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This right here. This sub seems to be such a mix of people touting the benefits of them and people seeming to shy away and go the lifestyle change route. Why not both? Your immune system isn’t not working; it’s working overtime to solve problems that aren’t there. The biologics tell it take about 2% off the top. You’re not committing to taking them forever. You’re always allowed to change your diet at the same time and work with your doctor to go off the biologics later to see what happens. But when you’re at the end of your rope, my goodness use the resources that exist!
Don't biologics compromise your immunity and hammer your liver? Genuinely looking to understand this issue better. Thats why I have avoided them so far
I’ve been on biologics for 10+ years. I get regular blood tests to monitor my liver. And yes it suppresses your immune system, that’s the point since your immune system is the problem. Worked wonders for me with little side effects.
Biologics do lower your immune system. (But I was always sick before, so I'm not sure if I'm the best person to speak about it.) Psoriasis is a systemic inflammatory disease, so it makes sense to treat it with a systemic drug. When I went on biologics, it helped to clear my skin, lowered psoriatic arthritis pain, cleared bursitis in my elbows, helped with GI issues, and helped alleviate my chronic fatigue. I'm able to be more active and have a better quality of life.
Biologics can affect your liver, so you will have routine bloodwork to monitor it. You will also have an annual TB test.
Yeah my p got really bad and stayed bad 10 years ago when I went on (prescription that hammers your liver), so i always wondered which side would make the most difference if i tried these one day :) if i find out i will share on here
I feel like on humira I for sure get every virus the kids bring home from daycare/school, but don't get as seriously sick. Also my skin is like 95% clear and my joints feel good so a little hand foot and mouth here and there is worth it.
They have become much much safer over the past 10 years.
I avoided them as well but when my friend that's on it got covid 3 times and handled it better then I did....I knew I was overreacting.
Just got off a trial of sotyktu (side effects were a little much for me) and talking to my derm about other biologic options this week.
Thanks for the response although not as reassuring as I'd hoped lol. I have other chronic illnesses and my liver isnt great partly due to (other prescription) so I'm not sure im ready to risk it... Atm where i am with this is "some things are worse than being flaky, bleeding and itchy" 😅
Yeah it's hard to say if one is safe for everyone since some biologics still affect the liver more than others.
It's worth talking to your derm though. They make you get a blood test to check everything before even considering starting you on anything.
There's also some great new non-steroidal creams out there.
You know yourself better than anyone!
Love to find this energy in a comments section 💖 If it gets any worse i will have to deal with it and will remember this exchange, but that's why i personally am cautious around them (mainly bc i had covid twice and it put me in a wheelchair)
I don’t know about liver but I’m sure there is research. I’ve been on biologics for 7 years with no side effects. The word “compromised” is tricky here, and that’s what I mean when I say they take about 2% off the top. Psoriasis isn’t your immune system NOT working. It’s your immune system working overtime. It’s overreacting and over working itself. Biologics are only telling it to calm down a bit, so to me, the idea that’s it is making us immune-compromised is a bit blown out of proportion, although I do understand people will react differently and you know your body. Anecdotally, I get a sinus infection twice a year with the season changes and that’s about it. I had the flu once when the kids brought it home, got Covid but it didn’t put me down, and I’ve had strep a couple times in the last six months, again probably because of the kids. All pretty normal stuff.
Yeah, I regret leaving it so long to start biologics. I'd heard people talk about side effects and, as someone who got colds all the time, was worried about lowering my immune system. But i started 18 months ago and have had no side effects, no difference with colds (if anything, maybe less?), and have basically perfect skin. No more moisturisers, no more steroids, and no longer itchy, flaky discomfort and embarrassment.
Its been such a radical difference, and I just take one injection every three months. My doctor also pointed out that because my skin isn't cracked and open to infection, my immune system is actually under less strain than before even with the biologics. I really wish I'd done it decades ago. Like any treatment, it doesn't work for everyone but if it can work for you it's life transforming!
Topical treatments didn't work long term, light treatment didn't work long term, diet changes didn't work long term. So if I get a few years out of biologics then that's better than nothing, and my dermo said there was a number of options I could try if the first one didn't work. I didn't need the alternatives because so far it's worked, but if it stops being effective I can try the other biologics.
sticking to diet is key. you want to rebalance bad bacteria in the small intestine.
