As mentioned in my previous post, I seem to have developed a skin condition that resembles psoriasis.
My rheumatology appointment has been postponed three times in the last year, so fortunately, I have not been discharged. I contacted my rheumatologist who quickly took action by repeating all my tests and seeing me in person within a couple of days. She believes that I should see a dermatologist (no surprises there). All my results appear to be normal, my inflammatory markers are not elevated, and I look as healthy as can be.
In the pursuit of a dermatology referral, I managed to secure a face-to-face appointment with a GP. She was absolutely brilliant and has now referred me to a local hospital to see the dermatologist recommended by my rheumatologist. I also received various prescriptions for both steroid and non-steroid creams. A mild steroid worked very well initially on my body. I haven’t tried anything on my scalp yet; instead, I am managing with a mixture of products and gently combing out the scales from my head, which makes it tolerable.
It could take months to get an appointment with dermatology, so I arranged a couple of private consultations. One of these is covered by my private health insurance policy. The first dermatologist thought I might have psoriasis on my scalp, but not necessarily on my body since it appeared to have cleared up, which is more consistent with eczema. She noted that I am showing signs of a condition called dermatographia.
It all seems rather systemic to me. In addition to both steroid and non-steroid creams I have been advised not to smoke (which I never have) or drink alcohol (which I hardly ever do). I’ve also been told to try to avoid stress, which I’ll definitely do my best to manage. I take antihistamine in the evening to make sure I can sleep, which is working very well at the moment.
In a couple of weeks, I will see another dermatologist privately to get a second opinion and some advice on alternative treatments, as well as a potential exit strategy.
I was feeling overwhelmed for a few days, especially after recently recovering from polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR). Dealing with this new issue so soon was difficult to handle. However, I have come to accept that I have a complicated immune system and that I need to make significant changes if I want to maintain good health in the long term.
I'll keep you updated on how it goes.
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TheMoaningViolet
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Like you I have developed a psoriasis issue, namely Palmoplantar pustilosis psoriasis or PPP for short. This started about 4 years ago, and I’ve read since, that sometimes psoriasis can affect you after having been on long term steroids. After 14 years, I’ve managed to reduce to 1/2mg, and hopefully may be at zero before too long.
I’ve seen a dermatologist, and had light treatment which didn’t work, and have been recommended methotrexate, but haven’t gone down that route yet.
I do feel that the steroids may have been the cause, and having other autoimmune issues doesn’t help.
I do hope you are able to get answers, and find a way forward to deal with this skin condition.
You would think we would get a break after having gone through the PMR ‘journey’, and then we find ourselves on another!
Oh I know, it’s a minefield isn’t it. My PMR morphed into a diagnosis of late onset rheumatoid arthritis with PMR pro-dome. Hmmm it may have morphed again! However getting older also brings with it more little niggles to deal with.
Interesting about the offer for methotrexate. A friend of mine had the most awful psoriasis of her hands. She was an operating room nurse to boot. When she developed breast cancer, she was given methotrexate which cured her psoriasis and it never came back. She’s 92.
pure organic coconut oil is known to help psoriasis. It is in a jar and solid but melts with warmth. You can use it anywhere on your body including head. Obviously it can be messy. For your head use liberally and cover with a shower hat or towel for as long as you like then and wash out.
How old are you? I am suffering really badly from itchy skin recently and have been told it's probably the result of having dry skin which is normal for an 84 year old, and recommended to have cool showers and apply an emollient while still wet, not as easy as you might think. Also not to use soap. Also apparently it's a good idea to have a humidifier in the rooms where you spend the most time.I'm only just starting on this routine,and will let you know how I get on., but at the moment the itching is really getting me down.
You could try different brands of antihistamines as they have slightly different active ingredients and may work better for you. I use Piritize as it helps me sleep.
Regarding the cream application, my understanding is to apply is soon after a shower, not necessarily while the skin is still wet though some oil moisturisers can be applied to wet skin. When it comes to the choice of cream, it would seem that different brands suit different people, so there may need to be a bit of trial and error before you find the one that works for you.
We are currently on holiday, but when I get home, I will start a food/etc. diary to work out what may be triggering me when I have bad nights (I.e. more itchy).
So itchy I couldn't sleep last night, so sat up and went back to searching the Internet for more information about itchiness and pred, and found that one should go back to a higher dose to stop it, so I'm going from 5 mg back up to 7, because I'm just so fed up with the itch...its almost unbearable atm. I've been living with pred for 9 years now, so although I was determined to do a slow taper, I think maybe going back up to 7 might be the lesser of 2 evils.Thanks everyone for all your helpful suggestions 😊.
I have found introducing extra virgin olive oil to my diet really helpful for my iching. As per Dr Michael Moselys 1 tablespoon a day for a multitude of health benefits. Due to the calories I do not drink it but encorporate it within my diet. If cooking with it I use 50/50 with a good quality other Omega 3 oil that has a higher smoke point.
Tastes so good too! Unfortunately it's the more expensive Extra Virgin you want, but would rather spend money there and save elsewhere. Try it for a month.. ( I can also only guess why but last time I was checked my cholesterol overall reading had improved)
Unless you are searing a steak or using an unfiltered olive oil there is no reason to add other oils. I only use olive oil - buy it in 5L cans! And a good tablespoon goes on my salads or airfryer roast veggies. Have just been down to Lake Garda - Saturday evening the bread and the olive oil was so good I dipped the bread in the olive oil I added to my pasta and resisted dessert!
Oh well, youre just a youngster so you can't blame your itch on your age like I can, but I'm not sure I can either. It started when I was given Iboprufen after a total knee replacement 18 months ago which caused me to scratch my arms until they bled, so I'm not sure whether this isn't an allergy too. Because we take pred we're not supposed to take ibuprofen, but I just went along with what the hospital told me, and the itchiness has been with me to some degree ever since. It's worse now since it was then. I think your idea of finding out by experimenting to find out what triggers it is a really good one, but could take a long time . When you do a Google search it seems there are a million things that make you itch including stress. Ive tried changing my wasing liquid, buying cotton underwear, what I eat and drink, my shampoo, my moisturiser, and in the meantime I feel so fed up and sorry for myself , and feel I don't know where to go next.
There are thousands and thousands of things to test for - I discovered I could improve mine with diet, omitting wheat. But a really unpleasant allergy I also had would have been impossible although we had suspicions concerning some (not all) red wines. So the immunologist said - take an antihistamine!
I think I've found what's causing my unbearable itchy rash....on checking the side effects of the latest pill the doctors gave me, folic acid because they said I was anaemic, no.2 was a red itchy rash. Needless to say, I have stopped taking it.
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