Health Boards
Fri-05-08-2016, 06:33 AM
Hello,
I am a new member here. I actually dont have psoriasis but my girlfriend of 3 years was recentlu diagnosed with a moderate case of psoriasis at the age of 31.
A bit of background on me, like i said i dont have psoriasis but have struggled with eczema when i was younger and seborriheic dermatitis more recently, and therefore know a little bit (and identify a lot!) with the frustration, embarrassment, and overall helplessness that skin disorders like this can cause. I had some great experiences and learned a lot through boards like this one, so i thought i would sign up here on her behalf (again, shes very shy and not likely to do this on her own) and see if we can find a way to get her condition under control.
About her condition: she never had symptoms until recently. She has small lesions all over her body, but more concentrated on her legs and scalp. At first we thought it was just dandruff, as her scalp issues manifested first, but as it persisted, worsened and spread to other areas we went to her primary care physician. She prescribed her a steroid cream, which immediately made me concerned because i have heard horror stories about prolonged use of such creams as well as a development of tolerance and the necessity of increased potency, etc. However her doctor pretty much dismissed my concerns and continued to prescribe her the steroid. The cream itself is an oily substance that she is expected to rub into her scalp. It does seem to help her body but not only is it a huge pain to apply it in her hair but i dont think it is working well because it is not penetrating to all areas on her head. I had good results with a foam medication when i was suffering from seborriheic dermatitis, and asked her doctor about something like that but she said she didnt think it was necessary.
Anyhow, she has been using the steroid but she recently ran out and her symtoms flared up (big surprise) worse than before. She has a dr appointment this week, and i have been urging her to ask to be referred to a specialist.
My question to you folks:
What are some suggestions with regards to medications? What has worked for you? Are steroid creams pretty much unavoidable for this condition, and/or are there some good "steroid-sparing" meds that could help control the condition so the steroids could be used only for managing flare-ups? Do you have a good recommendation for a topical foam or liquid that works well for the scalp / hairy areas? Also she has naturally dark skin and dislikes sun exposure (she doesnt like being "too dark", and despite my urging her to get more sun she wont try it out to see if it would help (i hear it would help). Also she is using neutragena t-gel shampoo with moderate success (another suggestion of mine).
Thanks for your time & support, ill update with more info about her specific prescriptions after our next dr visit.
Thanks, kc3i
I am a new member here. I actually dont have psoriasis but my girlfriend of 3 years was recentlu diagnosed with a moderate case of psoriasis at the age of 31.
A bit of background on me, like i said i dont have psoriasis but have struggled with eczema when i was younger and seborriheic dermatitis more recently, and therefore know a little bit (and identify a lot!) with the frustration, embarrassment, and overall helplessness that skin disorders like this can cause. I had some great experiences and learned a lot through boards like this one, so i thought i would sign up here on her behalf (again, shes very shy and not likely to do this on her own) and see if we can find a way to get her condition under control.
About her condition: she never had symptoms until recently. She has small lesions all over her body, but more concentrated on her legs and scalp. At first we thought it was just dandruff, as her scalp issues manifested first, but as it persisted, worsened and spread to other areas we went to her primary care physician. She prescribed her a steroid cream, which immediately made me concerned because i have heard horror stories about prolonged use of such creams as well as a development of tolerance and the necessity of increased potency, etc. However her doctor pretty much dismissed my concerns and continued to prescribe her the steroid. The cream itself is an oily substance that she is expected to rub into her scalp. It does seem to help her body but not only is it a huge pain to apply it in her hair but i dont think it is working well because it is not penetrating to all areas on her head. I had good results with a foam medication when i was suffering from seborriheic dermatitis, and asked her doctor about something like that but she said she didnt think it was necessary.
Anyhow, she has been using the steroid but she recently ran out and her symtoms flared up (big surprise) worse than before. She has a dr appointment this week, and i have been urging her to ask to be referred to a specialist.
My question to you folks:
What are some suggestions with regards to medications? What has worked for you? Are steroid creams pretty much unavoidable for this condition, and/or are there some good "steroid-sparing" meds that could help control the condition so the steroids could be used only for managing flare-ups? Do you have a good recommendation for a topical foam or liquid that works well for the scalp / hairy areas? Also she has naturally dark skin and dislikes sun exposure (she doesnt like being "too dark", and despite my urging her to get more sun she wont try it out to see if it would help (i hear it would help). Also she is using neutragena t-gel shampoo with moderate success (another suggestion of mine).
Thanks for your time & support, ill update with more info about her specific prescriptions after our next dr visit.
Thanks, kc3i