New to Psoriasis

[Lookingforhelp]

Hi everyone.  I have recently been diagnosed with Psoriasis on my penis.  It has only shown up recently in the past few months.  I did not experience it before.  I went to a doctor who gave me a cortisone cream.  I have been taking it for about 6 weeks.  About 15-20% of the Psoriasis has completely disappeared but the main part is still there.  It has VERY slowly day by day shown improved with the cream.  The doctor said it may go away completely, that it may go away completely but take a year, or that it may not go away.  So I'm just using the cream right now and hoping for the best.  I'm pretty bummed about this.  Of all places.  I suppose it could be worse though.  My main question at this point is if psoriasis typically goes away with treatment, as in if I use the cream for a year is it likely it will 100% go away and not come back?  Or does it typically stay with one throughout life?  Oh boy!... :-/

[jiml]

Hi and   to the forum,
An unfortunate place to develop the disease but not entirely unusual, I think it's an area that people tend not to discuss much, but having it on your penis must be very worrying.
I hope the cortisone cream works. And will hopefully clear it for you.
And if it does clear hopefully that will be the end of it, although it could appear again somewhere else, but it's a disease that you tend to have for life, and it's a question of managing it. It may be mild and remain that way, nobody really knows
Good luck and hope you enjoy the club where we are all sufferers of the disease
Jim

[Fred]

Hello   to Psoriasis Club.

No point in giving you false hope, so lets get on with it. Yes you will have it for the rest of your life. However that doesn't mean it can't be managed, but I'm telling you that because although it can go into remission there is a very high chance that it will come back and there is no 100% cure.

Once you get in managed on your penis it can still come back or may appear on another part of your body. So it's all about finding the right thing that works for you, this can be a long process starting with creams, light, pills and injections in that order.

Having it on the penis is very frustrating and can have a big impact on your quality of life, but it can go away from the penis and it's just a matter of playing around with different creams to get it sorted.

#1 I'm a big fan of Coconut Oil use this twice a day and it will help a lot. You can use it whilst using your prescribed treatment too. (*be careful if you use condoms as coconut oil can possibly damage latex)

#2 You could try Dovnex that can work well on the penis. (*do not confuse it with Dovobet) Dovobet And Dovonex (What's the difference ?)

#3 Wear loose fitting cotton underwear, and avoid scratching or chafing as much as possible.

I hope that helps a bit, and don't hesitate to ask as I'm sure most men and women with psoriasis have or will have to put up with genital psoriasis some time.

Regards.

Fred.

[D Foster]

Welcome to the forum , not a nice place to get P as it can be very frustrating but as Fred said not unusual but again as Fred said it can turn up in elsewhere in fact that's an area where my P first started not on my penis but on my testicles. Be careful using the cortisone cream over long periods as it can thin the skin though with me it as started on my scalp and elbows/knees and it cleared from the testicles area so it can be very unpredictable ,just keep an eye on everywhere. I have had it now for many years and I have seen fantastic leaps in the way it's managed and I think the future looks far better for people who have it now so one thing to do is not to let it get you down.
This site is great and the inmates on here will always give you an honest answer to your question as they are all speaking from personal experience not theory as so many of the so called health professionals do , just one thing, does the doctor you saw know what he is looking at ,is he sure that it is P, I only ask !! .

Dave

[jiml]

This site is great and the inmates on here will always give you an honest answer to your question as they are all speaking from personal experience not theory as so many of the so called health professionals do , just one thing, does the doctor you saw know what he is looking at ,is he sure that it is P, I only ask !! .

Dave

That's a good point Dave has made, have you had a diagnosis from a dermatologist, as many doctors are not that good at recognising the different skin conditions

[Lookingforhelp]

Hi everyone.  Thank you all so much for your replies.  It is comforting to know that I am not alone and that there are people who I can talk with who understand.  

I first went to a primary care doctor who said that it looked like Psoriasis but that I should have it looked at by a dermatologist and that they may take a biopsy.  Went to the dermatologist and he looked at it and said he 'diagnosis it at psoriasis' more specifically 'psoriasis on glans penis or psoriasis inversa'.  Did not take a biopsy.  

Fortunately it does not negatively affect me much other than cosmetically.  It isn't itchy or scratchy for the most part, no white flakes, just red spots that are visually undesirable.  

So far the cream has definitely helped but only a small area and it very slowly diminished.  I'm taking Triamcinolone 0.1%.  The dermatologist said I may need to take it for a year, that it's hard to say.  I have heard that the skin can thin, is that permanent, as in doesn't go back to normal once you stop taking the cream? 

He prescribed me Triamcinolone ointment 0.1%, hydrocortisone 2.5% ointment, and said to pick some 1% HC ointment and to try them and if the less potent creams work then that's better.

[Caroline]

Hard for me to give an opinion on your penis , so what remains is to give you a heart felt welcome to Psoriasisclub

You are in a good place, that is filled with experience and knowledge about psoriasis and treatments.
We also try to have fun in life, despite everything, so be prepared to enter the Off Topic section in a good mood.

Cheers,
Caroline

[Fred]

The thinning of the skin can be permanent with the use of Dovobet. I don't know about the treatments you are using and someone else may know more, but I would go for the least potent to be sure as the skin around the penis is already thin and easily damaged.

[Fiftyplus]

Hiya ,

I was thinking the same as Fred regarding the thinness of skin already...so take care hun, and like Caroline I can't have an opinion on your penis...but I do know that they are all different, so just keep an eye on it.

Sorry, I have done it again...talking to someone new without even saying hello properly.

So Hello, welcome and enjoy.

Fifty

[Lookingforhelp]

Much thanks for the kind replies and welcomes.  : 

I'll give the lighter creams a try in hopes to avoid thinning of the skin.