New to Psoriasis

[Fred]

Much thanks for the kind replies and welcomes.  : 

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

Do keep us updated as your information could help others in the future.

And if you need a break from psoriasis I can recommend the [Group Specific] board.

[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.

Do keep us updated as your information could help others in the future.

And if you need a break from psoriasis I can recommend the [Group Specific] board.

Will do, sounds good

[Kat]

Welcome

Glad you found your way here.  

[Turnedlight]

Hi there :-)

One thing you could do is apply the cream with a cotton bud and try to only get it on the affected skin. I had p on my face that the derm advised I could use hydrocortisone but to use a cotton bud so it doesn't go on normal skin.

[mataribot]

You shouldn't be using steroid creams where extensive folds are on your body. Absorption rate becomes an issue. I would say 10 days... Month at max.

[Kit]

Hi

Welcome! 

Like me you have found exactly the right place to get some unbiased and experienced advice! I've had plaque psoriasis for 40 odd years - it comes and goes and the treatments I have been using change from time to time.  For me one of the most effective treatments was UVA / UVB light - but my genitals were never affected by P and were always covered during treatment. If you have the opportunity to increase expose the affected area to sunlight without getting arrested this may well help to reduce the visible signs.  However, in my case anyway, as soon as I get it cleared from one area it eventually reappears somewhere else so, now that you have been diagnosed with P., you'll need to keep an eye out everywhere. 

I'm in between treatments myself at the moment. Was on Fumaderm (for the second time) and am about to start a new one for me: Acitretin.  Both or these are oral / tablet based treatments. But first I'm off to Cyprus in the Med for a week of sun sea and sand. (I only wish I could get the doctor to prescribe that as a treatment!) I start the Acitretin when I get back from holiday/vacation.

So I'll be off line for a week or two but will return to let everyone know how my experience with Acitretin is progressing. I recommend you spend a bit of time looking around this site. There is a wealth of information about P. on here and everyone you come across here you'll find are pretty much willing to share their P. experiences with you.

Cheers
Kit

[dyorke]

   Welcome , Fellow sufferer.... the guys and Gals on this Forum are a great source of empathy, support and good humour !!

[JohnB]

Welcome
Mmmm not a pleasant place for a breakout. I am surprised over the length of time your Doc said to use the cream Mine gave me a severe dressing down for having used it for 6 weeks. His opinion was if that sort of cream didn't resolve the problem in under a month it never would. I do like the idea of using cotton buds to apply though. It can be difficult to apply to just the damaged area and it always used to make my fingertips very tender even having washed after application.
Its good you found us, there is a wealth of Information and experience at the touch of a button.

[Lookingforhelp]

Is it not a good idea to use the cream long term?  I seem to be hearing some mixed responses.  Somewhat odd that the dermatologist said I may need to use it for a year but some people are saying not to use it more than 4-6 weeks.  Will I know if the skin starts thinning and know to stop?  Is there anything obvious to look for, obviously thin skin but I'm not sure at this point what that change looks or feels like.  I do notice the veins look a bit unusual, more thin and darker in color than I tend to notice, but maybe I am just looking more than before.  Though whats odd is that this area is the only area i am not using the cream, the rest of the area looks normal.  Am I safe to keep using the cream potentially long term or should I consult another doctor to get a second opinion?  Not an area I want anything bad to happen.

[Turnedlight]

It's difficult to give advice from uk as our systems work so differently but I wondered if you can contact the derm to ask questions about the treatment you have been given without neccessarily having another consultation?

Will you have a follow up with them after a month or two of treatment, because if they are suggesting you just use cortisone cream for up to a year without a follow up appointment, that seems wrong, however I would try to follow their instructions until you get new instructions. If it's going to work I would think it would work within a few weeks but then I'm not a dermatologist..

So I think I'd direct my questions to them first of all, and get a follow up appointment booked so you're not left too long. If you don't get results from one cream, there will be others to try.