BS: PSORIASIS...............Help!!!!!!!

Subject: PSORIASIS...............Help!!!!!!!
From: iRiShBaBe
Date: 21 Apr 02 - 05:31 PM

this is iRiShBaBeS mom......

I have severe psoriasis and am desperate to find something to help I have tried everything and spent a fortune but I still have it. At the moment I'm trying Lipikar has anybody used it and to what result??

please help..

Subject: RE: PSORIASIS...............Help!!!!!!!
From: Gareth
Date: 21 Apr 02 - 06:08 PM

Sorry to hear that, I suffer on and off from it. and can confirm that it hurts.

The Doctor has prescribed various ointments, sometimes they work, some times they don't.

In despration I have taken to using sandpaper No ! No joke, it releaves the itching temporarily but does leave a scar. UK catters are invited to examine my arms to verify this.

PSORIASIS seems to develop, on me at least, as a by product of stress. Since moving back to Wales most of the stress has disappeared, as has for the last 2 years, the Psoriasis.

A general treatment I have used is Coal Tar Ointment, unfortunately, in the UK this is now difficult to obtain, but a farming vet should have access. I also use Coal Tar Based soap.

I appreciate that control of stress may not be within your control - if you want to continue this less publically , please feel free to PM me.

Gareth

Subject: RE: PSORIASIS...............Help!!!!!!!
From:
Date: 21 Apr 02 - 06:40 PM

Two things you could try: One is Aloe Vera ointment or gel which seems to relieve the itching and the pain and also has some effect on intense inflamation. The other is something I'm busy trying at the moment which is a fast - e. g., eating only one kind of fairly innocuous food for several days to give your liver a break (I'm on a ten-day brown rice one for the nonce, that and the occasional apple, but the naturopath bloke I spoke to actually suggested grapes when they're in season and said a five-day stint would easily do it)... What you do then is gradually start adding back all the other stuff you eat and drink until the symptoms come up again, then back-pedal on those till you know what it is (along with the stress) that's getting you. Makes sense... Your liver cleans your blood and ANY anomaly in the blood will show up in the skin pretty swiftly.

Let me know if it works for you. I can't tell yet for me.

mike

Subject: RE: PSORIASIS...............Help!!!!!!!
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 21 Apr 02 - 08:13 PM

I can second the comments for Aloe Vera. It seems to improve the condition, and it relieves the itch, so that you scratch less.
In the UK "Bodyshop" do a suitable cream.

Subject: RE: PSORIASIS...............Help!!!!!!!
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 21 Apr 02 - 10:16 PM

Look at this page from the National Psoriasis Foundation. Dovonex is one of the best new medications to come along in the past few years; my dermatologist friends say it has made a big difference in their ability to help people with this disease. And there are lots of new "targeted" drugs soon to become available. The future actually looks much brighter for psoriasis patients than it has in years, certainly better than it was when I was in medical school. If your doctor doesn't know about Dovonex, I'd suggest finding a dermatologist who has experience with this medication. You also might want to think about signing up to be in a clinical trial. That way you might get to help others as well as yourself! Hope this information is helpful.

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: PSORIASIS...............Help!!!!!!!
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 21 Apr 02 - 10:27 PM

By the way, for those who are a bit suspicious of medical/pharmaceutical technology, Dovonex (generic name: calcipotriene) is actually a form of vitamin D. (But DON'T take lots of vitamin D in the hope that it will help--it won't.) The NPF website also gives a balanced discussion of alternative treatments as well. Psoriasis is not a minor or trivial condition, but can be a devastating disease. In addition to discomfort and disfigurement, it may also cause arthritis, which can be severe. And most of the available treatments until recently have been inadequate, unpleasant, or downright dangerous...so these new medications are a real blessing.

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: PSORIASIS...............Help!!!!!!!
From: paddymac
Date: 21 Apr 02 - 11:35 PM

Dr. Mark Is right on with good advise. It's been a thing I've just ahd to learn to live with. There's one school of thought that suggests a close correlation with adult on-set psoriasis and childhood rheumatic fever. Sort of sounds like chicken pox and shingles, but I'm not up on recent research in that regard. As any sufferor will tell you, there are many, many products in the market place, many of which are a waste of everybody's money, and there is great variability in the response of different folks to different nostrums. There is an OTC product called "MG217" which I've had some success with. It's 3% Salicylic Acid in a heavy ointment. I suspect it's the ointment rather than the saliciyic acid that is helpful in controlin plaques. At the risk of sounding overly cynical, there's more money in symptomatic treatment than in curing the disorder. "Aleve" (sodium naproxen) has been effective for me in controlling the arthritic aspects of it.

