Will Clearing P Make Me Feel Better? Stelara VS No Stelara?

[Spot On]

Will clearing P make me feel better? I have a doc that has fast tracked me for Stelara, but I am hesitant because of the health risks. (Cancer etc.) I would also have to take the Twinrex hep A B vaccine which concerns me because of the mercury preservative.

My P is on my elbows, knees, scalp, ears, back, sides and spots all over. One fingernail and toenail have it. The amount is not as bad as it sounds, but getting worse. I can keep it somewhat at bay with my 6 lamp NB UVB light unit.

So my question is: If my P clears, will I feel better? Is the clearing cosmetic or will there be actual physical benefits?
I don't want to risk serious side effects for a cosmetic fix.

Thanks

[Turnedlight]

I think this is the dilemma we all come up against, I certainly didn't want to take any drugs. But unfortunately my P doesn't keep itself to a manageable area, it gets bigger until I can't cope any more.

I kept saying it seems extreme just for cosmetic reasons but to be honest it wasn't, I wasn't sleeping properly, it was sore etc. So, if you feel ok with the coverage and severity you currently have I think you are right to think hard before going for it.

However, you should ask yourself if you think you are managing or if it's actually having a big impact on your life which you have simply got used to. I must admit, I hadn't realised how much I'd got used to it until I went on drugs and my skin got a lot better. The derm told me that the skin regulates the body temperature, and any skin with P is not doing this properly. So when you get to a certain level of coverage you might find you get too hot or cold and it's really not just your skin affected then.

Just before I went on Stelara, my P was pretty bad and I couldn't wait to take it. Now I've been clear since January, I'm thinking 'Maybe I shouldn't be taking these serious drugs'!

I have a feeling you will know when you are ready, though it sounds like you might not be able to access the Stelara very quickly, but in the end it is up to you, not the derm, to make the decision.

[jiml]

Will clearing P make me feel better? I have a doc that has fast tracked me for Stelara, but I am hesitant because of the health risks. (Cancer etc.) I would also have to take the Twinrex hep A B vaccine which concerns me because of the mercury preservative.

My P is on my elbows, knees, scalp, ears, back, sides and spots all over. One fingernail and toenail have it. The amount is not as bad as it sounds, but getting worse. I can keep it somewhat at bay with my 6 lamp NB UVB light unit.

So my question is: If my P clears, will I feel better? Is the clearing cosmetic or will there be actual physical benefits?
I don't want to risk serious side effects for a cosmetic fix.

Thanks

I think it depends on how you feel about your psoriasis, for me getting clearance made a terrific difference to me as a person. After over 45 years of suffering with the disease and keeping covered up and thinking I was alone with the disease, being embarrasssed as I left trails of skin wherever I went, never doing a lot of the things I wanted to do like swimming and wearing shorts and short sleeved shirts ...I guess it made me introverted...but as soon as I got clear on Fumaderm a new me appeared a happier person all round ...you can call it cosmetic but for me it was much deeper than that lifting my self esteem and making me more confident. Would you call that a physical difference ....yes I think so

So in answer to your question if psoriasis makes you feel bad and you can get long term clearance with a drug you can believe in ....it should make a positive contribution to your life,

If you have the chance of Stelara I would say go for it ....the benefits far outweigh any risks
Jim

[Fred]

First off I agree with TL "It's up to you and not your dermatologist to make the best decision" It's your body they are playing with.

Will getting clear of psoriasis make feel better ? Yes it certainly will, your self esteem will improve and once you get clear you will soon realise how much it was effecting your life.

Stelara is the best for clearing psoriasis in my opinion and it works fast too. I'm a big fan and was on it for over 6 years, it's a simple injection and at just 4 shots a year you don't feel it's inconvenient.

As for the health risks. They are minimal and you can always stop, I don't know of any increased cancer risk and have always had the opinion that if you're going to get it you will.

You're coping at the moment, but you say it's getting worse so it's obviously starting to make you question if it's time to move up the ladder (hence you making this thread) personally if I was in your situation I would say give Stelara a try for 6 months and see what you think. You will soon now after that time if it's making you feel better, and from there you can decide if the health risk worry that you have is worth you continuing.

Good luck

[artemie]

hi Spot On, I concur with TL and Fred on this. Started on Stelera today (journal will follow when I regain some mental energy)

This is after _years_ of avoiding biologicals. By way of trying diets, elimination of trigger foods (doesn't work for me) ... Dymethilfumerate (worked great until tummy upsets were too much, I wish it wasn't so)  

It's a big choice to make, going on biologicals, which I made after I felt I really couldn't cope anymore. Sore, flaky skin, thin hot skin, painful, humiliating, you name it. Then promptly failed on Humira; liver couldn't handle it, and/or I was making antibodies like there was no tomorrow.
 
But don't be too scared; it works great for most people who have Psoriasis. I looked at Stelera reviews online, and although there are some bad examples, most people are extatic. There's a review site I can't (and won't name, to keep this site clear and independent) name here, but you can sort the reactions from 'most positive' or 'most negative'. Anyway, that's up to you to investigate, but maybe you'll only drive yourself crazy from researching too much. 

I can only go by personal experience, but I feel great, free, pretty and happy when I'm clear.  Legs to die for  There are people who are quite happy as they are with P, but it's always personal. I hope our answers help you a bit to make a choice.  Big hug! ArteMie

[Spot On]

Thank you folks for the replies.

My derm has me really fast tracked for Stelara... If I agree it will be quick to start.

From the replies here it is more cosmetic or mental health/self esteem feeling better. Not a major physical energy boost type of thing.

I will go back to my uvb lights and think some more.

[Fred]

From the replies here it is more cosmetic or mental health/self esteem feeling better. Not a major physical energy boost type of thing.

It did give me a huge energy boost as it helped ease the psoriatic arthritis. But no if you only have psoriasis then it won't give you a noticable energy boost. (But neither will any other treatment)

Good luck.

[jiml]

I have not had a biological drug yet but if and when my current drug stops working I won’t hesitate to move to one of the bios .... having tasted life free from Psoriasis, I really don’t want to return to those dark days with it

I agree I didn’t get a huge energy boost, but was for once able to participate in things I couldn’t  when covered in Psoriasis .... in that respect it lifted my perceived energy levels ....
I can’t see how takng anything for Psoriasis will increase your energy levels but could make you feel better about yourself and improve self esteem .... which I don’t regard as cosmetic as it’s quality of life improving

I do think only you will know when it’s time to move on to a better treatment, and I wish you good luck with whatever you choose

[D Foster]

Hi spot On. I have been on Stelara for around 5 years now and have had no side effects apart from a few days feeling tired just after each injection. It's a fantastic treatment and I had no hesitation going on it and no regrets at all afterwards , I have been in hospital 3 times with P and the Stelara is the only treatment I have had in all the many years I have had P that has cleared 99% of the dam stuff.
It's up to you to decide what you do but I can highly recommend it.

[Maryam]

I feel more tired during flare, so I hope meds will help with that when I clear up.

And I wouldn't worry to much about the vaccins, they're never as bad as the actual disease you're vaccinated for.