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Is Psoriasis Remission Possible? - JustSuzy - Fri-11-11-2011
Is Psoriasis Remission Possible?
There is no cure for psoriasis — but it's possible that your symptoms could simply disappear, either with effective treatment or without any treatment at all. How does this happen, and will it last?
By Diana Rodriguez
Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH
The news that you have a chronic disease like psoriasis is understandably hard to handle. And a lifetime of psoriasis symptoms — skin that's often red, scaly, flaky, itchy, and painful — seems like an unfair burden to bear.
But some people have long periods with no symptoms, known as psoriasis remission, when their psoriasis treatment is successful.
Spontaneous remission is also possible; this is when your symptoms clear up without treatment. Your immune system attacks the skin cells mistakenly, which is what triggers psoriasis in the first place, but in some cases, the body relents and allows the cells to heal.
Psoriasis Remission: How It Can Happen
No medicine will keep symptoms away forever. German scientists were recently able to isolate part of the immune system response that causes psoriasis, which could one day lead to more effective remedies, but for now the focus is on managing the condition and minimizing symptoms. With the right treatment, though, you may enter psoriasis remission and have no visible symptoms for a period of time.
However, the reality is that even if symptoms go away, they’re likely to come back. And when they do, you have to be ready to squelch them before your skin flares up too badly.
What to Do if Psoriasis Returns
When psoriasis strikes again, the best recourse is to start treating it — pronto. If your previous treatment was successful, talk to your doctor about resuming the same course. Sometimes skin becomes resistant to a certain treatment, and what was once useful is no longer effective in managing psoriasis symptoms. In that case, you’ll need to try a new approach.
There is a range of treatments available for psoriasis, including:
Phototherapy with ultraviolet light
Oral medications that target the immune system and treat the whole body
A cortisone or retinoid cream or ointment
A salicylic or lactic acid cream
Coal tar or anthralin creams
Antibiotics (if skin has become infected)
You might never be able to completely control your psoriasis and hold off a flare-up indefinitely. But you can certainly try to keep psoriasis in remission as long as possible. There are plenty of steps you can take to try to prevent your psoriasis from acting up again.
Preventing the Return of Psoriasis Symptoms
Once your skin returns to its healthy color and texture and no longer itches or flakes, you can try to ward off a flare of psoriasis symptoms with these strategies:
Moisturize and protect. Don't let your skin get too dry, as that can trigger the return of your psoriasis. To stay in psoriasis remission, use a rich moisturizer all over your body every day. It's also important to protect skin from the elements, so don't expose it to extremely cold or dry weather.
Get a little sun. Don't allow yourself to get burned — that skin damage could cause psoriasis to act up again. But a little bit of sun exposure can help keep mild psoriasis symptoms at bay — just be sure to use sunscreen.
Say "ohm." Stress is thought to be a trigger for some people with psoriasis, so find ways to relax and manage stress levels to keep red skin from flaring.
Don't scrub. You'll want to take a shower or slip into a bath each day to keep skin clean, but don't give it a vigorous scrubbing. Roughing up your skin can irritate it and trigger a psoriasis flare. Wash gently and pat dry.
Detox your body. Keeping your insides healthy will reflect well on the outside. That means you should avoid infections, restrict your alcohol intake, and definitely kick the cigarette habit.
Even if there's no cure, psoriasis remission offers the next best thing — freedom from visible psoriasis symptoms. Try different treatments to find out what works best to bring you relief from psoriasis for as long as you can keep it subdued.
RE: Is Psoriasis Remission Possible? - Fred - Fri-11-11-2011
I would say it's possible. My psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis almost disappeared with Enbrel, but then one day the psoriasis came back with a vengeance. I was put onto Stelara and for the last 16 months or more I have been around 90% clear. in the summer once I got my skin brown you wouldn't know I had psoriasis.
However I do feel Stelara isn't working as well as it did, but I'm still pleased with it. As for total Remission I think it will always be difficult because psoriasis flare ups can come on from our emotional state (something we can't always have total control over).
RE: Is Psoriasis Remission Possible? - JustSuzy - Tue-15-11-2011
You said it...
We really have no control over it.
Psoriasis is like the cat, It comes and goes as it pleases.
I can fight mine down when I rEALLy put the time in it takes to put the medication on each spot 3+ times a day. Once it is gone IF I stay on it it will stay down but I always get lazy
and it starts to creep back and slowly goes into a full flare which seems to come soon after I let my scalp get bad and start the horrid picking at it.It is the hardest thing not to pick at it!!!When first diagnosed a good steroid cream knocked it right out.Then
for years a quick dose of prednisone and a little diprolene cream got rid of it fast and a little more at fist sign kept me clear for years.Unfortunately the doc didn't warn me it could cause me to go blind.After 2 cataract surgeries I no longer suggest this quick treatment any longer.
