Maria Chavez55 said:you know, now that you’ve brought it up... I really didn't want to say anything because it sounded absolutely ridiculous, but I have to admit that I’ve noticed my psoriasis actually looks a whole lot better after hair removal. Not that it’s gone—don't get any ideas there—but the appearance is definitely improved 🤷 Well, look at us, two of a kind now 🙂
In any case, please, for the love of everything, never shave your legs with razors (and don't even get me started on those various depilatory creams)—for me, it was nothing short of catastrophic for my psoriasis... it only took one single instance for the flare-up to spread across my entire legs. Waxing, on the other hand, works wonders.
wearycrane11 said:Is that actually available at local pharmacies, or is it one of those things you can only get through some special order? If you wouldn't mind, could you please write down the exact name and let me know how much it runs? thanks
Well, as I mentioned before—Merz Spezial Dragee—it’s essentially just a B-complex supplement, specifically these tablets you take twice a day for a three-month stretch... You can pick them up easily enough at any standard pharmacy, and they'll cost you roughly about $27 per month's supply.
I haven't heard of any specific creams or anything quite like that... back when I was receiving treatment at the Mayo Clinic, the doctor there mentioned the exact same thing I laid out in my previous post. I've been taking Merz Spezial Dragee on my own initiative—you know, those vitamins for skin, hair, and nails that actually seem to do something relatively well. While I was on them, I didn't have any issues with my nails at all. Of course, everyone reacts differently to everything, but maybe it's worth a shot...
The nails are really the one part of the body where you can't just apply a treatment and call it a day... there isn't much you can do about them. Generally speaking, though, the way psoriasis clears up on the rest of your skin usually mirrors how it behaves with the nails—it just sort of resolves itself over time... naturally. I’m actually dealing with that exact same issue myself, though luckily it's limited to just a single nail, and right now, it seems to be in the process of finally clearing up.
Carol Patel85 said:I’ve been scrolling through your posts for a bit, seeing all these different creams being suggested and everyone swapping stories, which honestly gave me the urge to finally weigh in... I’ve been dealing with psoriasis since I was five years old, and now I’m twenty-two. I have—thank God—tried all sorts of ointments and various therapies, and the results are as predictable as they get: sometimes something works, but more often than not, it doesn't. In truth, perhaps things would actually improve if I truly believed any of it could actually help me... Given that most of the "healing" happens inside the mind (the placebo effect and all that nonsense), my treatments fail because even though I know intellectually that psoriasis can go into remission for long stretches, the idea that it is "incurable" has become permanently cemented in my brain. Add to that a healthy dose of pessimism and self-pity... plus the entire spectrum of stress and anxiety one can muster. So, there’s that regarding the whole "recovery" concept... But you know, what I hate most about psoriasis isn't the way your skin looks to the outside world, it's what it does to you internally. I don't know what it's like for those who develop it later in life, but for me, having had it since I was just a kid, it has profoundly shaped the very fabric of my personality and the person I am today. Because of this, I struggle with communication, with being open to others, and I suffer from a total lack of self-esteem and confidence. It’s easy enough on the surface—once you explain it to people and reassure them it isn't contagious, they stop looking at you with those questioning eyes—but this internal damage is something you can't just switch off... I will always feel this way, and that is why I know I will never truly be able to make peace with having psoriasis. Honestly, hats off to those of you who actually managed to do that. Anyway, I just wanted to get that off my chest, and of course, I wish you all the best of luck with your treatments, and maybe our paths will cross again down the road 🙂 best wishes
There is some truth to that. Personally, I have a (relatively) stable psyche, without major mood swings; I’m quite an optimist and I’ve adjusted my life to accommodate this condition without too much regret over the things I’ve had to give up. Even so, I can't seem to get the flare-ups to stay away for even two weeks straight...
I do believe that psoriasis influenced your personality formation, especially since you had to grow up alongside it; I didn't get it until I was twenty, so the hit to my self-confidence over the following year was incredibly noticeable. But, as you pointed out, it all comes down to how you process it mentally. The disease is what it is—mostly just a massive nuisance, it isn't contagious, and it won't cause catastrophic consequences as long as you maintain good hygiene. At the end of the day—you only get one life, so are you really going to spend the whole thing wallowing in self-pity? That’s fine, I suppose, but only in one specific scenario—if you actually use it to your advantage. And I suspect you don't.
