Re: Hello! New to the group!

[Guest guest]

Hello Kim,

The March 2000 issue of the Mayo Clinic Health Letter has an article

about psoriasis. It mentions the following treatment approaches:

Self care---Keeping your skin moist may reduce itching as well as

keep your skin pliable. Use a non-irritating skin cream or lotion

(avoid products containing lanolin). Bathing can help soak off

scales. Medicated, over-the-counter (OTC) dandruff shampoos are

also helpful. These and any other OTC products for psoriasis should

be used under the direction of your physician.

Topical treatments---For more severe psoriasis, prescription

corticosteroid creams may be helpful. Another prescription ointment,

calcipotriene (Dovonex), contains a derivative of vitamin D and usu-

ally proves helpful. The newest topical prescription medication is

tazarotene (Tazorac), a gel containing a relative of vitamin A. Older

topicals include coal tar and anthralin.

Phototherapy---Light therapy using ultraviolet A or B light may help

if you have psoriasis over a large area. For severe psoriasis, a

combination of light-sensitizing medications (psoralens) and ultra-

violet A light may help. This is called PUVA (psoralen ultraviolet A).

Oral medications---These are used when psoriasis doesn't respond to

topical or phototherapy treatments. Among drugs used

are the anti-cancer medication methotrexate, vitamin A-related

retinoids such as acitretin (Soriatane), and the anti-rejection drug

cyclosporine (Neoral).

If your psoriasis fails to respond to a particular treatment, talk with

your doctor about another treatment or a combination of treatments.

Sincerely, Bill