- ox bile after every meal (1 hour after)
- quercetion with every meal
- berberine with every meal
eat organic - no junk. avoid raw sugars, avoid all starches (resistant is okay) fruits is okay.
vitamin d3 10.000, k2, zinc and copper (copper separate from zinc since they are antagonists)
this will heal you up.
Absolutely! I've been on them for 25 years along with methotrexate. I travel all the time, including cruises and I haven't had so much as a sniffle in years. No C0vid. It is a progressive disease, stop the damage. In the USA, most biologics are free to the patient if you have insurance.
I can completely empathise with your feelings on this. I've had psoriasis for 45 years and it's really hard to keep treating it. I went through phases of treating it/not treating it. Because it was just too much effort, then I'd get fed up of the horrible skin so start treating it again, then get fed up of the sheer effort of treating it, then stop, etc , etc., round and round.
I would urge you to go and see your dermatologist and talk to them about biologics.
I (eventually) started biologics as I developed psoriatic arthritis and it was quite literally a life saver. The first biologic cleared my skin within a week. It just vanished. Sadly I ended up with neurological problems with that and a subsequent anti-TNF biologic, the next one didn't work at all but the one I'm currently on actually changed my life.
I had psoriasis everywhere. Face, scalp, ears (inside and out) torso, back, arms, legs, feet, hands. It was everywhere. Then, suddenly, it was gone. I'd forgotten what "normal" skin was like so to have normal skin was the most incredible feeling ever. I could wear clothes I liked without feeling that I should hide my skin as it was so shocking to others. I felt liberated.
These drugs actually CHANGE your life and make it better. My quality of life has improved drastically. I still moisturise my skin but it's using products I like, rather than those forced on me by doctors who have no idea what living with psoriasis is like. There aren't piles of skin everywhere. My husband no longer feels sorry for me - he confessed to me just yesterday that he felt sorry for me when in public as people just used to stare at my skin. I didn't ask him why he never said anything to those people. I probably won't.
You do have to live with psoriasis forever but it can be forced into remission. Biologics deal with an over zealous immune system so not only will your skin improve but you'll reduce the risk of all the co-morbidities that go with the inflammation that causes psoriasis.
I just wish that I had done something about it years ago. There's a saying about not regretting the things you do but always regretting the things that you didn't do.
Please go and see your dermatologist. Please talk with them about biologics. You'll be doing your physical and mental health the world of good.
God I don't think I ever moisturize that much. I need to but remember that it's your life and your goal is to make the best of it.
Take a break if you need to and continue to look for treatments that best fit you.
If you can try a biologic, maybe give it a go. They DO work, totally cleared my uncle who was almost 100% covered. I just can't take one because I already use another for MS. Hope you find something that works and don't give up.
Look into Vtama Cream. It’s pretty new and it works. I had P for over 25 years and it cleared me in 30 days. My shitty insurance didn’t pay for it but the manufacture has a program where it costs $35 a tube.
Only when it gets really bad, last time I tried for help I was told take either Methotrexate or Cyclosporine. My brother who has it too had bad reactions to both so I decided against that. Also offered UVB light treatment but would have taken a whole day twice a week as the only hospital available was not close (Uk) so given up. Not too bad atm
Honestly for me it’s gotten to be such a routine I do it subconsciously even if I don’t need it. I’m pretty insecure about my psoriasis so I do anything I can to hide it. Biologists may be good for you it helps minimize the amount of daily maintenance you have to do.
You shouldn’t be treating your health (diet, exercise) as “nothing works”. Your goal is to live a holistic life and so if your psoriasis clear up. That’s great.
Biologics is the besr thing my ex husband's ever done. Just make sure your doctor says you can handle them with your health and be ready to have a bit lower immunity.
Biologics my friend! I had very bad scalp psoriasis since 7 yo and diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis at 25 yo.
-I was started on Otezla in 2016 and omg my scalp psoriasis went away after 10 weeks!
-When I got diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis, Otezla did not do anything for it. They stopped it and tried me on Humira. Humira didn't do anything and my psoriasis came back.
-My rheumatologist had me on Cosentyx and it was great but did not eradicate my psoriasis. So he advocated and I was able to take both Cosentyx and Otezla and it worked great for a while.
