I'm new here. While I'm fortunate enough to not suffer from psoriasis myself, my husband was recently diagnosed with PPPP and has been put on Stelara. We do lots of research on the disease, and read a lot of crap also. I spent some time over at the TalkPsoriasis/National Psoriasis Foundation forum, but got frustrated with all the spam, junk science, and mysticism, not to mention the people SHOUTING in ALL CAPS about diet being the ONLY WAY. I've been lurking here for a few days and it seems like a better place to be. So hi everyone!

I may be new to this forum, but my psoriasis is very old and familiar!
It mainly affects my hands, feet, elbows and knees. Have tried hundreds of things over the years. Treatments seem to work at first then after a few weeks I have a flare up again.
I also have psoriatic arthritis now. I'm only 34 years old. My joints have hurt (mainly my knees) for the last 10 years but I only had a diagnosis a few years ago.

The only thing that has worked for me (for both my skin and joints) has been Methotrexate. But have reluctantly stopped taking it now...

Anyway that's my situation at the moment. I look forward to finding out how everyone else copes with this horrible, horrible, incurable condition! Bah!!!
Charlotte

As we all know GSM have stopped making polytar here in the UK.

Have you all seen how much polytar is on fleabay ?

I nearly fell off my perch when i saw £30 for a small bottle !!!!!!!!!

Hope to god they start making it soon so as to stop greedy so & so's making money

Happy scratching everyone

This study looked at back pain in patients with psoriasis, it concludes that there is a higher chance of lower back pain in people with psoriasis.

Quote:

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Objective

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disorder affecting 3% of the population. The objective of our study was to provide prevalence estimates for inflammatory back pain (IBP) and spondyloarthritis (SpA) in those subjects with psoriasis using 2009-2010 NHANES data.

Methods
In the NHANES 2009-2010 sample set, 6,684 persons between 20-69 years of age were screened for participation and 5,103 answered questions regarding onset of back pain, location of pain and functional limitations. Dataset assembly and statistical analysis were performed using SASTM and SUDAAN™. Standard errors were estimated by Taylor series linearization. The equality of the prevalence estimates for selected variables were tested (univariately) at the α=0.05 level using a 2-sided Student's t statistic with appropriate degrees of freedom.

Results
148 persons had self-reported medically diagnosed psoriasis. The psoriasis group, versus the non-psoriasis group, had a significantly higher prevalence of axial pain using the 3-month duration criterion (31.1% vs. 18.9%; p=0.04) and alternating buttock pain (7.2% vs. 2.4%; p=0.03) and met IBP criteria – Berlin 7b and 8a – more frequently (p=0.04, 0.02 respectively). The prevalence of SpA was significantly higher in the psoriasis group versus the non-psoriasis group when using Amor or ESSG criteria (14.3% vs. 1.5%; p<0.001). Sudden-onset of axial pain was significantly higher in the psoriasis group (23.3% vs. 13.0%; p=0.01).

Conclusion
There is a higher prevalence of lower axial pain, IBP, SpA, and alternating buttock pain associated with a prior diagnosis of psoriasis. This data may influence the way psoriasis patients are approached in primary care and speciality clinics.

• National Center for Health Statistics
  
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  
• CTSI. Grant Numbers: UL1RR033176, PO1-AR052915
  

Good morning fellow P sufferers 

Bear with me.................

This morning i had my ELF test done.

I got told that the results will not be ready until mid Jan !!!!!

So, i have to keep on slapping lots of Aveeno on me until then.

Now, how many on here use Aveeno products ?

I have Aveeno bath oil, cream, lotion & body wash.

All are very good indeed at reducing the scaling of my P.

It seems that the oatmeal in them works.

I know that Aveeno do shampoo but not sure if you can get it from the GP ? Anyone know if you can ????

Right, time to go & play on the swings now.

GB

Thanks United...


Bird UHC!

Fred can you fix the link, I messed it up!

