Mumsnet Talk

My poor dad is suffering terribly with psoriasis, mainly affecting his hands and torso but now spreading to his face. His doctor has prescribed various creams, antihistamine, steriods but nothing seems to give him relief for anything more than a few days. He is now waiting on a referal to a dermatologist but in the mean time it is driving him crazy. Does anyone have any experience or any ideas how to releive it? Realise this should be in general health but posting here as more traffic and my dad is getting desperate. Thanks.

Things I've tried - cut wheat from diet, keep skin well moisturised, put some porridge oats in a cloth and run a bath through it (then get in the bath obviously )

I've also found that these new sunscreens that form a film over your skin helped, but don't understand how.

He has my sympathy, it's a cruel conditions.

My dh suffers from this and was offered heat lamp treatment at the local hospital.he is one of the lucky ones ,he had a really big flare up but its all gone apart from on his scalp which he puts something on every morning.

Vit D is meant to be really good - get supplements if you can

I suffered badly as a child and teen. Cutting our wheat and dairy, apart from natural yoghurt, helped massively. I now only have it on my scalp.

Vitamin D, strong sunlight and lots of it. Stress avoidance and poss.avoid dairy products.

I have been prescribed a cream called Dovobet for a patch of psoriasis on my foot - GP prescribed it after trying several others and it's the only one that has really dealt with it. Dermatologist when i saw him agreed and told me to keep using jt - it's quite strong though and mine is on my foot so quite thick skin. Other thing he said was moisturise I use dermol which you can use as a soap as well I think.

I think diet and stress also contributory, friend swore draught ( or might have been bottled one was ok!) beer triggered his, I think mine flares up when I am going through a less than healthy phase in terms of diet and getting enough sleep. Hope your dad's appointment comes round room, mine js mild really in that its contained but it can really get me down.

Comes round soon .. not room..

My Brother had it really bad, until he moved abroad and now it's practically gone, so I second the Vitamin D and getting out in the sunshine (when we get some!)
He was also told to avoid fatty/greasy foods and apply aloe Vera gel, both helped.

Vitamin D supplements and sunshine. Dream Cream by Lush helps both to keep moisturised in general and also applied thickly to the affected area. It helps to put gloves or socks on after mousturising to increase the effect. Only having warm baths and showers with very gentle soap. No scratching or picking. Trying to catch new patches before they get too thick with steriod cream.

Oh, also coal tar soaps and shampoos are effective. If a little whiffy.

DH has recurring psoriasis. We spent a holiday in Iceland and he bathed in the Blue Lagoon for a couple of days in a row. Psoriasis melted away and was fine for a year afterwards. Can't afford to keep going back, but recommended if funds allow!

Get a cream on prescription called Dithro. There are various strengths - basically it stops the skin from multiplying to form the plaques.

It's the only thing (and sunshine) that worked for my poor DH.

He also got flare ups from draught beer.... Interesting.

I swim outdoors year round.
no psoriasis problems any more

No psoriasis but my eczema was driving me up the wall and the only thing that helped was Moo Goo products. They do a cream for psoriasis too I think.

I had an acute form called gutate psoriasis but what cleared it was a course of homeopathy. My mum paid for it and I didn't believe it would work so definitely no placebo effect. Sessions are quite expensive at around £50-60 I think but worth every penny for me.

Thank you everyone, I was worried I'd get no responses! Lots of things for him to try. I think he'll try anything at this point. He's already taking high dose vit D, but given the weather lately he's definately not been getting any sun!

bambalam, an you give us some details please.
i find most of the prescribed stuff works for a time then stops. i also found online stuff fabulous that had been recommended in the daily papers - sadly no seem immune to them - Sk Cream by camomile house and pure potions. the sk cream. in particular worked its magic in about 3 days. in fact i havent had any for a couple of years - will order some i think.

If itching is a problem then there are a couple of things that can help. Loads and loads of moisturiser and anti histamines. Won't get rid of the psoriasis but might help tide him over til he sees the derm.

anyone got any good recommendations for scalp treatments?

ohhelp my dad has found the same- with the treatments from the doctor, they work for a couple of weeks, but then it flares up again. He had a course of steroids which cleared things well for about a month but the doctor is reluctant to prescribe again.
oybbk he has taken antihistamines but says that the itching is still as awful as ever. I will tell him to try a different one though, as knowing him he tried one variety the cheapest and gave up.

Well. Not awfully useful information for your dad, but I had a really bad flare up about 3 years ago which cleared up almost completely (just scalp and one or two isolated patches left) when I got pregnant .

But apart from that, betamethasone works a bit for me. And alphosyl shampoo for the scalp. Not a complete cure, but less smelly than polytar, and definitely helps.

Thanks everyone, I will relay all of this back to him in the morning. He is hoping to get into the doctors tomorrow as he is really suffering with this particular flare up. Sorry that so many of you have suffered in the same way. Its such a horrible condition. Appreciate everyone taking their time to offer advice.

dd2 and I have been to the GP today. Dd1 also has it but it's not too bad atm after a flare last year when I think she had whooping cough. Dd2 is now worse than dd1 has ever been. We have diprobase, shampoo, shower gel stuff, steriod cream and scalp solution AND the GP has prescribed her 'skinnies' to wear at night so that the diprobase has most effect. The chemist has to order them in first though. Dd2 is very positive about this. We are also encouraging her to get whatever sun she can. she sat out for about an hour on Saturday with a jumper on. Her scalp is bad with some patches on her forehead so anything is worth a try. She's also got it all over her torso, under her arms, groin and her tummy button is a right mess. Horrid condition.

You can get the skinnies in adult sizes btw