"Do you have the time to listen to me whine,
about nothing and everything all at once?"
-Green Day
about nothing and everything all at once?"
-Green Day
On top of all the other crap going on in my life (add sleeplessness and weight gain to the list) I have managed to contract psoriasis. And, my elbows do not work anymore. I'm afraid I may be developing Psoriatic Arthritis.
Now, one does not contract psoriasis like one catches a common cold. This runs in my family. My father is covered in it, so much so that each time he visits we clean before and AFTER he is here. And my mother has told me stories about her dad, who used to have to wear a bathrobe and nothing else when he was at home because his skin was covered in it. He was in pain because of it. Having psoriasis all over your body I could imagine that sitting, walking, wearing pants... these things would indeed be difficult tasks.
I've had it on one elbow, in my ears, and in my hairline along the back of my neck for about 2 years now, and have managed to keep it pretty much under control using over the counter shampoos and creams. Some of the creams smell like gasoline, and I go to bed at night sick to my stomach from the smell.
But, rather deal with that than have to deal with my elbow bleeding through a shirt.
In the past week, my right arm has literally exploded with a red, bumpy rash that does not look like the psoriasis on my elbow, but it has to be related. All the way down to my wrist, there are lesions. And my elbow is no longer responding to the unleaded fuel scented cream I put on it.
I have decided to go to the doctor, and I'm afraid this is the beginning of a lifetime of no fun when it comes to my skin. Hooray. I'm thrilled.
If any of you have suggestions for dietary changes or supplements that you think help, now is the time to leave a comment. I'd love to hear what you have tried in the past. If this is something you have experience with.
The main thing is, I do not wish for a life in a bathrobe. That's for sure.
EDIT, 12:24pm
Good news is I do not have Psoriatic Arthritis. I do not have arthritis of the regular variety either. Bad news is I have a rotator cuff injury in my right shoulder. I get to go for PT/shots at the local orthopaedist. Hooray for not having a skin plague.
I do have a rash on the arms, and it is infected, and she gave me a prescription to clear it up.
This is going to sound weird, but I also had a rash on my hairline on the back of my neck and on my shins a couple of years ago. It would get really nasty and extra itchy when I sweated, and my shins would really itch to the point that I scratched them badly when I would get them wet in the tub.
ReplyDeleteI went round and round with it because it cleared up a lot once the summer came and I was wearing shorts. The dermatologist gave me multiple creams, none of which really helped much. Long story short, through a process of elimination I discovered I was allergic to fabric softener and something in hair conditioner. My towels are really staticky now and during the winter my hair sparks when I brush it but I'm no longer itchy.
aaah. i'm not allergic to anything like detergent or shampoo. i haven't changed brands of those products in 20 years (pretty much). I do have psoriasis, it runs in my family, and i've managed to keep it under control with just over the counter meds for the past 5 years.
ReplyDeletemy doctor told me the rash on my arm is dry skin and the rash is a sign that my dry skin is infected. 24 hours after putting the prescription antibiotic cream on my arm, and the rash is no longer itchy -- still there but not itchy.
geoff told me that he has the same rash on his arm too. so i changed his body wash to a moisturizing one (he hates it) and am making him use lotion (he hated it. lotion is for GIRLS!).