Subject: RE: PSORIASIS...............Help!!!!!!!
From: fox4zero
Date: 21 Apr 02 - 11:42 PM

Dovonex has been very helpful in recent years....it is a form of topical vitamin D....as cautioned above, Vitamins D & A are toxic when injested in excessive amounts. Usually Dovonex is started together with a high potency topical corticosteroid ointment. When the psoriasis comes under control, the steroid is discontinued and the dovonex is continued. You should be under the care of a dermatologist. Antimalarial drugs are VERBOTEN!!!

If you are just seeking symptomatic relief, plain white petrolatum (vaseline or petroleum jelly) is safe and effective. This is best preceded by a soothing colloidal bath such as Aveeno (colloidal oatmeal) or cornstarch.

In extreme cases, response to methotrexate tablets or injections are dramatic. The side effects can also be dramatic and close laboratory supervision is essential.

Subject: RE: PSORIASIS...............Help!!!!!!!
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Apr 02 - 11:50 PM

It is important to rule out Cutaneous T Cell lymphoma.

Subject: RE: PSORIASIS...............Help!!!!!!!
From: Cllr
Date: 22 Apr 02 - 05:01 AM

I posted this to the recent eczema thread

I suffer from psoraisis on my elbows and knees ten years ago it covered my body, stress related of course when I changed jobs it virtually disappeared. There are various creams of differing effectiveness Dovonex was the most effective for me (apart alternatives such as UVB or sunlight which is good) but here is some advice that works... get natural cream or whatever moisturiser you prefer (coal tar applications good but messy) then wrap in cling film! the heat generated and the fact that the cream does not get wiped off means this is a very effective delivery system -additionally on arms and legs I used slightly oversized support bandages to keep it inplace. It works for psoraisis (mine anyway) I hope it works for eczema. BTW this solution was told to me by a beautician based on cosmetic treatments (facials etc) rather than a medical. I hope this helps.

Subject: RE: PSORIASIS...............Help!!!!!!!
From: GUEST,maryrrf
Date: 22 Apr 02 - 09:44 AM

Well, here's one that worked for me years ago when nothing else helped - and I had been to dermatologists, tried creams, etc. Mind you this was the seventies so they probably have lots more options available now. I was living in France and an elderly Arab man at a cafe I frequented noticed fairly severe psoriasis on my hands. Next day he brought me in a small box of natural henna. He told me to make a paste of it with water and a few drops of alcohol, put it on the patch of psoriasis and wrap it up in a bandage overnight. He said that in Morrocco people use henna all the time for skin irritations. I was sceptical but I tried it and it worked, pretty quickly, I might add, when all else had failed. It is kind of messy - this was the colored henna but they do make a colorless variety that you could try. This falls into the category of won't hurt anything - might help! Good luck!

Subject: RE: PSORIASIS...............Help!!!!!!!
From: GUEST,captain wheels
Date: 22 Apr 02 - 03:13 PM

I know it sounds disgusting but rubbing on your own urine will work wonders.All the really expensive skin products have urea in them and urine is full of the stuff plus it,s free.

Subject: RE: PSORIASIS...............Help!!!!!!!
From: michaelr
Date: 22 Apr 02 - 08:15 PM

Paddymac - treating the symptoms is all they CAN do, because they have no cure for the disease! The general consensus now is that psoriasis is an auto-immune disorder, meaning the body is reacting so some systemic toxicity. It's been suggested to me that it may be related to mercury poisoning from my old amalgam fillings, but I haven't had the guts to test this theory by having all my fillings replaced...

I,ve tried UV therapy, coal-tar shampoos, you name it, with little success. What has been helpful in controlling it (keeping it off my face and arms) is a steroid ointment called Clobetasol Propionate 0.05%. Ask your dermatologist!

Irish mom, I feel for you (with you); I hope you find some relief.

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: PSORIASIS...............Help!!!!!!!
From: hesperis
Date: 22 Apr 02 - 08:48 PM

Spaw gets that sore-ass-is thing all the time. I doubt he'll stop eating vegemite though...

(I had to say it! Ahh, no, don't hurt me! *Hides from flying projectiles*)

Subject: RE: PSORIASIS...............Help!!!!!!!
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 22 Apr 02 - 11:06 PM

P.S., if you'll check my post above, there is at least one new treatment -- Dovonex -- that's helpful for mild-to-moderate psoriasis that does more than just treat symptoms. And there are others coming down the pike.

MichaelR, autoimmune disorders don't mean the body is reacting to "some systemic toxicity". What happens is a combination of two processes, in varying degrees: (1) an invading organism, like a virus or bacteria, has external antigens that resemble some normal body tissue, so you make antibodies that react against a component of your own body ; (2) something goes wrong with the way your body modulates, or regulates, its immune response, so that response is much more vigorous than usual. Number (2) is often, if not always, a result of a genetic predisposition. Which means that autoimmune diseases, like many others, are BOTH genetic and environmental at the same time. The body thus gives a very Zen response to the old nature/nurture question. (Number 2 is also a very good reason why "stimulating the immune system" is not always a good thing.)

