A new survey of 3,000 Canadians living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) reveals that Canadians feel that their inflammatory arthritis interferes with their overall happiness, and prevents them from enjoying many of their favourite activities.

The survey was conducted by Abbott to reveal the extent to which inflammatory arthritis affects the daily lives of people who live with these diseases. Arthritis and other rheumatic conditions currently affect nearly 4.5 million Canadians, with arthritis being among the top three most common chronic diseases in Canada.*

The economic burden of arthritis in Canada is estimated at $4.4 billion annually**. Among the survey respondents, 34% said that they have been living with their chronic illness for 20 or more years. Respondents indicated that their illness has affected their productivity level at work and home, with 48% stating that it prevents them from working full-time hours.

The study revealed some interesting facts about living with inflammatory arthritis:

73% said their chronic illness affected their day to day activities at home or at work.
42% of participants thought their chronic illness interfered with their hobbies or recreational activities.
67% of participants said they haven't been able to enjoy all the activities they used to do prior to the occurrence of their symptoms.
Women had a more negative outlook on their overall health than men with 42% of women stating they thought they were in good health compared to 44% of men.
48% said their chronic illness prevents them from working full-time hours.

Source: newswire.ca

Hiya is there any1 on Fumaderm?? I started this drug in August and had the odd flush and tummy cramp/upset 2 or 3 times a week which i could handle and was advised it would ease off the longer i was on it............ I started the highest dose on Monday (6 blue per day) OMG The cramps in my stomach are worse than havin a baby, the flushes are soo bad im in a freezing cold shower 2 or 3 times a day and anything i eat is just running thru me Ive been on cyclo & mtx never had any side effects and my skin was clear within 7weeks only downside to them are the day u stop taking them it cums back with a vengence so this is why my Consultant recommended Fumaderm as its long term but im thinking of giving up as the side effects are so bad and my skin has only got better slightly. Please tell me if any1 is suffering the same symptoms.

South Korean skincare products manufacturer NeoPharm has tied up with the UAE-based Japan Emirates Trading (JET) to introduce a skincare technology in the Middle East for the treatment of dry skin and other skin disorders.

A US FDA-approved company, NeoPharm was awarded the prestigious KOTRA award from the South Korean government for setting a benchmark in dermatological science by researching the unique, patented Multi Lamellar Emulsion (MLE) technology that mimics the human skin structure.

MLE has been specifically researched for the treatment of dry, sensitive and sun-damaged skin, as well as skin disorders such as Atopic Eczema, an inflammation of the skin which tends to flare-up from time to time, usually from early childhood, and Psoriasis.

Initially, six of the Atopalm products will be made available at pharmacies across the UAE, by Japan Emirates Trading, the exclusive distributor of the Atopalm range in the Middle East. The six products are Atopalm intensive moisturizing cream, Atopalm moisturizing body lotion, Atopalm moisturizing skin revitalizing complex, Atopalm moisturizing eye repair serum, Atopalm moisturizing hand treatment and Atopalm moisturizing facial cleansing foam.

Source: emirates247.com

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Not actually a treatment but definitely worth a try for soft clothes and shampoo. If you haven't heard of or tried these you should check them out. Just do a Google search for Soap Nuts. Shop around I have found the best quality and price in our supermarket.

So What Are They ?
They are a berry from the Sapindus tree. the berry is dried in the sun then cracked open to get the shell. it's actually the shell that you use. They have been used for washing for thousands of years by native people in Asia and Native Americans.

What Can They Be Used For ?
Just about anything to do with cleaning including. Use as a detergent, a personal cleanser and shampoo, a general purpose cleaner, car wash, pet wash, vegetable wash, carpet and upholstery cleaner.

Recipes
Laundry: Place 3-4 whole cracked shells (or equivalent in pieces) into a cotton bag or odd cotton sock, tie up or knot the top and place into the tub with your laundry.
Remove the nuts after the cycle has finished and let dry (if there's time!) before your next load.
The number of nuts you use depends on the size of your load and how dirty the items are, as well as the hardness of your water and efficiency of your machine.
For example, use four nuts for a large, dirty load, in an old washing machine using hard town water, and two to three nuts for a small or normal load in a modern machine using rainwater.
The temperature of the water is also a factor, as hot water will make the nuts release their surfactants quicker so you'll have to replace the nuts more frequently but the cleaning power will be stronger.
Washing your laundry in cold water is perfectly fine depending on how dirty your laundry load is. We recommend experimenting to find the best quantity required for your personal need s.
One lot of soapnuts can be reused until they lose their sticky, soapy feel and look pale and squishy on the inside, and are brittle when dry (4-6 times). When they are spent, throw them in the garden or compost.

