I'm 19 years old and a male, about a year ago I started getting dermatitis on my hands and it made an impact on my work. as I'm a plumber I'm very hands on, so I'm constantly getting dusty and dry skin whether I like it or not.
But around a month or two ago I've slowly been flaring up with psoriasis on my arms and legs, I've not yet gone to the doctors about this as I've read up on a lot of sites saying they just give you steroid creams which is all I was given for my dermatitis which did not work.
At the moment I'm trying the homeopathic stuff.. Whether it works or not I don't know I'm just trying to grab at anything that will get rid.
But I was just wondering whether anyone has any advice or info as it's making a big impact on my home and work life and is quite depressing to say the least,
Thanks.

Good morning folks

Just saying hi as I've just joined.

I have has PSA for a number of years now, I take naproxen for the pain and sulphasalazine.. but seeing the specialist in 2 weeks for review and maybe changing to methotrexate.

Looking forward to chatting to you all
Chris

Hi I am new to forums so could struggle a bit! I was diagnosed with psoriasis in 2012 when I was heavily pregnant with my son. I have used all sorts too help keep it under control, it can really get me down alot and I wouldn't even dream of going swimming or wear dresses these days.

Hello Everyone.  I am new to this forum, new to psoriasis, and new to Cosentyx.  I didnt know how lucky I was to be starting Cosentyx as my first biologic until I read the stories here and learned more about Cosentyx in general.  I was diagnosed with Psoriasis in early January and I started Cosentyx Wednesday April 12.  This is my story. 

I have had psoriasis for about 2 years.  I used and overused topical steroids with little or no improvement during that time.  It wasn't until psoriasis started on my hands and feet that I went to see my first dermatologist. In early January I was diagnosed and started the long road of trying to get Enbrel, the biologic my dermatologist recommended. Not surprisingly, I was denied by my "good" insurance. After a few other attempts at getting Enbrel failed, my doctor started trying to get Humira for me.  I filled out paperwork and waited again.  I think my doctor was feeling as discouraged as I was.  Then I made the best decision I have ever made and started looking for a second opinion. 

I went to a Psoriasis Clinic in Atlanta Georgia.  The doctor explained so much to me, he went over all the pros and cons of the different biologics and I understood why he chose Cosenyxy for me.  My next question was how do I get started.  The doctor explained that his office would do all the leg work of getting me approved, but he said I didnt have to wait.  He said that he would start me on Cosentyx in his office as soon as I had the proper lab work done.  I had already done the test needed for Enbrel so I had a copy with me.  He started me on Cosentxy that day!  He said I would be able to get the mediation free of charge for 2 years, and that hopefully in 2 years insurance companies will have caught up with modern medicine.  See why I feel so lucky?  The doctor actually said "I expect great things".

I will continue to get the injections in his office until the medication starts coming to my house.  The injections were completely painless. I think the doctors in the psoriasis clinic see many patients and because they provide statistics to Novartis, Novartis helps them start their patients quickly.  My advice to everyone is to be sure to see the right doctors for this illness, and not to stop asking for help. 

I am 2 days after initial injections.  The first day I had a headache and felt achiness in my arms but the headache didnt last long and the achiness is better.   I actually feel improvement in the burning, itchiness, and scaliness in my hands and feet and its just been 2 days.  I am so hopeful.  I am also thankful that I found this forum. I will keep you posted as time goes along about the improvement I am expecting and the side effects I may have.

Good luck to us all

I am new to forums so this may be user error but after writing my post about how I got started on Cosentyx so quickly, I was previewing it and accidentally deleted maybe?

I started cosentyx yesterday.  I have psoriasis on my scalp, my hands and my feet.  I was diagnosed in early Jan after 2 years of having no idea what was going on.  I thought I had calluses on the bottom of my feet along with the few rashes   I was given and over used expensive and very strong creams that didn't really help. My regular dermatologist tried to help me get on Enbrel for months, I was denied, tried another angle but I was still waiting.   I finally went to a psoriasis center.  The doctor started me on Cosentyx that day. Even pending the paperwork. 
(I had my recent lab work with me from previous doctor I was seeing).   This is my journey.

