HOW CAN I PROTECT psoriasis on my elbows, it is very sore and angry. I keep hitting it on edges and it is exceptionally painful. HELP!

[Brown-4]

Additionally the Dovobet I have used for a few years does not now seem to help, can you develop

a resistance to some ointments?

[jman3000]

Know how you feel, every time i touch it it hurts

The creams definitely stop working after a while, when this happens I go back to diprobase for a while, this doesn't fix it but it is soothing and makes big flakes that lift off after half a day or so. I had some success with dovonex cream for a number of years which is made by the same company as dovobet I think - Leo pharmacies - but in their wisdom the stopped supplying it in England ( don't know where you are so this may be an option as it is still available in Ireland and most of Europe) the ointment was greasy and horrible and didn't work for me.There is another one that I have used that was very good called Tazorac 0.5%. You put it on before bed, it was not a pleasant sensation, felt like sunburn and over a large area that is pretty horrible but after 3 days of doing this I was vertially clear and it lasted for about 3 months which was nice. When it did come back I applied it again for a week but the results were not as good as the first time, it reduced it but it came back after about a month. Last time I did it for a week and saw little improvement so am thinking I need to move onto something else ( back to diprobase)

Note on diprobase, you can get it over the counter at boots (it's a big pump rather than in a tube) but it works out cheaper if you can get it on prescription and you can put it on morning and night if you want, I put it on in the morning and then rub it with a rough sponge to get rid of the skin before having a shower at night

Unfortunately I have had psoriasis for the past 31 years (since I was 10), it sucks but it's all about attitude, I used to be really self conscious about it but I just don't care anymore and wear shorts at shirts whenever I can - if other people don't like it they can bite me!

[Soulwing1 in reply to jman3000]

Loving the stuff you comment

[Bluehills]

Yes, I found the dovobet ointment not as good as the cream - the ration of water to oil makes it harder for the active ingredient to transfer across into the skin. That was my Dr's explanation anyway, then he found me a gel which was ok, and not as messy as the ointment. For the elbows, if they're really sore, try padding them with tubigrip & cotton wool. Wear a baggy sleeved shirt over the top if you feel self conscious, or just don't want to spend the day fielding questions about 'what have you done?'

[Hidden]

I found the best way was to only put treatment on at night and leave off during the day, and allow the sun and air do the work. Yes you can become sensitive to the treatment and they will not work, over the years I have tried many and varied treatments both on the NHS and through private and herbalist to no avail.

Since being diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis the treatments that I have for this have cleared my arms and legs but has brought it back to hands and feet, so you can't win!

The only bit of advice that I think is the best, is do not take anything that increases your immune system, as what you require is something to dampen it down, as Psoriasis is an Auto Immune Disease, whereby your Immune system is attacking parts of your body and showing as Ps.

[Brown-4 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you so much for your helpful advice.

The auto-immune details are extremely interesting and worth researching.

Good luck with your hands and feet, that area must be two of the worst.

Regards, Brown-4, York, N Yorks.

[robertz]

Hello Brown-4, Don't know if one builds resistance to Dovobet (I have used it in the past). Have you tried to use simple home remedies? I wrote a post about that you may find interesting, you can find it here:

psoriasis-treatment.eu/ever...

and I hope that it can help soothe the pain and inflammation.

[LatoyaHamblin]

I had small patches of psoriasis and those red bumps on my upper arms and they are all gone. I use dermalmd psoriasis serum morning and night and my skin is thanking me. It has made my skin so soft and flawless.