Psoriasis [PLEASE READ FIRST POST!]

I’ve tried sliding into your DMs a few times now, but nothing's going through. Could you check your inbox? Maybe it’s totally maxed out or something.

Best!

Hi there.
I’m still using Zorax gel, but honestly, the itching has become absolutely insane lately. It’s never been this bad; I’m scratching myself raw because there's no other way to deal with it. On the plus side, the patches have thinned out and faded a bit. I’m just praying they disappear soon—summer is right around the corner, and we all know what that means. God, I don't want to deal with this again; it's going to be a bloody summer.
Regarding my scalp, having shorter hair actually helps quite a bit. Personally, I’ve been using T gel for over a year now and it’s done the trick—those thick patches are gone, and my head feels smooth when I run my hand over it. There's still a little redness, but that should clear up eventually. My ears used to be a mess with scaling, but that’s fine now, which is a relief. My whole body is affected; there isn't a single spot that hasn't been hit at some point. The larger spots are scattered everywhere. A major issue for me is that if I get even slightly worked up or if the weather gets warm, the itching starts immediately as soon as my body temperature rises. My nails are doing okay for now, though. After all these years, this whole situation is just overwhelming. I might try drinking some tea again; hopefully, that provides some relief. I'm also thinking about trying that sage remedy someone mentioned—maybe that'll help too.
My advice? Don't go slathering yourself in random creams and ointments. In my experience, white base creams seem to be the only gentle option that actually helps. Hopefully, things will improve.
Best regards to the community, of course.

Hey everyone!

I see I've got some fellow "travel companions" here, so I figured I’d introduce myself briefly and share a bit about my ongoing relationship with my little sister, psoriasis.
She first paid me a visit back in early 2002, and since I'm such a delightful person, she decided to move in for good. We've been hanging out for six years now; sometimes things get intense, and other times we just give each other a nod. 😉

From 2002 until now, I’ve seen plenty of dermatologists traveling between the Midwest, Chicago, and California, and it always feels like more of the same. I've cycled through everything from topical solutions to thicker ointments—using things like Rozamet, Daivonex, and countless creams, ranging from cheap drugstore finds to high-end stuff from big pharmaceutical brands.

Last year, I finished my studies in Washington, D.C., and headed to Italy for some training—specifically Rome. While I was there, things took a turn for the worse. My elbows and knees were completely at the mercy of my "companion," and she generously claimed several smaller patches on my body too. I wasn't sure which way to turn, so I eventually ended up seeing a dermatologist in Rome. I paid a cool $130 just for the exam, and then dropped another $270 on the six different medications he prescribed for the course of treatment. Absolute madness... 👎
After all that, I noticed I actually felt much better, but it wasn't because of everything I was taking. It was just one specific cream—let's call it >. I applied it regularly to the affected areas, and after a while, it all cleared up. I even started wearing short sleeves again. It's funny how much you learn to appreciate the small wins. 🙄

Lately, life has been pretty stressful—I've basically been through a mini war—so my "sister" decided to come back for a visit. Because of that, I've started slowly using my trusty > again.

Sorry for dumping this on you all; I didn't have the energy to catch up on everything I missed while I was offline, so consider this my apology if I end up mentioning a cream you guys already know by heart. I first discovered it in Rome, and it honestly changed my life.

For context, it costs about $27 for a 30g tube and you can find it in almost any pharmacy in Rome. I'm not sure what the availability is like back home in the States, but once I get back and run through my supplies, I'll start looking into what local options we have.

Thanks a lot, and talk soon!

Robert Clark2 said:I've tried sending you a few private messages now, but I haven't had any luck. Could you please check your inbox? It might be full or something.

Best regards!

Sorry about that, Robert Clark2—you should be all set to send those PMs over now!😍

jadeheron12 said:It costs about $27 for 30 grams and you can find it in pretty much any pharmacy in Rome. I'm not sure what the availability is like back home, but once I get back and finish what I brought with me, I'll start looking around locally...

Thanks so much, see you around!

Could you please provide the full name of the cream? When I search for the token on Google, nothing comes up.

Hey guys, I've got a question for you. I'm dealing with some nail issues, but it’s not those tiny little pits people usually talk about. Instead, this spot appears in the skin right under the nail, and it just keeps spreading and spreading until it hits a certain point and finally stops. The skin in that area gets darker, and then it starts to harden up. So, I'm wondering if there's a specific vitamin or maybe a cream that can get this under control? It looks pretty terrible.🤷Also, is this even something related to psoriasis?

