Wherein Jams O Donnell is glad not have his methotrexate dose increased

Well I suppose the title says it all, I am not long back from a hospital appointment. My dermatologist is pleased with the slow but progressive clearing of my psoriasis. A little over five months ago had over 30% coverage. Now it is down to less than 10%. My dermatologist has chosen to maintain rather than increase my methotrexate dosage

Whle I am not fond of methotrexate - even at low doses it ha some unpleasant side effects it seems to be working well .Hopefully it will not be too many months before I can come off the drug. I do quite fancy a pint (Alcohol is banned while taking the methotrexate)Source URL: http://idontwanttobeanythingotherthanme.blogspot.com/search/label/Bloody%20psoriasis
Visit i dont want tobe anything other than me for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection

Wherein Jams O'Donnell rediscovers the joys of plaque-free hair

In addition to the psoriasis on my body, I am afflicted with the self same condition on my scalp - to the extent that my my shoulders looked more like pistes thanks to the hideous amounts of plaque flakes (Psoriasis plaque is like dandruff if dandruff did anabolic steroids and spent eight hours a day at the gym). Not only was it unsightly it was a rather embarrassing to have to brush the damned stuff off my clothes every few minutes

At long last I have been prescribed something that really works - a gel called Xamiol. It has killed the plaque dead. It's a bit of a bugger to wash out but that's a small price to pay.

The methotrextate has played its part of course but the Xamiol seems to have given the scalp psoriasis the coup de grace. Now to see if I can get it on a repeat prescription.

It's just a well I have invested in a prepaid prescription card. Getting Methotrexate, Folic acid, Dovobet (and hopefully now Xamiol) every month with Beclomethasone and paroxetine every other month comes to nearly £450 a year. I will get the lot for just over £100. I shudder to think wht this lot would have cost if I lived in the US of ASource URL: http://idontwanttobeanythingotherthanme.blogspot.com/search/label/Bloody%20psoriasis
Visit i dont want tobe anything other than me for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection

Nibbled by a Garra rufa

Today was my appointment at solesensation to have a try at a bit of ichtyotherapy for my psoriasis.

As I said last week, a number of places have opened up in Britain offering a fishy pedicure, courtesy of the Doctor fish (Garra rufa) but solesensation claims to have the only full body tank in the country.

After a shower I donned my swimming trunks and lowered myself into the tank. The fish clearly saw that my body was going to be a many-course banquet for them and they swarmed over me at once.

It is a rather curious sensation - ticklish with a bit of pins and needles thrown in for good measure but once you get used to it it, it becomes rather pleasant. That said it is rather odd to to look down and see dozens of minnow-sized fish tucking in to a fine fen of dead epidermis!

After a little while I began to relax and let the fish do their thing. The session was mean to last 45 minutes but I thin I must have been in the tank for a good hour, having lost all sense of time.

What I can say is that the fish had removed a quite a bit the dead skin leaving the rest of my skin feel a lot smoother than that it has for quite a while.

This is not a cure for psoriasis, merely a rather unusual but pleasant way to alleviate one of the symptoms and allow me to apply my topical cream more effectively (for a while at least).

I think I will be returning for another session soon.Source URL: http://idontwanttobeanythingotherthanme.blogspot.com/search/label/Bloody%20psoriasis
Visit i dont want tobe anything other than me for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection

A trip to the doctor (fish)

It seems that the craze for fish pedicures has come to Havering. The spas use a type of fish known as the Doctor Fish (Garra rufa) which is native to the Middle East, particularly Iran, Iraq and Turkey. The fish "nibble" at dead skin leaving healthy skin alone. skin feels softer after and certainly looks better

The fish have been used in Turkey to treat psoriasis for some time. In recent years their use as a spa treatment has started to spread across the world, with the first spas opening in the UK earlier this year.

Here they are used to provide pedicures but one place in Hornchurch, solesensation, has a body immersion bath - it claims to be the first in the UK (I am not sure if this is true or not)

Being a psoriasis sufferer I have been intrigued by the doctor fish treatment ever since I first saw it on tv some years ago, Now that there is a place locally to try out the treatment I have booked a session on Monday (I was quite lucky as only one session is offered a day and the salon was featured on some Essex reality show on ITV which means that it is quite popular).

I am quite looking forward to giving it a try. I am under no illusions that it is a miracle cure - or any real cure at all - but if you are covered in patches of dead, flaky skin which sloughs off in bed and in my clothes as I am, any port in a storm! That and my hair looks like it has dandruff's big, ugly brother despite using methotrexate (an anti cancer drug which is effective in treating skin disieases but takes a while to kick in) and a strong steroid. Vitamin A cream.

So I am intrigued to see if it can relieve some of the worse symptoms and not make me bleed as exfoliation does. One thing is for sure, ther are going to be some Garra rufa who will think that Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter and their birthdays have been rolled into one!

I will report back on Monday.Source URL: http://idontwanttobeanythingotherthanme.blogspot.com/search/label/Bloody%20psoriasis
Visit i dont want tobe anything other than me for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection

Good skin news

Two hospital appointments in two days... This time with my dermatologist. Again the specialist was pleased with progress and has rewarded me with an increase in my methotrexate dosage... WOO HOO!

On the other hand, since it can screw up the liver, there's no alcohol for me in the foreseeable future....Source URL: http://idontwanttobeanythingotherthanme.blogspot.com/search/label/Bloody%20psoriasis
Visit i dont want tobe anything other than me for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection