HealthCareMagic is now Ask A Doctor - 24x7 | https://www.askadoctor24x7.com

Get your health question answered instantly from our pool of 18000+ doctors from over 80 specialties
159 Doctors Online

By proceeding, I accept the Terms and Conditions

Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

HCM Blog Instant Access to Doctors
HCM BlogQuestions Answered
HCM Blog Satisfaction

Suggest Treatment For Psoriasis

hi doctor,
ive been with psoriasis since 20yrs now,
so many things i have been used to cure my psoriasis,but still no improvement,
pls let me know one of your best alternative for natural remedies.

thank you.
Thu, 24 Apr 2014
Report Abuse
Dermatologist 's  Response
Hello and welcome to healthcaremagic

Psoriasis is an inflammatory skin disease characterised by well defined erythematous scaly plaques with silvery white or candle wax type of scaling. Chronic plaque psoriasis is the most common type. It can affect sites like scalp, arms, and legs, (specifically elbows and knees), palms and soles etc Other types of psoriasis are: Erythrodermic psoriasis, Pustular psoriasis (generalised and localised), Nail psoriasis and Scalp psoriasis.

There are various precipitating factors for psoriasis: Infections(sore throat, dental infections etc), drugs (b-blockers used for hypertension), pregnancy, winters (psoriasis becomes worse in winters), stress, alcohol intake and cigarette smoking, topical irritants like coal tar, salicylic acid and withdrawal of oral/ topical steroids etc.

The disease has a chronic course and there topical creams/ointments/gels/lotions etc as well as oral and injectable medicines which can treat psoriasis but there is no permanent cure for psoriasis.

Topical treatment:

Moisturizers specially those which contain hygroscopic (attract water from the atmosphere and lock it into the skin) and keratoloytic agents like Ammonium lactate(Amylac cream), Urea, Lactic acid etc are especially useful in dry scaly conditions like psoriasis.

For the patches you could use a steroid+salicylic acid ointment, twice daily (clobetasol+3% OR 6% salicylic acid in an ointment base e.g propysalic) over and above the moisturizer for 4 weeks.

Other treatment modalities which can be used for localized plaque psoriasis are: Vit D analogues like calcipotriol, calcipotriene alone or in combination with steroid.

Oral treatment:

-Once weekly oral methotrexate is another option in case of plaque psoriasis but it should always be taken under the supervision of a dermatologist since it can rarely cause serious side effects like bone marrow suppression.

-Oral cyclosporine is given for extensive psoriasis involving more than 20% of the body surface area. It is rapidly effective but it requires monitoring of kidney functions and BP.

Other commonly used oral treatment modalities are:

-Oral Psoralens e.g 8-methoxypsoralen and UV A phototherapy (PUVA)

-Narrow-Band phototharapy(NB-UVB)

-Biologics response modifiers (Etanercept, Infliximab, Adalimumab etc)

In general, in limited psoriasis only topical agents are used, whereas if the disease involves >20% body surface area, it is better to combine both topical and oral therapies.

regards
I find this answer helpful

Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation
Disclaimer: These answers are for your information only and not intended to replace your relationship with your treating physician.
This is a short, free answer. For a more detailed, immediate answer, try our premium service [Sample answer]
Share on
 

Recent questions on Psoriasis


Loading Online Doctors....
Suggest Treatment For Psoriasis

Hello and welcome to healthcaremagic Psoriasis is an inflammatory skin disease characterised by well defined erythematous scaly plaques with silvery white or candle wax type of scaling. Chronic plaque psoriasis is the most common type. It can affect sites like scalp, arms, and legs, (specifically elbows and knees), palms and soles etc Other types of psoriasis are: Erythrodermic psoriasis, Pustular psoriasis (generalised and localised), Nail psoriasis and Scalp psoriasis. There are various precipitating factors for psoriasis: Infections(sore throat, dental infections etc), drugs (b-blockers used for hypertension), pregnancy, winters (psoriasis becomes worse in winters), stress, alcohol intake and cigarette smoking, topical irritants like coal tar, salicylic acid and withdrawal of oral/ topical steroids etc. The disease has a chronic course and there topical creams/ointments/gels/lotions etc as well as oral and injectable medicines which can treat psoriasis but there is no permanent cure for psoriasis. Topical treatment: Moisturizers specially those which contain hygroscopic (attract water from the atmosphere and lock it into the skin) and keratoloytic agents like Ammonium lactate(Amylac cream), Urea, Lactic acid etc are especially useful in dry scaly conditions like psoriasis. For the patches you could use a steroid+salicylic acid ointment, twice daily (clobetasol+3% OR 6% salicylic acid in an ointment base e.g propysalic) over and above the moisturizer for 4 weeks. Other treatment modalities which can be used for localized plaque psoriasis are: Vit D analogues like calcipotriol, calcipotriene alone or in combination with steroid. Oral treatment: -Once weekly oral methotrexate is another option in case of plaque psoriasis but it should always be taken under the supervision of a dermatologist since it can rarely cause serious side effects like bone marrow suppression. -Oral cyclosporine is given for extensive psoriasis involving more than 20% of the body surface area. It is rapidly effective but it requires monitoring of kidney functions and BP. Other commonly used oral treatment modalities are: -Oral Psoralens e.g 8-methoxypsoralen and UV A phototherapy (PUVA) -Narrow-Band phototharapy(NB-UVB) -Biologics response modifiers (Etanercept, Infliximab, Adalimumab etc) In general, in limited psoriasis only topical agents are used, whereas if the disease involves 20% body surface area, it is better to combine both topical and oral therapies. regards