HELP!!!! Dad has been diagnosed with Psoriasis!!!!

[pberggren1]

Any help or suggestions is greatly appreciated. He went to his GP today for the 4th or 5th time and now he says Dad has Psoriasis and prescribed him pred of 40mg, decreasing 5mg per day until done. The doc said this will help control it. From what I see so far there is no cure.....:(

[Debbie C]

Yeh Phil, I don't know another thing about it so I can't be much help. Sorry. Really sorry your Dad has to be on pred too. Hope you can get someone with experience to help you out.:sad:

[Alysia]

Hi Phil.
I am sorry for your dad and for you. I was hoping for good news to come :crying:
In Israel psoriasis is very common. you can see a lot of people with the typical "rash" on their elbows. their is big range in the severity of it, starting from "here and there. coming and going rash" to invlovement of joints too. it is an illness from our family, AI one, but much less severe then ours. as far as I know treatment is simlar, pred and mtx, in one case I know. (not a close friend so I can't tell much).
also, from all over the world, people with psoriasis are coming to the dead sea
Dead Sea Guide | Masada Israel, Skin Diseases & Treatments (http://www.deadseaguide.com/Psoriasis)
how severe is you father's psoriasis ? how many rash he has ? does he has more then skin involvement ?
I am sending him and you my love and my praying:hug1:

[annekat]

I'm so sorry to hear this, Phil! The last thing your family needs is another AI disease. I wasn't sure if it was one, but Alysia says it is, so I guess it is. I hope the treatments can put it into some kind of remission, at least for a time... similar to ours, maybe? Now you will probably become very knowledgeable about psoriasis as well as WG. I hope your dad isn't too uncomfortable and can find ways to ease the symptoms to some extent, so he can maintain some quality of life. I hope to hear that the treatments are helping him.

[pberggren1]

Thanks all. I am not sure how severe it is but he does have the rashes or raised lesions on his skin on his arms, legs, back, head, face, etc.

[Alysia]

as long as it is only on the skin, it is less severe. I hope. (searching to find some positive...)

[Alysia]

check this link
Psoriasis Treatment: Treating Psoriasis & Remedies - National Psoriasis Foundation (http://www.psoriasis.org/about-psoriasis/treatments)

[Spud]

Hi Phil, I too am sorry for you and your dad, i know nothing about Psoriasis but you have read my first post and yes bud i am more of the rebel mix so please disregard this comment if you wish. As in the diagnosing of Wegeners the doc's sometime miss diagnose it in the beginning ( no one's perfect ) so i would get your dad to get a second opinion. Sorry but that would be my call it may not be Psoriasis, good luck my friend and all the best to your dad. take care, Spud.

[mishb]

I'm sorry Phil.....I hope he is not feeling unwell with it.

How long has he had the rash for?
Has he started new blood pressure medication or anything that could have caused it?
Was it before or after the cat went?

I'm not sure as the what age people normally get it, but I have known of much younger to have it.......I guess I could google the age.

Doesn't really matter.

I hope the pred starts working for him quickly

[pberggren1]

I think the rashes started in August before the cat went. He has never been on blood pressure medication as far as I know.

[pberggren1]

Dad has not been off the pred since he started over 3 weeks ago. He decided to quit it today because he thinks it is driving him crazy. I told him that pred alone can do this. He is also on Champix for quitting smoking and quit that too thinking that it could be reacting with the pred to make him feel crazy. I told him to not stop the Champix though. He said he will go back on the pred again if the rashes come back worse, probably at 20 or 15mg.

[Dirty Don]

Chantix has created some 'emotional' responses in the past. My wife used it successfully w/no problems, it made me ill and depressed.

[pberggren1]

So maybe it is more the Champix than the pred. Pred did make me anxious over 10 years ago when I first went on it at 60mg but nothing like what dad describes.

[renidrag]

I tried Chantix, did not like it all all. Same as Don, I would get off that asap. The Lozenges worked for me, can't remember their name.
Dale

[whatthewhat]

I'm sorry, Phil, that you're dealing with this, and sorry for your dad's discomfort, but glad he has a son like you!

Once we caught our breath this year, and our oldest son had finished his summer job, I took him in to get a longtime skin issue diagnosed, now that I know AI runs in families. I can't tell you what the dx was (too many big words lol) but I do know I was grateful to have a dx & a plan of attack.

Your dad sounds tough (maybe stubborn? ) - that can be helpful. I'm also glad Don weighed in with personal experience on the Champix. (Which, btw, sounds like a breakfast cereal! )


Best wishes to him getting straighted out, and to you as you support him!

[pberggren1]

Thanks everyone. Dad sees a dermatologist on Dec 11th. Maybe he might have some more ideas.

[Pete]

Hope your Dad is more comfortable now.

[vdub]

He probably has plaque psoriasis. I have pustuler psoriasis, but a lot of the same stuff will apply. The best OTC product I have found is Psorent. It's a bit pricey, but goes a long way and really works. Best Rx drug is Dovonex. Good luck.

[Debbie C]

Phil, I know whaen I took Chantix , it made me feel nuts,especially at night so I'm sure the combo isn't good. If he were to stop anything I think it should be the Chantix and see if the pred is better. We all know how pred can be on us in the beginning,maybe he just needs to give it time without the other. I wish him well and hope the dr. will come up with something.

[Alysia]

Phil was such a devoted son to his parents. no matter how bad he felt. he allways cared for others first.
his parents are amazing, warm, devoted, loving, caring. they took care of my sweet Phil so well. with so much giving and tenderness.

and as for his father's skin problem, I saw it when I came to the batcave, and gave him diagnosis and treatment, knowing it from my big son. it is atopic dermatitis and I told him to put on vaseline. so far (couple of months) it works well.
how I wish I could heal my sweet Phil as well..... I miss him and love him so much.....