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.

So, isn't there some kind of vitamin or something that could at least speed things up a bit?

Sometimes my nail gets like this, and then a new one grows in and looks totally fine, but then a few days later—bam—it's right back to square one. Seeing that little spot just kills my mood. I'm currently using Dovonex, like I mentioned before, and honestly, it works wonders on my scalp and elbows, but it does absolutely nothing for my nails... hopefully, things turn around soon.!!!!
But let's be real, the most important factor in this whole thing is sheer WILLPOWER!!!

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...

Is this stuff actually available at local pharmacies, or is it one of those things you can only
get online? If you could just drop the exact name and the price tag here, that would be great. thanks

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.

jadeheron12 said:Lately, things have been incredibly stressful—it felt like I was going through a literal war zone. Because of that, my dear sister's skin issues flared up again, so I started using my go-to remedy once more.

Sorry to dump this on you all, but I didn't have the energy to catch up on everything I missed while I was offline. I apologize if I'm bringing up a cream you guys already know by heart. I first discovered it in Rome, and it was a total lifesaver.

It usually costs about $27 for a 30g tube and you can find it in basically any pharmacy in Rome. I'm not sure what the availability is like back home in the States, but once I get back and finish what I brought with me, I’ll start looking for local alternatives.

Thanks a million, see ya!

Can anyone give me some more specific details about this cream?

I recently picked up some tea and a psoriasis cream from Mr. George Rangelov over in Mexico. Has anyone checked if there are any corticosteroids in this cream, or does anyone happen to know where I could get it professionally analyzed?

Hey everyone!!!!! I’m actually in the same boat—just another young woman who dealt with psoriasis early on..... I’ve been lurking and reading everything you all post about this condition on the forum... but I never actually signed up until now!!!
I’ve tried basically everything under the sun, even though I’m only 19! Reading through your posts has helped me so much... mostly because I know there’s someone on the other side of the screen who totally gets me and my lifestyle!
To be honest..... I struggled so much mentally with this disease back when it was just starting out... but now....... that depression has lifted, and it's way easier to talk to people about myself and my
condition!! And now that summer is almost here... honestly, my dear fellow sufferers, I'm already starting to get that "short sleeve panic," as I call it.... truly..... I want to wish every single one of you the biggest wish in the world:
for you to HEAL, just as much as I want to for myself!!!!!!!!!!

And just one more thing in response to wearycrane11: those little pits don't necessarily mean it's psoriasis.. I've had them recently too!! I did my own research online.. scrolled through endless pages of info... and then finally went to see a doctor!
It could be psoriasis, an infection, fungus, blah blah blah..... I won't go on about it..... in my case, it turned out to be fungus!!!!!!!!

Joshua Cruz85 said:I picked up some tea and a psoriasis cream from George Rangelov over in Mexico. Has anyone checked if there are actually corticosteroids in this stuff, or does anyone know where I can get a cream lab-tested?

Maybe try hitting up a compounding pharmacy. They make their own meds, so they might be able to tell you exactly what's in that cream... or at least point you toward a lab that can.

Joshua Cruz85 said:I picked up some tea and psoriasis cream from Mr. George Rangelov out of Mexico. Has anyone checked if there are corticosteroids in the cream, or does anyone know where I can get it lab-tested?

Here in the US, you could take it to the Mayo Clinic to get that sorted.
The analysis is done on whatever sample you bring in, covering
1. Physical and physico-chemical testing—basically checking the sensory properties
.................................................. .- metal content in the extract
2. Microbiological testing

3. A professional opinion (based on the results) regarding whether the ingredients are harmful or safe for the human body.

An analysis like this runs about $100.

I have several of these items on hand myself, so I'm speaking from experience.

Best,

Kate Williams41 said:Hey everyone!!!!! I'm actually in the same boat—just a young girl who dealt with psoriasis early on..... I've been lurking here for ages, reading everything you guys write about this condition... but I never actually signed up until now!!!
I feel like I've tried absolutely everything too, even though I'm only 19! Reading all your posts has helped me quite a bit... mostly because I know there's someone on the other side of the screen who really gets it—someone living a life similar to mine!
Honestly..... I struggled so much mentally with this disease back when it was just starting out... but now....... that depression has eased up a bit, and I find it much easier to talk to people about myself and my
condition!! And now that summer is almost here... to be honest, dear fellow travelers, I'm already starting to get that "short-sleeve panic"—as I call it.... truly..... if I could wish one thing for everyone here,
it would be for you all to HEAL, just as much as I want to heal myself!!!!!!!!!

