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Psoriasis has returned with a likely trigger - need urgent advice*

Posted , 5 users are following.

behindnick
behindnick

Hi there, I’m looking for some urgent advice.

My name is Nick, I’m 19

My story -

(Skip to the end if you can’t be bothered reading)

Prior to the following, I had always been 100% fit & healthy. Late 2015 I started accutane (Isotretenoin) treatment for acne, around the same time I endured a very stressful period. A couple/few months after starting my accutane treatment, I developed guttate psoriasis. After seeing numerous doctors & dermatologists, I was repeatedly told it would have been triggered by the stressful event I had experienced, they re assured me it was not caused by the accutane (although I remained  skeptical about this.)

The psoriasis was minor-moderate, it covered my arms, legs, and parts of my torso, although not my face. I was given topicals to treat however after researching I found that they were pretty useless & harmful.. I started to look towards diet.. and ate strictly for a couple months, no sugar, fresh vegetables, no nightshades, acids, etc… during this time I developed psoriatic arthritis & also intermediate uveitis in my left eye.

After 4 or so months with psoriasis & arthritis, it randomly disappeared.. the uveitis has remained however it has been at bay and have had no troubles since. I am unsure whether the diet cured me, however I’m guessing most likely not as I went back to eating normal straight afterward.

Now flash forward after a year and a half of batting with depression, then anxiety (triggered by the psoriasis) I am now starting to see symptoms of guttate psoriasis again, this time there is a common connection.

My acne had begun to creep back over time, so 3 weeks ago I decided to go back on accutane (having faith in the doctors & derms. re assurance it definitely will not cause psoriasis)

I now have guttate like psoriasis spots on my face, along with acne. I am incredibly confused, I have booked another appointment to see my dorm however I am somewhat sure it is psoriasis.

I no longer trust medical professionals as they seem to give me textbook answers very confidently. Which scares me as this auto immune disease reads to be somewhat mysterious, no one really knows exactly how it develops & how to treat it, there are so many different stories and from what I now take, treatment is very subjective.. what works for one may not work for another..  Nothing f***s me off more than having to pay someone who hides behind a medical book, drilling patients like me with steroids and harmful medications when there is a plethora of online testimonies screaming that they don’t work. I read there are many different alternatives which may or may not work.. I just need to be led in the right direction.

side note - I have been told as well as read that ‘accutane can be used to treat psoriasis.’ Again, this reinforces my point that treatment is subjective.

I have many questions & would really appreciate advice on the following -

Should I discontinue the accutane? Or should I continue the accutane hoping it clears the acne so I only have to deal with one problem instead of two?

Could the facial-guttate-psoriasis like marks be an initial reaction to the accutane? Or perhaps anything else?

Should I go back to dieting?

I would really appreciate any advice I could get, as this truly means a lot to me.

Any words to lead me on the right path or inform me would be cherished..

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • mrsmop
    mrsmop behindnick

    Posted

    https://patient.info/medicine/isotretinoin-capsules-for-acne-roaccutane

    Have you read this page Nick?  This is what Accutane is called in the UK

    https://patient.info/doctor/guttate-psoriasis ;

    This page also has a lot of links at the bottom, under further reading.  I hope that you can find some useful info in amongst these pages.

    https://patient.info/health/uveitis-leaflet

    And finally, uveitis.

    Good luck Nick,  

  • lisa85257
    lisa85257 behindnick

    Posted

    Hi everyone. I'm not one to post publicly - I've always been more of a reader (stalker) of these forums taking in information and trying it.  I've had plaque psoriasis for 20 years.  I've been to every dermatologist, tried everything under the sun. I hated the harmful chemicals I was putting on my body and they didn't even work!   I came across essential oils by accident looking for something natural to help  my daughter's fibromyalgia.  I bought a kit of therapeutic grade essential oils and read all about them. Based on the information I mixed a few oils together in some coconut oil and applied it to my head and skin. The next morning while in the shower I was shocked at what I felt (or rather didn't feel). The plaque was GONE.    I now apply this mixture daily as part of my routine.  And my daughter uses the oils to help with the depression, pain and sleeplessness that accompanies fibro.   My psoriasis isn't gone, and I do believe in the leaky gut causing it. While I try to repair my body from years of unhealthy eating, it's nice to have something to keep the plaque at bay.  Let me know if you would like more information on what has helped me.  Lisa 

  • gerry35656
    gerry35656 behindnick

    Posted

    Hi Nick,

    I don’t like talking about myself in public & have not before felt like joining a support group let alone contact anyone as I didn’t think I had much to offer, but I really feel for you from what you wrote initially as I was also afflicted with psoriasis in my teens & PA was finally diagnosed in 2003, leaving me severely handicapped & bed-ridden on morphine for long periods of time, depression was also long a constant companion in my life…

    However, I may now have something to offer someone like you as I seem to have turned my life around in many ways: after nearly a decade, almost a year ago I was able to stop taking anti-depressants & to reduce weekly injections of Enbrel (Etanercept) to once a fortnight (I’ve further reduced it to almost once a month & I’m hoping to come off it completely this year…) nowadays, I'm virtually free of psoriasis (just a few patches hardly noticeable...) & although still largely reliant on a wheelchair & never totally pain-free, I no longer need to take painkillers regularly, only occasionally when I ‘over do it’ as I’m a lot more active & find it difficult to ‘pace’ myself as there’s so much I want to do now I’m ‘better’ & life is worth living again… I also feel confident I'll soon walk again more than just a few steps, & even if it has to be with crutches for longer distances, it’ll greatly improve my quality of life as there are many places inaccessible to wheelchairs, in particularly lovely local sandy beaches & secluded coves I haven't been to for many years!

    I don't know how things are for you nowadays as your last message was sometime ago, & depending on where you're currently living, I may only be able to help you cope better with your problems psychologically as the physical treatment I'm following is very experimental, somewhat unorthodox & not something easily done by anyone anywhere without proper supervision, so please contact me if you think it appropriate & would like to discuss it further privately.

    Best wishes for 2018 Nick, & anyone else reading this...

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