Suzy
RE: Is Psoriasis Remission Possible? - Caroline - Tue-15-11-2011
You really must have been missing something. Has anyone of yours ever heard of fumarates?
It is a yet 50 year old treatment. Works like hell.
No complex things in your immune system, just an additive that your cell energy cycle needs.
RE: Is Psoriasis Remission Possible? - JustSuzy - Tue-15-11-2011
(Tue-15-11-2011, 22:38 PM)caroldanon Wrote: You really must have been missing something. Has anyone of yours ever heard of fumarates?
It is a yet 50 year old treatment. Works like hell.
No complex things in your immune system, just an additive that your cell energy cycle needs.
I have never heard of fumarates. Is it a suplement? Lord knows if the big pharm companies can't make money from them then you won't hear about it in the usa.
Suzy
RE: Is Psoriasis Remission Possible? - Caroline - Wed-16-11-2011
Hi Suzy,
Well, fumarates have in fact been well researched, and reported as working against psoriasis.
You may search on google for "schweckendieck fumarate", as a German doctor called schweckendieck used it already 50 years ago. He had psoriasis himself.
A direct link to an article is this one: nature.com/jid/journal/v127/n4/full/5700686a.html
The active thing in it is DMF, dymethylfumarate, not in terms of a chemist as I am no chemist, DMF adds to the energy cycle of the cells. And the result is that they will work better again, and... Indeed it does. Good results have been achieved. It also works for arthretic psoriatica, as in fact this is the same disease. I myself have therefore come to the conclusion that psoriasis is no skin disease, but an immune disease, so should be differently treated than a skin disease.
Indeed, as you say, the Pharm companies have less to earn here as the substance cannot be patented. In fact everybody make fumarates by himself in his metabolism. So I can imagine that there is no real trigger for the pharm companies to research it.
Caroline
RE: Is Psoriasis Remission Possible? - JustSuzy - Wed-16-11-2011
(Wed-16-11-2011, 07:07 AM)caroldanon Wrote: Hi Suzy,
Well, fumarates have in fact been well researched, and reported as working against psoriasis.
You may search on google for "schweckendieck fumarate", as a German doctor called schweckendieck used it already 50 years ago. He had psoriasis himself.
A direct link to an article is this one: nature.com/jid/journal/v127/n4/full/5700686a.html
The active thing in it is DMF, dimethyl fumarate, not in terms of a chemist as I am no chemist, DMF adds to the energy cycle of the cells. And the result is that they will work better again, and... Indeed it does. Good results have been achieved. It also works for arthritis psoriatica, as in fact this is the same disease. I myself have therefore come to the conclusion that psoriasis is no skin disease, but an immune disease, so should be differently treated than a skin disease.
Indeed, as you say, the Pharma companies have less to earn here as the substance cannot be patented. In fact everybody make fumarates by himself in his metabolism. So I can imagine that there is no real trigger for the pharma companies to research it.
Caroline
Thank you Caroline!
I will be checking the link and definitely will be trying it.I will be sure to let everyone know how it goes.
It is so strange to me after years of googling and reading all the groups I have never ever seen it mentioned.
Thanks so much!
Suzy
RE: Is Psoriasis Remission Possible? - Caroline - Wed-16-11-2011
dear Suzy,
Take care.
You cannot "Just" use it. There is an application protocol necessary.
This protocol describes the way you have to use it. I do not want that you start using it in the wrong way, because i myself have so much to thank to this treatment.
There is so much to tell before...
So I suggest:
- start reading some things about it. Get a grip of the history.
- dermatologists may know DMF, but not willing to prescribe, same over here.
- a lot has happened here in Holland and another doctor has designed a specific form of DMF, the dymethylfumarate enteric coated slow release.
- this because DMF may NOT be released in your stomach, but only in the intestines.
- it works better with bit of diet (naturally of course, as you think about the energy cycle in your body)
- there are 2 side effects
- 1) your intestines may become little unstable
- 2) you may get "flushes" in the beginning of the treatment. Flushes = you will become completely "red" and "hot" during about 20 minutes... :-), its not worse, sometimes just funny.
- guidance by a doctor/dermatologist must be done in the beginning, just to check if your body, e.g. liver, is reacting in the right way. There are occasionally people who do not react in the right way.
- I only know one (1) producer of this type of DMF and that is in the netherlands.
Take a look at the site psoriasistherapie dot nl, it is in dutch, but maybe you have somebody who can read dutch.
The site is made by a patient organization, they are way ahead in starting and executing a scientific research program, to prove the validity of the product.
... the research program is very important for the future. (i'll send you a PB also)
Caroline
RE: Is Psoriasis Remission Possible? - JustSuzy - Wed-16-11-2011
Thanks Caroline,
Yeah at first I thought it was something from the health food store. I go back to my general doc next month and will discuss it with him,and be researching it also. I can use google to translate the pages for me.
Have a super day!
Suzy