Psoriasis Meds - Need Help!

[floridanative]

Two years ago I was prescribed two rx sampoos for severe psoriasis but they didn't' seem to help much. Since going off gluten I started using T-Gel shampoo/cond. and they worked better in a week than the others did for two years. My derm. told me that if I did have Celiac (pre dx) then once I went on the diet my skin issues would most likely clear up in time. But I still have some pretty bad itching and the two rx meds I have for that are not on any gluten free drug list I've found. You'd think the manufactuters would be able to tell me if their topical solutions are gluten-free right? Wrong. One said they can't confirm gluten-free status and the other one said they'd be in touch in 1 to 2 weeks.... If anyone knows if these iteme are safe please let me know so I can stop this horrid itching/scratching. The ingredients are not on the bottles but they both came in boxes w/drug info sheets that I don't have anymore. Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

Dovonex (calcipotriene solution 0.005%)

Embeline Scalp Application (clobetasol propionate, USP 0.05% w/w) *this med is a steroid

[jenvan]

Tiffany,

I use both of those my friend and they are gluten-free. I may have a different brand name than you though... ? Also--the best shampoo I've found for myself is sebutone. The pharmacy should sell it, although you may have to request it. I leave it sit on my head for a while. I hate that it is made from coal tar and I'm sure has some lovely carcinogens in it...but it does the trick when my scalp is bad. It sloghs off all the skin. My dad who has had severe psoriasis, has been using it for years and years. I'm sorry yours has been bad lately. Mine has gotten better that past few months, but will break out in certain situations. Where is yours located? I do hate it!! So frustrating... No one has any real answers... possibly related to zinc deficiency, yeast... Some say it is not a true autoimmune disease, but I think it really is. There are a few factors that classify something as an autoimmune disease--a genetic disposition, a trigger, and an antibody...the last is what has not been identified for psoriasis yet. I still wonder about going on the SCD diet and if they would bring improvement. It has gotten rid of psoriasis for some folks... Hope you stop itching soon!!

Oh, I did ck when you started gluten-free, and I'd say you have to give the diet some time before seeing real psoriasis improvement. Shirley said, if I remember, that hers was worse at first, and then got much much better at 2 years gluten-free. I have been gluten-free one year. Mine also got worse after going gluten-free (who knows?) and has started to improve the last few months...

[floridanative]

Oh thanks so much Jen! I did not think they could contain gluten but I'm not willing to guess at this point as to what is safe or not. I'm going to use something right now. My area is pretty small, maybe the back of the head, half way down to the hair line below (maybe 1/5th of my scalp). It was all over but then when I added these topicals, a lot of it cleared up. The shampoos really did nothing but the Neutrogena stuff is awesome. I'll try and find the sebutone at the drugstore thanks!! Is it OTC or rx?

[jenvan]

It's OTC, but like I said, I think sometimes they keep it behind the counter or you may have to request it--must not get a lot of users I guess. It is out in an isle in my pharmacy store.

[floridanative]

Thanks! I will look for it today and use it tonight if I find it! Have a great weekend and I appreciate you helping me have a less itchy one!!

[lonewolf]

I also use Dovonex with no problems. I have psoriasis on my arms, knees, some spots on my torso, scalp and inside my ears. I find it gets worse if I eat any dairy (even my beloved goat cheese) or eggs. gluten-free didn't clear it for me at all. In fact, the only times in my adult life when it's been clear have been when I was on large doses of prednisone (would NOT recommend this) and when I ate only fish, rice, sunflower seeds, most vegetables and some fruits for a whole year. I'm thinking about trying the SCD just to see if it would help. It also gets a little better when I am diligent about taking probiotics and avoiding sugar.

[floridanative]

Thanks lonewolf. I just started that probiotic Culterelle but I'm not sure it's doing anything. Guess I stick with it for a while and see what happens. I'd rather give up gluten than cheese any day so if I have this skin thing forever, so be it. They will have to put me in a straight jacket to keep me away from my beloved cheese.

[lonewolf]

Thanks lonewolf. I just started that probiotic Culterelle but I'm not sure it's doing anything. Guess I stick with it for a while and see what happens. I'd rather give up gluten than cheese any day so if I have this skin thing forever, so be it. They will have to put me in a straight jacket to keep me away from my beloved cheese.

I hope it goes away with the gluten-free diet for you. I agree that cheese is waaaay harder to give up than gluten. I try to limit myself to a small amount of goat cheese once in a while on a pizza or tacos, but I do miss it.

[floridanative]

How did you find out that you had a problem with dairy or casien or both? Just curious because so far I have eaten cheese and all the diary I used to eat before going gluten-free. So far I have not felt bad in any way or had symptoms like excessive indigestion, painful bloating or bad stomach aches. But from what I've read in a couple of books, it's quite normal for people with damaged villi to have symptoms of lactose intolerance. Then when they heal, many can go back to eating whatever dairy they want. My GI really didn't even insist I start the gluten-free diet, I had to ask him if I'd continue to get sick if I ate gluten and he said he guessed so. In other words, he didn't tell me anything about the diet or to avoid anything buy gluten. So many of you can't have dairy, casien, soy, corn....is that just because you were so sick for so long? I can't get into my new GI until late April so I'm sort of having to wing my way through getting better until then.