Greetings all

[Kersty]

Stumbled on this website when researching the new drug my dermatologist has given me (Soriatane, 10 mg).  Have very severe ps on palms of hands, bottoms of feet.  Have been hospitalized four times because of the infections  (sepsis, I think they called it?).  Believe me, I am VIGILANT about using antibiotic ointment and keeping clean, doesn't seem to matter; my hands and feet are like giant open wounds all the time.  I try covering them with a very large band-aid, but my skin is so sensitive to the glue in the bandaid that I have to be extremely careful.  I can't take oral antibiotics, so they usually only keep me overnight, or 2 days, put me on massive doses of IV antibiotics, put in a stent (or whtever its called) and I go back and get the drug at the hospital every day for 10 days.  This has happened at least once a year for the last 3 years.  Arrrrghhhh.  

Both hands and feet are constantly shedding, cracking, bleeding, itching, etc.  Pain is sometimes unbearable.

Am 59 years old, and have taken an early retirement because the stress and pain of the ps was just getting to be too much.  I miss my work, but have much to keep me busy. 

Grew up in Ohio, hated the cold, so did my post-grad studies in California and Florida, finally settling on Florida in 1983.  Met the love of my life in 1999 and moved, of all places, to CANADA...where my first year I discovered four feet of snow in my yard was to be a "typical" winter.  Sigh.  Never had psoriasis before coming to Canada, but within a year of being here, my hands started developing it.  Finally became so bad that I sought help.  Have seen at least eight dermatologists, tried every topical (and I do mean, EVERY - at last count, I had tried over 48 different prescription ointments/creams.  

Have a history of proliferative glomerial nephritis (kidney disease) and some liver issues do to the treatments for the kidney, so docs have always been reluctant to try oral meds.  I have finally gotten my liver function to a healthier state and my new derm is allowing me to try this Soriatane.  I am hoping for a miracle, because I believe in miracles!! 

Thanks for being here.

Kersty

[Fred]

Hello Kersty   to Psoriasis Club.

We do have other members using Acitretin (Soriatane) and some do well on it, I'm sure some will post more but for now you can read this thread: Acitretin

Nice intro by the way.

Regards.

Fred.

[jiml]

Stumbled on this website when researching the new drug my dermatologist has given me (Soriatane, 10 mg).  Have very severe ps on palms of hands, bottoms of feet.  Have been hospitalized four times because of the infections  (sepsis, I think they called it?).  Believe me, I am VIGILANT about using antibiotic ointment and keeping clean, doesn't seem to matter; my hands and feet are like giant open wounds all the time.  I try covering them with a very large band-aid, but my skin is so sensitive to the glue in the bandaid that I have to be extremely careful.  I can't take oral antibiotics, so they usually only keep me overnight, or 2 days, put me on massive doses of IV antibiotics, put in a stent (or whtever its called) and I go back and get the drug at the hospital every day for 10 days.  This has happened at least once a year for the last 3 years.  Arrrrghhhh.  

Both hands and feet are constantly shedding, cracking, bleeding, itching, etc.  Pain is sometimes unbearable.

Am 59 years old, and have taken an early retirement because the stress and pain of the ps was just getting to be too much.  I miss my work, but have much to keep me busy. 

Grew up in Ohio, hated the cold, so did my post-grad studies in California and Florida, finally settling on Florida in 1983.  Met the love of my life in 1999 and moved, of all places, to CANADA...where my first year I discovered four feet of snow in my yard was to be a "typical" winter.  Sigh.  Never had psoriasis before coming to Canada, but within a year of being here, my hands started developing it.  Finally became so bad that I sought help.  Have seen at least eight dermatologists, tried every topical (and I do mean, EVERY - at last count, I had tried over 48 different prescription ointments/creams.  

Have a history of proliferative glomerial nephritis (kidney disease) and some liver issues do to the treatments for the kidney, so docs have always been reluctant to try oral meds.  I have finally gotten my liver function to a healthier state and my new derm is allowing me to try this Soriatane.  I am hoping for a miracle, because I believe in miracles!! 

