[split] Dimethylfumarates and Psoriasis

[LadyBug]

being itchy is my old feeling, always before new ones breaking I can feel it on my skin where it will come out... and now I feel new ones are about to come out... :(

J.

[Caroline]

yes! warm hands and feet and overall feeling is very pleasant!
I feel its itchy, that means its about to break out again... I don't know what to think, I keep scratching like crazy and cant stop it. Raised the dose now 240mg after breakfast and 240mg after supper...

Should it stop finally new patches from coming out??? Or some patches keep coming out while others keep disappearing?

J.

The itchyness. Is it at some times, just in front of having a flush?
Or is it all the time?

I cannot remember any itchiness, but with me i use it mainly against the PsA,I have had hardly any psoriasis.
I know of someone who indeed had itchyness, but that finally disappeared when he was at the right dose.

Caroline

[Caroline]

being itchy is my old feeling, always before new ones breaking I can feel it on my skin where it will come out... and now I feel new ones are about to come out... :(

J.

Ok, you were fast in your reply.

Best is to continue increasing the dose slowly. You still have a 70% chance that this is a first reaction and that it will finally stop the outbreaks and remove the existing patches.

[LadyBug]

Then it is probably not the right dose yet...
I feel very itchy just before patches breaking out. then usually next day or another it is breaking...

[jiml]

Then it is probably not the right dose yet...
I feel very itchy just before patches breaking out. then usually next day or another it is breaking...

I hope that it's just the feeling and that the psoriasis doesn't actually break out . I'm hopeful that you must be getting somewhere close to effectiveness now. You say yourself that you think your skin is flatter although more spread out.... I think a great help for you would be to stay positive as that in itself is a great help in the fight you are having with the disease, you sound as if you are doubting the tablets. I say Believe in them and stay positive.... You are nearly winning
We are all behind you wishing you success
Jim

[Bill]

Hi LadyBug,

I saw good results within 6-8 weeks, but I started on 240 mg three times daily, which is a tough way to start. I think it is better to gradually increase the dose so you get a better idea of at what dosage DMF starts to work. And yes, when it does start working your redness, itching and scaling all decrease. Your plaque area will decrease, and you can get new plaques, although these tend to be small and inactive.

Knowing what I know now I would have started on 800 mg every other day and cut back to 800 mg every third day after four to six weeks. But that is what works for me, and you and your specialist have to work out what works for you.

Cheers,

Bill

[LadyBug]

Thank you Bill for this message. It does give me hope.
I am in 7th week now, I have been changing gradually and now I'm up to 240mg mornings 360mg nights... Next step will be 360mg twice a day. I am being monitored and in general not many side effects are being noted...
First couple of weeks dose was very little (30mg /day 60mg/day etc) so I believe those days I just dont count
My elbows are better, I used some ointment and overall I feel better. I am checking what is going on with my body every day.

J.

[Caroline]

Thank you Bill for this message. It does give me hope.
I am in 7th week now, I have been changing gradually and now I'm up to 240mg mornings 360mg nights... Next step will be 360mg twice a day. I am being monitored and in general not many side effects are being noted...
First couple of weeks dose was very little (30mg /day 60mg/day etc) so I believe those days I just dont count
My elbows are better, I used some ointment and overall I feel better. I am checking what is going on with my body every day.

J.

You are very close to my dose now. If you think that it begins to work, than you should stop increasing. Then stay on this level, e.g. imaging 2x360 mg, for the same time as the build up phase, so about 8 weeks. Give it its time to get working.

Caroline

[LadyBug]

We (with my doctor) are thinking to wait now a little longer, 720mg daily is quite big regarding to experiences of other people... I am just so scared and so afraid some new patches would come out... Nothing EVER helped me well, only one time - bilogical (Humira) - I was totally clean within 10 days after 1st injection, I could tell it was disappearing in front of my eyes.

I know I have to be mentally stronger, however my self esteem is bad. My experiences with MTX / ointments / lamps are really bad too...

Now: 7th week, seems better, no significant improvement in terms of size of plaque / patches so far. I note them thinner though. (Or I want to see them thinner )

J.

[Caroline]

We (with my doctor) are thinking to wait now a little longer, 720mg daily is quite big regarding to experiences of other people... I am just so scared and so afraid some new patches would come out... Nothing EVER helped me well, only one time - bilogical (Humira) - I was totally clean within 10 days after 1st injection, I could tell it was disappearing in front of my eyes.

I know I have to be mentally stronger, however my self esteem is bad. My experiences with MTX / ointments / lamps are really bad too...

Now: 7th week, seems better, no significant improvement in terms of size of plaque / patches so far. I note them thinner though. (Or I want to see them thinner )

J.

Joana,

Just keep faith. The fact that you seem to handle the medication well is already a good sign.
I use 720 myself. A (psoriasis) friend of mine is using 8x 120mg, so even more, without any problems. And I know of people that use even more than that.

Caroline