Welcome to the group!!! 🙂
Aside from that pre-summer panic,😁 maybe you could tell us how things are looking for you right now and what your current treatment plan is??
I used to hate it when people stared at my psoriasis, too, but that doesn't really get to me anymore—partly because it’s not contagious, so there's no reason to feel ashamed or afraid, and I'm certainly no threat to anyone; and partly because, I guess, I realize there are plenty of much worse conditions out there that look way harsher, which helps put things in perspective. Besides, whenever someone asks me what's going on, I just tell them without any fuss—and I'm usually surrounded by people who understand, so they mostly just ask if I'm feeling better lately.😁
Personally, I don't have an issue wearing long or short sleeves. Long sleeves are fine because there are so many lightweight, breathable fabrics nowadays that you barely feel them, and short sleeves? Well, I've reached a point where I just don't care who looks. Thank God they don't have to deal with this, so they don't have to see it on themselves.
If you're worried about swimming or being watched at the beach, you still have options—there are so many beautiful, secluded spots along the coast that aren't far from the main beaches, so you can always find some privacy.
I'm really hoping—and I truly believe—that this will be my first summer without psoriasis since I've had it, provided things keep going this way. I'm actually quite excited about it. 🙂

I'm wishing you a speedy recovery as well. Best, 😍

Chris Morgan67 said:Could you please give me the full name of that cream? I tried searching Google for "token" but nothing comes up.

The box says: Token 0.005% + 0.05% ointment
calcipotriol + betamethasone

The manufacturer is Intendis
Segrate, Italy
20090 Segrate (Milan), basically

LEO Laboratories Ltd., Cashel Road,
Dublin, Ireland 🙂

jadeheron12 said:The box specifies: 0.005% + 0.05% ointment
calcipotriol + betamethasone

The manufacturer is Intendis
Segrate, Italy
20090 Segrate (Milan), basically

LEO Laboratories Ltd., Cashel Road,
Dublin, Ireland 🙂

Ah, so that’s the version of Psorcutan for the Italian market,😉 and it’s been boosted with a bit of corticosteroid (betamethasone, which is what you find in Belosalic)
Here is the breakdown for Belosalic:
Belosalic ointment: one gram of ointment contains 0.5 mg of betamethasone dipropionate and 30 mg of salicylic acid. Inactive ingredients: liquid paraffin, white petrolatum.

Depending on the region, Psorcutan, Dovonex, or Daivonex all rely on the same active ingredient, calcipotriol.
It is used in the treatment of psoriasis, marketed under the trade name Dovonex or Daivonex.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcipotriol

I actually have this ointment myself, though without the corticosteroid, meant for the German market. It's from the same Irish firm, just called Psorcutan there...

See? I really should have studied pharmacy...😍🤣

Chris Morgan67 said:Aha, so that version of Psorcutan is specifically formulated for the Italian market,😉 and they’ve even boosted it with a bit of corticosteroid (specifically betamethasone, which is what you find in Belosalic).
Here is the breakdown for Belosalic:
Belosalic ointment: each gram contains 0.5 mg of betamethasone dipropionate and 30 mg of salicylic acid. Inactive ingredients include liquid paraffin and white petrolatum.

Depending on where you are in the world, Psorcutan, Dovonex, or Daivonex will be based on calcipotriol.
It is used in the treatment of psoriasis, marketed under the trade name Dovonex or Daivonex.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcipotriol

I actually have that same ointment myself, though it doesn't contain any corticosteroids—it was made for the German market. It's produced by the same company out of Ireland, but the cream is branded as Psorcutan.

See? I really should have gone to pharmacy school when I had the chance.😍 🤣

Chris Morgan67,
Could you please let me know the exact name and manufacturer of your cream? I'm heading to Germany on business this weekend and would love to pick up a larger supply while I'm there.
Also, if you wouldn't mind, could you tell me how it's applied and if there are any side effects?
Thanks so much!!!!