I was given 2 injections yesterday, in the doctors office.  They were completely painless.  Last night I woke up with a headache, I dont ever get headaches so I am thinking that this may be from the medication.  I still have it but advil has helped.  I also feel achy in my arms,and like I have little strength in them which is odd as well.  On the very positive side, I dont feel my feet hurting.  They dont itch, burn, or tingle. Even the crack I had isn't painful. My hands dont burn either. I am so hopeful for good things!

Hello I Betsy.  I am a newbie to the forum and to psoriasis as well.  I was diagnosed early in January.  I am happy to have found this forum to talk about this disease with others.

Hello, everyone.

PaulM here from Ontario, Canada.

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this community. I came across it while doing some due diligence regarding Cosentyx.

I am going to start my treatment on Friday, April, 07, 2017...but may change it to Saturday or Sunday as those days are a little less hectic for me.

I look forward to sharing my experience with other members here and to learn from their experiences too.

Most importantly, I look forward to serving within this community in all of the capacity that I am capable of doing while maintaining openess, honesty and integrity. 

I really like the sophistication of this site and the challenges that it has to offer before even getting started. This is a good sign.

I will leave my introduction at that and browse the site to familiarize myself.

Any help/guidance that may be offered by other members regarding the use of this site will be of course be appreciated.

I thank all in advance.

Kindest Regards,

PaulM.

This study looked at the use of Taltz in different body weights of psoriasis patients.

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Background:
There is concern that increased body weight may impact efficacy of some therapies used to treat psoriasis.

Objective:
To evaluate the effect of body weight on response to ixekizumab treatment in moderate-to-severe psoriasis patients.

Methods:
Patients were characterized under 3 body weight categories (<80 kg, 80 to 100 kg, ≥100 kg) in this preplanned subgroup analysis from an integrated database of 3 multicenter, randomized, double-blind, controlled Phase 3 clinical studies (UNCOVER -1, UNCOVER-2, and UNCOVER-3). In the first 12 weeks of each study, patients were randomly assigned to receive subcutaneous placebo, 80-mg ixekizumab every 2 weeks (IXE Q2W) or every 4 weeks (IXE Q4W) after a starting dose of 160-mg ixekizumab, or 50-mg etanercept twice weekly (UNCOVER-2 and UNCOVER-3 only).

Results:
This analysis included 3855 patients with baseline body weight in the IXE Q4W (N=1159), IXE Q2W (N=1168), placebo (N=789), and etanercept (N=739) groups. Distribution of patients across body weight categories was similar between treatment groups. Baseline demographics and patients characteristics were generally consistent across treatment groups within each body weight category. Across all body weight categories, a significantly higher percent of patients treated with IXE Q2W or IXE Q4W than with placebo or etanercept achieved PASI75, PASI90, or PASI100 at Week 12. No meaningful differences in PASI75 response rates were observed across body weight categories. Some numerical differences in PASI 90 and PASI100 response rates were observed between body weight categories with IXE Q2W providing numerically higher response rates than IXE Q4W. The incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events was similar in the treatment groups and across body weight categories.

Conclusion:
Ixekizumab was efficacious in the treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis regardless of body weight. The safety profile of ixekizumab was also similar across body weight categories and no safety signals were identified specific to any of the body weight categories.

This study looked at topical treatments for psoriasis from 26 countries.

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Background:
Topical treatment of mild to moderate psoriasis is first line treatment and exhibits varying degrees of success across patient groups. Key factors influencing treatment success are physician topical treatment choice (high efficacy, low adverse events) and strict patient adherence. Currently, no formalized, international consensus guidelines exist to direct optimal topical treatment, although many countries have national guidelines.

Objective:
To describe and analyze cross-regional variations in the use and access of psoriasis topical therapies.

Methods:
The study was conducted as an observational cross-sectional study. A survey was distributed to dermatologists from the International Psoriasis Council (IPC) to assess topical therapy accessibility in 26 countries and to understand how body surface area (BSA) categories guide clinical decisions on topical use.

Results:
Variation in the availability of tars, topical retinoids, dithranol and balneotherapy was reported. The vast majority of respondents (100% and 88,4%) used topical therapy as first line monotherapy in situations with BSA<3% and BSA between 3% and 10%, respectively. However, with disease severity increasing to BSA>10%, the number of respondents who prescribe topical therapy decreased considerably. In addition, combination therapy of a topical drug and a systemic drug was frequently reported when BSA measured >10%.

