Just wanted to say hi and introduce myself.
I'm Beverley, 53 years old and a psoriasis wearer for over 30 years.
Would say my psoriasis is moderate to severe.
I've been living in Holland for the last 13 years, though I'm originally from UK.
Been married for almost 12,5 years to a lovely Dutchman.
Found this site by accident while trying to find information about dimthylfumerate. (Managed to spell that without looking it up lol)
Unfortunately, it isn't working for me and am about to be tested for my suitability for Humira.
Today had chest x-Ray and bloods and tomorrow go for a TB test.
Glad I found this site as it is full of information.

Hope to start a Humira thread when I figure out how

Question: Is it common that people with psoriasis suffer from more tiredness than people without psoriasis?
A friend of mine also has a little psoriasis, but is often quite tired. Now she read in a newspaper, that research suggests that psoriasis sufferers also suffer from tiredness.

Does anybody recognizes that?

I don't recognize it. I am never tired.

We all know about how bad stress can be for psoriasis and although we know we must remain calm it's not always easy to achieve, but what if you could think your psoriasis away?

This interesting article is a case example of a young man who has done just that using AT (Autogenic training), AT is a relaxation technique developed by the German psychiatrist Johannes Heinrich Schultz and first published in 1932 that uses a set of visualisations that induce a state of relaxation.

Quote:

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Case Example: James

The participant was a 23-year-old male student who had been suffering from chronic psoriasis for the past 5 years. His condition consisted of psoriatic plaques covering his elbows, knees, ankles, and scalp, as well as smaller red irritations periodically appearing on the entirety of his body. His condition was first diagnosed in 2008, and he had been using a combination of topical corticosteroids daily since diagnosis. He had also experimented with ultraviolet light treatment for a short period of time but had stopped for fear of developing skin cancer. Despite treatments, his condition did not improve. He reported that if he missed even 1 day of topical corticosteroid application, his symptoms worsened dramatically. His failure to respond to treatment motivated him to explore an alternative approach. Prior to beginning the self-regulation study, he had stopped all medication for 1 week. The procedure consisted of pre and post photos of his elbows and knees, a biofeedback assessment (including a desensitization-to-touch trial), and self-regulation training.

Biofeedback Assessment with Desensitization Trial
The pre and post baselines were recorded with surface electromyography (SEMG) of the upper right trapezius, temperature from the left index finger, skin conductance levels from the pinky and middle finger of the right hand, blood volume pulse from the right index finger, and thoracic and abdominal strain gauges on the first day of treatment and 3 weeks later at the end of the intervention procedure. The assessment consisted of the subject sitting with his eyes closed during the following conditions: A: prebaseline (sitting comfortably for 3–5 minutes), B: an imagined stressor (thinking about feeling the itching of the psoriasis for 3–5 minutes), C: sitting relaxed for 3 to 5 minutes, D: the trainer randomly touching the subject's psoriatic plaques, and E: a postbaseline (sitting comfortably for 3–5 minutes). The postassessment 3 weeks later repeated the identical procedure.

Training Procedure
The training protocol consisted of daily AT to induce relaxation, stress reduction, and desensitization. James was instructed to practice AT on his own time and was instructed to use it throughout his day whenever he felt the urge to itch, touch his psoriatic plaques, or when thinking self-critical thoughts. When the subject had such an urge, he was to stop and conduct a quick five-step AT session in that moment.

1. Stop.
   
2. Take a quick self-talk assessment from 0 to 10 (0 being negative or low, 10 being positive or high).
   
3. Breathe deeply.
   
4. AT, using a quick series of cues: “My right hand is heavy, my hands and feet are heavy and warm.” “My skin is cool, clear, and regenerative.” “I am worthy.”
   
