Psoriasis Is Driving Me Crazy (food allergy, cold, skin, hair)

[SunnyKayak]

About two months ago I was diagnose with psoriasis and I have been reading up on this condition over the last couple of months but it starting to get on my nerves....lol

I understand there is no cure and it a life time condition for me but can I at least get a month off without dealing with it geez..

Once I get an outbreak I wash my hair in a tar shampoo and pour some on a rag and wipe myself down with that then I put this prescription of clobetasol Propionate on it to help it clear up but the next week I am dealing with another outbreak.

If you have it do you get warning signs that an outbreak will occur like it starts in one spot first.

I learn the other day that knats are attracted to psoriasis.

I want to do something or change that will help me have less outbreaks

Share your thoughts or suggestions

thanks

[pitt_transplant]

Keep a food diary - foods can be triggers , see what yours are

Switch out your detergents, etc for unscented kind

Topically try washing with neem soap (organix brand makes a extra strenth orange smelling one thats nice)

Oil yourself with extra virgin food grade cold processed coconut oil in addition to your meds. Not at the same time.

Soak in dead sea salt baths (1-2 cups dead sea salt + bath soak 20-30 minutes warm not hot water)

Get a few minutes of sun on the areas
__________________________________________________ _

- People in my family get a redness first. Some people just flake.
Usually when you break out on one leg...the other leg will break out in the same spot.
(strange)

- when you soap up with your coal tar or the neem soap... really let it sit on your skin 5-10 minutes before rinse

- just a little p.s. bugs hate neem. Will keep the gnats away.

[Mozart271]

Psoriasis is a pain! Sorry you have it, but you're in good company--many, many people do. I am a dermatologist, so for what it's worth (usually about $75 ):

You may wish to try alternating tar, zinc, and salicylic acid shampoos. Also, try to use the clobetasol either daily for 2 weeks, with breaks in between usages, or every other day.

Another idea is to ask your doc for Dovonex (calcipotriene) solution, and use that daily on week day, clobetasol on weekends. (Sometimes clobetasol can cause "tolerance", and the psoriasis flares as soon as it wears off--so the intermittent use of it tends to avoid that.)

If you have just one or two localized patches, a dermatologist can inject them with small doses of steroid and possibly put them in remission for some time.

Sun exposure helps, but if you have thick hair and the patches are in your scalp, no go.

There are other options that a dermatologist can offer you if these things don't work. Psoriasis is chronic, and will always recur at some point, but sometimes will stay away for periods of time.

Good luck!

[averagejoe76]

My advice is to try a Shampoo called Nizoral?It runs about 10$ at Wal-mart.
I had excessive dry scalp,flakes really bad and Head & Shoulders,T-Gel,etc did..
Not work.Finally tried Nizoral and after a few days starting working.
You really only have to use it once or twice a week once it starts working.

[Six Foot Three]

Experiment with staying off all grains and egg yolks (Arachidonic Acid) and add fish oils about 3 to 6 grams.

[Sunscape]

Try this shampoo they are recommending and take fish oils, they take some time but do help. Other than that , we are so lucky to have a dermatologist answering something here!! I see several derm's for Psoriasis and it takes a long time for anything to work.
Let's all give some rep to the derm so that he can keep on helping posters here.

[Mozart271]

Originally Posted by Annie of Oldsmar

Try this shampoo they are recommending and take fish oils, they take some time but do help. Other than that , we are so lucky to have a dermatologist answering something here!! I see several derm's for Psoriasis and it takes a long time for anything to work.
Let's all give some rep to the derm so that he can keep on helping posters here.

Many thanks, Annie! By the way, it is "she" (of course you couldn't know that from the user name).

I came across this forum by accident, as I was looking for info re: some geographic places. But if I can be of some help, I'm happy to do so.

[isew4kidz]

I was diagnosed 10 years ago after back surgery number 8. I had 2 long surgeries on my spine a week apart, where they rebuilt and reconstructed my spine, took all the flexibility out of my spine, fused my spine front and back, and screwed 4 rods in, after all was said and done, my incisions weren't healing, and I was itching to death. I went to a Dermatologist and she put me on Desonide for my face, Olux for my scalp, and a cream called Ultravate. The Psoriasis is everywhere on me, and I itch daily, I don't get it, I have been doing all 3 medicines according to the instructions, but it keeps getting worse. People ask me all the time if I have head lice because I am always scratching my head.

[artsyguy]

my friend stopped eating anything with soy and caffiene and that cleared it up after a few weeks of stopping......it's mostly caused by food allergies of any sort and you might want to be real critical about what you eat...soy usually being the worst

[Mozart271]

isew4kidz, do go back to your derm and tell them you are not responding to the medications. There are other alternatives you can try.

artsyguy, you are describing something that sounds more like atopic dermatitis. As opposed to psoriasis, it is more often related to food allergy. Although some people with psoriasis will respond favorably to dietary changes, most do not.

It's important to get a correct diagnosis. Unfortunately it's impossible on a discussion board like this. Anyone with a severe unremitting rash needs to see a dermatologist.