Conclusion:
This physician survey provides new evidence on topical access and the influence of disease severity on topical usage in an effort to improve treatment strategies on a global level.

This study looked at the innovative centrifugal treatment for psoriasis.

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Background:
Sometimes new treatments for psoriasis are dismissed without a fair trial .

Objectives:
To investigate, the use of the new innovative centrifugal treatment in patients with psoriasis. We looked at the efficacy and safety issues in this treatment

Methods:
It has been suggested that if a person spins fast enough the blood will rush to the outermost layer of skin (Epidermis) and in turn can push the psoriasis cells out leaving clear skin. We tested various forms of centrifugal force including. #1 A selection of fairground rides. #2 A G force simulator. #3 Industrial tumble dryer.

Results:
From the 22 volunteers chosen from Psoriasis Club members, we found that 7 suffered with a spinning head after the test. 8 experienced difficulty walking in a straight line for three days. 5 were as sick as a dog. 1 ended up flying 3 km through the air as we forgot to strap them in. And 1 poor sod went so fast we still haven't managed to peel him off the wall yet.

There was no change in anyone's psoriasis no matter what method was used or how long they were put through the centrifugal cycle. Speed didn't seem to make any difference whatsoever and it was discovered during the test it's not a good idea to be covered in coconut oil whilst going through the centrifugal treatment.    

Conclusions:
We concluded that this was a pointless exercise and the treatment of psoriasis by centrifugal force is about as useful as all the other scams found on the internet today. We recommend people with psoriasis seek professional advice and don't try such stupid ideas.

Spoiler

The UK government want to know if you think Dovonex should be made available without prescription.  

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We want to know what you think

Dovonex Psoriasis 50 microgram/g Ointment is used to treat mild to moderate plaque psoriasis which has been previously diagnosed by a doctor in adults aged 18 years and over.
   
Calcipotriol is only at the moment available on prescription (known as Dovonex Ointment).
   
We propose to make it available in pharmacies without prescription.
   
The Commission on Human Medicines has advised that this product can be available as a pharmacy medicine.
   
We want to know what you think about this change.

Please tell us your views using the attached document.

This consultation closes at 5pm on 20 April 2017

After having Humira lose it's effectiveness after a good 13 months being 85% clear, I have started on the biologic Taltz.
I took 2 injections to start on Monday March 20th. I had injection site reactions by Tuesday.
On Wednesday the injection sites had turned a slight pink and began to itch.
On Thursday the injection sites became more noticeably pink and itched more plus the affected area grew in size to 2 inches in diameter.
On Friday I applied a topical steroid Desonide cream to the affected area and got no relief from the itch nor the pink skin.
On Saturday the affected injection areas seem to stabilize and after an application of stronger steroid ointment, Clobetasol, the itching began to calm down.
On Sunday the affected areas began to recede and itching continued to calm.
Today Monday, the pink is gone and the itching is only slight.
 My psoriasis seems to be reacting positively to the Taltz.
The level of aggression has slowed some. The inflammation has gone down and I'm more comfortable overall.
I experienced some insomnia during the period when the injection sites were irritated. That's gone.
I seem to be more active than I have been for weeks. I have two dogs and can actually catch the slower one.
I'm remaining positive about all this.
I was doing some house cleaning the other day and found one of my health logs from a few years back when I struggled with arthritis, psoriasis, irregular heart rhythm, and Lyme disease. LOL I seemed pretty laid back about the whole thing at the time. I don't know if I could be that calm if my health was that bad today.

I've had eczema & psoriasis since childhood. There would be periods where I would have flare ups in small local areas. But over time and treatment with just creams , things improved.


Now 28 yrs old, and I seem to be experiencing the worst flare up ever. I feel hopeless and depressed-- feeling like I am in a stuck limbo. Symptoms seem to just snowball and get worse within Jan 2017 to present day. I have developed scalp psoriasis and never had it before, now i have rash area on my genitals.. so that is even more depressing. I have a never ending rash spot on my lower leg that skin never fully healed. It is red and scaly. I keep picking at the scales when they dry up because they annoy me, and I get stressed out. I've constantly been taking NSAIDs because of my recent new onset of joint/back pain. I don't know if the NSAID is making my psoriasis worse. 