5. Post AT self-talk rating 0 to 10.
   

In addition, James was instructed to change his body posture from a more powerless body posture to an empowered body posture, namely, from a slightly collapsed and shrinking posture to sitting and standing upright and being expansive (power pose)

Results
The subjective data were collected daily, and after 3 weeks, James's skin cleared for the first time in 5 years. The skin was smoother and less red. The subject reported that his skin was the clearest and smoothest in the 5 years since his diagnosis. At a 4-month follow-up, his improvement was maintained. In addition, he transformed his body posture and expression from being collapsed and having a hoodie over his head to sitting and standing upright with an expression of confidence.

The biofeedback pre- and posttraining data showed that James demonstrated a more relaxed state throughout the posttraining assessment. During the posttraining assessment, James's trapezius SEMG readings decreased from the pretouching to the posttouching segment. At the close of the study, James was able to return to baseline SEMG values much more quickly. He also demonstrated an improved ability to inhibit his automatic skin conductance response to touching and when thinking about the psoriasis. His skin conductance level showed very minimal reactivity to touch during the posttraining assessment as compared with the pretraining assessment

James said
Acceptance that my condition was incurable left me feeling like a lost child, hopeless and scared. Whenever I found myself collapsing and scratching, a series of negative thoughts would enter my mind, “repulsive, ugly, sickly, helpless.” These thoughts would perpetuate my consciousness, leaving me feeling self-disgusted, unworthy, and helpless. It was only once I gained conscious control over my urges to collapse and itch that I was able to foster more positive self-talk. I began to be more in control, more powerful. I was no longer just reacting. I was able to once again take charge of my mind and my body. Instead of feeling defeated, I was hopeful. With each practice of autogenic training, I would fill my consciousness with positive thoughts; eventually positivity began to prevail. No longer was I self-loathing; rather, I was proud.

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Following a long time trying I have found a solution so you can now post live internal links on Psoriasis Club, It's been tested by out chief testing department But if you do find any problems please let me know.

I have had psoriasis since I was 17 and as I have said in other posts I have had varying success with all sorts of treatments.
My latest treatment Fumaderm has been very successful keeping my psoriasis at bay, until the last few days.
I have been really stressed with the worry of radiotherapy for my other problem not the psoriasis. Now I have noticed 3 or 4 plaques starting up on my body and arms.
I am hoping this is stress related and a few stiff gins will pull me through..
In the meantime to supplement my Fumaderm I will apply a little dermovate and hope it helps

Quote:

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You see what appears to be your favorite brand name eye shadow, eye liner, or fragrance for sale at a flea market or on an unfamiliar website. You notice the price is lower than what you normally pay at your favorite retail store or through an authorized online dealer.

Before you hand over your hard-earned money, though, keep this in mind: It could be counterfeit, and—in addition to buying something that’s not the real deal—you are also risking your health by buying and using products that may contain substandard or even dangerous substances.

The National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Center—of which the FBI is a partner—wants you to know that the volume of all sorts of counterfeit cosmetics and fragrances coming into the U.S. is definitely on the rise…that’s according to our industry partners as well as law enforcement. Why is this happening? Because the Internet has given counterfeiters widespread access to customers, and because criminals increasingly view dealing in counterfeit personal care products—as well as other knock-off consumer goods as well—as a relatively low-risk crime since many of the perpetrators are located outside of the U.S.

Government and industry studies and testing have discovered that some of the ingredients that make up counterfeit cosmetics and fragrances are downright dangerous:

Phony cosmetics often contain things such as arsenic, beryllium, and cadmium (all known carcinogens) along with high levels of aluminum and dangerous levels of bacteria. Some of these products have caused conditions like acne, psoriasis, rashes, and eye infections.
   
Counterfeit fragrances have been found to contain something called DEHP, classified by the Environmental Protection Agency as a probable human carcinogen. These phony perfumes and colognes, which sometimes contain urine as well, have been known to cause serious skin rashes.

Indicators of Counterfeits

- The packaging differs slightly from the authentic brand (might be a different color or different lettering on the product), and/or the product’s wrapping appears haphazard.

- The product is being advertised as a “limited edition” even though the authentic manufacturer doesn’t offer it as a limited edition.