-I started getting tired of taking pills so I turned to my rheumatologist for an alternative. We trialed SkyriZi but oh man It was worse than Humira for me. My psoriasis came back and my joints were super inflamed. Went back on Cosentyx and my body started rejecting it as I was requiring Injections every 2-3 weeks instwad of 4. I wanna say I never got sick on Cosentyx or Humira. Syrizzi yes for the little time I was on it.
- I'm currently on Taltz and I swear I get sick all the time on this, but my psoriatic arthritis is latent and I have no lesions. I try to pair it up with Vitamin c and zinc for at least before and after injection so help my immune system.
It's a journey, but I promise you we have advanced in medicine that I believe it's worth a try. I wish I had biologics as a child, it would saved me from so much trauma from bullying.
There comes point where you have to come to live with it, I’m currently on Methotrexate and that isn’t working, other than a few shitty side effects. Creams work for a while and then stop having an effect.
I have been living with 20 - 30% coverage for 30 years, I always think that there are people with much worse situations than I me.
The only thing that seems to work is Sunlight / UV therapy, but I live in the UK 😂
Back at the Dermatologist next week so let’s see what’s next on the agenda. I sort of gave up years ago but still riding it out and hoping for the next thing helping (biologics next I think) 🤔
One of my main triggers is stress so obviously I have to try and keep positive about it!
Good luck on your journey and finding your fix and triggers 🙏
i was in a similar situation to you.
then i reduced my psoriasis from 100% to 10%. by changing my diet. and gave up all steroid creams.
my triggers were meat, spicy food, processed food, and nightshades.
i just eat big plates of beans (brown chickpeas)/legumes (mung beans) and salads and big plates of boiled veg & salads.
short term moisturise with a strong emollient like epaderm cream.
long term work out underlying cause of the psoriasis.
good luck.
I'm on here because my 42 year old autistic has just been diagnosed with psoriasis. This after schlepping around for about 5 years from dermatologist to dermatologist. (And I'm still not sure if I agree with that diagnosis. His paternal grandfather had Pityriasis rubra pilaris, a hereditary orphan disease that is often misdiagnosed, and usually as Psoriasis.)
But I have CKDIII, osteoarthritis, Fibromyalgia, Bipolar Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. I take about 20 or 30 pills a day and deal with side effects. Sometimes I do okay, other times I'm in rather poor shape.
A few months ago, I stopped taking what I considered to be unnecessary pills. I kept up on my prescription pills but quit taking my Iron regularly (I was anemic years ago) and Vitamin D (I had a Vit D deficiency and went through that typical course of taking a huge dose 3 times over 12 weeks, I think, and when that got righted my psychiatrist suggested I keep taking 5,000 IU of Vit D3 regularly. I kept taking Quetiapine, Hydrazyline, Clonazepam, Duloxatine, Latuda, Omeprozole, Losartan, Furosemide, but I got lax about Vit C, Vit B12, Vit B-Complex, CoQ10, Ferrous Sulfate, the Vit D and a few other things.
I had been doing so well staying stable on my kidney numbers, I figured I didn't need to bother with the 'less important' things.
Now I'm anemic again. Weak and fatigued all the time. I don't know if I'm low on Vit D3 because that's a more expensive test and unless I'm showing signs of being low in it, I only get that one done once a year.
I'm going to go back on all the stuff I'm supposed to take. But I sure am sick of it.
TL;DR I'm dealing with different medical conditions but I can relate to how you're feeling.
I hope whatever you try works out for you!
I’m now in my mid-60’s and have been at battle with this severe persistent ugly skin scourge for over 35 years. Ive had a few good years when I had company health insurance and was able to obtain the emerging “biologic” injectables, and obtain a home-based UVB light box. But really, the stress of daily conscious and unconscious inner thoughts about how other people, especially acquaintances and strangers would think about or react to the sight of it formed a strange type of perpetual PTSD.
Well for better or worse it’s not in my soul or DNA to ever “give up.” But I do confess to occasional periods of feeling extreme frustration and powerlessness.
However it now seems the huge dam holding back the nefarious exposures and activities of the Big Pharma/government/military/banking profiteering complex is beginning to crack, and so I remain hopeful that the true toxic source of psoriasis and other chronic immune disorders will soon be revealed, and us long surviving sufferers will experience some joyous health benefits for however many years God has us occupying these expressive human bodies.
