, soy, and dairy. These are all things that I wish my Drs. would pay more attention to, instead of giving me dermotopical creams, which is the least of my concern. I have learned how to deal with my patchy/itchy skin, but it is hard adjusting to the other issues such as joint pains, IBS, and Vitamin D deficiencies that psoriasis brings on.