Recently, I have been giving a the diagnosis of Vasculitis and my dermatologist wants me to try compression socks. So far they absolutely suck. How is someone with bad hands suppose to put these on? Any bright ideas? Also, I have a sausage toe on the right foot. These sucks are absolute murder on both the toe and the back of my ankle. I am tempted to take some NSAIDs just to relieve the pain the socks have given me. Any suggestions?

Morning,
Just stumbled upon this forum, Have had P for around 10 years now, scalp, elbows, knees and hands mainly, with the odd patch in other areas. I have been through all of the creams, all which have worked to start with then slowly lost their effectivness. UVB treatment has worked well each time i have had it, but within weeks of stopping the dreaded patches start to return.
Currently taking vitamin d3 and zinc after reading about their use on the net.
Its been about 3 weeks now, and the scale has completely gone, i had terrible trouble with my knees and elbows cracking and bleeding, but now they are smooth and supple. Its not a wonder cure, you can still see the areas of P, but it just looks like big areas of healed skin, but it doesnt hurt or bleed and looks 100% better than the scale.
Would like to hear of anyone elses experiance of vit d and zinc

Regards Jay

i started fumaderm 6 weeks ago, my stomach is in bits i am soiling myself a lot which i can help too, i am on 2 blue tablets, my psoriasis isnt any better, i am going off them tomorrow, i am covered in psoriasis, any ideas as i heard seaweed suppose to be great

Insurance in the States can be quite complicated, so this is a general guide to help those wanting information.  

First, the new Affordable Care Act (aka ObamaCare).  The official site is at: healthcare.gov

Through the Marketplace, people who previously couldn't afford insurance should be able to find a plan that fits there needs.  Some states have their own Marketplace while others use the one set up by the Federal Government.  This link provides where you would need to go (by state) to access the Marketplace.

obamacarefacts dot com/state-health-insurance-exchange

You can also call your local governement agency for information (usually through Family and Children Services)  or through this site:  

localhelp.healthcare dot gov

and also by calling the marketplace helpline at 1-800-318-2596.
Enrollment is November 15, 2014 - February 15, 2015.

For people who are able to acquire health insurance via their workplace, your human resource department is the best place to start for information.  One thing that continues to confuse people is whether they want an HMO plan or a PPO plan (depending on what is offered, there are many different plans available so it's impossible to cover them all).  So if you have a choise between HMO or PPO, this short description may help.

HMO - Health Maintenance Organization.  This plan is where doctors either work or contract for the HMO.  You are usually required to only see doctors within the HMO network (unless it's an emergency.)  You usually are required to have a PCP (Primary Care Physician) who will refer you to other doctors as needed. Premiums are usually lower for HMO plans. Your deductible and co-pays are also usually lower but you may not have an out of pocket limit.  

PPO - Preferred Provider Organization.  With a PPO you do not have to have a PCP (Primary Care Physician) and you pay less if you use doctors within the PPO network. But you are not limited to certain doctors (however, if you go out of network you will most likely pay more and MAY have to file the claim yourself, always ask!)  The deductible usually runs a bit higher but there is also (usually) a limit on your out of pocket expenses.  You also are not required to have a referral from your doctor to see another physician.

That is the general difference between the two most common health plans. I used the word "usually" a lot as there are so many plans available, there isn't a "one size fits all" answer.

Medicare Insurance is available at age 65 or sooner if you are declared disabled by the government. Their website is:

medicare dot gov

Also, Fred had this information posted, adding it to this post since it's great info:

Adalimumab - Humira Say on their website "If you cannot afford your medication, contact:  
pparx dot org or call the toll-free phone number (1-888-4PPA-NOW) for assistance.

Etanercept - Enbrel Have a dedicated payment support page:
enbrel dot com/pay-for-ENBREL.jspx

Ustekinumab – Stelara Also have a dedicated payment support page:
janssenprescriptionassistance...assistance

Is this the start of the UK getting a better deal for psoriasis patients? We are often talking about the cost of treatments and saying how it's time the governments started taking control and dictating the price. Well it looks like it's time to pat the British government on the back for working a deal for the use of Stelara in psoriatic arhtritis.

