Not sure what to do anymore,so depressing

Hey Luke Sorry to hear that you feel low right now. . But there is light at the end of this flaky tunnel!! There was a time in my life I felt the exactly the same. I was so fed up by the way I looked and felt. Crusty painful skin. I believed everyone was judging me. So I hardly left the house. I was so scared about starting any new treatments because I was frightened of the side effects and wanted to be well enough to take care of my kids so avoided treatments for years but i just ended up getting worse and worse. Finally I agreed to treatment and boy did it change my life. I can’t say I’m side effect free but I’m managing it with the help of my derm team and the benefits of finally having good skin gave me my mojo back! Please go see your Dr. You can do this :) Clearer skin is out there!!!

Thankyou so much for your reply I really do appreciate it. I feel the same way I want to be well and be psoriasis free so I can feel confident to take my boy to the pool/beach etc as he grows up. My boy is 3 at the moment. I did go to my doctor and he referred me to a specialist which was a bit arrogant and told me I'd be stuck with psoriasis for life and prescribed me with methotrexate but I researched it and the side effects seemed very severe so I never took the medication as I thought there must be more natural ways to fix it. But I'm yet to find anything that has a good success rate. I live in Tasmania so I'm unsure of whether there is many specialist that know enough about psoriasis here. It's only a small place. If I had to travel to get better care I would but I'm unsure of where to start. If you don't mind me asking, what medication/treatments would you recommend? Thanks again for caring enough to reply so kindly

I’ve been on biologics for the past 10 years or so. I’ve had to switch a few times as I had an allergic reaction to the very first one after being on it for 6 months which I was told was very unusual but that’s just me I guess ha ha! I Had a good few years on stelara until it stopped doing anything and the skin was bad again, now I’m on a new one called Tramfya. I nearly have complete clearance but I also a few new side effect mostly gastro related. But I feel keeping open minded and excepting new challenges has really helped me. I was truly petrified before. Because I worried mostly about the things beyond my control. Since putting my faith in treatments I have really learnt to embrace life again. Believe me I totally get you when you mention arrogant Drs I have met a few along the way they may have studied bad skin but sure don’t understand what it’s like to actually live with it. It’s more than just a physical disease. It’s what goes on inside your head that reflects on the skin and the quality of your life. I hope you can find a good derm dr near to where you live or maybe research one that offers video/telephone consultations? Best of luck x

Hi Luke,I know exactly how you feel I've had psoriasis for 33 years and have tried many creams,lotions etc.Recently I've had a major flare up I think due to having covid vaccination and covid for the 3rd time! It's got me down so much I've decided to try methotrexate.I read all the horrible side effects,but then I read about how it's helped lots of sufferers.Anyway I started last Sunday on 5mg gradually going up to 10mg having regular blood tests to check everything is ok.Its early days but I'm feeling hopeful,I just can't keep using creams as they damage the skin too.I think the time comes when you have to try something else and hope you don't get many side effects,and of course you can stop at any time if not happy.Just remember you're not alone and I hope you find a treatment that helps you.

Cosentix did clear all my psoriasis, not all my psoriasis arthritis but if you have only psoriasis speak with your doctor. All the flaky skin is gone and the only thing was left is colour is slightly different on the places I had psoriasis, witch I don't care don't make a difference to me at least. I hope you find a nice match treatment that works for your needs

Thankyou so much to everyone that has replied ❤️

Snik did you have any side affects with the cosentyx?

No side effects for me

Hi there first time new to this but I'm desperate, I have severe plaque prssoriasis from head to toe my hairs falling out ,I'm so desperate to go out to work but it's so painful, I just started Tremfya when will this start working help!!

Hi all, So sorry to hear that some of you are having a tough time right now. If any of you are struggling with your psoriasis and would like some more advice or support, you can always get in contact with our helpline. You can get in touch by phone on 01604 251 620, email at mail@psoriasis-association.org.uk or WhatsApp on 07387 716 439 and one of our friendly advisors will do their best to help you. Wishing you all the best, Georgia, Psoriasis Association

You are definitely not alone. I’ve suffered with psoriasis for 13 years (now 39). It started as scalp but now I’m completely covered from scalp, ears, arms, torso, stomach legs etc. I’ve tried everything possible and reached out to GP-GP and saved to go to a specialist dermatologist because I just couldn’t handle it anymore. I was offered the opportunity of methotrexate, however I suffered with septic arthritis when I was 18 and was prescribed this and the toxicity of it just made it unbearable (for me personally). I guess my reply to this is to summarise that life can improve, as much as you’re feeling in this place currently, but take salvation that you don’t have feel alone in this. We all have our own journeys down this difficult route, but just because one solution doesn’t work for one individual doesn’t mean it won’t work for another, also if you’re with/found the right person I promise they will totally see passed this. To finish though I’m not trying to trivialise this in any way, I have my struggles with this constantly. Just keep your chin up.

