Nail Psoriasis

Hi jenpet, Nail psoriasis is part of the psoriasis cluster of autoimmune diseases. As you have apparently been diagnosed already with an autoimmune problem, you might possibly be able to short circuit the 3 month waiting list to see a dermatologist by bringing up the nail thing with the specialist who is already treating you for Sicca. You might even already be on some sort of medication with an impact on the psoriasis. But you can be reassured that the nail gel you used is unlikely to be the cause of your current problem. My brother and I both have nail psoriasis, and I told him what I had been advised by a dermatologist 25-30 years ago. The advice was to increase consumption of gelatin. It worked for me and it has helped his nail problem, and it may help you. Of course it is not an instant fix as the new stronger nails need to grow, but if you do this you may find that in 3 months when you see the dermatologist your nails might have improved. It is not a cure. No cure for psoriasis has yet been found. But it is a method of symptom minimisation. wendyloish

I don't know if this will be helpful, but here goes: I have been through prescription medicine & ointments from 2 dermatologists. On my own, I started using CBD oil on my plaque psoriasis about 1-1/2 years ago. I had very heavy plaque on my feet with deep fissures & my hands had numerous cuts, and my nails had pretty well died. The doctor said that they had died. As of today, most of my psoriasis has cleared up. I had to get a prescription for medical cannabis from my GP. Cost right now is $90 Canadian for a 40 ml bottle, although I just found another source at $120 for a 100 ml bottle, which I am using. The oil is easily spread and absorbed into the skin, and I don't ingest it. I also find that this oil helps with healing ordinary sores. There are some pictures of my plaque psoriasis here: http://www.normtoogood.ca/psoriasis.htm Good luck!

Hi Wendyloish Thanks for your reply. The private dermatologist I saw told me he is seeing more of this sort of nail psoriasis from people who are allergic to the nail gel & lights. So I am not sure what to believe. When you say gelatin helps, can I just eat sugar free jelly? Have you tried blueberries? There is a thread on here about how good they are for healing psoriasis, but not sure if that includes nails. I cannot see my Sicca consultant again as I saw him a few weeks ago about something else. I am not sure he could fasttrack me to Dermatology, I am hoping my GP is trying to do that.

Hi scouternorm Thanks for your reply. Poor you, your psoriasis looks really bad, I am sorry. My nail psoriasis crust under my nails is not too bad, thankfully. It is only on my hands. I doubt I can be prescribed medical cannabis. & I could not afford to buy it at the price yours is.

Hi jenpet, Yes jelly is a good source of gelatin. Another source is home made soup, made from meat with bones. I especially like chicken soup made from chicken legs (The gelatin is in the bones) and soup made with a ham hock and vegetables. And yes I have tried blueberries. In fact I used to grow them. I had a blueberry hobby farm for some years. I ate lots. My understanding is that they contain polyphenols (specifically anthocyanins) which act as anti-inflammatory agents. They are not a cure, but in some cases act to dampen the psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis symptoms. There are other chemicals in various foods which would do the same thing, tumeric is one often mentioned on the forum. As the impact of these anti-inflammatory foods is body wide there would be no reason to not expect them to have an impact on the nails. I takes time for such things to work. The gelatin is about strengthening the nails, if you combined that with the blueberry cure it might make a difference. You would know by the time rolled around for your dermatology appointment in 3 months. wendyloish

Hi Wendyloish Thanks for the info. I will certainly try the jelly & blueberries. I hate cooking so doubt I will make the soup. How interesting you used to grow blueberries. I have also heard about turmeric. I am still using the Diprosalic ointment, & was told to use it for a month. I think there is an improvement, but as I mentioned above the crust has turned much darker & makes my nails look filthy. Have you been prescribed Dermovate or Diprosalic scalp lotion? Have you been prescribed the 'nasty' tablets as I really do not want to try them? People on this forum say the psoriasis comes back when you stop them + they can cause liver damage.

Hi jenpet, I try to manage all my symptoms (mainly psoriatic arthritis and spondilitis) through diet. I am on a diet called FODMAP (standing for all the things that cause inflammation) which was designed for irritable bowel syndrome, another one of my chronic problems. I do have prednisolone (corticosteroid) in the medicine cabinet, but manage not to take it. My skin (mostly my face and lower legs) I regularly expose to sunlight (I live in Australia where the sun does shine), and I use a skin cleansing treatment called Sebitar. Old fashioned, it is pretty well something from my grandmother's time, the active ingredients being coal tar and salicylic acid. I use just a drop and I like it because I can use it on my face and behind my ears without fear of long term consequences. My ears and scalp are clear now, whether as a result of the diet or the Sebitar, I don't know. My finger nails are lovely, but my toe nails are never 100%. I was in my early 30s when I was sent to a dermatologist for the nail psoriasis. Beyond diagnosis and the gelatin suggestion there was nothing that was available at that time, so I was not prescribed anything. That was in about 1977. As the gelatin thing worked for me I have not had to revisit the issue. My brother, who had problems with his toenails in the late 1950s when he was a boy, had his big toe nails permanently removed (Nail plus nail bed) at the age of about 12. My generation were not prescribed anything. My psoriasis treatment plan was from my grandmother - coal tar and sorbelene. About the "nasty" tablets, I assume that must be methatrexate, as you mention liver damage. No I don't take that! My brother was on this for a little bit but had a couple of bouts in hospital (pneumonia, I recall), so he is now not taking anything either. He uses diet for symptom control like me, and takes the prednisolone when necessary. And that course of action has been worked out in conjunction with his rheumatologist. wendyloish