What is frustrating is doctor appointments. Right now I don't have any real treatment medicAtions. I have a new patient appointment with dermatologist this June. And my primary doctor is going to refer me to a rheumatologist... but they told me that new patient appointments usually are made 6 months later. But no appointment set up at this time cause the referral process is slow. I feel miserable with uncertainty on what to do. My body feels like it is screaming on the inside

I'm just taking a ton of supplements but after 3 weeks, I don't know if I see significant improvement. Frustrating how this is a slow process and trial and error. Taking vitamin D3, oral coconut oil pill, apple cider vinegar oral drink, hemp oil (consumed), multivitamin, tumeric pill, trying epsom salt and Dead Sea salt baths. -___- alternating between over the counter creams and lotions. 

Been trying to change diet and eat healthier, less carbs, less junk food, more fish, lean chicken , fruits, nuts and veggies. I don't intend on drinking alcohol again -_-. I'm not a diabetic, not an alcoholic, I weight 98 lbs and not obese. 

I don't know what to do with my skin. I keep scratching and peeling the scales on my head and body off. Should I just stop trying to remove any skin flakes? -___- someone please tell me if I need to stop picking at them if I am making them worse. But I don't know if it is also good to let the skin cells accumulate so much on their own

This study of 5,438 Swedish psoriasis patients suggests women have a statistically significant lower incidence of severe psoriasis compared to men.

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The fact that men are overrepresented in psoriasis registers and consume more psoriasis care have long led researchers to believe that the common skin disease disproportionally affects men. A unique study with 5,438 Swedish psoriasis patients now reveals that women have a statistically significant lower incidence of severe psoriasis compared to men.

The study, conducted by researchers at Umeå University and Karolinska Institutet, is published today in the American Journal of Clinical Dermatology.

“Our results tell us that the well-established gender differences in the utilization of psoriasis care can at least partially be explained by a higher prevalence of more severe disease in men,” says Marcus Schmitt-Egenolf, who is researcher at the Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine at Umeå University and senior author of the study.

The study of gender differences in severe psoriasis cases was based on the Swedish quality register for systemic treatment of psoriasis, PsoReg, which contains detailed disease measurement data on all patients measured with the standard method Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI). In the analysis, the researchers found that women had significantly (p<0.001) lower median PASI values than men (5.4 for women versus 7.3 for men). The findings of more severe psoriasis in men were consistent across all ages and in all areas of the body except for the head.

“These findings should motivate a gender perspective in the management of severe psoriasis and its comorbidities, such as cardiovascular and metabolic disease,” says Marcus Schmitt-Egenolf.

The researchers point out that the study found no differences between women and men in the use of medications before enrolment in the PsoReg register that may explain the observed sex difference. Instead, the researchers argue, the finding that women have less severe psoriasis can explain the well-known male dominance in systemic treatment of psoriasis.

Iv got it on my face, scalp, ears a bit on my elbows few spots on my chest/stomach and in my belly button but I'm wondering if it can occur under the skin because I get itchy all over even in places  where I have none but it feels like the same itch?

Novartis say that new results show that Cosentyx not only treats psoriasis but can also modify it's course, and have initiated a new trial to assess early intervention in new onset psoriasis with the aim of giving long term clearance.

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Novartis today announced new data suggesting, for the first time, that Cosentyx® (secukinumab) may modify the course of moderate-to-severe psoriasis leading to long-term, treatment-free skin clearance. Cosentyx is the first and only IL-17A inhibitor to have reported this potential of disease modification. These data were presented at the 13th Annual Maui Derm for Dermatologists 2017, Maui, Hawaii at which Novartis presented 14 abstracts.

Following one year of treatment with Cosentyx, patients were randomized to either continuous treatment or treatment cessation until relapse. Patients with continuous treatment maintained their high level of response. Among the patients that discontinued treatment, 21% of psoriasis patients maintained skin clearance for up to one year without treatment and 10% maintained skin clearance after two years without treatment. Patients with longer disease duration were more likely to relapse, suggesting that early intervention increases the chance of remaining relapse free.

Previous data has shown that Cosentyx, a fully human, specific inhibitor of the IL-17A cytokine, delivers long-lasting clear or almost clear skin (PASI 90 to PASI 100) in up to 80% of patients out to four years.