By the way, mercury, being a metallic element, does not cause the body to produce antibodies, which are made in response to proteins or polysaccharides. The question of whether mercury can modify the immune response is beyond the scope of this discussion!

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: PSORIASIS...............Help!!!!!!!
From: michaelr
Date: 22 Apr 02 - 11:34 PM

Thanks for the clarification, Mark. I remember my grandmother having a similar condition, so the genetic predisposition makes sense to me. As to mercury, I think there is no question about its toxicity?

Regards,
Michael

Subject: RE: PSORIASIS...............Help!!!!!!!
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 22 Apr 02 - 11:55 PM

Don't Worry

Be Happy

psoriasis is a manifestation of stress in you life.

Subject: RE: PSORIASIS...............Help!!!!!!!
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 23 Apr 02 - 01:11 AM

No, there's no question that mercury is toxic. The question is whether the amounts of mercury that are absorbed from amalgam fillings (or from injectable medications and vaccines containing thimerosal) have the effects on the immune response, or on other body systems, that are claimed by some people. And that's a question for which I don't have an answer.

I'd also agree with .gargoyle to the extent that for people with psoriasis, a flare-up of the disease can be a result of increased mental or emotional stress, so relaxation and stress relief can definitely help. (I would not go so far as to say that having psoriasis itself "is a manifestation of stress in your life".)

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: PSORIASIS...............Help!!!!!!!
From: khandu
Date: 23 Apr 02 - 01:25 AM

iRiShBaBe's MoM,

I gOt ThE AcCuRsEd StUfF MySeLf (Stop that silliness right now! I have tried everything, but with no lasting effects. Some things have worked for a while then quits.

I have found that scratching has become habitual. During stressful moments, I realized that I start scratching even though I am not itching! That frustrates me and frustration is stressful, and stress induces scratching and....

Whenever my mind is set on what I consider "things above", that I have very little problem, because, in those "things above" I find peace of mind, and therefore, peace of body.

khandu

Subject: RE: PSORIASIS...............Help!!!!!!!
From: iRiShBaBe
Date: 23 Apr 02 - 04:26 PM

thanks a million to everyone who replied. i have tried Dovonex, even got my tonsils out as suggested by my dermatologist. no tonsils but plenty of spots. dovonex doesnt work for me and neither does aloe vera, nor the light treatment, nor the chinese herbal route nor the coal tar. i am DESPERATE...... and i know its a catch 22, the more spots the more i worry the more i worry the more spots.

guest maryrrf i havnt tried henna before, i must give it a go.

thanks to everyone

Subject: RE: PSORIASIS...............Help!!!!!!!
From: GUEST,fox4zero
Date: 23 Apr 02 - 10:15 PM

Mercury may be toxic, but ammoniated mercury ointment was used to treat psoriasis in the not too distant past. It was as successful as the tars, without the staining.

If you are DESPERATE, then methotrexate will restore your hopes. Everyone responds to methotrexate. The rheumatologists have been using it for ALL forms of arthritis, rather freely. Years ago,when we first started using MTX (methotrexate) for psoriasis, it was noted taht the psoriatic arthritis responded sooner that the skin lesions. The side effects are mainly leukopenia and liver toxicity. The leukopenia is is usually preceded by sores in the mouth. Unfortunately the liver toxicity can only be seen with liver biopsies. It is most unlikely that you would have any problem with a few months only of MTX.

Dovonex is not initially effective on its own. It works best when used in conjunction with a high potency topical corticosteroid ointment(ointments work better than creams). After the lesions are about gone, the steroid is discontinued and the Dovonex applied twice daily.

MTX and other antimitotic drugs seem to work very well because the turn-over time of epithelial cells in psoriasis is sevenfold the normal rate. MTX reduce the rate of mitoses.

Bathing at the Dead Sea worked well, but might be more dangerous that MTX now. Larry

Subject: RE: PSORIASIS...............Help!!!!!!!
From: GUEST,maryrrf
Date: 24 Apr 02 - 03:57 PM

Well, at least we know the henna is not toxic! I hope it works for you.

