Thread: Flakers awake! - Psoriasis

Originally Posted by Wild Dingo

I thought you blokes were talking about Psoriasis not dandruff!! Dandruff is a whole different mongrel to Psoriasis
BUT Psoriasis is NOT dandruff just thought Id say that

I was told by a dermatologist that dandruff is not psoriasis but psoriasis can be mistaken as dandruff. People automatically assume that becasue you have a flaky scalp it is dandruff, but it can be caused by psoriasis in some cases.

UVB treatment and cancer risks....

Phototherapy studies performed over the last two decades have consistently shown that the incidence of skin cancer in patients receiving UVB phototherapy is not increased above the incidence in the general population. These findings include the investigation of UVB treatment alone, in addition to UVB supplemented by another known carcinogen, topical coal tar, in the Goeckerman regimen (a day-treatment program in which patients receive tar and light treatments).

Goeckerman patients studied in one of the most comprehensive studies of this subject, Mark pittelkow, M.D., and co-authors at the Mayo Clinic retrospectively reviewed 280 psoriasis patients in a 25-year follow-up. All of the patients had been hospitalized and treated with crude coal tar and ultraviolet light. The incidence of skin cancer in those patients was not increased over the expected incidence.

In a second study of skin cancers in patients with atopic dermatitis who were treated with Goeckerman regimen, Willard Maughan and co-authors completed a 25-year follow-up study of 426 patients and again found no significant increase in the incidence of skin cancer.

Sebastiaan,
I find that short hair makes a big difference. I give myself a no.2 with the clippers every month which seems to keep it at bay. If I let it get longer than 10mm the snow starts again.

Originally Posted by Master Splinter

[LEFT]If you don't mind a suntan, UV treatment (narrowband UV-B) is very effective.

I am not sure if this is a good idea or not. My father had the dreaded rash and used to use a UV light extensively. In later life he suffered extensively with skin cancer problems. I don't know if there is a connection there, I am just relating the story. He too used every cream and external treatment offered and nothing helped.

I have had this problem for quite some time, and tired of going to drs. and trying one thing after another, and expensive tiny tubes of cream when it developed into infections. One day staff member in chemist showed me T-gel, which is a shampoo and also makes a conditioner. Within a week it was almost gone. I dont use it all the time, (too expensive for my budget) but for a few weeks in a row, then use cheaper tar shampoo from woolies for a while.

Have found a couple of things. It is aggravated by moist hair, sweat, dust mites, WOOD DUST stress, hats. Try and get your hair and skin as dry as possible after showering. Dont have a too hot, long shower. Dont wrap your hair in a towel after showering. (And yes you could change the sign to Donna!!)

Donna

I don't suffer from psoriasis but do have severe atopic excema, to the point where I have had several spells as an inpatient at various hospitals, sometimes admitted as an emergency case.

Now although I still have this ailment I no longer "suffer" from it and haven't for the past 20 years. my last hospital admission 20 years ago taught me a way of controlling (not curing) the ailment and lets admit it after some of the treatment in those dermatology wards I don't ever want to be admitted again.

When I feel that the dreaded lurgy is on its way I bathe several times over a few days in a bath of oatmeal.

Now please understand that if this excema develops then I can end up scratching myself until I bleed profusely (hence the emergency admissions), so any intervetion is good. A dose of steroid can sometimes help but the oatmeal bath is gaurenteed to help me. Apparrantly there is an enzyme in oatmeal that promotes cell repair.

Of course I understand that this may or may not help with psoriasis but I am sure it wouldn't do any harm to try it - even people with so called healthy skin would feel the benefit of oatmeal.

To bathe in the stuff I just put some oatmeal (instant porridge or similar) into a ladies stocking to make a ball the size of a tennis ball, put that in your bath and the white goo that oozes out is the stuff - soak in it for 20- 30 minutes twice a day untill you feel the benefit.

Please if you have one don't ever get ridof a bath.

Denn

Originally Posted by dennford

I don't suffer from psoriasis but do have severe atopic excema, to the point where I have had several spells as an inpatient at various hospitals, sometimes admitted as an emergency case.

Now although I still have this ailment I no longer "suffer" from it and haven't for the past 20 years. my last hospital admission 20 years ago taught me a way of controlling (not curing) the ailment and lets admit it after some of the treatment in those dermatology wards I don't ever want to be admitted again.

When I feel that the dreaded lurgy is on its way I bathe several times over a few days in a bath of oatmeal.

Now please understand that if this excema develops then I can end up scratching myself until I bleed profusely (hence the emergency admissions), so any intervetion is good. A dose of steroid can sometimes help but the oatmeal bath is gaurenteed to help me. Apparrantly there is an enzyme in oatmeal that promotes cell repair.

Of course I understand that this may or may not help with psoriasis but I am sure it wouldn't do any harm to try it - even people with so called healthy skin would feel the benefit of oatmeal.

To bathe in the stuff I just put some oatmeal (instant porridge or similar) into a ladies stocking to make a ball the size of a tennis ball, put that in your bath and the white goo that oozes out is the stuff - soak in it for 20- 30 minutes twice a day untill you feel the benefit.

Please if you have one don't ever get ridof a bath.

Denn

Denn so this way you can have breakfast in the bath just add sugar n milk
Mine is on rigth thumb area its where I sued to sand vehicles back when doing resprays
on my left wrist where as a child I was steam scollded turning off a jug.

I swear if I eat anything with hazlenut especcially choclate I can like you scratch till t bleads. Coffee more than one a week these days and same thing go figure all those years of mars bars n coffee, hot chocolate to keep me going in the winter month down the snow must have got overdosed.

Originally Posted by wheelinround

Denn so this way you can have breakfast in the bath just add sugar n milk

I'l bet you wont ever want porridge for brekky if you visit my house

Denn

Originally Posted by Rov

It has to do with your chi- blocked chi to be precise.

I think you'll find the only 'chi' involved is that it can be itchi.

Current research indicates that there are at least four genes linked to the condition - called PSOR 1-4, along with the human leukocyte antigen regulation system and tumor necrosis factor.

Excema is similar but different; it seems to involve IgE immunoglobulins and cell-mediated immune response.

Excema often presents from an early age while psoriasis typically does not appear till the early 30's

My quick layperson's reading on the subject gives me the feeling that you could describe them as opposites in immune system disorders; with psoriasis you get an overactive immune response that is continually replacing healthy skin cells for no good reason; with excema you have an underactive response that allows enzymes from allergens to damage skin cells, thereby forcing their replacement. Similar outcomes, but different causes.

Appropriate treatments for both are different; as with many conditions there are home remedies that provide some level of relief, but my general rule of thumb is that unless there are clinical studies proving a level of effectiveness, I'm not going to pay more than the price of a few movie tickets for the privilege of trying something!

I've had it for years, pretty much cleared up now tho

A bloke I was working with gave me some stuff for it. He's a biochemist, he said this stuff isn't approved for use in people, it's a veteranary product used on horses. Called Copper Indomethycin Gel, cheap and it works. You can probably get some through your vet. Though he might get a little put off if you tell him it's for yourself.

It works via a similar action as your cortisone based creams, problem with them is they interfere with the way your skin grows - so you can end up with thiner skin and have to limit your use of them. This stuff doesn't do that.

It takes about six weeks or so before you think it's doing any good then it clears up pretty fast, maybe two or three months and your psoriasis will be a bad memory. It will come back, but then you'll know how to treat it

Someone introduced my Dad to a veterinary product for his Psoriasis. It is used to treat skin problems on the udders of cows. While not getting rid of the Psoriasis it definitely relieved the itchiness and need to scratch.

I have had remarkable success treating Cellulitis with Coconut Oil. For those who may not know cellulitis is a deep tissue infection (commonly Staph) that flourishes when the lymphatic system is compromised by a major traumatic injury or by having lymph glands removed in cancer surgery. No it's not that lumpy look on women's thighs.
Anyway the thing is it can be very debilitating. I treat it with antibiotics, but when push comes to shove and it won't go away I rub on the coconut oil and by morning the improvement is fantastic.
I would think that it may work well with psoriasis as well. Be sure to buy only an "organic" coconut oil as a non certified oil may have been extracted with the help of chemicals. This site http://www.nuicoconut.com/ has the stuff that I use, I even cook with it.
One of the main ingredients in coconut oil is lauric acid. That comes neatly packaged as we know it in breast milk. This is the stuff that gives rug rats their immunity to bugs and diseases. The Fijians swear by it.
If anyone does try it let us know if it works for you!!!

Originally Posted by prozac

I have had remarkable success treating Cellulitis with Coconut Oil. For those who may not know cellulitis is a deep tissue infection (commonly Staph) that flourishes when the lymphatic system is compromised by a major traumatic injury or by having lymph glands removed in cancer surgery. No it's not that lumpy look on women's thighs.
Anyway the thing is it can be very debilitating. I treat it with antibiotics, but when push comes to shove and it won't go away I rub on the coconut oil and by morning the improvement is fantastic.
I would think that it may work well with psoriasis as well. Be sure to buy only an "organic" coconut oil as a non certified oil may have been extracted with the help of chemicals. This site http://www.nuicoconut.com/ has the stuff that I use, I even cook with it.
One of the main ingredients in coconut oil is lauric acid. That comes neatly packaged as we know it in breast milk. This is the stuff that gives rug rats their immunity to bugs and diseases. The Fijians swear by it.
If anyone does try it let us know if it works for you!!!

Hi Prozac,

Full of saturated fats as well. There is a school of thought that suggests saturated fats are under represented in the modern diet much to the dismay of cardiologists!

Some things help a bit. I changed my blood pressure medication. Beta blockers as a group have a correlation to psoriasis. Im on another drug, so far its better. I am also taking "bioflavinoids" which are apparently an antioxidant. Between the two I have seen improvement.

Wheelin,

One day Ill do an expose on the "Health Food" industry. Suffice to say that the margins are well in excess of normal retail. A lot of well meaning people in the system, a lot of sharks as well,

Originally Posted by Master Splinter

My quick layperson's reading on the subject gives me the feeling that you could describe them as opposites in immune system disorders; with psoriasis you get an overactive immune response that is continually replacing healthy skin cells for no good reason; with excema you have an underactive response that allows enzymes from allergens to damage skin cells, thereby forcing their replacement. Similar outcomes, but different causes.

That's interesting because as said I suffer from excema (under active immune system), but I also suffer from a type of arthritis that is caused by an overactive immune system, there is some evidence that immuno-suppressants do sometimes help in the treatment of some forms of arthritis.
I wonder if I'm coming or going?

Denn