Make your own Liquid Concentrate:
Place 100g of soapnuts with 3 litres of water in a large saucepan or stock pot (this will make 2 litres of liquid - you can make smaller amounts by using 2 cups of water and 4-6 nuts).
Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for an hour or so. Strain the liquid through cloth and compost the nuts. Let cool. has approximately a 2 week shelf life in the kitchen, or at least a month in the refrigerator.
The concentrate will have a watery consistency and small dense suds. It does not contain foaming agents and thickeners like chemical detergents do, but it still has the cleaning power! To thicken the concentrate, add a little cornflour or glycerine.

Using the Liquid Concentrate.
laundry liquid (1-2 tbs in the detergent drawer)
hand soap (use in a foamy pump pack)
shampoo (replaces shampoo and conditioner together, try a spray bottle!)
pet shampoo (leaves hair soft and silky, will also repel fleas, mites, ticks, mosquitoes etc)
general purpose cleaner for the kitchen and bathroom (use with a cloth from the jar or spray bottle)
carpet cleaner (spray or sponge onto stain and blot clean)
dishwasher soap (liquid in dispenser section with optional 1tbs vinegar as a rinse aid)
pest spray (use spray bottle to spray bugs on plants)
glass cleaner (1tbs soapnut liquid, 1 tbs vinegar and 1 cup water)

They do work for laundry although stubborn stains are more difficult. the shampoo does work although you don't get any lather. Give them a go they are cheaper and friendlier than detergents.

Winter is the worst time of the year for Psoriasis and this thread is designed to give you some ideas to help through the winter. If anyone has more suggestions please add them to this thread so we can keep them all together. I will make this a Sticky thread for the winter.

Showers & Baths: Don’t be tempted to have the water To Hot! Hot water can start the itch cycle when you get out. Keep baths & showers short and warm. Don’t rub your skin with the towel, Pat it dry to try and avoid friction. Treat yourself and get yourself a good quality Egyptian Cotton Towel. (You will love it)  After your bath / shower use plenty of Moisturiser as soon as you can, it doesn’t matter if you skin isn’t perfectly dry.

Hydrate your skin: Keep your skin hydrated by using lots of moisturiser at least twice a day and especially on parts exposed to the dry cold wind. Drink plenty of water. Get some Omega-3, Try the old trick of a Vase of water in your room.

Sunlight: We all know the benefits of the sunshine and although there is not so much in the winter, if you do spot the big yellow face in the sky pop out and say hello. It may be cold but even 15 minutes on your skin will help. The brave amongst you could go Naked Brrrrrrr

Winter Blues: As we lose daylight hours the winter blues can start to set in. this in turn can create a negative attitude which isn’t good for psoriasis.  I must admit I don’t have an answer for this one but try anything you can to keep yourself happy and positive. (Go on try a stupid grin Smile right now, hold it and count to 100) Did it work? Bet it did for anyone who was watching you.

Clothes: Obviously we all need to wrap up in the winter, and you should definitely protect your skin from the cold dry wind. But try to wear loose fitting cotton in layers. (I can recommend Bamboo Socks)

Hope this information helps please let others know your tips.

I think it only fitting at this point to mention that FRED has put so much work into this site, it is only fitting that we say a MASSIVE thank you for all that he has done.
Not only has he researched all of the info that we can access, but he has been an all round great guy (and comedien) who has helped all of us here, no matter who we are, and given us great advice.
We really do owe him a massive thank you from all over the world for providing us with a wealth of information about drugs, trials, etc., and above all introducing us to each other, to share out experiences about our shared condition.
Hip Hip hooray to Fred, our mentor, and a massive thankk you for what he has done for our Psoriasis community.

After trying all sorts of treatment, without success, I finally managed to convince my Consultant Dermatologist to do something a bit more extreme.
I had all of my bloods and tests done, and he prescribed me Methotrexate.
I was pre-warned about side effects and given lots of literature to read about how it can effect me, but I had already done my own research on the drug myself.
It was quite a lot to take in, but decided it was worth having a go.
I am generally fit and healthy for a 48yr old guy, and I started on this course a week and a half ago.
I have to take 7.5mg of Methotrexate every Wednesday, and every other day I take 5mg of Folic Acid.
I am now half way through my second week of the course, but as yet I have had no signs of any side effects.
I have also found the the scaling of the skin is not as severe as it would normally be, so this is a bonus.
Because I am so early in the course of treatment, I am having to have blood tests done weekly, and I then return to see my Consultant in 2 weeks.
I will keep you posted on my progress with the Methotrexate as the course of treatment progresses.
I have done research on the drug, so if anyone is not sure, just ask and I will endeavour to help.
Good Luck to all,
Regards Micky.

 Hey I didn't post much in the last forum, but I'm back. Since I was gone I've been in school took a health class and did a stand up essay on Psoriasis got an A+ booyah. But even after all the crazy knowledge I absorbed nothing new I didn't already know emerged.

I've been reading psoriasis.org and theres a lot of pretty good info there as well. I got lazy, and busy with school, and forgot to update my psoriasis blog I started a while back, but it has some interesting things on there if anyone feels like checking that out.

Maybe I'll start posting again?? Anyways I have returned to the forum because honestly the best psoriasis information is found on forums I've found.

Before I get started let me just point out, skin cancer is the very last thing I could give two shittake mushrooms and a fudgesicle about. I live in the Pacific Northwest of USA and it rains like crazy and we have probably 40-50 sunny days a year here. I noticed on not only my trip to Panama but also my trip to Honduras, that sunshine, and a crap ton of it is pretty much the only thing I can do to positively effect my psoriasis without any prescription. Everything I've tried behind counters does nothing for me.

Anyway, a gym just opened up literally a block from my house and part of the $20 membership is all the free tanning you could want, which is awesome since the only other time I ever tried tanning was 4 months ago and it was $36/month. Also all of their beds are brand new. Hooray! So basically I've been twice now and my forehead feels less tight which is a good indicator something could be happening but still too early to tell. I will continue once every other day untill visable improvement appears and will post pics if so.

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Hi I'm from Florida and new here. Looking to learn about this disease

Scratch

While I like the idea of "So Called Super Stars" publicising psoriasis. I just don't like it when at the end of the day in my opinion they are only interested in making even more money and getting more publicity from it.

It's comforting to read that a "Celebrity" (I use the word cautiously as today anyone can be a celebrity) has psoriasis and wants to share with the world. you start to follow it and then suddenly you realise you are getting sucked in.

We all know about the Golfer, the Model, and now K.K (No I'm not going to say her name because I don't have a clue who she is) do some research on her and you start of thinking good on ya for helping others, and oh poor you having psoriasis. then you find out she is promoting "Airbrush Legs Spray" by S.H of course there was no fee involved for putting that statement on her blog.

I do wish these "So Called Super Stars" would stop promoting themselves and actually do something for the cause. Roy Castle didn't show his bald head for publicity of his career or to make money he done it to show awareness of Cancer! he was a genuine celebrity with an interest in people.

I'm a celebrity with psoriasis get me out of this thread.

I don't know if there is such a thing as Full Moon Syndrome but it's something I have been wondering about for years. I have mentioned it to others before and often felt it was not taken seriously.

So I'm going to start this thread and see if anything comes of it. you are free to join in and I welcome your feedback negative or positive.

I have noticed over the years that psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis gets worse for me around the Full Moon! yes I have researched and there is no conclusive proof that the Full Moon affects psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis.

The next full moon is 7 days away and I have noticed a bit of a flare up, and this morning my bones were locked up. I must explain that I am do my next injection of Stelara in two weeks and that could be part of it. But I do believe the Full Moon does have an affect on Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis.

I'm going to keep an eye on this and will update as and when I notice something I think is caused by the Full Moon. If you have an opinion please share.

Thanks.

Decision Resources, one of the world’s leading research and advisory firms focusing on pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that competition for early-line use of Amgen/Pfizer’s Enbrel and Abbott’s Humira continues to intensify in the treatment of psoriasis. According to new analysis of U.S. patient-level claims data, while Enbrel remains the most commonly used biologic in the treatment of psoriasis, Humira continues to see sustained quarter-over-quarter uptake among recently treated psoriasis patients, while Enbrel’s patient share has experienced a decline.
“Although Humira was the last tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) inhibitor to be approved for psoriasis in the United States, it is quickly gaining market share,” said Decision Resources Analyst Iva Holder, Ph.D. “Humira is increasingly prescribed for patients requiring or preferring efficacy greater than that of Enbrel. Thus, its increasing patient share is largely due to patients’ and physicians’ growing preference for Humira.”