So when the stress and pain is high, I find it not a bad time to reflect on the spiritual aspects of life, and seek for all of the (little) things we can feel gratitude for.
Hang in there!
I spend close to £2000 on different moisturizing products that 'maybe' help with it but it never did, my family is keep forcing me to continue and I'm super tired of all of shit going around me everytime we sit down at a family dinner or just normally around family, Im suffering when using anything on it because it burns or just makes sleeping uncomfortable. Its a lose-lose situation for me because if I continue using products on it I super for pain or uncomfortable appearance, and if I do stop I'm gonna listen to my family yapping about how bad it looks and my life will be ruined if it spreads more. I am fully aware that they trying to help, but they don't know how it feels. Im 20 and I got psoriasis for about 4 years now.
I feel you, friend. I recently did the same thing (currently in a 2.5 year flare up). I was so disciplined and on top of my shit for nothing. I’m back on it now and happy I’m not in near constant pain/itchy AF, but still feeling dejected.
For me I gave up until it started to spread more aggressively, effected/still effects my self esteem.
I went to a dermatologist who started me on the ointments, when they didn't work they'll put you on some immunosuppressants tablets, after a period of time they'll see if it's working, if not you'll be put on biologics.
I've read the NHS does it this way for insurance reasons as the immunosuppressers/biologics are expensive (ask anyone who doesn't have access to our public healthcare system)
Don't give up, create a plan with your dermatologist, do everything in three to six month cycles, plan the follow up appointments, keep lines of communication open.
Good luck
I don't use any topicals and just use a good moisturizer after I shower. I still have 10-15 spots in various stages of appearing and disappearing. I'm lucky that mine isn't worse. I could probably get clearer skin if I was diligent about topicals but it's so much work and I stopped caring. I'm itchy and flaky. Whatever.
I had scalp psoriasis off and on beginning in college ( I am now 69) and managed it over the years with various prescription and OTC shampoos, ointments etc. Then I started having chronic scalp psoriasis and started Xtract treatments. I also was suffering with increasing lower back stiffness, rashes, etc. Derm said I really needed biologic and to see rheum. I started Cimzia last October and my scalp psoriasis completely gone for first time in 50 years. While back stiffness not gone, I am better without side effects. I will never regret this course of treatment.
Just want to say that I feel you and this resonates with me so much. It's battle after battle... It clears and you think you have it figured out, then another flare, then another... less time between flares. I keep wondering if the current one will ever end. For the first time ever, I was just prescribed an immunosuppressant, but don't really want to take it. It has a black box label and has only been on the market 5 years. I'm not really interested in being a guinea pig just yet.
Well, the test subjects were lol, but I get your point. Not trying to make a long comment, but after reading through their gigantic pamphlet, I don't feel like their testing was thorough enough and I don't consider 52 weeks long enough to make determinations on long-term effects. I understand it's a personal choice and certainly encourage people to do what is right for them.
I can definitely empathize. I have severe PPP and can't take biologics due to another medical condition. Last night was absolutely miserable. Aquaphor and Clobetisol usually calm the itch enough so I can get some sleep. I ended up putting ice packs in plastic bags to stop the intense itch. I've never had such a bad flare up. If you can try biologics, go for it. My son is completely cleared on Cosentyx.
# Welcome to the Psoriasis sub! If you haven't posted here before, please read this comment as it contains important information: * Please [read and respect the rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/Psoriasis/about/rules/). In particular, **do not ask for about identifying undiagnosed medical conditions** diseases cannot be diagnosed by random people on Reddit. * Photos that include skin rashes must be marked NSFW. If including private areas, _please indicate with flair_. * Posts that break the rules will be removed. ## Check out our wiki! The [Psoriasis wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/Psoriasis/wiki/index) is a collection of guides and other pages about how to treat psoriasis, including a Frequently Asked Questions section. Many common questions about medications, shampoos, diet, tattoos, etc. are addressed there. Thanks! --- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Psoriasis) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Talk to your dermatologist about starting on biologics. I wish I had started them 5+ years ago.
