Intrduction from Clear30

[D Foster]

Hi and welcome to the club , Caroline is right about the throat infection ,it can start a flare. Have a good look around and ask away because the difference on here is that the questions are answered by the inmates who have the same problems so the answers will be based on experience and there is nobody trying to sell you anything. Bear in mind that what works for one does not necessarily work in the same way for another and that goes for the side effects, get yourself an appointment with a dermatologist becuase most GPs know a little about a lot but when it comes down to something like P and PsA they are lost.
GB buys coconut oil direct and I am sure he will let you know from where, I used to get mine from the pharmacy .
Take care Dave

[Fred]

I'm pretty sure GB gets his from the same place as me, and I'm even more sure he gets the same brand as me.

You can read more about coconut oil here Coconut Oil and Jim is right you need to get a good quality one.

I have tested many over the years and there is one that I always end up going back to, I'll PM you Clear and let you know which one it is as we don't allow advertising on Psoriasis Club.

[Bill]

Hi C30,

I use the Aldi coconut oil. It is good in my opinion. As for using topicals, you can make them more effective by covering the affected areas after application (occlusion). I have been testing this long known practice on a couple of spots that have resisted over five years of systemic therapy. A spot on my knee cleared in under six weeks. I am currently treating a spot on my elbow. I hope you get effective treatment soon.

[Maryam]

Welcome to the club Clear30.

Steroid creams work better on a well-hydrated skin, so splash on a moisturizer of your choice. A lot of people use coconut oil, but my skin doesn't do well with coconut oil, I use a body lotion, vaseline advanced repair for very dry skin is very good.

[Clear30]

Hi all, well Just been docs asked for a referral to skin specialist and she said " you have got to try Exorex for a couple of weeks as they will ask why you haven't" !!!
So I showed her where my p was, arms, legs and private places which are all very red, sore and inflamed from 8 weeks use of Dovonex. 
Being a coal tar based lotion I imagine Exorex would sting so I said "are you sure I can use it down there" she said yes,  then when I read instructions it says do not use on genitals or anul area, or broken skin. Rang surgery back, fuming, doc left for day,  got to make another app next week now as back at work next 3 days. What a waste of time.

[Fred]

Hi all, well Just been docs asked for a referral to skin specialist and she said " you have got to try Exorex for a couple of weeks as they will ask why you haven't" !!!
So I showed her where my p was, arms, legs and private places which are all very red, sore and inflamed from 8 weeks use of Dovonex. 
Being a coal tar based lotion I imagine Exorex would sting so I said "are you sure I can use it down there" she said yes,  then when I read instructions it says do not use on genitals or anul area, or broken skin. Rang surgery back, fuming, doc left for day,  got to make another app next week now as back at work next 3 days. What a waste of time.

That's terrible. Maybe you should think of changing your GP to one that knows what they are doing. It's bad enough having psoriasis let alone being treated like that.

You could try some coconut oil for a while till you get to see someone.

[jiml]

Hi all, well Just been docs asked for a referral to skin specialist and she said " you have got to try Exorex for a couple of weeks as they will ask why you haven't" !!!
So I showed her where my p was, arms, legs and private places which are all very red, sore and inflamed from 8 weeks use of Dovonex. 
Being a coal tar based lotion I imagine Exorex would sting so I said "are you sure I can use it down there" she said yes,  then when I read instructions it says do not use on genitals or anul area, or broken skin. Rang surgery back, fuming, doc left for day,  got to make another app next week now as back at work next 3 days. What a waste of time.

That’s awful no wonder you are fuming.... that’s very unprofessional of him to prescribe something that he obviously has no idea about
Insist on a referral and tell him you have no confidence as he would have happily had you using something that the manufacturers say should not be used on these sensitive areas

I hope you get a referral but even with one it’s going to take a while for the appointment to come through
So Freds idea of coconut oil is a good one but get a good quality one

[Turnedlight]

Sounds like they are following the NICE pathway without remembering to treat you as a human being.. it seems it’s what GPs do - follow a flow chart.

My doc kept trying this and that on me, in the end I filled a carrier bag with all the prescription creams etc and dumped them out on her desk. She still made me try one more thing (probably exorex!) but I got referred in the end. I was getting fed up with the prescription expenditure as well as the pain and itching..
It might also take showing your emotions - it shouldn’t be necessary but if you feel like tears then the doc might as well see them..

I would suggest you get a pot of sudocrem (not tube) from the baby section in the supermarket/ chemist (so long as you’re not allergic to lanolin) for the privates, as the zinc content will hopefully soothe it a bit for now.

[D Foster]

Hi all, well Just been docs asked for a referral to skin specialist and she said " you have got to try Exorex for a couple of weeks as they will ask why you haven't" !!!
So I showed her where my p was, arms, legs and private places which are all very red, sore and inflamed from 8 weeks use of Dovonex. 
Being a coal tar based lotion I imagine Exorex would sting so I said "are you sure I can use it down there" she said yes,  then when I read instructions it says do not use on genitals or anul area, or broken skin. Rang surgery back, fuming, doc left for day,  got to make another app next week now as back at work next 3 days. What a waste of time.

As I said GPs are useless , use some coconut oil or similar then  tell the silly sod that you used what she suggested and only after an horrendous reaction did you look at the instructions and realized that it could not be used there.. Then tell her you want to see a dermatologist rather than someone who does not know what they are doing, they think that they are special but most of them are useless.Dont worry about upsetting her it's you that matters.

[Fred]

Just a thought. It may be worth you looking at this thread and filling in the form before going to your next appointment.

Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI)