Hi Eric,
I don't think that we've met, so let me take this opportunity to welcome you to the Board! :cool: Nice to meet you. I'm sorry to hear that you're going through such a rough time. Sorry to hear about your diagnosis. :(
First, it sounds like your psoriasis came on very suddenly. It's possible that you might be suffering from some sort of low grade infection and don't even know it because you are asymptomatic. Although just about any infection may trigger psoriasis, more then a few people have posted here that either their psoriasis or their child's psoriasis was either triggered by a strep infection or gets worse when they have strep. Many of these same people have reported that a psoriasis outbreak is often the only sign that they have strep. They didn't have a sore throat or fever. To add insult to injury, they also report that the psoriasis won't respond to treatment until the underlying infection is taken care of. Here's the links to some previous discussions on the subject: , , and . And, here's a link to the NPF's discussion of psoriasis triggers: .
Second, you asked: can someone who has had this for years please tell me what its like? the derm told me that its possible for it to go away for a few years and then it may come back? is that true?
I'm 48 and was diagnosed with psoriasis when I was 7, so I've been dealing with psoriasis for a little over 41 years. Everyone and their psoriasis is different. My psoriasis has never gone into to remission and over the years it has spread beyond to new parts of my body, but it's still fairly mild. You may be very different. Your psoriasis may go into remission and you may never have to deal with it again. It's really hard to say for sure. The one good thing is that they keep introducing new treatments for psoriasis. None of the medications that you mentioned were available when I was first diagnosed. I know that it's hard not to be discouraged, but you'll eventually find the right treatment for you. Hang in there.
You mentioned that:a girl told me to ssoak in the tub with iodized table salt for 20-30 mins everynight.
Another frustrating thing about psoriasis is that something that works for one person may or may not work for another. I've seen posts by people who say that taking baths with table salt helps their psoriasis. Other people find that taking baths with Dead Sea salt from Israel helps their psoriasis. (You have to be careful if you take baths with Dead Sea salt, because it can damage the plumbing in your house.) Still other people take baths with a product like Aveeno Oatmeal soak. (Here's a link to some additional info:
http://aveeno.com/detailAction.do?id=3640.) Still other people take baths with a coal tar based bath soak called Balnetar. Coal tar is a very old treatment for psoriasis. It's all that was available when I was a kid. Products with coal tar may not be available to you since you live in California. (Click here for an explanation: .) (Balnetar is an over the counter product that is available by special order at just about any drug store here in New Jersey. I've never been able to find a website for Balnetar, so I'm going to give you link to a website that sells it online. I've never ordered anything from them, so I have no idea how reliable they are. I've giving you the link because their description is a good one. Here's the link: http://www.dermadoctor.com/pages/br...2746DB41D 0%7D. Because it is coal tar based, Balnetar stains and the stains can be hard to get out. You have to scrub the tub immediately after use. Use old towels and wear old clothes if you decide to try it.)
It's important to keep you skin moist. You really can't overdo it when it comes to moisturizer. Which moisturizer you use is a matter of trial and error and personal preference. I find that it helps use only those moisturizers that are labeled "fragrance free", "for sensitive skin" and/or "non-irritating".
I also find that the kind of soap and laundry products that I use makes all the difference in the world. Anti-bacterial and deoderant soaps, for example, tend to irritate my psoriasis and make it dryer and itchier then it already is. I've had similar problems with the dyes and fragrances in laundry detergent and dryer sheets, etc. I haven't had any laundry related problems since I switched to "free and clear" laundry products. And, here's a link a some previous discussion about psoriasis and soap: .
I had severe scalp psoriasis when I was in college. It's gotten better over the years for no apparent reason. I can keep what's left of it under control by rotating use of several prescription and over the counter products.
Here's a couple of prescription suggestions:
- Derma-Smooth/FS is a prescription medication that's similar to Baker's P&S Oil. (You leave it on for a couple of hours -- most people leave it on overnight -- covered by a shower cap.) It stains and the stains can be hard to get out, so it is especially important that you cover your pillowcase with an old towel. Derma-Smooth/FS is peanut oil based so it can't be used by people with a peanut allergy. Here's a link to some additional information: http://www.hillderm.com/questions/questions.htm.
- Capex shampoo (www.capexshampoo.com) is a prescription shampoo that helps keep my scalp psoriasis under control.
- Olux foam (www.olux.com) or it's milder cousin Luxiq foam (www.luxiq.com) are also excellent choices. They both burn for several very long minutes when you first put them on. To me, the burning is a sign that they're working. Olux has a very strong steroid in it, so you can only use it for short periods of time. (My derm limits its use to two weeks max.) Followed by a break of at least a couple of weeks.
Here's a couple of over the counter suggestions:
- Baker's P&S Liquid is similar to Derma-Smooth/FS except that it doesn't have any medication in it. It's used exactly the same way. (You leave it on for a couple of hours -- covered by a shower cap.) Baker's P&S oil is mineral oil based so it can be used by people with peanut allergies. Baker's P&S Oil is available over the counter, but it's generally not a stock item. It almost always has to be special ordered by the drug store. I've never been able to find a website for Baker's P&S Liquid, so I'm going to give you a link to a site that sells it online. I've NEVER ordered anything from them, so I have no idea how reliable they are. I'm giving you the link because their desciption of Baker's P&S oil is a good one. Here's the link: http://www.dermadoctor.com/product....D&productid=206.
- Neutrogena makes shampoos with either salicylic acid (Neutrogena T/Sal) or coal tar (Neutrogena T/Gel) in them. Both formulas are available in several different strengths. Salicylic acid is one of the few doctor approved methods for removing scales and coal tar has been used to treat psoriasis for many, many years. (Coal tar products may not be available in California.) Here's a link: http://www.neutrogena.com/ProductsLine_7_3.asp.
- Mg217 (www.mg217.com) makes a coal tar shampoo and a salicylic acid shampoo. The coal tar version is widely available (at least here in New Jersey). The salicylic acid version seems to be available by special order only. (As I mentioned, coal tar products may not be available in California.)
- Dermarest [www.dermarest.com) makes a shamoo with salicylic acid in it.
- Shampoos with tea tree oil can be very soothing. A lot of people who post here, use Paul Mitchell tea tree shampoo. I was told that Paul Mitchell products could only be found in beauty supply stores, but I was able to find it in a New York area chain type store. It's very expensive, but I was able to find a cheaper tea tree shampoo by reading just about every bottle of shampoo in the store. (I'm out of it and it's name escapes me at the moment.) I include both the Paul Mitchell product and the cheaper product in my shampoo rotation. Here's a link to some additional info about Paul Mitchell's tea tree shampoo and conditioner: http://www.paulmitchell.com/site/su...section=2,10,32. Julia (screen name: AmeliasMom), speaks very highly of Nature's Gate tea tree shampoo. (Here's a link to one of her posts: .) As I mentioned in my reponse to Julia, I was able to find a store that sells Nature's Gate products by going to their website and using the "find a retailer" feature. It's searchable by zip code. Here's a link: http://www.worldpantry.com/cgi-bin/...tore.d2w/report.
I'm sorry that this turned into such a novel. You're probably suffering from information overload. :rolleyes: I hope that it helps in some small way. Good luck. Keep us posted and please don't be a stranger.
Mike