Question:
I'm new w/p and I have no idea what to do. I really can't afford to go to the doctor just to be told that , yes indeed I have p. I did however order the Skin Zinc spray, shampoo and lotion. After spending $130 dollars with a 30 day money back gaurentee, my condition got worse. After calling the customer support line, they told me to stop using the product and that my body was having an adverse reaction to it. GREAT!! Now what? I only had a few spots on my back and now it has spread all over and is on my stomach, breast and rib cage, and on the backs of my thighs. I have it on my bikini line and on my tailbone. I feel GROSS and I try not to stress over it, but it is hard not to when it is all you can feel when you take a shower. I don't even take my shirt off during sex because I am to worried about what my boyfriend might think. He knows I have it and had just gotten it when we got together. I believe I got it from stress. My motorcycle got stolen last October, so I was stressing over it, started eating poorly and started drinking ALOT more. I know that I am supposed to stay away from beer, so I just switched to the liqour. HA HA It is just ALL OVER. I have tried Tar shampoos, soaps, lotions...I give up!! I am a cute young girl and I just want to look normal this summer in my bikini. Any suggestions? I am tired of crying.....
Hi Chiconharley,
Welcome to the Board. Nice to meet you. :cool: I'm sorry to hear about you're diagnosis and that you're going through such a rough time. :(
Forgive me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like you don't have insurance, so here some information that might be useful to you. A couple of weeks ago, Leslie (screen name: Momtotwogirls) took the time to post some information and links to some sites that offer assistance to people who don't have insurance or are under insured. Here's a link to her post: . You also might want to check out www.needymeds.com. It sounds like a scam site, but several people have posted here that they've be able to get help for some very expensive medications thanks to www.needymeds.com. Here's a link to a thread that has two www.needymeds.com success stories in it: . Another poster mentioned -- in passing -- www.helpingpatients.org. Hopefully between Leslie's information and my information you'll be able to find a program that will help you.
You also might want to see if your state has assistance programs that you qualify you.
The next time you see your dermatolgist, please remember to ask him or her for some samples of whatever meds he or she is prescribing.
You also might want to consider participating in a clinical trial for medications that are being tested for psoriasis. If you do go that route, make sure that you paricipate in a so-called "open" study so that you know for sure that you are getting the medication that's being studied and not a placebo. Here's a link to a website that lists some current clinical trials for psoriasis: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/sc...recruiting=true.
Some people who post here have had some degree of success going to tanning salons. When the weather gets warmer you also might try to get some sun. That's easier said then done. Even though my psoriasis gets better during the warmer months, I find it difficult to expose my psoriasis to the world. (I'm VERY self-conscious about the psoriasis on my hands. I also have friends -- since kindergarten -- who joke that they've never seen me in shorts. The trouble is, they're not joking. I only wear shorts on those rare ocassions when my legs are clear.) You can also try going for light treatments. Light treatments can be a pain because you'd have to go for treatments three times a week -- for several months -- at a day treatment doctors, office day treatment center or clinic. They can also be expensive if you don't have insurance. (I'm not sure if any of the assitance programs will pay for light treatments. It can't hurt to ask.) Here's a link to the NPF's discussion of light treatments: .
There are other treatments available such as the systemics -- which include Methotrexate and Soriatane -- and the biologics which include Enbrel and Remicade. Here's the links to the NPF's discussion of systemics and biologics: . Methotrexate (MTX) and Soriatane can cause birth defects (in the case of Soriatane for three years after you stop using it) so they're generally not prescribed for "woman of childbearing age". You also can't drink alcohol while on MTX or Soriatane. You would also have to undergo frequent bloodwork and in the case of MTX, an occasional liver biopsy. Soriatane is also a very very expensive drug. The biologics are also very expensive. Several people who post here have gotten assistance for the biologic drugs. You can drink while on the biologic drugs. They've only recently become available, so they long term inpact is not yet know. Depending on how severe your psoriasis is, a biologic drug may be an option for you.
It's important to keep you skin moist. So in the words of my dermatologist, "moisturize, moisturize, moisturize". Which moisturizer to use is a matter of personal preference and trial and error. I find that it helps to rotate brands and to use only those moisturizers that are labeled "fragrance free", non-irritating" and/or "for sensitive skin".
I also find that the type of soap and/or laundry products that I use makes all the difference in the world. Anti-bactarial and deoderant soaps, for example, tend to irritate my psoriasis and make it drier and itchier then it already is. I've had similar problems with the dyes and fragrances in detergent and dryer sheets, etc. I haven't had any laundry related problems since I switched to "free and clear" laundry products. And, here are the links to some previous discussions about soap and psoriasis: (I recently discovered that some of the links that I posted -- in my initial response to this thread -- no longer work. I posted some updated links in my second reponse to the thread.) and .
It sounds like your psoriasis came on very suddenly. You're probably right -- the stress associated with having your motorcycle stolen is probably what triggered your strep. However, it's also possible that you have some sort of infection (most likely strep throat) and are asymptomatic -- i.e., no sore throat or fever. More then a few people have posted here that either their psoriasis or their child's psoriasis was either triggered by strep or got worse due to a strep infection. They further report that a psoriasis outbreak is often the only sign that they have an infection. To further complicate things, the psoriasis won't respond to treatment until the underlying infection is taken care of. You might want to ask your doctor for a strep test. Insist on a culture because the so-called "quick test" is often unreliable. Here are the links to some previous discussions about psoriasis and strep: and . And, here's the link to the NPF's discussion of psoriasis triggers: .