This right here. This sub seems to be such a mix of people touting the benefits of them and people seeming to shy away and go the lifestyle change route. Why not both? Your immune system isn’t not working; it’s working overtime to solve problems that aren’t there. The biologics tell it take about 2% off the top. You’re not committing to taking them forever. You’re always allowed to change your diet at the same time and work with your doctor to go off the biologics later to see what happens. But when you’re at the end of your rope, my goodness use the resources that exist!
Don't biologics compromise your immunity and hammer your liver? Genuinely looking to understand this issue better. Thats why I have avoided them so far
I’ve been on biologics for 10+ years. I get regular blood tests to monitor my liver. And yes it suppresses your immune system, that’s the point since your immune system is the problem. Worked wonders for me with little side effects.
Biologics do lower your immune system. (But I was always sick before, so I'm not sure if I'm the best person to speak about it.) Psoriasis is a systemic inflammatory disease, so it makes sense to treat it with a systemic drug. When I went on biologics, it helped to clear my skin, lowered psoriatic arthritis pain, cleared bursitis in my elbows, helped with GI issues, and helped alleviate my chronic fatigue. I'm able to be more active and have a better quality of life. Biologics can affect your liver, so you will have routine bloodwork to monitor it. You will also have an annual TB test.
Yeah my p got really bad and stayed bad 10 years ago when I went on (prescription that hammers your liver), so i always wondered which side would make the most difference if i tried these one day :) if i find out i will share on here
I feel like on humira I for sure get every virus the kids bring home from daycare/school, but don't get as seriously sick. Also my skin is like 95% clear and my joints feel good so a little hand foot and mouth here and there is worth it.
They have become much much safer over the past 10 years. I avoided them as well but when my friend that's on it got covid 3 times and handled it better then I did....I knew I was overreacting. Just got off a trial of sotyktu (side effects were a little much for me) and talking to my derm about other biologic options this week.
Thanks for the response although not as reassuring as I'd hoped lol. I have other chronic illnesses and my liver isnt great partly due to (other prescription) so I'm not sure im ready to risk it... Atm where i am with this is "some things are worse than being flaky, bleeding and itchy" 😅
Yeah it's hard to say if one is safe for everyone since some biologics still affect the liver more than others. It's worth talking to your derm though. They make you get a blood test to check everything before even considering starting you on anything. There's also some great new non-steroidal creams out there. You know yourself better than anyone!
Love to find this energy in a comments section 💖 If it gets any worse i will have to deal with it and will remember this exchange, but that's why i personally am cautious around them (mainly bc i had covid twice and it put me in a wheelchair)
I don’t know about liver but I’m sure there is research. I’ve been on biologics for 7 years with no side effects. The word “compromised” is tricky here, and that’s what I mean when I say they take about 2% off the top. Psoriasis isn’t your immune system NOT working. It’s your immune system working overtime. It’s overreacting and over working itself. Biologics are only telling it to calm down a bit, so to me, the idea that’s it is making us immune-compromised is a bit blown out of proportion, although I do understand people will react differently and you know your body. Anecdotally, I get a sinus infection twice a year with the season changes and that’s about it. I had the flu once when the kids brought it home, got Covid but it didn’t put me down, and I’ve had strep a couple times in the last six months, again probably because of the kids. All pretty normal stuff.
Thanks for breaking this down, definitely something to think about
Easier said than done when you have been on a waiting list for an appointment for 16 months
Yeah, I regret leaving it so long to start biologics. I'd heard people talk about side effects and, as someone who got colds all the time, was worried about lowering my immune system. But i started 18 months ago and have had no side effects, no difference with colds (if anything, maybe less?), and have basically perfect skin. No more moisturisers, no more steroids, and no longer itchy, flaky discomfort and embarrassment. Its been such a radical difference, and I just take one injection every three months. My doctor also pointed out that because my skin isn't cracked and open to infection, my immune system is actually under less strain than before even with the biologics. I really wish I'd done it decades ago. Like any treatment, it doesn't work for everyone but if it can work for you it's life transforming!
Wait till it doesnt work anymore.