In any case, I wish you nothing but success with your treatment 😉
Oh, I certainly am. It was that Petroleum Zorac that triggered this whole 50% decline in my condition... and don't even get me started on the Salad, where I practically smothered myself in every imaginable ointment and cream under the sun. But nothing worked. Nothing at all. Still, I suppose there will come a day when the light finally breaks through for me too... 🙂
Chris Morgan67 said:honestly, how bad can these dermatologists actually be? it sounds a bit dramatic...
there is a massive difference between medical phototherapy, which is strictly supervised by a doctor and utilizes UVB rays, and just stepping into some random tanning bed that relies on UVA...
phototherapy is incredibly effective, whereas those standard tanning beds aren't really doing much at all...
I’ve been through the whole routine myself—tried both the specialized Petroleum treatments and even the Salad approach... zero results to show for it. 🤷
I mean, look, I know plenty of people where even a regular tanning bed works wonders, so I suppose it all comes down to how your own body reacts to it...
Carol Johnson3 said:A close friend of mine has been struggling with psoriasis, and if I recall correctly, a few years back her dermatologist suggested she try getting some regular sun exposure through tanning beds... and honestly, since she started that, she’s been feeling so much better... It’s quite remarkable, really. Wishing everyone out there nothing but the best of luck on their own journeys...😉
Yes, that’s exactly where the irony of this entire situation lies... It’s almost absurd when you think about it. My dermatologist—one of the last six or seven I’ve had to cycle through, mind you—actually looked me straight in the eye and said, and I quote: "If you were actually healthy, I wouldn't be recommending tanning beds to you, but since you're sick—well, go ahead then."😁
The tanning beds just aren't doing a damn thing for me, and honestly, if I don't manage to squeeze in another five or six sessions soon, I’m going to end up looking like a total Gypsy...
So, here is the latest update on my treatment plan for this whole psoriasis mess—which, mind you, is currently tangled up with Bechterev disease... They’ve put me on Methotrexate for about six months, along with three injections of Extencel over the next three months, mostly because they actually detected strep in my system... Honestly, this psoriasis just won't quit; it hasn't shown any sign of letting up for a year and a few months now...
It all started about fourteen months ago, though the pain became absolutely unbearable around six months in... there was even a stretch where I couldn't move an inch at all (around month nine) until my doctor finally put me on some NSAIDs.
So, I’m sitting here pouring over my discharge papers, and it turns out they aren't actually certain if the diagnosis I mentioned is correct or if it’s actually Ankylosing spondylitis.
Well, whatever... I'm heading back to see the doctor tomorrow to get some actual clarity, especially since I received these other critical lab results, things like total calciuria and total phosphaturia (which I assume relates to bone health?), CRP , AST (for the liver, I suppose), and HLA typing: B 8/35, DR 1/3. You know how it is... they just throw these names and numbers at you, and honestly, I haven't the slightest clue what any of it means...
I just had my follow-up with Dr. Miran Sentić over at the Mayo Clinic... I finally got my test results back today, though she prescribed yet another medication that has completely slipped my mind... I actually stopped taking the Methotrexate because, frankly, the thought of those long-term side effects just didn't sit right with me.
The pain is nothing short of catastrophic, especially if I don't get some Indomethacin into my system right on schedule... It’s everywhere—my feet, my hips, my left elbow, even my spine... it's just relentless.
What exactly are you dealing with? What kind of medications are you currently on? And honestly, do you think it’s even wise to try and exercise when the inflammation is this intense?
I have a nagging suspicion that I might be shouting into the void here, as finding any real answers feels like searching for a needle in a haystack given how incredibly rare this condition is... but, I suppose I simply have to try anyway...
