Light therapy

Posted Wed 21 Jun 2023 20.43 by Kay01

Hiya everyone I have had prososasis scince I was 15 it took 15 years on wards to get my gp to refer me to a dermatologist I waited 6 months to see a dermatologist they had said light therapy would be best It took 32 sessions for it completely dissappeared all I could see was an outline of where it was about 1 week and half not having the treatment it started coming back very rapidly. I still use benovate which helps big time. Anyone have any ideas on what I can do Thank you for taking your time to read my post

Posted Thu 22 Jun 2023 06.10 by andrea
have had p for too many years

Hi there perhaps you could contact your dermatologist and ask to have a few more phototherapy sessions to get on top of it. My dermatologist would give me a few weeks more to hold it off. I have a phototherapy unit at home now as with work it was difficult to keep getting time off. I used it from February to end of April this year and so far none has returned. In April I started taking omega 3 cod liver oil capsules & ultra Vitamin D 3000 iu. Also 14 strains of probiotics in a capsule each day one of each tablet. I am hoping this is what has kept it at bay. Although I still have it around my ears so I use dovobet. There area couple of small spots on top of my leg too so I use coconut oil which helps. Try to get as much sunlight to your skin without burning also as this may help too.

Posted Thu 22 Jun 2023 15.38 by Kay01

Thank you Andrea I will phone back and see what they say, I totally understand about having time off work. It's hard for me too as I work full time I have only just started taking cod liver oil just waiting to see if they help. Dovobet wasn't helping me at all. I use benovate which I find keeps from itching. I will try and get out in the sun more I feel like I can't show my legs I lack self confidence because of psoriasis.

Posted Thu 22 Jun 2023 17.09 by andrea
have had p for too many years

I know just how you feel as mine started when I was just 7 years old and I had years of loosing confidence and friends asking questions. Back then in the 60’s -70’s it wasn’t something people knew much about. I have my bad days wardrobe where I have ankle length skirts so I don’t get too hot in the summer. I do hope your dermatologist helps you soon. Say it is having an impact on your mental health, which this disease does do to us. And is something not always taken into consideration by doctors.

Posted Sun 25 Jun 2023 14.58 by Kay01

I have been using my hand held uvb for the past week to see if it helps to keep it at bay but it does not seem to be working. Andrea I'm sure it does have an impact on metal health I do wear long skirts in summer for work, this weekend I have put some shorts on and went to the shops and felt really uneasy as people were looking. I could not get though to my dermatologist last week so going to try again tomorrow they might give me some more sessions. I have had psoriasis since I was 15 and I'm 31.

Posted Sun 25 Jun 2023 15.59 by andrea
have had p for too many years

Hi hopefully your dermatologist will give you more sessions. Are you taking any medication? There are a few things they can offer you. I’ve been on methotrexate for 10 years. I’ve been fairly clear except on my body a few spots and a few larger ones on my legs which I use my UVB lamp. This clears it and holds it back along with the Vitamin D 3000iu and cod liver oil also probiotic. I’ve managed well on methotrexate. I have regular blood tests. It does make me tired so I take iron capsules 17 mg X 2 alternative days . There are biologics which have good results. My son was covered in psoriasis and has Stelera injections with good results. Don’t give up hope . Push your dermatologist if you wanted to try something stronger than creams and gels. Hanna Silitoe has a book called Radient which she wrote. She had psoriasis and cleared it using a vegan diet. Her book has lots of advice & recipes She also sells skin balms etc on her web site. You can follow her on Instagram under mygoodness recipes. She seems to be achieving good results for people.

Posted Mon 26 Jun 2023 17.47 by Kay01

I finally got in touch with the dermatologist and they said they will pass the message on to the Dr I was seeing so now it is a case of waiting. Thank you for your replies it's been so nice to be able to talk to someone that actually understands me I have a really supportive partner. I have never heard of methotrexate how does methotrexate work maybe I could ask about it. Also within the past 2 months I've put on some weight would this be the cause of my swollen hands? my body gets really sharp pains throughout my joints especially my fingers and knees. It can be quite painful.

Posted Mon 26 Jun 2023 18.28 by andrea
have had p for too many years

I’m so glad you have had contact with your dermatologist. Hopefully you will get a few more UVB sessions in. And feel confident again. Methotrexate is an acute drug which in different doses is used for autoimmune conditions such as psoriatic arthritis, which could possibly be what you have, but I’m not a professional but it’s a thought. ( you can get a blood test done for this) This is part of having psoriasis for some of us. It is used for rheumatoid arthritis, lupus some cancers also and various other diseases. If you were to read the side effects it can put anyone off using it. But we are all different so it can affect each of us differently. It’s not all horror story! But some cannot tolerate it. I had a blood test every month for past 9 years. Now I have one every 3 months. I have P3NP test to check liver function. And other things. Methotrexate has given me a new lease of life . But I hardly drink alcohol now. You can ask to see if you can try it. It is usually given in a very low dose taken once a week and slowly increasing until you have clear or nearly clear skin. I also take folic acid the day after to combat side effects. There are other things to try depending on how severe your psoriasis is. I also drink lots of water to help my kidneys. My test results are usually up and down but nothing serious. It’s good to talk to other people as we are all in the same boat!

