Health Boards
Sun-04-12-2016, 04:07 AM
Hi, I've been battling this since 2013, induced by stress. After trying every kind of topical option, I was approved for Stelara with my insurance in Dec 2015. After undergoing initial blood tests, I had two TB Gold tests come back "indeterminate". Both my physician and dermatologist had never seen this before. They are usually either positive or negative, right? We first thought it was a lab error but after the second one they wanted me to go to an infectious disease specialist. I could not find one to except me so I put it on hold until the new year....and then I got a cold, then I got a sinus infection, then I got busy, then an event of extreme stress and constant anger causaed an outbreak of Shingles on my forehead! (Ocular nerve from eye to brain was affected. I was 39 years old!). That virus and the 3,000 mg a day of anti-viral medicine for 10 days knocked me down for a month. Anxiety and anger was replaced with withdrawal, depression and a massive outbreak of psoriasis. Celexa changed my life emotionally, that's another topic. I'm so thankful for my physician. In November 2016 I felt better than I had in over a year, so I decided to start the process of Stelara again. TB Gold negative! I believe everything happens for a reason. Those two tests that didn't make sense happened because I was not meant to be on this injection yet. I am scared to think of how bad it. I have been if I had been on Stelara during that time. So as we started the process again, in the meantime they gave me Enstilar, luckily at no cost to me, due to a manufacturer incentive and a specialty pharmacy. Four weeks later I got my first Stelara injection, Dec 1st. I am anxious to see how well this works!
Side note - Enstilar is AMAZING, short term. On the 2nd day my skin was peeling and feeling very smooth. On the 4th day the redness went away! On week 3, the week to take a break from it, it started to come back and spread. That was the first topical that ever made a difference to me. I am happy to share a day 4 "before and after" picture if I can figure out how. Ha!
Side note - Enstilar is AMAZING, short term. On the 2nd day my skin was peeling and feeling very smooth. On the 4th day the redness went away! On week 3, the week to take a break from it, it started to come back and spread. That was the first topical that ever made a difference to me. I am happy to share a day 4 "before and after" picture if I can figure out how. Ha!