New and Confused

Sometimes psoriasis skips a generation. You get it confirmed by a dermatologist. Mike

Hi Wendy, I understand that there is both a hereditary and an environmental element to psoriasis. In the US they have done research that suggests there may be 25 odd different genes associated with the condition, and they need to look at various combinations. I first got symptoms of psoriasis when in my late teens, and have had varying amounts of skin problems ever since. At the beginning my grandmother explained what it was. She had it. None of my 4 siblings seemed to be affected. But my older brother had nail problems, and in his old age he ended up with psoriatic arthritis, the same as myself. So your family members may have different symptoms, or none at all. I suggest you have a look at the "Psoriasis and Treatments" section of the website, then do a little investigating within your family. The section on the website will also give you a better understanding of what psoriasis looks like. It is variable. Also, as UV is one of the controlling factors in the disease, symptoms may be controlled by your lifestyle and where you live. I live in Australia, and we have an outdoor lifestyle which contributes to symptom suppression. My grandmother, being English, never spent time in the sun, but all of my generation did. She always had psoriasis, I only developed symptoms in my second year at university. Sitting in libraries and studying under stress seem to be factors for some, they are a common story here on the forum. For me diet is a key. I am on a diet that eliminates inflammation causing foods. The diet is called FODMAP. You might find that helpful. Or you could try eating anti-inflammatory foods like blueberries or tumeric (plus pepper). Psoriasis is a chronic condition, but there are ways to manage it. Some are drug related (see the treatments options) others are lifestyle related. it is a game of trial and error. Good luck wendyloish

I have had psoriasis since I was a few years old I'm now 22 and have just been diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis and found my psiorasis has got worse now it's all over my face and little.spots across my body whereas before it was only ever on my kneecap and elbows. I have found with psoriasis what works for one person probably will not work for the next. I've recently rejected all prescribed medication as i feel it feeds my psiorasis. I would recommend trying something from body shop though! I use the charcoal face mask to dry my.skin more then straight after the oat face mask to smooth my skin again. Works like a treat i still have it but it's not as angry looking. But oats are supposed to be really good for psioarsis so all oat creams (again I highly recommend the body shop one) even filling tights with oats and putting them in your bath is supposed to help. I've recently had a flare up probably through stress. And have been told to put salt in my bath. Sadly it's a game of trial and error but stick to using the same thing for a month or 2 to before you change creams/medication. Hope this helps a bit

Hello Wendy, don’t worry about how or why you got it, you have it so now you must learn to own it. Diet is 90% and stress is 10% for me. Healthy diet is essential but it is a varied topic what counts as healthy. Cut out all food high in carbs. If you eat pasta for example, it’s healthy but your body turns carbs into glucose. Glucose feeds psoriasis. If you eat loads of fruit, fruit contains sucrose and fructose, all fuel for the fires of psoriasis. I promise if you eat less than 50 grams of carbs a day, no sugar, no juices, no grains, no potato, no rice, nothing your body can metabolise into glucose you will improve over the course of a few weeks. If you are in the early stages you can probably almost eliminate it within a couple of months. Stress for me was a trigger but with a bit of down time you can learn to cope. If you learn to meditate before you sleep or when you wake up, it takes 20 mins to an hour a day to de stress that helps. The other big thing to remember is this....... you can’t change the past, you can’t see the future, all you have in your life is right here right now. Stop worrying about what you have done or will do and merely enjoy the exact moment of now. Granted a little worrying over how you’ll at your mortgage is sensible do not let it take over the day. Make a plan and then ENJOY being alive. Even if you’ve had the hardest time ever if your sat on a bench in a park just enjoy being sat on a bench in the park. Worry less, sleep deeper, eat no thing containing glucose or capable of being converted into glucose and you will be thriving before you know it. I had psoriasis all over my body and you couldn’t put a handspan in between the patches anywhere in my body. After a few months of eating differently and being more present in the now I have small patches in a few places but am 95% free of the condition. Good luck Wendy xx

Yeah psoriasis came for me at a really stressful time for me, although the people above claim that their psoriasis was cured by adopting a healthier diet, its clear that dosen't really affect it. Theres almost no link between psoriasis and diet. But there is one between stress and psoriasis, so find ways to cool down and relax, I just like to go for long walks with my dogs listening to audiobooks. Psoriasis is one of those things, that if you wait longer enough it will properly just go by itself which explains the others. But the thing about psoriasis is that its usally random but triggered by the environment. And considering summers coming, I always find that the sun helps and its also a way to relax aswell Some prescriptions that helped me are: Enstillar, Dovobet and Calcitriol, these really help

Hi psoriasis123, I am afraid I have to take issue with what you have stated about there not being a link between diet, lifestyle and psoriasis. If you look at the "Research" part of this website, you can see that The Top Ten Psoriasis Research Priorities are: 1. Do lifestyle factors such as diet, dietary supplements, alcohol, smoking, weight loss and exercise play a part in treating psoriasis? I doubt the Society would have set this at their number 1 priority if it was clear that diet was not possibly important. For me, personally, the link has proved to be mostly about controlling the symptoms of psoriatic arthritis. I realise that most people with psoriasis don't also have this complication. But there are countless people on the forum who swear by the efficacy of blueberries and tumeric as dietary means of psoriasis control. I think there is plenty of evidence to support the contention that stress is an important trigger for some people. But I would question the contention that psoriasis is random. I understand that there is a genetic component. Research into this has suggested up to 25 different genes are implicated. wendyloish

Hi Could anyone advise which brand of milk thistle is best for psoriasis please