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Anyone taken or taking Acitretin for Psoriasis?

Posted , 25 users are following.

sonya10
sonya10

My husband has been given Acitretin 25g capsules by his dermatologist. He's been taking them for just 4 days and has been waking up every morning with a headache which at the moment is bearable.

The worst thing is he's suffering a huge flare up of psoriasis. Dermatologist did say this could happen initially but it's so bad he's actually got psoriasis appearing in places he's not had before, like his face and neck.

My question is how long does flare up last before an improvement is seen? And is this drug worth all the issues it's causing?

My husband is very close to giving Acitretin a miss as his flare up is so bad he feels embarrassed to go to his meetings.

Anyone have any other ideas on what good for psoriasis?

3 likes, 26 replies

26 Replies

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  • lesley_fry
    lesley_fry sonya10

    Posted

    Hello Sonya

    I have just been prescribed Acitretin for my severe psoriasis, however reading your experience with Aloe Vera, I would love the opportunity to try it.

    Have you got any details of the way to get the Aloe Vera?

    Thanks

    Lesley

  • steve97736
    steve97736 sonya10

    Posted

    hi,

    Was just about to give up on this until i read this forum. Being taking it for 2 months and as a few of you have said my P is getting worse. After reading this i w7ll stick with it, i have no side effevts that i notice, shave my hair anyway, so hair loss ain,t an issue.

    I work overseas, so haven,t had a blood t3st check up yet, hopefully everything will be ok.

    I,ll let you know how it goes, hopefully i,ll be back on telling you 7ts gone.

    Steve

  • xvish71387
    xvish71387 sonya10

    Posted

    Hi

    After 10 years of suffering I started taking acitretin and I have seen fantastic results. Side effect for me is dry lips. However after going away completely it looks like I am getting it back in some areas. I had stopped using dovobet I which will restart again.

    Fight never stops with P ... So keep trying

  • Jeffazz
    Jeffazz sonya10

    Posted

    Hi Sonya we all suffer with this condition.. I have had p for years. Tried most things..on aceterin for 6 weeks I will keep goin..if u can be positive the mind can help..just talking about it is good...we suffer in silence. Hide from people and the sun!! We all just want to sleep and not have to hoover your bed everyday....I hope u improve...we all just got to keep on.dont give in..j

    Don't

  • MintyFresh1
    MintyFresh1 sonya10

    Posted

    Hi Sonya10. I initially had a flare-up of Palmar Plantar Psoriasis (hands and feet) around 5 years ago. After 2 misdiagnosis and 2 failed attempts at treating these, I saw a specialist who prescribed Acetetrin 25mg once a day along with dermovate cream morning and night.

    It took around three months to have an effect, by which I mean start to improve. For three months it didn't get any better, but didn't get worse so I persevered. After 6 months, it had started to disappear and after around 9, I was back to normal. I had no side effects, although I was pretty bald to start with! 😁

    Its a long process but it worked. I was free of it for years but it's just returned with a vengeance. Back on the Acetetrin and hoping it'll work as it did before, and I've learned a lesson; to go to the GP as soon as I see spots. Bit of a pain that I can only get the Aciretrin from the consultant at hospital, rather than the regular pharmacy but that's life.

  • Mickeymac13
    Mickeymac13 sonya10

    Posted

    Speaking from personal experience Sonya I wouldn't prescribe Acitretin to a dog.was on them a couple of years ago for 6 months and I,m still feeling the effects now.I could hardly walk.half my hair fell out.dry eyes.cracked lips.over production of mucus which meant I was awake most nights with coughing.and as you say it solved absolutely nothing.Creams are the only thing that works for me.and uvb light treatment which is usually fairly successful for me.good luck with everything.

    • eulala
      eulala Mickeymac13

      Posted

      Mickey-  I was on aciterin for two months and now my hair has been falling out for 3 months.  I've lost half on my thick hair.  Did you do anything to address your hair loss or did it stop on its own.  I'm almost to the point of needing a wig.   Worse drug ever!  

  • Lizpercy
    Lizpercy sonya10

    Posted

    It's day 5of me taking acitretin no side affects of yet have had headaches but over put it down to a cough and cold I had at beginning of week just hope this works last chance saloon for me I've tried everything else even metharexate but that lowered my immune system. So I caught anything that was going about,so I really hope this works

  • david01646
    david01646 sonya10

    Posted

    Like your husband I have suffered with psoriasis for most of my life. In the last 10 years or so I developed atopic / allergic eczema resulting in severe flare ups. A trip to the GP and two or three weeks of steroids usually following. The specialist decided to try me on some drug therapy. Firstly, Azaiothropine. This made me violently sick so I stopped taking it. Secondly came, Methotrexate. This made the skin on my hands red raw and very painful. Result, stopped that one too. Lastly came Acitretin. Was doing ok on this, similar dose to your husband, until I lost all my hair, not just on my head but all over. I stopped taking this one about 7 weeks ago and still waiting for some sign of regrowth. My personal conclusion to all this is, not to take any drugs that mess around with ones immune system, particularly if you are already suffering from an auto immune condition such as psoriasis or eczema

    • Mike.H
      Mike.H david01646

      Posted

      Hi David, I know everyone is different but if its any hope; I lost hair from my already thinning head, almost all my chest hair fell out and all my leg hair, as well as my very dark beard turning fully blond... but it all grew back to as it was before, took a few months though so hopefully over time you'll see the same. If you had an issues with skin on your hands and feet, these also went back to normal after a few months. Fingers crossed for you!

      Mike

    • david01646
      david01646 Mike.H

      Posted

      Hi Mike

      Thanks for that. It is reassuring. I will indeed keep my fingers crossed.

      Regards

      David Godfrey

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