Psoriasis?

[Frazzled2207]

Just wondering if anyone else suffering with this. Not officially diagnosed but had what gp and I think is gutatte psoriasis for a few months, have been taking steroid ointment and it does help to an extent, but then comes back! It seems to be intent on covering my entire body, just got my scalp and face left as clear currently

Wondering what to do next other than private dermatologist referral...

Would be good to hear of anyone else either in the same boat or has been in the same boat.

I'm having a second occupancy of guttate psoriasis at the moment, the last one was 10'years ago. I've been prescribed Dovobet gel which has proved to be really good. It's an expensive prescription and I have read that some gps don't want to prescribe it for that reason. My GP said if it didn't work he'd prescribe light therapy.

I have tiny patches on the entirety of my body so far but I'm hoping the dovobet continues to work.

I have it - mild. I use Donovex, it works. I just get psoriasis on my legs only very rarely above my knees. Why oh why? It's just coming back after a break - when goes always leaves brown stains on my skin. At least i am lucky it goes.
I didn't get it till i was 35 - weird!
Sorry - yours sound bad. If all over you need a dermatologist - steroids aren't good for any length of time - can you get an NHS referral? Light treatment works (PUVA). Sunlight does too but you're not getting any of that any time soon!

I get psoriasis and suffer with guttate when I get a sore throat. When I get a sore throat now I can ring the docs and get an antibiotic prescription straight away before strep throats arrives - if not I get head to toe with guttate. Rest of time mainly scalp knees and elbows

Psoriasis in my family. All diagnosed as coeliac. Have you been checked? It cleared up immediately on diet for them.

I have guttate. Quite rare in adults I'm told.
I cut out most shampoo, shower gel etc and used a psoriasis one. When adding them back in I realised lanolin made it so much worse.
I still have it but the odd bit rather than whole body.
And as a PP says tonsillitis sets it off for me too - weird

My husband gets it very badly. He has a UV lamp which he uses on it as well as the steroid cream which in tandem do work for him. He has to use every day or else it comes back again though.

This is all really useful thank you.
The dovobet definitely helps for me, I also have dovonex as an alternative because dovobet is not a long term solution but don't think it works.
Going to try and get private referral because I'm lucky enough to have private health through work so I might as well.
I'm 38 and never had anything like it before, although it'll all over my body it isn't horrendous, I had it really bad on my arms but that has mostly cleared up as has my tummy. I have lots of lesions on my back and legs but most are quite faint although I keep getting a few new angry looking ones. Only my dh and gp know about it atm because I've been covering myself up (luckily not too much of an issue in December).
It's going to be horrid in the spring when I don't want to cover up so much but hopefully time for it to clear before then

Abbey
Can you recommend a shampoo/shower gel ?

Also interesting the coeliac link.

I've suffered from guttate psoriasis and plaque psoriasis all my life. My dd has had guttate psoriasis since she was 6.

In my experience, my outbreaks of guttate has been sporadic and has cleared after 6 months or so. Dovabet gel really helps. The best treatment I ever had was Dithrocream. It's pretty potent stuff and has to be well supervised but it always worked eventually for me. I currently have a painful patch of plaque psoriasis on my foot. I've had a few years. Not too much helps. The only thing that eases it is emollient about 4 times a day.

My dd had an outbreak of guttate at 6 (this is why it makes me a bit when people tell me it's all stress related). It was so bad that she was under a senior dermatologist at the hospital for 12 months and she had 5 months of UV light treatment. It worked really well for her. It cleared her skin. I kept up the intensive moisturising for years after which I believe stopped it recurring so badly. Now she gets the occasional small guttate spot, but a few days of dovabet works on this this. It's a condition she's coping with very well.

Under all my time with derm nurses and specialists I gathered two important bits of advice -

Don't be scared of steroids. Obviously, don't use them constantly but proper use of them is an important weapon in your arsenal.

People very rarely moisturise enough. 3 times a day absolute minimum. My dermatologist had me doing it up to 5 times a day. It really makes a difference.

Also, while we were advised not to use body soap, bubble bath and fabric softener (we still don't use these) as they can irritate the skin, my dermatologist told me that psoriasis is rarely caused by an allergy. People will always tell you that this if that cream/vitamin/food 'cured' their best friends mum's sister. Everyone is different.

Oh that sounds tough on you and your dd- but broadly you are saying you've found it manageable long term, except for the current plaque, that sounds very difficult.
Have you been looked after by the nhs?

Yes Frazzled, we've both found a way to manage. I've always been looked after by the NHS. Initially it can hard to get a referral, but once things got very serious with dd things went very quickly.

Good luck with it.

Thank you. I'm going to see my (sympathetic) gp later this week and ask about referral, either nhs or private according to what she thinks.

In my case I believe it could be stress related but I have two pre-school dc so not sure what I can do about that!

Frazzle, I do believe that sometimes guttate psoriasis can be stress related. I had one bout 4 months after a stressful house move. My Consultant said that occasionally stress can 'work through' your body and show on your skin after you feel the stress has passed. However, he was quick to say that it doesn't mean psoriasis is a stress related disease which is what many people tell me. People like to think they know more about my own illness I've had all my life. I'm a bit touchy about it!

However I did get very when my dd developed it. People still told me she was 'stressed'. Er no, she's 6!! It's much more likely to be inherited from me in some way.

Yes I would agree ridiculous if your poor dd was only 6. Surely impossible to prove a link in any case.

The body wash / shampoo I used was called Exorex.

By the way it is definitely genetic. But some things can trigger / make it worse for some people.
It's also odd in terms of age. My grandad didn't have it until he retired, Dad had it from infancy until end of teens, I've had it since infancy until now.

I've had various forms of psoriasis for 26 years.

I've stopped all treatment now as the side effects were possibly worse then the psoriasis.

I always get a really bad flare up following a sore throat.

Its just the way it is...