I reported at the beginning of the year that the UK was the only country not to accept that Stelara can help psoriatic arthritis, you can read that here: England rejects Stelara for psoriatic arthritis But it's been reported that a deal has been done that could change that decision.

Quote:

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The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is set to backtrack on negative guidance for a drug for psoriatic arthritis after agreeing a discount with its manufacturer.

NICE, which provides healthcare guidance for the NHS in England and Wales, issued a recommendation in May this year against extending the use of Janssen's Stelara (ustekinumab) to cover active psoriatic arthritis, a serious, progressive condition that can lead to progressive erosion of the joints.

However, the health watchdog has now issued new draft guidance that recommends the drug in this indication in “certain circumstances”, although only if Janssen provides the drug at a discount through a patient access scheme.

The circumstances required by NICE include if a person with psoriatic arthritis is unable to use one of several drugs already recommended for NHS reimbursement, or if a person has been treated with one or more of these drugs.

The medicines referenced by NICE are Janssen's own Simponi (golimumab) and Remicade (infliximab), AbbVie's Humira (adalimumab) and Pfizer's Enbrel (etanercept).

The draft guidance states that if a patient fits into the criteria outline by NICE, and Stelara is provided at the agreed discount through the patient access scheme, then the NHS should fund treatment with the drug.

Final guidance is still pending, however, and until then NHS bodies should make decisions locally on the funding of Stelara.

Peter Barnes, medical director at Janssen's UK subsidiary, said he was “pleased” with the new guidance.

“NICE's decision supports Janssen's view that ustekinumab offers value to the NHS as well as being clinically valuable. We are delighted that patients living with this condition may have access to another treatment option.”

Stelara is already recommended by NICE to treat the skin disease plaque psoriasis.

Hi All,

Looking for a little assistance. I've had psoriasis for the past 38 years on and off (mostly on for the past 16 years). After each level of treatment has effectively lost it's impact on my condition I progress to the next (topical, UVB, PUVA) and now I'm being lined up for a Systemics Clinic on the 15th December.

The drugs being mentioned are Fumaderm, Metatraxate and Ciclosporin.

What I'm looking for are positive stories in relation to Fumaderm and side effects. It would appear from reading peoples blogs that the side effects(gastro and higher frequency of infections due to lower immune system defences) are a given.

I would like to hear from people who have taken Fumaderm who experienced minimal side effects.

Thanks

Patrick

Morning fellow P sufferer's.

I know us P sufferer's are different with our lotions & potions etc but i found by mixing pine oil into the coconut oil & covering my P has reduced the scaling right down big time.

Has anyone else tried these items before ?

GB

Afternoon all,
joined up on here as i have had P for 24 years now & wanted to see what happens on here & if possible, give some poor sod some advice about P if i can help ?
I am hoping to get the Ustekinumab jab soon as i feel like a dog with fleas at the moment.
Sorely tempted to use a large wire brush to relieve the itching

Happy scratching everyone

GB

Hi all, I am a lost soul from another psoriasis site that appears to have closed down. I did not know that you existed until I was introduced to your site by one of your members.
I am 67 years old and started with P and PA in my mid 20s though the PA started a little later than the P. I have been in hospital three times with the P when it got to a stage when it almost covered me, in last 40 odd years I must have had most treatments known to man in fact when I first went in hospital I had tar baths which just shows how far we have come in that time.
I am now taking Stelara in 90mg doses and has given me 99.9% clearage however in the past I was on MTX for nine years ,six years 25mg oral and three years by 20mg injection. I have also had Cyclosporine which I had a very bad reaction to and another one that slips my mind but caused my toe nails to grow sideways through my toe, it's a great problem P !!.
I will not even go into all the lotions and creams I have used as I am sure that everybody has a similar story but I am looking forward to looking round your site and having a chat .

