Greetings all

[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