Humira has also made inroads in the psoriatic arthritis market, where it has secured an advantage over Janssen Biotech’s Remicade for earlier positioning in the psoriatic arthritis treatment algorithm, despite launching around the same time. Recent analysis finds that at all three lines of therapy, Remicade’s patient share trails that of both Enbrel and Humira.

“Remicade has superior efficacy in treating psoriatic lesions compared with other marketed TNF-alpha inhibitors,” said Decision Resources Analyst Dancella Fernandes, Ph.D., M.B.A. “Yet, its intravenous administration and perceived safety disadvantages have limited its uptake.”

The analysis is part of Decision Resources’ Treatment Algorithms series. Through examination of patient-level claims data, the Treatment Algorithms series provides exceptional insight into physicians’ prescribing trends and the factors that drive therapy choice, from diagnosis through multiple courses of treatment, for a specific disease. The Treatment Algorithms series is updated quarterly.

Source: decisionresources.com

Heart attack patients with psoriasis are 26 per cent more likely to die from cardiovascular disease, or suffer from recurrent heart attacks or strokes, and are 18 per cent more likely to die from all causes than those without the inflammatory skin disease.

Researchers studied nearly 50,000 patients who had experienced their first heart attack between 2002 and 2006, following the 462 patients with psoriasis for an average of 19.5 months and the 48,935 controls for an average of 22 months.

They found that the patients with psoriasis had higher all-cause and specific death rates and say this indicates the need for a more aggressive approach to secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in this group of patients.

Key finding of the study included:

    The incidence rates per 1000 patient years for all-cause deaths were 16 per cent higher for those with psoriasis (138.3 versus 119.4) and the adjusted hazard ratio was 1.18 (18 per cent higher).
    The incidence rates per 1000 patient years for deaths for a composite of cardiovascular death, recurrent heart attacks or stroke were 24 per cent higher for those with psoriasis (185.6 versus 149.7) and the adjusted hazard ratio was 1.26 (26 per cent higher).
    Baseline measurements showed that patients with psoriasis had a higher rate of hospitalisation for stable and / or unstable angina (severe chest pain). They also showed that a higher percentage of patients with psoriasis were treated with statins and ACE inhibitors / angiotensin 2 receptor blockers.
    Patients with psoriasis who survived their first heart attack were more likely to receive statin therapy than those without psoriasis. However the presence of other health issues, and the differences in clinical management, did not explain the worsened prognosis in patients with psoriasis.

"To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess the prognosis in patients with psoriasis following a heart attack" says Dr Ahlehoff. "Our findings show that people with psoriasis demonstrated a significantly increased risk of recurring adverse cardiovascular events and a trend for increased all-cause deaths after a heart attack.

"Furthermore, the poor prognosis faced by psoriasis patients who have had a heart attack suggests the need for a more aggressive approach to secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in this group of patients."

Source: sciencedaily.com

Objective:
Vitamin D insufficiency appears to be a pandemic problem and is more common in inhabitants of high latitude compared to low latitude areas. We aimed to determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), its seasonal and geographic variation, and the possible association with demographics and disease activity.

Methods:
This study was conducted in a northern geographic area and in a subtropical region from March 2009 to August 2009. Most subjects were assessed in both winter and summer. Demographics, clinical data, skin phototype, and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels were determined. Multivariate linear and logistic mixed models were used to assess the relationship with serum 25(OH)D levels.

Results:
In total, 302 PsA patients were enrolled. Two hundred fifty-eight patients were evaluated during the winter, while 214 patients were evaluated during the summer. 25(OH)D levels in winter and summer were adequate (north: 41.3% winter and 41.4% summer, south: 42.1% winter and 35.1% summer), insufficient (north: 55.7% winter and 58.6% summer, south: 50.9% winter and 62.2% summer), and deficient (north: 3% winter and 0% summer, south: 7% winter and 2.7% summer) among patients. There was no association between 25(OH)D levels, geographic and seasonal interaction, race, employment status, and skin phototype or disease activity in both seasons. No association between disease activity in summer and vitamin D levels in winter could be found.

Conclusion:
A high prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency among PsA patients was found. There was no seasonal variation in 25(OH)D levels among PsA patients in the southern and northern sites. No association could be established between disease activity and vitamin D level.

Source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com