Hi,
I am new here and have a question about Psorinovo. I'm 27 years old and have psoriasis since elementary school. Till now I have tried all kind of medications and my psoriasis had it's ups and downs. My doctors treated me with Beloderm, Belosalic, Monsalic or Elocom. I have tried phototherapy once but the results were poor. This week I changed my doctor from dermatologist to homeophat doctor who has an M.D. He prescribed me Psorinovo but didn't have concrete answers about using it before getting pregnant. I want to have a baby but maybe will have to go to I.V. next year, he told me if I get pregnant to stop the treatment.
Does anyone have any data about Psorinovo and pregnancy? Should I even start the treatment? I know it takes some time to get the results and don't want to wait that long with having a baby. Is it enough to stop using Psorinovo once I find out I'm pregnant or should I stop using it months before my pregnancy?

An early view of a little study published in Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine that assess the effectivity of a low-emission UV device used daily for the treatment of psoriasis.

Quote:

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Background/Purpose:
Hospital-based phototherapy is a widely accepted treatment modality in psoriasis patients. It, however, requires several hospital visits weekly, interfering with (school)work. Home ultraviolet (UV) treatment has been proven effective before but is only available in certain countries, and safety aspects play a part in reluctancy to prescribe this treatment. Patients, however, are usually keen on the use of phototherapy as it is effective and gives them the possibility of reducing the amount of topical treatment needed. In this study, we assess the effectivity of a low-emission UV device used daily.

Methods:
Sixty-two patients were treated for 6 months either with daily low-emission UV treatment and mometasone ointment 0.1% or with mometasone ointment 0.1% alone. Psoriasis severity scores, quality of life, vitamin D level, and blood pressure were monitored every 2 months during the study.

Results:
Patients treated with daily low-emission UV treatment showed a significant improvement in psoriasis severity, quality of life, amount of steroid ointment used, and vitamin D levels.

Conclusion:
Daily low-emission UV therapy is an effective treatment for psoriasis patients, diminishing the amount of steroid ointment needed and improving disease activity, quality of life, and vitamin D scores. Further investigation, however, is necessary.

India has got it's first biosimilar of Remicade (infliximab) called Infimab for the treatment of Psoriatic Arthritis and will be marketed at a very significant discount compared with Remicade.

Quote:

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Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited (Ranbaxy), one of India’s largest pharmaceutical company, today announced the launch of InfimabTM (BOW015), the first *Remicade® (Infliximab) biosimilar in India. The product was launched at the Indian Rheumatology Association Conference (IRACON) in Chandigarh, in the presence of over a thousand rheumatologists and doctors from around the country.

InfimabTM, is being introduced in the Indian market through a licensing partnership with EPIRUS Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. a US and Swiss-based Biopharmaceutical Company focused on the global development and commercialization of biosimilar monoclonal antibodies. InfimabTM will be manufactured by Reliance Life Sciences at a facility in Mumbai. The innovator reference product is currently marketed for the treatment of inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s Disease, ankylosing spondylitis, ulcerative colitis, psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis.

InfimabTM marks Ranbaxy’s entry into mAb (Monoclonal Antibodies) biologics, and will help the company provide greater access to quality biologic medicines in management of conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.

Talking about the significance of the newly launched InfimabTM, Rajeev Sibal, Vice President & Country Head-India Region, Ranbaxy, said, “InfimabTM offers a new opportunity in the management of conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. The product has been developed as per global standards and delivers a similar clinical outcome to the innovator. It will be available in India at a very significant discount as compared to the innovator drug. More Indian patients will get the benefit of a world-class biologic treatment.”

Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the most common chronic inflammatory diseases that cause disability. The literature estimates a prevalence of 0.5% to 0.75% in India. To manage the disease, Indian rheumatologists are using Infliximab to treat only a select set of patients because it is very expensive.

Dr. Arvind Chopra, Consultant Rheumatologist, Pune who was also the Principal Investigator of Clinical Trial conducted in India with InfimabTM (BOW015), stated, “There has been an inordinate interest among the medical fraternity in India regarding the launch of InfimabTM as it is an affordable therapeutic alternative to Infliximab with equivalent clinical effectiveness. The availability of the new drug has widened our options to treat several forms of arthritis. This will increase patient access and many more Indian patients will benefit from this biologic treatment. The drug will not only be able to stop progression of rheumatoid arthritis but effectively control several of its complications that include bone damage, deformities and osteoporosis. InfimabTM also has an excellent treatment potential to treat other crippling painful arthritis like ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis”.