Thanks for being here.

Kersty

H Kirsty that's a great introduction, thanks for the information and to the forum
You have come to the right place to talk about psoriasis among fellow sufferers many of them on acetretin which is what soriatane is
You could check out Sandra's thread here it should give you great hope click on this link End of my tether there are as I say many on acetretin and if you put that in the search bar above you will get a lot of threads pop up.
I wish you luck on it and hope you will stay in touch and let us know how it works for you

In the meantime if you want something a bit more light hearted there is our off topic section which is always popular with members there is a chatting thread and discussions on everything apart from psoriasis
Hope to see more of you and hear how the treatment goes

By the way my wife has FSGS and is on home haemodialysis
Jim

[Kat]

Hi Kersty!

I had good results with Acitretin. There are quite a few members here also having good results. I hope it works for you.

Welcome to the forums!

[Grizzly Bear]

Hi Kersty.

Hope you enjoy yourself on here

GB

[Caroline]

Hi Kersty,

Welcome to psoriasisclub.

Hope you will find some info over here that is useful for you, you are in need of it.

You have already some answers I see.

Caroline

[jiml]

Hi Kersty since reading your introduction again, now I have more time I got to thinking of things others have had suggested to them , for instance cotton socks and bedding, or Fred has recommended to others bamboo socks......... click on any of the links to go straight to the post  RE: Hello, I'm new and Sandra has written this in the same thread  RE: Hello, I'm new

Another thread well worth a read is Acitrecin - week 1
I hope you get some respite soon and the acetretin will do its magic for you

[D Foster]

Hi and welcome Kersty , this site is full of great inmates who know what you are going through because we all have gone through the mill as well, there are a fantastic amount of information on here and I am sure you will find the answers you are looking for. Just join in because sometimes you need a bit of fun and a good laugh to keep you going and you will find all of this with the barmy crew on here.

David

[Kersty]

I can't believe I haven't found you guys (and dolls) before now. If the rest of you is as welcoming and friendly as those that have sent me a welcome message, why, my psoriasis has just turned into a blessing.  

Funny about that - recently, my hands have been so painful - and of course, always itchy, and I want to SCRATCH-SCRATCH-SCRATCH-SCRATCH (i'm guessing that many of you know that feeling?)...and so I started "kissing" them, every time I wanted to scratch them open...seemed like it might have lessened the itch a bit.  So wouldn't that add to the wonder of it all, if by finding a group of fellow sufferers, my ps just got better?  Something for the philosophers, scientists, brain surgeons, and the rest of you to contemplate, lol.

Is there actually anything that can be done for the itching?  I recently bought some 5% xylocaine and mix it with my fucidin antibiotic and smear it on the worse open cuts on my palms.   Not sure that it really helps, as when it wears off, the itching seems even worse, but I don't know what else to try.

I cut my nails as short as I can, but I swear, when I get an itch going, I can literally rip new shreads of skin off my palms before I even realize I am doing it, and then the pain and the healing take twice as long.

best,

Kersty

[Fred]

Ooooooooooooooooh the Itch we all love the itch. We know it's not good to scratch. but it can become very addictive. Believe it or not I actually got disappointed one day when I noticed I couldn't get such a large flake of in one go, and even now my hand still automaticly goes to where it used to itch like hell even though it has gone.  

I'm pleased to hear the members of Psoriasis Club have made you feel welcome and you have notice a better feeling with psoriasis, we are just people but we do care about each other and newbies are always made welcome. Some come some go and some just hang around we make no demands on anyone, I have seen members come back from long ago and they are still made welcome.

You are now part of Psoriasis Club so you may find you will one day be welcoming others, and believe me that also makes you feel good and in turn helps one live with psoriasis.

Sorry I was rambling on there. Back to the itch. Ice can help, as can taking your mind off it. Yeah I know it's not easy taking your mind off it, but that is where Psoriasis Club can also help. Check out the Members only boards to see what I mean, I'm the only sensible one in the Off Topic board and my own journal is well worth a read for some wise words of wisdom.  

Just dive on in Kersty and enjoy.