- The price is either slightly or drastically lower.

- For cosmetics, the product’s consistency or texture just doesn’t feel or look like the authentic brand.

- For fragrances, there’s something a little off about the scent, and the color of the fluid in the bottle might be different than the original.

- For both products, they’re being sold at non-authorized retailers, including flea markets, mall kiosks, and over the Internet.

It's refreshing to come to this website and be able to go from post to post without annoying popups and ads at the top and bottom of pages.
I respect Fred for not buckling in to google just to get higher listing on their search engine.
I think we should all try to help Fred get higher in the rankings where possible as requested in the newsletter.
I am sure Fred has the strength of character to resist requests for live links and advertising. He has said if you want a link made live and it is deemed suitable he will make it live. After all it is his site and he makes the of which there aren't many.
Long may the site remain independent and I am sure it is one of the reasons people keep coming back time and time again

How do i post my avatar?

Has anyone tried black seed oil? i was healed by 50% after my first bottle. i am on my 4th bottle now and healing has stalled but i have no new legions and no spreading. i am very happy with this.

Hello from Canada, i am Denise, 57, living near Toronto, Ontario.

I have had plaque P for about 3 years now and i treat it with Black Seed Oil.

I am looking forward to getting to know everyone here.

Hi everyone,

I am John Redfern, 34, living with psoriasis for 20 years now, but last 2 have been more or less psoriasis free (or I should say under control).

I would like to tell people how I have gotten it under control and it is basically as follows

1. Cut out the crap food - no gluten, no sugar, no dairy, no nightshades.

2. Detox using the following colon cleanse method - Bentonite + Psyllium Husk drink. Also start taking an anti-fungal like Caprylic Acid 350 mg daily to kill any yeast overgrowth and add a probiotic to help your leaky gut heal.

3. Start taking Vitamin D3 daily along with either fish oil or turmeric supplements (both are highly anti -inflammatory)

4. Start drinking a raw vegetable shakes (1.5l over course of the day)

5. Start taking a Multi - digestive enzyme that includes Bethaine HCL before meals to break down your protein intake more efficiently

6. Use extra virgin coconut oil or jojoba oil as a moisturizer 3 times a day minimum

7. De-stress through one or all of the following; exercise, massages, acupuncture, meditation, yoga

8. Last but not least - Talk about it, don't bottle up your feelings and don't be embarrassed to tell people you have psoriasis. Everyone has their own problems, so your problem will be of little consequence to them.

Within 6 to 12 weeks you should see your skin turning pink and healing, you can cut back on the detox treatments and keep it under control by just taking a strong multivitamin daily and continue to moisturize with the jojoba oil twice a day. Just make sure you stick to the healthy diet.

Hi,

I have been looking looking for a soap free emollient based shampoo. So far I have come across a lot of so called Sulfate or SLS free shampoo's but when I look at the ingredients they still contain some kind of related soap(or detergent I should say) like chemical like sodium cocoate or laurate or something similar.

I have had some success with Aquanil which main ingredients include water and glycerin but there is a small amount of SLS and it seems my scalp psoriasis simply cannot tolerate any amount of any detergent like substance.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Hi all,
Thought I would let you know how I have been getting on with the UV treatments. Well I have been dashing from work to hospital back to work, 3x weekly, absolutely knackered! But boy has it been worth it! This time round, I have had such an amazing result. So far half of my psoriasis has cleared and the other half well on it's way! I still have another 4 weeks to go! I can't believe it! For the first time in years, I can see normal skin! I haven't flaked everywhere in a fortnight. I have no idea why it has worked so well this time, just ecstatic that it has. My hands are clear, elbows and arms clear, thighs clear, just legs and feet to go! I have had this treatment before and it has always helped but not to this extent. I also am so brown you'd think I was just back from some exotic holiday! So I am going to enjoy it while I can and for however long it lasts.
Hope you all have a good xmas.
Sandra

I had another post on this forum where I said baking soda will cure your psoriasis. I may have been a little bold and arrogant, but it did greatly reduce my psoriasis. If I were to take before and after pictures, I would say that my psoriasis got significantly better.