So, after all that back-and-forth with the specialists and those endless, grueling hours spent sitting in sterile waiting rooms... the diagnosis is finally in... Ankylosing spondylitis... it’s one of those terms that sounds far more clinical and orderly than the actual, chaotic reality of living with it... though I suppose "seronegative" adds that extra layer of medical mystery, doesn't it? It’s as if the body is staging a silent protest, refusing to leave even a single fingerprint behind for the doctors to find... just an endless cycle of inflammation and searching for answers that seem to slip through our fingers like sand...The relentless, creeping onset of inflammatory spinal and joint disease... it truly is a marathon of endurance that one never signed up for, isn't it? It starts as a mere nuisance, a dull ache that you try to dismiss as simple fatigue, only to find yourself staring at the ceiling at three in the morning, wondering why the very foundation of your body feels like it’s being slowly overtaken by rust... and then, of course, there is the endless cycle of managing the inflammation itself, which often feels like a full-time job in its own right...
Does anyone else here deal with this condition, and if so, what has your experience been like regarding treatment... specifically, can we actually get rid of these symptoms for good? I’m currently being cycled through Methotrexate and Indomethacin, though honestly, I can't say things are feeling much better than they were before... It's all a bit underwhelming, really. Oh, and just for context, I'm only 23...
Angela Wright said:I suppose I’m feeling a bit uncertain regarding this specific Starbucks test...🤷
As for the ASTA, you almost certainly won't find that being handled at your local community health clinic; you'd need to head to one of those top-tier, high-tech laboratories... I actually had that test done a few years back over at Rib, and if I recall correctly, they told me quite bluntly that I was likely among the very last people to ever successfully undergo that particular screening there, as they were already planning to phase it out entirely... though, honestly, I haven't the slightest clue what the current landscape looks like today.
James Watson84 said:👍 👍 👍 Honestly, this forum is an absolute circus sometimes. My dear friends, we really don't need much—just a shred of common sense and perhaps a basic grasp of biochemistry... or at the very least, some elementary decency so people stop pretending to be experts on things they clearly know nothing about...
The moderator has already stepped in and handled things quite effectively 😁
thanx Polly, you actually inspired me to do a little bit of Googling😉
jadesailor14 said:I’m going to go ahead and hunt down anyone who thinks they can just keep posting those same repetitive, mindless little comments here all year long...🙂 but I swear
if I catch anyone else spamming this exact same thing over and over again... I will personally find you, and I am being completely serious about that... 🙂
I am merely relaying what my doctor—who holds a PhD in her medical field, mind you—told me directly. Since I am certainly no chemist myself, all I can really do is take her word for it...
I couldn't agree more with that thesis—honestly, most people these days are basically fueling themselves with straight-up garbage loaded with additives. There was actually a discussion on this very topic just recently, detailing an entire list of those "E" numbers linked to various ailments, including one particularly nasty additive, E330, which is considered a carcinogen and has been banned here in the USA...
On the flip side, sure, everyone says you ought to be eating more fruits and vegetables—but damn, I have to admit, I feel incredibly uneasy whenever I step foot into these massive big-box retailers or supermarkets... because I truly have no clue what I’m actually putting in my cart, whether anything is legitimately organic (which, let’s face it, is probably rare) or if everything has just been drenched in all sorts of modern, questionable farming chemicals...
For me, Diane-35 was a complete nightmare... I stayed on them for about two years, and I ended up gaining something like twenty pounds. But it wasn't even that classic kind of weight gain where you're actually putting on fat, it was more like constant water retention—I just felt incredibly bloated all the time. On the bright side, my skin looked absolutely flawless, but honestly, that was the only perk.
Once I finally made the switch to Cilest, though, I haven't had a single complaint!
Melissa Harris77 said:So, I’ve gone through this entire thread from top to bottom and I still can't find anyone who's dealt with my exact situation... My dermatologist is leaning toward psoriasis and is sending me over to the Mayo Clinic for a biopsy... first question though: does it actually hurt?
Oh, it isn't nearly as terrifying as you might imagine, really... it lasts for maybe a few seconds, and then, well, at least you will finally have some actual answers in your hands! Once they take that tiny little sample of skin, you'll just need to dab a bit of ointment on the spot for a couple of days and that's pretty much the end of it!
Basically, it turns out that anyone dealing with psoriasis as a direct result of stress and nerves rather than some underlying inflammatory process deep within the body, actually stands a pretty decent chance of seeing the whole thing vanish completely... and just stay gone for good...
EDIT: I meant it's caused by stress and being worked up, not genetics.