Finally, I'm going to post a copy of your introduction to us on the Psoriasis Board. (EDIT: Here's a link to the copy of your post on the Psoriasis Board: .) You'll probably get a better response if it's both here conversations and on the main psoriasis board.
I'm sorry this turned into such a novel. You're probably suffering from information overload. :rolleyes: I hope that it helps in some small way. Good luck. Keep us posted and please don't be a stranger.
Mike
Answers:
Hi Chiconharley,
Welcome to the Board. Nice to meet you. :cool: I'm sorry to hear about you're diagnosis and that you're going through such a rough time. :(
Forgive me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like you don't have insurance, so here some information that might be useful to you. A couple of weeks ago, Leslie (screen name: Momtotwogirls) took the time to post some information and links to some sites that offer assistance to people who don't have insurance or are under insured. Here's a link to her post: . You also might want to check out www.needymeds.com. It sounds like a scam site, but several people have posted here that they've be able to get help for some very expensive medications thanks to www.needymeds.com. Here's a link to a thread that has two www.needymeds.com success stories in it: . Another poster mentioned -- in passing -- www.helpingpatients.org. Hopefully between Leslie's information and my information you'll be able to find a program that will help you.
You also might want to see if your state has assistance programs that you qualify you.
The next time you see your dermatolgist, please remember to ask him or her for some samples of whatever meds he or she is prescribing.
You also might want to consider participating in a clinical trial for medications that are being tested for psoriasis. If you do go that route, make sure that you paricipate in a so-called "open" study so that you know for sure that you are getting the medication that's being studied and not a placebo. Here's a link to a website that lists some current clinical trials for psoriasis: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/sc...recruiting=true.
Some people who post here have had some degree of success going to tanning salons. When the weather gets warmer you also might try to get some sun. That's easier said then done. Even though my psoriasis gets better during the warmer months, I find it difficult to expose my psoriasis to the world. (I'm VERY self-conscious about the psoriasis on my hands. I also have friends -- since kindergarten -- who joke that they've never seen me in shorts. The trouble is, they're not joking. I only wear shorts on those rare ocassions when my legs are clear.) You can also try going for light treatments. Light treatments can be a pain because you'd have to go for treatments three times a week -- for several months -- at a day treatment doctors, office day treatment center or clinic. They can also be expensive if you don't have insurance. (I'm not sure if any of the assitance programs will pay for light treatments. It can't hurt to ask.) Here's a link to the NPF's discussion of light treatments: .
There are other treatments available such as the systemics -- which include Methotrexate and Soriatane -- and the biologics which include Enbrel and Remicade. Here's the links to the NPF's discussion of systemics and biologics: . Methotrexate (MTX) and Soriatane can cause birth defects (in the case of Soriatane for three years after you stop using it) so they're generally not prescribed for "woman of childbearing age". You also can't drink alcohol while on MTX or Soriatane. You would also have to undergo frequent bloodwork and in the case of MTX, an occasional liver biopsy. Soriatane is also a very very expensive drug. The biologics are also very expensive. Several people who post here have gotten assistance for the biologic drugs. You can drink while on the biologic drugs. They've only recently become available, so they long term inpact is not yet know. Depending on how severe your psoriasis is, a biologic drug may be an option for you.
It's important to keep you skin moist. So in the words of my dermatologist, "moisturize, moisturize, moisturize". Which moisturizer to use is a matter of personal preference and trial and error. I find that it helps to rotate brands and to use only those moisturizers that are labeled "fragrance free", non-irritating" and/or "for sensitive skin".
I also find that the type of soap and/or laundry products that I use makes all the difference in the world. Anti-bactarial and deoderant soaps, for example, tend to irritate my psoriasis and make it drier and itchier then it already is. I've had similar problems with the dyes and fragrances in detergent and dryer sheets, etc. I haven't had any laundry related problems since I switched to "free and clear" laundry products. And, here are the links to some previous discussions about soap and psoriasis: (I recently discovered that some of the links that I posted -- in my initial response to this thread -- no longer work. I posted some updated links in my second reponse to the thread.) and .
It sounds like your psoriasis came on very suddenly. You're probably right -- the stress associated with having your motorcycle stolen is probably what triggered your strep. However, it's also possible that you have some sort of infection (most likely strep throat) and are asymptomatic -- i.e., no sore throat or fever. More then a few people have posted here that either their psoriasis or their child's psoriasis was either triggered by strep or got worse due to a strep infection. They further report that a psoriasis outbreak is often the only sign that they have an infection. To further complicate things, the psoriasis won't respond to treatment until the underlying infection is taken care of. You might want to ask your doctor for a strep test. Insist on a culture because the so-called "quick test" is often unreliable. Here are the links to some previous discussions about psoriasis and strep: and . And, here's the link to the NPF's discussion of psoriasis triggers: .
Finally, I'm going to post a copy of your introduction to us on the Psoriasis Board. (EDIT: Here's a link to the copy of your post on the Psoriasis Board: .) You'll probably get a better response if it's both here conversations and on the main psoriasis board.
I'm sorry this turned into such a novel. You're probably suffering from information overload. :rolleyes: I hope that it helps in some small way. Good luck. Keep us posted and please don't be a stranger.
Mike
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