New to the club

[cmixer13]

Hello everyone,

I'm obviously new here. I am a 28 year old male who was diagnosed with psoriasis in 2010 and it has changed my life for the good and the bad. I appreciate the more important things in life now(family/friends/experiences) and have learned soo much about nutrition and taking care of myself in general. I'm honestly in the best shape of my life from working out,swimming, and eating healthier than I ever have before but the psoriasis does get me down from time to time. It can be a full time job in itself and just mentally/physically exhausting. I've somewhat recently got out of relationship of 4 years and feel it will be difficult to start dating again although my condition is more on the mild side but seems to be getting progressively worse. I am anxious to read other posts/meet like minded people/and learning new methods to treating psoriasis. What has helped me the most is coconut oil, protopic, and tea tree oil soap/shampoo/conditioner.

Thanks

[Kat]

Welcome cmixer!

You sound very positive and have found some good in having psoriasis. Thanks for the reminder to look for the good in things. I've been having success with coconut oil and tea tree oil, at least it is keeping my current "mild" psoriasis under control. I'll go back to the dermatologist for meds should things get worse again for me though as I'm afraid I'm not as dedicated to restricting my diet as I should be. There's lots of info here and I'm sure you'll receive some information on various treatments.

On the relationship thing.... I'll admit I didn't have that problem as (way back) when I was single I didn't have psoriasis, but I do feel I have something to say on that. There is no cure for psoriasis, only treatments so anyone in your life may be around during a flare and if they can't handle it when mild then they can't handle it if it should ever be worse. Not only that but in my experienced old age, I have learned that it is actually quite true what you hear and that the inside of a person is what is important. So don't let your psoriasis make you nervous because anyone worth having won't care about that. If they care, you're better off without them anyway. Just be confident and be a kind, caring person. When it comes down to it, that's what a woman really wants.

[Quest4Cure]

chicer,

After reading your post there are many of us who could have written the same words. One thing that is universal about this disease is the amount of time it takes to manage.

Summer is coming soon. Lots of sunshine and vit?D is very good to help heal. Have you tried light therapy at the derm there are so many new types. Be careful not to burn.

You sound like your in great shape , continue to manage UR p. If it becomes unmanageable don't let it get out of control. Check it right away and see a derm familiar with treatments available for P.
What works best for you?

Hope to get to know you better. This is a great bunch of people who have many years of experience and knowledge to share.

[jiml]

Hi cmixer and a big   to the club I'm glad you have found us, you will find us a friendly caring bunch of psoriasis sufferers. If you need advice on treatments you are in the right place. There is a great wealth of knowledge and personal experience here that members are happy to share.
I think personally from the fact that you say you are struggling dealing with psoriasis the time has come for you to go to a dermatologist. I'm not sure if you need to be referred by your doctor but get a proper dermatologist and he should be able to offer you a treatment that should clear your psoriasis up, but as Kat says you are gifted with it for life, so you will be in a constant battle with it

Relationships are difficult to start when you have psoriasis I know as a young man when I was struck down with it, it made me self conscious. These days with Internet you can meet online tell them you have it, if they run, you arent as hurt as you would be on a date, when she spots it and runs off screaming.
You will find someone who accepts you for who you are and they will be blind to your imperfections.
But first get it under control with the help of a dermatologist,..... that will lift you knowing that you will have flares but they will be controllable and your partner will learn that also

Enjoy your time here and browse all the intro's and see how others deal with the disease
Click on this link Problems dating and psoriasis here's a good place to start
Jim  

[Fred]

Hello Cmixer   to Psoriasis Club

Not much I can add to what has already been said, apart from if it helps I got psoriasis around age 25 and ended up splitting up with my then current girl friend (not because of the psoriasis as she was great with that but because I was rarely home, but we remained good friends) then a year later I met a new girl and we got on well as friends. I decided one day to confide in her and tell her about psoriasis, so I took her back to my flat and whilst making coffee I gave her a little leaflet my GP had given me about psoriasis (we didn't have internet then) I fully expected her to be gone when I came back into the living room with the coffee, but she was still sitting there and said "So What?" I said well I have that, and she replied "I guessed that but still "So What"

To cut a long story short, we ended up living together, got married and this year we celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary.

So there is hope mate, you sound a positive person and that will help immensely. So grab life by the horns and enjoy what it throws at you, you only get one shot.

Regards.

Fred.

[cmixer13]

Thanks everybody,

I appreciate the welcoming words. I'm looking forward to reading about other peoples experiences and treatment options. I have been to a dermatologist though and he prescribed me protopic, which does help but burns a bit the day of application so I try to apply it overnight while I sleep. Tanning does help me too which I forgot to mention in my previous post but its not nearly as helpful as the natural sun for whatever reason. I also have trouble sticking to a consistent healthy diet too, but I am eating much better than I was and thats a positive and sometimes you find that certain foods effect you dramatically for the good/bad. For instance, I recently discovered eating nuts and seeds of any kind really makes me a lot worse and eating leafy greens helps my condition but it's not always easy for me to tell because I feel my skin gets affected days later and not immediately. Its a viscous cycle . Thanks again though and Im glad to be a part of this network.

[Quest4Cure]

 Hi,
Glad to hear your eating well that's alwys a good thing. Oh how I love my chocolate!

But in my case no foods have made a difference in my P.
Psoriasis is a autoimmune disease and it requires immune suppressants to shut it down. Like a steroid topical cream. Have you tried Occlusion. Ask your derm for a topical U can use with occlusion. It can shut down the small blood capillaries that feed psoriasis, that's why occlusion has been used since the 50's.

See occlusion on a medical web site for more info. Thats what really helped clear my P. And for many years. Also have u tried coal tar 1.25 % available OTC. there are now many OTC meds that can be used with P. Keep skin moisturized. Tanning can damage and dry out skin. So always use a good moisturizer after .

Also water is as my derm said like taking a chemical bath. If possible add a salt water softener unit.
Never take hot showers it can agrevate P. I use a small wash rag or a small towel and add oil to it and dry after a shower. By the time your dry your body it's  moisturized too! Nothing greasy.

Check the search bar for natural meds for P. There is a whole section of what has helped others with P.

[Caroline]

Hi cmixer,

Welcome to the club !

Mingle in and have fun.

Caroline.

[Troll]

Belated hello cmixer13

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