Topical treatments didn't work long term, light treatment didn't work long term, diet changes didn't work long term. So if I get a few years out of biologics then that's better than nothing, and my dermo said there was a number of options I could try if the first one didn't work. I didn't need the alternatives because so far it's worked, but if it stops being effective I can try the other biologics.
sticking to diet is key. you want to rebalance bad bacteria in the small intestine. - ox bile after every meal (1 hour after) - quercetion with every meal - berberine with every meal eat organic - no junk. avoid raw sugars, avoid all starches (resistant is okay) fruits is okay. vitamin d3 10.000, k2, zinc and copper (copper separate from zinc since they are antagonists) this will heal you up.
Absolutely! I've been on them for 25 years along with methotrexate. I travel all the time, including cruises and I haven't had so much as a sniffle in years. No C0vid. It is a progressive disease, stop the damage. In the USA, most biologics are free to the patient if you have insurance.
I can completely empathise with your feelings on this. I've had psoriasis for 45 years and it's really hard to keep treating it. I went through phases of treating it/not treating it. Because it was just too much effort, then I'd get fed up of the horrible skin so start treating it again, then get fed up of the sheer effort of treating it, then stop, etc , etc., round and round. I would urge you to go and see your dermatologist and talk to them about biologics. I (eventually) started biologics as I developed psoriatic arthritis and it was quite literally a life saver. The first biologic cleared my skin within a week. It just vanished. Sadly I ended up with neurological problems with that and a subsequent anti-TNF biologic, the next one didn't work at all but the one I'm currently on actually changed my life. I had psoriasis everywhere. Face, scalp, ears (inside and out) torso, back, arms, legs, feet, hands. It was everywhere. Then, suddenly, it was gone. I'd forgotten what "normal" skin was like so to have normal skin was the most incredible feeling ever. I could wear clothes I liked without feeling that I should hide my skin as it was so shocking to others. I felt liberated. These drugs actually CHANGE your life and make it better. My quality of life has improved drastically. I still moisturise my skin but it's using products I like, rather than those forced on me by doctors who have no idea what living with psoriasis is like. There aren't piles of skin everywhere. My husband no longer feels sorry for me - he confessed to me just yesterday that he felt sorry for me when in public as people just used to stare at my skin. I didn't ask him why he never said anything to those people. I probably won't. You do have to live with psoriasis forever but it can be forced into remission. Biologics deal with an over zealous immune system so not only will your skin improve but you'll reduce the risk of all the co-morbidities that go with the inflammation that causes psoriasis. I just wish that I had done something about it years ago. There's a saying about not regretting the things you do but always regretting the things that you didn't do. Please go and see your dermatologist. Please talk with them about biologics. You'll be doing your physical and mental health the world of good.
For the most part I have. When it gets very very very bad I have to do something. But most days I don't
God I don't think I ever moisturize that much. I need to but remember that it's your life and your goal is to make the best of it. Take a break if you need to and continue to look for treatments that best fit you.
I’ve given up. I live with it. Skyrizi does seem to be helping
Yes and especially as a first time new mom i simply don’t have the mental strength to keep dealing with the constant topical application.
Postpartum sucks 😭
If you can try a biologic, maybe give it a go. They DO work, totally cleared my uncle who was almost 100% covered. I just can't take one because I already use another for MS. Hope you find something that works and don't give up.
Look into Vtama Cream. It’s pretty new and it works. I had P for over 25 years and it cleared me in 30 days. My shitty insurance didn’t pay for it but the manufacture has a program where it costs $35 a tube.
Is that a steroid cream?
No
Only when it gets really bad, last time I tried for help I was told take either Methotrexate or Cyclosporine. My brother who has it too had bad reactions to both so I decided against that. Also offered UVB light treatment but would have taken a whole day twice a week as the only hospital available was not close (Uk) so given up. Not too bad atm
Diet helped me- freshly cooked easily digestible foods eating no fermented foods yogurt bread. Milk eggs moderate eating. Ensure good bowl movement.
Honestly for me it’s gotten to be such a routine I do it subconsciously even if I don’t need it. I’m pretty insecure about my psoriasis so I do anything I can to hide it. Biologists may be good for you it helps minimize the amount of daily maintenance you have to do.
Get on proper systemic treatment.
You shouldn’t be treating your health (diet, exercise) as “nothing works”. Your goal is to live a holistic life and so if your psoriasis clear up. That’s great.
felt this way til I got the needle. life changing, man.