Now I believe I have found something that works even better than baking soda: --- Eucalyptus oil. With baking soda, it took a looong time to work. It tooks months of consistant application. And it would cause the application area to sweat profusely, and it would smell funky.

But with Eucalyptus oil, all you have to do is apply it strait to your skin undiluted (you can also use a carrier oil), and it's alot less messy than baking soda (if you apply it undiluted). A possible downside depending on how you look at it, you would now smell like eucalyptus oil.
I've been seeing way faster results with Eucalyptus oil than I did with baking soda, so Eucalyptus oil is the clear winner for me: No sweaty skin, less applications, faster results, smells ok.


With both baking soda, and Eucalyptus Oil, there is some minor discomfort involved. With baking soda, the salt in it would cause stinging to the raw red skin.
With Eucalyptus oil, the eucalyptol (I think) causes a super cooling sensation similar to menthol. So the super cooling sensation does sting, but it's less painful than baking soda.

I don't have red raw skin anymore because of the baking soda treatment, so I can imagine that Eucalyptus oil would be even worse for red raw skin. So... if you can take it strait, I would try to do that, but if not, you can mix it into a carrier oil, or you can add drops of oil to water bottle, and some water to it, swirl it around, and pour it on the affected area.

With both baking soda and Eucalyptus oil, it gets a little worse before it gets better. After applying these treatments, your skin will get a little more red and a little more sensitive, but after a few days, it gets better.


How to buy:

You can get a 1 oz bottle for $5 on amazon (including shipping) to try it out.
If you buy larger than the 1oz bottle, I can't guarantee that there will be a convenient built in euro dropper cap. I think 2oz should have a euro dropper cap, and I think I read that 4oz and larger doesnt have a euro dropper cap.


I bought the 1oz bottle from amazon just to try it, but if I buy it again I will buy it from bulkapothecary.com. They have good prices and don't gouge you on shipping if you order a few small things. If you live in the US I would definitely use them. If you live in Canada, newdirectionsaromatics.com might be cheaper.


They offer 4 different kinds of Eucalyptus oil. Whatever you do, don't pick Eucalyptus lemon oil, because it's like 75% citronellal instead of 70% - 87% eucalyptol like the other three.

If you order from bulkapothecary, your going to either get a dropper bottle with a built in dropper (my preferred way) or you can get a small dropper. I got one at my community college store for super cheap.

Or you could get a glass roll on bottle from some health food stores like whole foods, or at dollar stores if they carry them.

Another essential oil worth considering is camphor oil if you have an itchy scalp is camphor. It's stupid cheap from bulkapothecary. It may work for you, or it may not. No guarantees

Dear Jim,

Can you take a look at this?
LINK REMOVED

I think it is a scary article for you and for me. Look at the line at the end of "commercial", which says:

Quote:

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Dimethyl fumarate in TECFIDERA has been determined to be a new active substance by the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, which would mean regulatory exclusivity in the EU for ten years (22 November 2013)

Mother of a sweet little fice year old. Suffering.
last winter was bad. I took soap away. Made natural detergents. Used jojoba oil to moisturize.
this year is worse. We are also big swimmers. In a heavilychlorinated pool. Looking for naturaltips.
thank you

I'm Michael Pollack from beautiful Brooklyn NY and just joined today.

I've had mild plaque Psoriasis for 10 years or so.

Been to 3 Dermatologists - all prescribed steroid creams which did nothing.

I've been treating myself with topical Glycerin and Witch Hazel, topical Coal Tar
cream and topical Salicylic Acid cream.

I've been taking 3000mg Black Cumin Seed Oil orally daily (1500mg AM 1500mg PM)
daily.
I also take Ginseng daily and am drinking American Saffron (Safflower ) tea twice daily (as recommended by Edgar Cayce).

