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I've had psoraisis for many years, especially on my lower legs and tops of feet (thank goodness not on the bottom, walking part).
Lately the psoraisis has really flared up. I take methotrexate and enbrel, they don't seem to be helping like they used to. My lower legs hurt like a burn. I've tried everything I can think of, including soaks in baking soda, apply cortisone cream, everything I do makes it hurt worse. Even air blowing on it hurts, like a ceiling fan.
The skin is so dry and taunt I fear it will break right open. I try to keep it hydrated, but everything I use hurts like #ell. Even plain vaseline hurts!
I can't tolerate socks. It feels (and looks) like a burn. I even tried burn ointments, they stung like crazy. I tried aloe vera, solarcaine, you name it.
Right now, the only thing that helps is applying ice packs, and that only provides temporary relief. If it doesn't get better by Monday, I'm calling my dermatologist, but any advice for the meantime, any other home remedies? I even took some pain pills (vicodin) left over from a back surgery. It seems to help somewhat, but I need something topical. I really appreciate what burn patients go through now!
I know how you feel. I have psoriasis on my hands, knees and feet/ankles. I have been seeing a dermatologist but what she prescribed as far as a topical cream is not working. My fingers crack and bleed. Washing my hands is painful. I'm going back to see her soon. I will post and update and let you know if she gives me anything helpful. I would not take methotrexate if I were you though.
I know how you feel. I have psoriasis on my hands, knees and feet/ankles. I have been seeing a dermatologist but what she prescribed as far as a topical cream is not working. My fingers crack and bleed. Washing my hands is painful. I'm going back to see her soon. I will post and update and let you know if she gives me anything helpful. I would not take methotrexate if I were you though.
But without the methotrexate the psoraisis was all over my body, including my scalp, the itching was intense, enough to make you want to jump off the nearest bridge. Also, the psoratic arthritis was intense, at least now its under control.
I do worry about the side effects, though, and take half what my rheumatologist prescribes. he prescribes 20 mg/week, I take 10 mg/week, that seems to work as well as the 20 mg, I don't notice any difference, and the risk factors are less.
This feels like a burn, you'd think there's something they use for burn patients I could use. I was thinking of going to an urgent care clinic over the weekend, but they probably wouldn't do anything more than I'm doing now. I could call my dermatologist, I hate to be a pain, but this is serious, I can't sleep, can't even walk from the intense pain. This is relatively new, it usually doesn't bother me that much.
You'd think just plain vaseline wouldn't bother me, but it does. I'm concerned the skin will crack open, so, I keep it moist with vaseline. Also I found benedryl helps with the itching, but it makes me sleepy.
Well, I found a little trick that seems to help, thought I'd pass it on.
Vaseline does work, but only if applied to wet skin. After a shower, lightly towel dry, then rub just a dab of vaseline on the area. don't glop it on. rub tiny bits at a time until almost abosrbed by the skin, then wear cotton socks.
It sounds so basic, but it did help. At least now I don't feel my lower legs are going to crack open!
I am so sorry that you suffer with psoriasis. My father had eczema as did my brother and it can be just as painful and annoying as psoriasis.
I don't have any advice as to what will cure you but I'd like to share something that might give you some improvement.
My father asked me to look for a shampoo that would help his itchy and scaly scalp. His scalp was never affected before he reached the age of 90, then it just seemed to appear overnight.
Anyway, I found a shampoo. It's called Dermarest. My father used it and it not only cleared his scalp, it helped his elbows and knees. It's amazing stuff. I never knew about it until I bought it for Dad.
I am so sorry that you suffer with psoriasis. My father had eczema as did my brother and it can be just as painful and annoying as psoriasis.
I don't have any advice as to what will cure you but I'd like to share something that might give you some improvement.
My father asked me to look for a shampoo that would help his itchy and scaly scalp. His scalp was never affected before he reached the age of 90, then it just seemed to appear overnight.
Anyway, I found a shampoo. It's called Dermarest. My father used it and it not only cleared his scalp, it helped his elbows and knees. It's amazing stuff. I never knew about it until I bought it for Dad.
Thanks, I will look for it.
I've found shampoos like Selsun Blue help, too.
this problem was so severe anything I put on it hurt, even baby cream.
I mea, really painful, like a burn. I found vaseline helped the most. I can't begin to imagine how people suffered before there was anything at all to at least ease the torment.
Last night I took some benedryl, it helps with itching and makes you sleepy, it seems to have calmed down today.
Stress is the most common trigger of psoriasis. If you're under a lot of stress, you could reduce the flareups by destressing.
Also, try 2-3 drops of tea tree oil with 1 teaspoon of olive oil (fresh from the kitchen cabinet). Use a few drops of that total combination on each area affected, applied by gently pressing it, not rubbing it in. Never rub things into the skin where you have a psoriasis flareup, always press gently. That'll help keep it from getting more irritated.
Also try that olive oil/tea tree combo only on a small patch of affected skin first, let it sit for an hour. If you find that it either a) doesn't show any change at all or b) actually feels better then go ahead and use it on the rest of the flareups. If you're finding it more uncomfortable than it was before, then use whatever soap product is safe for your skin with water to -gently- rinse it off.
Sounds like you do have it pretty bad, Marylee. The Vaseline is a great idea. At least it give you some relief for the dryness and discomfort. I imagine it would be hard to wear certain types of clothing with that. Snagging skin on clothing. Just the sound of it sounds painful.
I hope you will try the Dermarest. My father told me it worked wonders. He didn't feel any burning at all. In fact, he never realized how well it was working on his skin until several weeks later when he noticed the spots on his knees and elbows were better.
Apparently, the shampoo ran down his body in the shower and it healed the other breakouts.
I wish you the best in your search for help. If I see anything promising, I'll pass along the information to you here.
I don't know if this had anything to do with it, but I started taking NSAIDs for a bad knee, and within a month the plaques started receding from quite a few areas and the itching and burning stopped. I'm still on the NSAIDs (Rx Naproxen as well as Advil in between scripts of the other).
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