Posted Mon 26 Jun 2023 19.46 by Kay01

Thank you I hope so to fingers crossed I will definitely ask about methotrexate for sure sounds ok I've been doing some online search about it. Anything is worth a try, I won't lie but I have the worst diet ever at the moment, I have been on a few different diets but none seem to work.

Posted Fri 30 Jun 2023 10.12 by Themeat1500

Hi. I know this is probably not recommended but I thought I would share what I have done anyway. I have full body psoriasis and have had it for about 10 years. I tried all types of treatments spending thousands of pounds over the years and yes uvb therapy was the only one that helped but of course its very expensive. So I decided to go on ebay and by a stand up sunbed for £200 (there are loads on there so long as you are willing to drive). It had 8 tubes which were all UVA. I went online and bought 4 Philips UVB bulbs which are around £120 each. They are very easy to change. I used the same dosage as the treatments centres give. Few minutes every 2 to 3 days. I am now 99% clear and have been able to wear shorts and t-shirt all spring and summer for the first time in years!! Only problem is explaining to people why you have a tan all year round. I have not used it since it has become sunny almost every day because the sun is good enough for my legs and arms. The psoriasis has returned to my torso and top of my legs a little but I never go topless so not bothered. I will start the treatment again when we get less sun. Hope this idea helps people who can't afford the treatments or don't have the time to do them. Be sensible with it though because you can easily burn yourself or even worse.

Posted Fri 30 Jun 2023 11.52 by andrea
have had p for too many years

Hi I’m glad your UVB is working well. I too have a UVB 9 tube machine which i bought 4 years ago. I’ve not used it since April as it cleared the few spots I had on my torso & legs, although I would usually be 70% coved if I wasn’t on Methotrexate. I’ve found taking 3000iu Vitamin D Omega 3 & probiotics has so far kept it at bay. Only some around my ears. My torso hasn’t been exposed to sunlight only my arms & legs so im hoping the Vitamins are helping.

Posted Sat 1 Jul 2023 04.54 by Themeat1500

Hi. I know creams work on some people and not others but for around the ears and those odd spots which don't seem to want to go I found this cream on amazon which gets rid of them. It's Coolours anti fungal skin cream. I know it sounds strange but there must be something in it that helps alot. I definitely don't have a skin fungal problem. It's about £15 for a small pot. Couple of things I thought I would add that I have found out. Nicotine definitely makes it worse. I experimented with different strengths of Nicotine in my vape and found low Nicotine definitely means less severe patches where as high really made it worse. Second is alcohol. A Dr once told me it has no effect but I guarantee you it does. Yes Vitamin D tablets and cod liver oil also help.

Posted Sat 1 Jul 2023 05.01 by Themeat1500

I just reread the conversation and noticed you said about the hand held UVB device. I started with trying that and got no results whatsoever the same as you. If you can get the stand up sunbed and UVB bulbs then the hand held device is great for using on your scalp if you have the brush attachment like mine has. If you have the space where you live then buy a lay down sunbed!!! Wish I could.

Posted Mon 3 Jul 2023 08.58 by VARSHA P

Hi Andrea Can you please tell me how long you are on Methotrexate. And also did you had a hair fall.

Posted Thu 6 Jul 2023 18.42 by andrea
have had p for too many years

Hi I’ve been on Methotrexate for 10 years. I haven’t lost any hair or any noticeable side effects. Just tiredness but then I’m always on the go.

Posted Thu 6 Jul 2023 18.53 by VARSHA P

Hi Andrea Many thanks fir your reply. Seems like side effects depends on individual. Still my test are going on. Once they cone Dr will decide. Many thanks

Posted Sat 8 Jul 2023 21.43 by jess walks

Is anyone able to share which at-home light UVB they used? Amazon has a few but I can't find one with reviews. I want to make sure i'm ordering the right thing / one that will potentially work! Thanks!!

Posted Sat 8 Jul 2023 21.52 by Themeat1500

Philips UVB lamp from UV Derma. If your talking about the hand held ones. I wouldn't expect great results from any hand held lamp. I find they are only good for your scalp.

Posted Sat 8 Jul 2023 22.01 by jess walks

ok, thank you! Fingers crossed it works on my hand!

Posted Sat 8 Jul 2023 23.13 by andrea
have had p for too many years

I bought my UVB 9 tube lamp from MBS .( much better skin) They do a range of different size lamps using Philips bulbs.

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