"These results suggest that Cosentyx may go beyond simply treating symptoms and could actually modify the course of psoriasis, and highlights the need for further investigation into early intervention," said Vas Narasimhan, Global Head, Drug Development and Chief Medical Officer, Novartis. "Being able to change the course of disease is the ultimate goal of treatment, which is why we are investing in the STEPIn trial to further understand the disease modifying ability of Cosentyx in psoriasis."

This is the first robust long-term data on psoriasis following treatment discontinuation. These data (from extension study A2302E1) show low scores on the Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) were maintained after treatment discontinuation following one year on Cosentyx (PASI score of 2.9 after 1 year and 1.7 after 2 years off-drug, vs. 20.5 and 19.2 at Baseline). Additionally, of the 120 patients who were PASI 75 responders and switched to placebo at one year, 21% remained relapse-free after one year and 10% were relapse-free after two years off-treatment. Patients who had a longer disease duration before Cosentyx treatment were more likely to relapse, highlighting the potential importance of early treatment. To further investigate the disease modification potential of Cosentyx, Novartis has initiated the STEPIn trial to assess early intervention with Cosentyx in new-onset disease. The ambition is to identify a novel strategy of treating patients with new-onset moderate-to-severe psoriasis, by providing evidence to inform the use of early treatment.

I have pics and I will post them but my fix was to stop taking ibuprofen and I started taking 2 tsbp of Hemp oil.

I don't want this to turn into a political thread and that is not it's intention. But the political situation around the world has got me thinking about our treatments and how things could possibly change in the future.

#1 There has been a lot of talk lately about of possible future trade problems/negotiations after the Trump win in the USA and Brexit in the UK, so how will that effect our treatments?

#2 Also do the drug companies make their treatments in different parts of the world depending on where they sell them and could that change?

I'm currently on Cosentyx which is made by Novartis. They are a Swiss company but my box of Cosentyx has Crawley UK on the back. I live in France and the packaging and leaflet is in French. I'm guessing that my treatment is made in the UK because of the packaging, if it was made in France or Switzerland surely it would have that on the back of the box. So will my Cosentyx still be made in the UK after Brexit and will the price change?

I would be interested to know what others think, and where your prescribed psoriasis treatment is made.

You may have read in the news about the deaths from skin creams that you use for psoriasis. The BBC has has discovered there have been 37 deaths in England since 2010 linked to these types of creams.

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Skin creams containing paraffin have been linked to dozens of fire deaths across England, the BBC has learned.
The products for conditions like eczema and psoriasis can leave people at risk of setting themselves ablaze.
If people use the creams regularly but do not often change clothes or bedding, paraffin residue can soak into the fabric, making it flammable.
The medicines regulator has updated its guidance and says all creams containing paraffin should carry a warning.
Despite warnings going back more than 10 years, BBC Radio 5 live Investigates has discovered there have been 37 deaths in England since 2010 linked to the creams.

Carol Hoe's husband Philip died after accidentally setting himself on fire at Doncaster Royal Infirmary in 2006 when sparks from a cigarette reacted with the emollient cream he was covered in.

"I got a phone call from the ward sister to say can you get to the hospital as soon as possible, Philip's had an accident," she said.

"Philip had caught fire. He had sneaked off onto a landing for a sneaky cigarette, a gust of wind must have caught the lighter, and it set fire to him."

Within seconds Mr Hoe, who was receiving treatment for psoriasis, was engulfed in flames and he died shortly after being transferred to another hospital in Sheffield.

"When we got there, the staff came to me and told us he was covered with 90% burns," said Mrs Hoe.

"There was nothing they could do."

The coroner at his inquest drew attention to the dangers posed by skin creams, and the now defunct National Patient Safety Agency advised that paraffin-based products are easily ignited with a naked flame if used in large quantities.

The Medicines and Health Care Products Regulatory Agency later issued two more warnings, but deaths continued to occur.

5 live Investigates approached all 53 fire brigades in the UK to find out how many deaths had been linked to the use of paraffin-based skin creams since 2010.

Just six from England provided information - revealing the 37 fatal incidents. The majority came from the London Fire Brigade which reported 28 fatalities.

Until recently, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency only asked that a flammability warning be put on packaging if a cream contained more than 50% paraffin.

The agency is now urging manufacturers to add a warning to the packaging of skin creams containing any paraffin.

And since being alerted to 5 live's findings, the organisation representing manufacturers of branded over-the-counter medicines has said it will explore whether all paraffin-based creams should carry a warning as standard.