Subject: RE: PSORIASIS...............Help!!!!!!!
From: iRiShBaBe
Date: 24 Apr 02 - 04:32 PM

Guest Maryrrf, could you please let me know what kind of henna youre talking about and what kind of alcohol??

thanks

Subject: RE: PSORIASIS...............Help!!!!!!!
From: Maryrrf
Date: 24 Apr 02 - 09:04 PM

Lord, it's been so many years I don't remember the brand name. But I got it in a North African shop - there were a lot of them in France at the time. I would go to a natural products store and ask for natural henna. The natural henna has a reddish brown color - don't get black or any kind that has colors added to it. It has a pleasant, woodsy smell. Get it in ground or powdered form, not liquid. The kind I used was very coarsly ground with bits of some kind of plant (the henna plant, I guess) mixed in. I mixed the henna into a paste using warm water, and as I remember I didn't have rubbing alcohol so I used a bit of cologne - just a very little. I plastered this mixture on the psoriasis and wrapped it up every night like a poultice. The old Arab man didn't give very specific instructions so I just improvised - I was desperate! My psoriasis was severe but very localized (hands and feet) so it wasn't difficult. Good luck! If it's going to work I think you'll see the results in a couple of days - at least I did. You don't see henna very much any more - back in the seventies it was popular as a hair dye and boy did it give a red color! By the way it's a great hair conditioner and you can buy the colorless kind. It protects the hair shaft so well that a perm won't take on hennaed hair.

Subject: RE: BS: PSORIASIS...............Help!!!!!!!
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Apr 02 - 12:16 AM

they are not saying to drink the mercury

Subject: RE: BS: PSORIASIS...............Help!!!!!!!
From: Art Thieme
Date: 25 Apr 02 - 12:44 AM

In this town I live in we had an empty lot down the street for years and years. After having one stressful situation after another, I developed a case of this condition. I suffered for years because I'm so disabled now that I couldn't figure a way to go out of town for the treatments the doctors around here told me I must have if I was to ever be free of this infirmity. Amazingly, one day a construction crew started building an ediface on the lot I mentioned at the start of this. To my further amazement, the building turned out to be a specialty medical facility dealing only with my malady. I walked down the street tha minute they opened their doors, went in and told the assembled workers therein, "My God, you all are truly a sight for psoriasis!" ;-)

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: BS: PSORIASIS...............Help!!!!!!!
From: GUEST,HelenJ
Date: 25 Apr 02 - 08:48 AM

There is a weed grows in most cultivated ground known as 'milk weed'. I used to chuck it out until one day, whilst in the process - a lady stopped to talk and said "Aren't you lucky having all that milk weed" Thinking she was being cynical, I laughed, but she was serious. Break the stem and apply the milk from it to all the affected parts and not only will the itch stop immediately but it will heal as well. I tried it right away and a miracle was performed right there and then.

Another piece which may be of help is to put lots of chickweed in the bathwater; roots and all (wash the soil off first obviously)

Refer to 'Culpeper's Herbal'.

N.B. Do not apply to open sores or you'll see stars and I don't think it will do you much good.

All the best,

HelenJ.

Subject: RE: BS: PSORIASIS...............Help!!!!!!!
From: brioc
Date: 25 Apr 02 - 08:59 AM

a friend of mine has suffered very badly with it. And the only thing that helped was Aloe Vera. but she didn't use creams, she got the plant and rubs in the juice of it. Made a huge difference. Now she has it under her nails and finds that one difficult to treat. She also takes capsules everyday, of evening primrose oil. She swears by the combination of both. Brigid

Subject: RE: BS: PSORIASIS...............Help!!!!!!!
From:
Date: 25 Apr 02 - 09:06 AM

Dont forget the Psoriasis association, a self help group for sufferers,with 60 local groups, and a 3x p.a. journal. Last known address 7 Milton St.,Northampton. NN2 7JG. tel Nhamp 711129. If youre a smoker, it can improve dramatically by stopping, no-ones sure why.

Subject: RE: BS: PSORIASIS...............Help!!!!!!!
From: GUEST,Strigman
Date: 25 Apr 02 - 11:47 AM

I,m sorry to say THE ONLY HELP YOU WILL GET, IS FROM THE SUN. Yes the sun, and the people who say I've had it, no nothing,when you here them talk what they have had is a rash, which with a bit of cream , and them it's gone. so that is it. sun,sun,sun, don't get burn.

Subject: RE: BS: PSORIASIS...............Help!!!!!!!
From: iRiShBaBe
Date: 25 Apr 02 - 05:17 PM

wow, thanks for all your replies, they mean a lot to me.

has anybody had any success with EXOREX????? have been using it for 3 months now and im scared having read of the dangers of coal tar. the article i read said that coal tar can cause cancer and liver damage. incase psoraisis isnt enough ive had M.S. for 16 years and im self injecting Betainterferon which is supposed to help with psoriasis aswell but i can see no improvement.

thanks *

Subject: RE: BS: PSORIASIS...............Help!!!!!!!
From: Nemesis
Date: 25 Apr 02 - 06:43 PM

As Psoriasis is stress related you could try taking a nutritional supplement: Vit B complex could help towards the irritation of the nerves endings; Higher doses of Vit C is anti-stresser - make sure they are decent quality Vits (i.e., not full of E number casings, or Sacharin, etc)