Amit Munshi, president and CEO of EPIRUS, stated, “We are delighted to partner with Ranbaxy to bring InfimabTM to India. InfimabTM represents an affordable solution for patients and may expand patient access to this important medicine”.

It is well established through studies that if a biologic treatment is started relatively early and patients adhere for the required duration as recommended by the physician, significant improvement in overall treatment outcome can be achieved. Along with the affordable pricing of InfimabTM, Ranbaxy has launched RAISE (Rheumatoid Ailment Infimab Support Endeavor) a patient support program for improving patient awareness and compliance on therapy. With a similar clinical safety and efficacy to Remicade®, a reduced cost of therapy, and patient support program, InfimabTM may encourage more patients to initiate and continue treatment, thus potentially improving the overall treatment outcome.

Hello. I've been without health care for nearly fifteen years and unfortunately that's just about when bouts of severe psoriasis started cropping up on my sides, lower back, stomach, elbows, knees, legs, and now hands and forearms.  My self treatment has been trying to stay on an alkaline diet (which I struggle to stick with for long periods and 'cheat'). I also drink as much water as I can stand (usually 4 to 6 8oz. glasses daily),  and recently started trying either one teaspoon of bacon soda or Bragg's apple cider vinegar with water daily to help create a more alkaline chemistry in the body.  With all the above failing to stop flare-ups I've managed to get a supply of 0.05% betamethasone dipropionate skin cream which no longer is working well to stop the redness and flaking on the troubled spots.  Many of the worse spots have remained for months on end now and they're increasing in size.  I believe the use of the cream has thinned my skin as I'm bruising easily and the skin on my knees actually splits if I squat quickly or land on them in a fall.  Needless to say I'd better stop the cream.  My problem is I don't know what to do next for the escalating inability to clear the troubled areas.  I believe I have either psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or both because I've developed extreme joint pain in the legs, shoulders, and arms over the past two years and a few of my fingers and toes have developed nodules (swollen joints that don't go away) and no longer bend.  One pinky is now deformed and bent totally out of shape from the swelling.  I guess by now you've noticed I'm a mess.  I stumbled upon this site and I hope others will have some advice for me as I honestly can't afford a primary doctor or health insurance, and I don't have medicare yet.  Any suggestions?  Thanks Nelson.

This study evaluated candidal colonization and specific humoral responses against Candida albicans in patients with psoriasis.

Candida is a genus of yeasts and is the most common cause of fungal infections worldwide. Candida albicans is the most commonly isolated species, and can cause infections (candidiasis or thrush)

Quote:

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Background:
Psoriasis is an inflammatory skin disease that can considerably affect a patient's quality of life. Environmental and genetic factors, as well as superantigens and toxins from Candida species, may play various roles in the exacerbation and persistence of psoriasis. In the present study, we evaluated candidal colonization and specific humoral responses against Candida albicans in patients with psoriasis.

Methods:
A total of 100 patients with psoriasis vulgaris and 50 healthy control individuals were enrolled in the study. Skin and oral specimens from all participants were cultured on CHROMagar Candida medium. Isolated yeast-like fungi were identified using the sequence of the D1/D2 domain of the 26S rRNA gene. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) were used to detect immunoglobulin M (IgM), IgA, and IgG antibodies against C. albicans in sera of patients and healthy individuals.

Results:
Candida species were isolated from the skin of 15% of patients and 4% of controls and from oral specimens of 60% of patients and 20% of controls. There was a significant difference in candidal colonization between patients and controls (P < 0.05). Serum IgM, IgA, and IgG levels against C. albicans were significantly lower in patients with psoriasis than in controls (P < 0.05). There was no significant association between serum levels of specific antibodies against C. albicans or the frequency of candidal colonization with the clinical severity of the disease (P > 0.05).

Conclusions:
The results of the present study show a higher rate of candidal colonization in patients with psoriasis in comparison with controls and a reduction in humoral immune responses in patients.