Hi I have had guttate psoriasis all over here and there for 52 years. It plagued my life and I lost all confidence. But now in my late 50’s I have a new lease of life taking Methotrexate. I’ve been on it for 4 years. Starting at 5mg and now on 17.5 mg. It’s working great at this dose. Any lower and it comes back. It’s not all horror stories taking it. But we are all different so It may not be so good for others. I drink lots of water & occasionally alcohol. Not recommended but I have a life to enjoy!! So lots of water after and iron supplements to help with tiredness. It’s worth persevering with the dermatologist to see which treatment are best for you as there are many different ones.

Hello all, Im 19 and i have had psoriasis for about three and a half months now. I have it on my face, neck and shoulders. After two months of spiralling down, having regular breakdowns and feeling like it would never get better, I did some research about the link between gut health/diet and psoriasis. I decided to cut out Gluten, Unnatural sugars, Dairy, beer and processed foods. Being 19, I cant cut out all alcohol, and I am a smoker unfortunately. After about 5 days of the diet, I went from having severe psoriasis to it vanishing! I was happy for the first time in months and finally had my confidence back. In the past few weeks, I have slipped on the diet and it has come back full force on my face. Today marks day 1 of being back on the diet, and Im off travelling in 10 days so hopefully the sunshine will get me back to being myself. I wish everyone suffering the best! Remember the strongest battles are given to the strongest soldiers! Leo x

Hi all, I've had psoriasis for 30 plus years and nothing would work. Noticed my back was getting covered in plaques so I was surprised when they just started disappearing and I realised I had changed my washing powder to Ecover. I am now psoriasis free on my body but still have it on my scalp. Maybe try a change to a new washing powder it just might work.

Hello Luke I can relate to many of your points. Not much you can do about overalls in hot working conditions, but maybe even something like having a pedestal fan in the workshop blowing cool air directly on you will help. Also, something as simple as changing the washing powder you use, will help reduce the irritant or itch. I use a sensitive gentle unscented washing powder, and it helps extremely well when wearing clothes close against the skin. Most of my clothes are now organic bamboo too, as nylon materials are too irritating for me. I know overalls can be made of organic cotton, so you make want to look at what materials are being used in your clothing. When I was a teenager and in my early 20’s, I had bad coverage of plaque psoriasis, but still managed to have love affairs, boyfriends and even get married. If you are a nice kind thoughtful person with a good soul, then people are normally attracted to that, and they will accept you for who you are – psoriasis, warts and all. I have had P my entire life. I have however mainly been clear of visible patches since 2008. I changed my diet, changed my skin care routine, and I took some supplements. It took around 12 months to clear 100%. I have been managing and mainly maintaining that clearance ever since. Had the odd flare up over the years since, but nothing too dramatic. Obviously certainly NOT a permanent cure (since no such thing). But very helpful for generally living life and managing the condition without the need for too much intervention or thought. My point being – although things seem overwhelming to you – there are certainly little steps you can take to make life easier to manage. Are you taking Vitamin D3 and Fish Oil? Even such simple steps can be beneficial, especially if you are in the UK with limited sun for most of the year. Hope that gives you some ideas.

Hi Luke, sorry to hear your psoriasis is getting you down. I’ve had severe psoriasis since I was 18, I am 36 now. I have tried all the creams, tried methotrexate (sent my bloods crazy so was quickly pulled off it), tried ciclosporin which worked for a while but eventually stopped working for me. Then a good few years back I was part of the clinical trial for seckinumab (cosentyx) and it has been a miracle drug for me, totally cleared my skin and im still clear now. Only side effect is my liver enzymes are slightly raised but this just might be me and is monitored by my derm. I would advise you to see a dermatologist as soon as possible to explore your options. Try whatevers offered to you and if it doesnt work there are plenty more options and you may eventually stumble on the treatment that works for you. As for your confidence i know how hard it can be living with this awful disease, just try and get out there. If someones judging you on your skin thats their problem not yours. (By the way i had times when i couldnt face the world but thats ok, somedays i just thought f it and got out there). Time with your kids is short lived so dont let psoriasis get in the way of making memories. As for women I met my now wife when my skin was at its worst! There are people out there who can see past the disease and into the person. Let us know how you get on in your journey✌️