Acitrecin - week 1

[jiml]

Great news Kelly it's good to see a big difference in your skin. I'm sure you are feeling better about yourself seeing such an improvement. I hope it continues and life can resume.
It's good to hear there are no side effects to speak of . Really happy for you look forward to future updates........
It's always good to hear of success, and I'm glad you are eating normally and not using creams or lotions

Great news
Jim

[kh924]

Hoping once I'm clear I can go off it completely? Don't know if that's an option or not though

[jiml]

I'm not sure about coming off it completely Kelly has your dermatologist talked about that, or possibly reducing the dose
If you do stop and it comes back at least you know something will work for you and you may not get so stressed, and get straight back on it
Here's hoping you get clear soon
Jim

[Fred]

Hoping once I'm clear I can go off it completely? Don't know if that's an option or not though

Micky's post Acitretin may help:

Quote:

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Acitretin is not a cure for these conditions, and when the medication is stopped, the condition is likely to return.
However, most patients will see a gradual improvement of their skin, starting about 2 weeks after treatment commences and continuing for up to 12 weeks.
This improvement should then remain while continuing the treatment.

Unfortunately Kelly, with psoriasis it's all about control so you will probably be on some form of treatment all the time. Having said that, if Acitretin gets you clear then I suppose you have nothing to loose by trying it to see. You could always go back onto it or try another treatment, but I think most people with psoriasis will tell you they need to continue a treatment of one type or another.

[Caroline]

Looks very good Kelly !
Greet to see you improving so well.

[Kat]

Kelly, that's great that it's working so well for you! I'm still hopeful, I've seen improvements everywhere (even ears this past week!) except for scalp. Minor improvement there but I'll stay on it and hope to get that under control as well.

When I asked the doc how long I'd be on the medication, his reply was "forever" (Of course I'm sure that he meant if it worked and for as long as it continued to work) But, and this is just guessing, since the doc said if I had headaches to reduce dose to every other day that maybe you will be able to reduce your dose and see how that goes. Of course check with your doctor, it will be interesting to see if you have to stay at the current dose of if you're able to reduce it.

I'm so very happy for you!

[kh924]

I hate the thought of having to take any medication for the rest of my life. WTH? I had cancer and don't even need to do that but psoriasis is going to keep me medicated for the rest of my days? That is such BS. It makes NO sense.

I am completely clear from the waist up. My legs are very slow to improve. So weird. My legs are the last place psoriasis showed up so maybe they will be the last to clear.

I really, really hate psoriasis. And please don't tell me it could be worse because I know that yet Cancer was kinder to me than this crap.

Now let me tell you how I really feel.... LOL

[jiml]

Kelly I feel your frustration at the thought of being on medication for the rest of your life. I have another thought for you. When you came here and we first talked you were determined to beat psoriasis by natural means.....
A suggestion is that you get your body clear with the current drug, whilst you are clear modify your diet the way you were at the start......proper detox......strict diet...... Theres loads on here about what to eat and what to leave alone. Then when you are comfortable you can live on the diet, talk to your dermatologist about coming off the acetretin.
Many people say they manage psoriasis well on diet and lifestyle change.
It's just an idea and if it fails.............well at least you tried, and can go back on acetretin and you know it works.
I know I'm stuck in my rut with drugs, because I don't have the will power to stick to any diet.....
Another thought I've had
There are lots of new drugs coming along and new research being carried out, I recon in the next few years, there won't be a cure but there will be less toxic drugs which will be more palettable to take
.excuse the rambling.
Just random thoughts for you
Looking forward to hearing of further clearing of your legs and any changes you might choose to make.

[Fred]

I hate the thought of having to take any medication for the rest of my life. WTH? I had cancer and don't even need to do that but psoriasis is going to keep me medicated for the rest of my days? That is such BS. It makes NO sense.

I am completely clear from the waist up. My legs are very slow to improve. So weird. My legs are the last place psoriasis showed up so maybe they will be the last to clear.

I really, really hate psoriasis. And please don't tell me it could be worse because I know that yet Cancer was kinder to me than this crap.

Now let me tell you how I really feel.... LOL

I'll chip in for what it's worth. I would say most of us hate the thought of being on treatment for the rest of our life, but for me personally it's better than being covered from head to toe in flakes that continually weep or bleed and being so locked up with psoriatic arthritis that I couldn't dress myself.

When you say you hate psoriasis, that is a negative point and not good. "And before you put me down" No I'm not saying love psoriasis, but accept it and accept that it can be managed, and you will soon find it helps considerably.

Comparing it with cancer is not going to help either as some cancers can be cured, psoriasis can not be cured but it can be managed, it can also go into remission. So like Jim said as you were so keen originally to try the Natural approach, why not get it down with a tried and tested treatment such as Acitretin then slowly come down and start natural treatments instead, you have nothing to loose.

But for my final opinion I would say dump Acitretin, forget the natural approach and go onto one of the bio treatments, Stelara for example is 1 tiny injection under the skin every three months. Clear skin, and a life you can enjoy again.

But that's just me, you still have to make up your own mind on what you think is best. But believe me Kelly, accepting you will be treating it in some way prescribed or natural for the rest of your life will help.

Fred

[Kat]

Fred, I understand what you are saying and agree it's best to remain positive and basically just accept it and move forward ... but...

I agree with Kelly that I, too, hate psoriasis and I don't think anyone here would say they like it. I don't see that as negative, just truthful. I hate every time I take a shower and the water alone hitting my scalp burns, I hate every time I comb through my hair and see the scales and I hate being around people and being self conscious. I don't see that as negative, just as being honest that I hate it. I hate that once I'm clear, it will always be lurking, ready to return. I hate the thought that I will have to take some type of medication most likely the rest of my life to control this. And I think it's ok to hate that.

I'm also thankful that although there isn't a cure, there is hope to get on top of this disease with the different options available. I think it's worth doing what needs to be done to live a happy life (and that will be different for each of us as we've often discussed.)

So, I try to be positive and thankful and yet I admit that I hate the disease even though I have to accept it is part of my life. I think it's ok to hate it, even though I know that it's useless to waste the time hating something you cannot change but for me it makes me more determined to fight it (I know, no cure but I can fight the symptoms and feel I'm winning each time an area clears). Maybe just a different perspective on it.