Aha! This looks good, A psoriasis forum for fellow sufferers.

[jiml]

Hi folks, I've just literally stumbled across this forum, took a brief tour, and decided to join in.  I've had plaque psoriasis for several decades now - being diagnosed on the early 1980's. I've had various treatments - and the psoriasis come and goes in between treatments.
Treatment regimes in the past 30 years have varied between creams such as betnovate, dovonex,dovobet etc. and Fumaderm and UVA and also UVB.

I was recently 99% clear following a few sessions of UVB but within 3 weeks of ceasing that treatment I was 85% covered again! The quickest return ever! (for me anyway)...    I'm now back on Fumaderm Initial (after a 10 year break) and am just into my third week. I start on the full strength  tablet this coming Thursday. After only 3 weeks I'm already starting to see a reduction in the flakes I am producing and the plaques are slowing flattening.  I'm very encouraged.   Not side effects as yet.

Last time when I was on these tablets I reluctantly felt obliged to give them up - not because they didnt work, they did, but because the stomach cramps I was getting when I reach 4 tabs a day were just unbearable. 
Somehow I'm hoping to avoid that this time.  Not only am I ten years older and my body may have changed? but maybe I can find some hints and tips in order to reduce the "gastrointestinal" side effects?      I was on an Indian website earlier today which suggested taking the Fumaderm with milk rather than water was a potential way forward.

I hope to pick up some useful ideas and tips here  - it looks like a well used and respected site  and of course I'll be very happy to share my progress (or lack of it) with you all as time passes.   

With tongue firmly in cheek - I only have one negative comment to make so far :  I was only allowed to enter a username which was longer than 3 characters and my given name only has 3 - so I have been obliged to add a dummy character on the end of my name.    (Which is fine by the way!)

Cheers

Kit

Welcome Kit I'm glad you stumbled onto us, and yes your title says it all, that's all you will find here fellow sufferers, sharing experiences
Fred has built up a tremendous store if information about the disease and it's treatments, this has been complimented by members adding their experiences for others to learn from

We are a friendly site you will notice it's not got a single advert or live link, this helps keep the site totally independent and friendly and a safe environment for us all to post in.

You will never be asked to donate ...Fred refuses any assistance funding the site and has it covered for over the next two years , so feel free to join in any of the conversations, we try to make everybody feel comfortable

On to your Fumaderm, I'm glad you have come back to it , I think it's a super drug and have been on it over 4 years and been clear most of that time..

A suggestion to you about the stomach cramps, which I used to get .....if you can tough it out they do give up as your body gets used to the stranger invading it,
But when they start ...try going back a step, take one less tablet for a week before stepping up...that might help, but let's cross that bridge when and if it happens this time

once more Jim