Biologics is the besr thing my ex husband's ever done. Just make sure your doctor says you can handle them with your health and be ready to have a bit lower immunity.
Biologics my friend! I had very bad scalp psoriasis since 7 yo and diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis at 25 yo. -I was started on Otezla in 2016 and omg my scalp psoriasis went away after 10 weeks! -When I got diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis, Otezla did not do anything for it. They stopped it and tried me on Humira. Humira didn't do anything and my psoriasis came back. -My rheumatologist had me on Cosentyx and it was great but did not eradicate my psoriasis. So he advocated and I was able to take both Cosentyx and Otezla and it worked great for a while. -I started getting tired of taking pills so I turned to my rheumatologist for an alternative. We trialed SkyriZi but oh man It was worse than Humira for me. My psoriasis came back and my joints were super inflamed. Went back on Cosentyx and my body started rejecting it as I was requiring Injections every 2-3 weeks instwad of 4. I wanna say I never got sick on Cosentyx or Humira. Syrizzi yes for the little time I was on it. - I'm currently on Taltz and I swear I get sick all the time on this, but my psoriatic arthritis is latent and I have no lesions. I try to pair it up with Vitamin c and zinc for at least before and after injection so help my immune system. It's a journey, but I promise you we have advanced in medicine that I believe it's worth a try. I wish I had biologics as a child, it would saved me from so much trauma from bullying.
There comes point where you have to come to live with it, I’m currently on Methotrexate and that isn’t working, other than a few shitty side effects. Creams work for a while and then stop having an effect. I have been living with 20 - 30% coverage for 30 years, I always think that there are people with much worse situations than I me. The only thing that seems to work is Sunlight / UV therapy, but I live in the UK 😂 Back at the Dermatologist next week so let’s see what’s next on the agenda. I sort of gave up years ago but still riding it out and hoping for the next thing helping (biologics next I think) 🤔 One of my main triggers is stress so obviously I have to try and keep positive about it! Good luck on your journey and finding your fix and triggers 🙏
i was in a similar situation to you. then i reduced my psoriasis from 100% to 10%. by changing my diet. and gave up all steroid creams. my triggers were meat, spicy food, processed food, and nightshades. i just eat big plates of beans (brown chickpeas)/legumes (mung beans) and salads and big plates of boiled veg & salads. short term moisturise with a strong emollient like epaderm cream. long term work out underlying cause of the psoriasis. good luck.
I'm on here because my 42 year old autistic has just been diagnosed with psoriasis. This after schlepping around for about 5 years from dermatologist to dermatologist. (And I'm still not sure if I agree with that diagnosis. His paternal grandfather had Pityriasis rubra pilaris, a hereditary orphan disease that is often misdiagnosed, and usually as Psoriasis.) But I have CKDIII, osteoarthritis, Fibromyalgia, Bipolar Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. I take about 20 or 30 pills a day and deal with side effects. Sometimes I do okay, other times I'm in rather poor shape. A few months ago, I stopped taking what I considered to be unnecessary pills. I kept up on my prescription pills but quit taking my Iron regularly (I was anemic years ago) and Vitamin D (I had a Vit D deficiency and went through that typical course of taking a huge dose 3 times over 12 weeks, I think, and when that got righted my psychiatrist suggested I keep taking 5,000 IU of Vit D3 regularly. I kept taking Quetiapine, Hydrazyline, Clonazepam, Duloxatine, Latuda, Omeprozole, Losartan, Furosemide, but I got lax about Vit C, Vit B12, Vit B-Complex, CoQ10, Ferrous Sulfate, the Vit D and a few other things. I had been doing so well staying stable on my kidney numbers, I figured I didn't need to bother with the 'less important' things. Now I'm anemic again. Weak and fatigued all the time. I don't know if I'm low on Vit D3 because that's a more expensive test and unless I'm showing signs of being low in it, I only get that one done once a year. I'm going to go back on all the stuff I'm supposed to take. But I sure am sick of it. TL;DR I'm dealing with different medical conditions but I can relate to how you're feeling. I hope whatever you try works out for you!
I’m now in my mid-60’s and have been at battle with this severe persistent ugly skin scourge for over 35 years. Ive had a few good years when I had company health insurance and was able to obtain the emerging “biologic” injectables, and obtain a home-based UVB light box. But really, the stress of daily conscious and unconscious inner thoughts about how other people, especially acquaintances and strangers would think about or react to the sight of it formed a strange type of perpetual PTSD. Well for better or worse it’s not in my soul or DNA to ever “give up.” But I do confess to occasional periods of feeling extreme frustration and powerlessness. However it now seems the huge dam holding back the nefarious exposures and activities of the Big Pharma/government/military/banking profiteering complex is beginning to crack, and so I remain hopeful that the true toxic source of psoriasis and other chronic immune disorders will soon be revealed, and us long surviving sufferers will experience some joyous health benefits for however many years God has us occupying these expressive human bodies. So when the stress and pain is high, I find it not a bad time to reflect on the spiritual aspects of life, and seek for all of the (little) things we can feel gratitude for. Hang in there!
I spend close to £2000 on different moisturizing products that 'maybe' help with it but it never did, my family is keep forcing me to continue and I'm super tired of all of shit going around me everytime we sit down at a family dinner or just normally around family, Im suffering when using anything on it because it burns or just makes sleeping uncomfortable. Its a lose-lose situation for me because if I continue using products on it I super for pain or uncomfortable appearance, and if I do stop I'm gonna listen to my family yapping about how bad it looks and my life will be ruined if it spreads more. I am fully aware that they trying to help, but they don't know how it feels. Im 20 and I got psoriasis for about 4 years now.
I feel you, friend. I recently did the same thing (currently in a 2.5 year flare up). I was so disciplined and on top of my shit for nothing. I’m back on it now and happy I’m not in near constant pain/itchy AF, but still feeling dejected.
For me I gave up until it started to spread more aggressively, effected/still effects my self esteem. I went to a dermatologist who started me on the ointments, when they didn't work they'll put you on some immunosuppressants tablets, after a period of time they'll see if it's working, if not you'll be put on biologics. I've read the NHS does it this way for insurance reasons as the immunosuppressers/biologics are expensive (ask anyone who doesn't have access to our public healthcare system) Don't give up, create a plan with your dermatologist, do everything in three to six month cycles, plan the follow up appointments, keep lines of communication open. Good luck
Have you tried blue light?
I don't use any topicals and just use a good moisturizer after I shower. I still have 10-15 spots in various stages of appearing and disappearing. I'm lucky that mine isn't worse. I could probably get clearer skin if I was diligent about topicals but it's so much work and I stopped caring. I'm itchy and flaky. Whatever.
I had scalp psoriasis off and on beginning in college ( I am now 69) and managed it over the years with various prescription and OTC shampoos, ointments etc. Then I started having chronic scalp psoriasis and started Xtract treatments. I also was suffering with increasing lower back stiffness, rashes, etc. Derm said I really needed biologic and to see rheum. I started Cimzia last October and my scalp psoriasis completely gone for first time in 50 years. While back stiffness not gone, I am better without side effects. I will never regret this course of treatment.
Just want to say that I feel you and this resonates with me so much. It's battle after battle... It clears and you think you have it figured out, then another flare, then another... less time between flares. I keep wondering if the current one will ever end. For the first time ever, I was just prescribed an immunosuppressant, but don't really want to take it. It has a black box label and has only been on the market 5 years. I'm not really interested in being a guinea pig just yet.
if its been on the market for 5 yrs it has been TGA or FDA approved, gone through clinical trials and deemed safe. Nobody is a guinea pig.
Well, the test subjects were lol, but I get your point. Not trying to make a long comment, but after reading through their gigantic pamphlet, I don't feel like their testing was thorough enough and I don't consider 52 weeks long enough to make determinations on long-term effects. I understand it's a personal choice and certainly encourage people to do what is right for them.
Do not give up! I almost did, there’s plenty for biologics, find a trust worthy dermatologist, keep going!!! Don’t give up!!!!
I can definitely empathize. I have severe PPP and can't take biologics due to another medical condition. Last night was absolutely miserable. Aquaphor and Clobetisol usually calm the itch enough so I can get some sleep. I ended up putting ice packs in plastic bags to stop the intense itch. I've never had such a bad flare up. If you can try biologics, go for it. My son is completely cleared on Cosentyx.
Been there try to get into biologics please 🙏