Feeling low

Hi Frankie. Light therapy worked for me. I found the trips to hospital a bit inconvenient ( and didn’t want to go through the process of waiting for a referral everytime I needed treatment) so I bought my own full size lamp. It cost about £1200, but possibly the best “investment” I’ve ever made. The dermatologist wasn’t happy that i’d bought one, but once I’d had a couple ofcourses at the hospital, i felt a bit more confident in using it. I only use it very sparingly and when absolutely necessary, but it also helps to know it’s there if needed. I apologise if buying one is out of your price range, but honestly, i feel it was definitely worth it. Hope this helps and good luck with whatever you decide on.

Hi S. Really appreciate your advice. Yes it's something I have thought of buying. Thanks again and take care

Ps I’d also tried various diets and went vegetarian, but it made no difference. ( not saying this won’t work for others; see Hannah Sillitoe’s books re diet & P) Was also told that it could be induced by stress, but I’m so chilled these days, I’m almost horizontal, but the dreaded P still appears when it wants to.🤔

Hi. Thank you. I will have a look at that book for some ideas. Anything is worth a try!!

After years of suffering plaque psoriasis, I’ve eventually found my solution, Avoiding all types of heat is a must, I no longer use a bath,only showers, and the water temperature is at the lowest level of heat I can tolerate, also I no longer use alcohol of any strength and It’s been several years since I have used it, any exposure to heat will create a flare up, sitting in the sun for long periods is also To be avoided, I am now retired so avoiding stress is also helping, my psoriasis is now under control ,no medication or visits to the doctors is necessary, just keeping the skin moisturised is a big help, not letting the skin dry out at any time, this is only my experience and may not work for everyone, but it’s certainly working for me, I reiterate, excessive heat is the the trigger for my flare ups, hope this helps,

Hi Tim. Really appreciate your advice. I’m finding it’s sometimes trial and error. I work full time and really think that that causes my stress and then make the psoriasis worse. But it’s hard to switch off when you are the only breadwinner. I need to work on that. Thanks again and take care.

Hi frankie, I agree, to meet our financial commitments work is necessary, going to work creates stress in many forms, to minimise stress at work is difficult, I also think suffering with severe psoriasis causes stress, thus creating a nasty circle, keep trying for a remedy that works for you, I’m sure everyone has a particular personal solution for this miserable condition,

Tim you are so right!! It is a vicious circle with stress and psoriasis. It's like the chicken and the egg!! Just take one day at a time.

I'm really sorry to hear that. I've spent my whole life feeling the same way, sadly. I'm onto systemic medication now. It has such an enormous impact on quality of life doesn't it? If it was autoimmune attack of anything else apart from your skin, the doctors would be jumping on you with DMARDs and then biologics and constantly be pushing for remission, but it's SUCH a battle to get help for the skin isn't it? And I don't even mean the waiting list, but the advice available. Doctors knock you away with steroid cream and it's generally up to you to go back and beg for a referral. Imagine if they did that for rheumatoid arthritis! Everyone's joints would be falling apart. I can't offer any advice really... it all depends on your psoriatic disease, what it responds to etc. A few nuggets that you probably already know: Steroid cream is only useful to push yourself into remission, not for long term (months) application with improvement (or as an add on to other treatments). The other topical are so hardly worth mentioning that if they work for you, you probably wouldn't need to look up a forum! NB-UVB is a great intermediate between topical and the hard stuff, but only lasts as long as the treatment so, even with a £1500ish home panel, it is only really useful short term (it'll buy you as many years as you want it to buy you, with an eye kept on skin cancer risk). By all means, really consider whether its worth investing for now - it certainly bought me a happy few years and was worth the money, even if I've moved on from it now. Don't be swept up in all the "natural remedies". For some people, their psoriasis goes away on its own (unto remission) or being "healthier" clears it up. For others, it doesn't. All the time that psoriasis is active, you have systemic inflammation akin to having acting autoimmune disease and there can be lung, heart and eye issues down the line, which aren't to be sniffed at. Fundamentally, it's autoimmune. So the "healthier" your immune system is, the more able it is to erroneously attack your own body. It's a big pile of steaming faeces, having psoriasis. Being low is totally understandable. Do your reading (of trustable sources), understand the condition, don't be afraid to be really active in getting a dermatologist and always be really really open with how low its making you, because NICE guidance is clear that doctors should consider your mental wellbeing and the impact on your life in every decision they make. Hang in there.

Hi. Thank you for taking the time to reply. Ive only had psoriasis for 3 years, so fairly new to it. I struggle with when the Dr asks if it active? It started 3 years ago and it has never gone away!! So it must be permanently active!! My first dermatologist just prescribed pills and cream and wasn't interested at all. I asked to see another Dr and was then told its not just your skin but other more scary issues!! So that was a massive wake up call. But I'm just taking one day at a time and not expecting Miracles. Thanks again and take care.

I'm new to this journey and recognize these feelings already. I've always been pretty healthy and active and due to PPP every step is agony and I'm confined to either bed or a reclining chair. Thankfully I can still work from home. Mental health is not to be overlooked and I've found that the DLQI survey can help - I'm scoring 20/30 at the moment and it would be higher (worse) if my family weren't so understanding. It was the first thing my dermatologist mentioned when seeing me and I think it got me bumped up the referral list.

Hi. Thank you for your reply. I will take a look at the survey. My dermatologist has never discussed this with me. They just seem to push medication and creams!! Take care of yourself.