Nice to meet you all - I feel that most of you are suffering much worse than I am
as I never have more than 15 plaques on my body. All the plaques are on my arms and legs.

I hope to contribute and learn here.

PS: I am a volunteer Tour Guide in New York City - an organization called
Big Apple Greeters which gives free 'tours' of the city to visitors.
If any of you plan on visiting you can contact me to arrange a free walk
around the city with a NY native - me!

This study published in The British Journal of Dermatology assess the safety profile of Stelara (ustekinumab) in the treatment of patients with psoriasis who have concomitant hepatitis B or hepatitis C.

Quote:

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Objective:
To assess the safety profile of ustekinumab in the treatment of patients with psoriasis who have concomitant hepatitis B or hepatitis C.

Methods:
This study included 18 patients with concurrent psoriasis and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (14 patients) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (four patients) who were treated with at least two ustekinumab injections. Viral loads were measured at baseline and each time before the administration of ustekinumab. Relevant clinical data were recorded.

Results:
Among 11 patients positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), two out of the seven (29%) patients who did not receive antiviral prophylaxis exhibited HBV reactivation during ustekinumab treatment. No viral reactivation was observed in the three occult HBV-infected patients (HBsAg-negative/hepatitis B core antibody-positive patients). One patient with HCV, liver cirrhosis and treated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) experienced HCV reactivation and recurrent HCC during the ustekinumab treatment. No significant increase in aminotransferase levels was observed in any patient.

Conclusions:
Antiviral prophylaxis appears to minimize the risk of viral reactivation in patients with concurrent psoriasis and HBV infection. Without effective anti-viral prophylaxis, the risk/benefit of ustekinumab treatment should be carefully assessed in patients with psoriasis and HBV or HCV infection and/or HCC. Close monitoring for HBV and HCV viral load is recommended, particularly for patients with high-risk factors. Serum aminotransferase determination may not be useful for early detection of viral reactivation.

This is a meta-analysis of 59 studies with up to 18,666 cases and 50,724 controls which quantifies the level of cardiovascular disease risk factors in patients with psoriasis.

Objectives:
To quantify the level of cardiovascular disease risk factors in order to provide additional data for the clinical management of the increased risk.

Methods:
This was a meta-analysis of observational studies with continuous outcome using random-effects statistics. A systematic search of studies published before 25 October 2012 was conducted using the databases Medline, EMBASE, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, PASCAL and BIOSIS.

Results:
We included 59 studies with up to 18 666 cases and 50 724 controls. Psoriasis cases had a higher total cholesterol [weighted mean difference 8·83 mg dL−1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2·94–14·72, P = 0·003 (= 0·23 mmol L−1)], higher low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [9·90 mg dL−1, 95% CI 1·56–18·20, P = 0·020 (= 0·25 mmol L−1)], higher triglyceride [16·32 mg dL−1, 95% CI 12·02–20·63, P < 0·001 (= 0·18 mmol L−1)], a higher systolic blood pressure (4·77 mmHg, 95% CI 1·62–7·92, P = 0·003), a higher diastolic blood pressure (2·99 mmHg, 95% CI 0·60–5·38, P = 0·014), higher body mass index (0·73 kg m−2, 95% CI 0·37–1·09, P < 0·001), higher waist circumference (3·61 cm, 95% CI 2·12–5·10, P < 0·001), higher fasting glucose [3·52 mg dL−1, 95% CI 0·64–6·41, P = 0·017 (= 0·20 mmol L−1)], higher nonfasting glucose [11·70 mg dL−1, 95% CI 11·24–12·15, P < 0·001 (= 0·65 mmol L−1)] and a higher HbA1c [1·09 mmol mol−1, 95% CI 0·87–1·31, P < 0·001 (= 2·2%)].

Conclusions:
From a preventive medicine perspective, the weighted mean differences between cases and controls are significant, and therefore relevant to the clinical management of patients with psoriasis.

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