Jims continued use of Fumaderm

[Bill]

No worries, Jim. It's your loss.

Cheers

[Kat]

Sorry you had to wait, glad you got what you needed.

I am against phone calls for meds. I use to get sinus infections quite often and the doctor I went to would let me phone it in. I'd call and say I had a sinus infection and they'd give me meds (usually a steroid pack) I worked at the time so it was very nice and easy. But I started worrying that perhaps having so much steroids wasn't a good thing and what if I were wrong and it wasn't the usual sinus infection. So I decided to try another doctor who sent me for testing and turned out I had allergies. Once treated for that, my sinus problems cleared up considerably.

Now, I know that you already know what you need and your situation is different, but it's always good that they even get a quick look at you. I hate that "rushed" treatment that some doctors give, even good doctors when they are having a behind schedule type of day. So I get that you felt it was a waste of your time and the doctor's as well. I just like to think seeing them face to face holds them accountable a bit more.

And of course rant away! I hate waiting too long at the doctor's office!!!!!

[jiml]

No worries, Jim. It's your loss.

Cheers

I'm not worried Bill and it's certainly not a loss to me ....my Fumaderm costs me nothing as at my age it's funded by our national health service (even when I had to pay it was just the cost of a prepayment certificate which can be used for all the medications I get prescribed for a year) as I say the cost to me is nothing but a couple of hospital car park charges to usually get my psoriasis checked .
I would rather have that with an approved treatment where I can get backup if needed rather than doing it myself and risking overdosing if I measure wrongly
If I lived somewhere that DMF wasn't available and insurance refusing a quality treatment and knowing what I know now after reading your experience ...I would probably give it a go ....providing I could get monitored

So as I say I love what you do, but perhaps now you can understand why I prefer to stick with the (free to me) treatment under the watchful eyes of healthcare professionals

[Bill]

Jim, I fully understand why you do what you do. In any event the UK is probably still subject to the EU DMF ban. My choice rests with the reality that in Australia I need to try and fail three of four treatment options before I could access biological treatments. Light therapy is not an option with my fair skin. This means that I would need to try and fail methotrexate, cyclosporin, and acitretin. The conditions of failure mean that I would have to endure an out of control and untreated disease for at least six months. Contrast this with obtaining a supply of DMF within a couple of weeks, reducing my disease by 90% within about four weeks after commencing treatment and going as well as ever after over five years. I do use the health system for blood testing.

Cheers

[Caroline]

For me that even looks as a sensible approach for both of you seen from the circumstances you are in.


E'vning Bill

[jiml]

A few spots of psoriasis in my scalp and behind my ears and the spot on my elbow has started to flake again after 6 years
I have a small spot on my right leg ...but to be honest it's not enough to worry about although it makes me nervous, as it's a reminder that I still have the disease and it's never far away

So my visit to dermatology last week although it was  disappointing as I felt I was being rushed through after my appointment was 50 minutes late and I was in and out in less than 10 minutes ...I was able to get a repeat for my Fumaderm tablets and I asked for some enstilar foam for any bits that pop up.

Today I had another blood test so will add the readings from January to my tables

	White blood count	Neutrophils	Lymphocytes	Monocytes	Easinophils	Basophils
Normal readings	WBC 4-10	NEUTROPHILS 2-7	LYMPHOCYTES 1-3	MONOCYTES 0.2-1.0	EOSINOPHILS 0.02-0.5	BASOPHILS 0.0-0.1
March	6.6	4.57	1.21	0.54	0.24	0.04
April	6.7	4.52	1.25	0.54	0.36	0.04
May	6.0	4.04	1.13	0.50	0.28	0.04
June	6.9	4.53	1.42	0.60	0.31	0.04
July	7.3	4.99	1.27	0.61	0.38	0.04
August	__	__	1.25	__	__	__
September	8.2	5.91	1.26	0.63	0.36	0.03
October	7.5	5.56	0.98	0.6	0.31	0.05
November	6.1	3.84	1.29	0.57	0.36	0.04
December 5	6.5	4.11	1.34	0.64	0.35	0.05
December 28	5.8	4.19	0.77**	0.59	0.22	0.03
January 12	8.2	5.51	1.48	0.86	0.30	0.05

**infection pulled the lymphocytes down

[Fred]

I know that feeling of getting reminded we still have it. When you get clear or very close to, it's horrible when it gets even just a little bit worse.

But I would say don't let it bother you, Spring is on the way and you can keep an eye on it.

[jiml]

I know that feeling of getting reminded we still have it. When you get clear or very close to, it's horrible when it gets even just a little bit worse.

But I would say don't let it bother you, Spring is on the way and you can keep an eye on it.

Thanks that's my thought Fred ...I never let it get me down.......but it is always there at the back of your mind

As an aside when I was at the hospital I asked for enstilar and they wrote a prescription to take to my doctors to get ..
When my wife picked it up and gave it to me ....the doctor had substituted dermovate gel in place of enstilar

I went back and had a word with the pharmacist who insisted it was a generic version of enstilar.....I told her to check her facts before trying to palm me off with the gel ....I said look at the note from the hospital it clearly says enstilar foam
Had I not been a member here I would have accepted what she said
My doctor phoned that evening and said a new prescription was waiting for me
So I now have both

I know they contain the same ingredients ...but from what I've read here enstilar is easier to apply and seems to be absorbed better giving better results

[Fred]

As an aside when I was at the hospital I asked for enstilar and they wrote a prescription to take to my doctors to get ..
When my wife picked it up and gave it to me ....the doctor had substituted dermovate gel in place of enstilar

I went back and had a word with the pharmacist who insisted it was a generic version of enstilar.....I told her to check her facts before trying to palm me off with the gel ....I said look at the note from the hospital it clearly says enstilar foam
Had I not been a member here I would have accepted what she said
My doctor phoned that evening and said a new prescription was waiting for me
So I now have both

I know they contain the same ingredients ...but from what I've read here enstilar is easier to apply and seems to be absorbed better giving better results

Yes you were right to demand Enstilar. There is No officially recognised generic version of Enstilar and your pharmacist is wrong.

[arsenalfan13]

What will you do now Jiml? Up your fumaderm dose (I forget how many you are on currently, my apologies) or just see how you get on with the Enstilar?