Anyone with Psoriasis/Psoratic Arthritis Read this - Humira

Anyone with Psoriasis/Psoratic Arthritis Read this - Humira

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Maxwell Jay

Original Poster:

14 posts

105 months

Tuesday 28th July 2015
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I'm relatively new to PH so this may seem a bit out of the blue.

I've been a sufferer of Psoriasis for about 15 years now with it gradually worsening more recently to the point where a few years ago I got told I had 'Plantar Fasciitis' in my feet and arthritis from my neck down to my knees!

I've taken anti-inflammatories and opiate based pain meds for years. Until an off the cuff comment to my rhumatologist about 'I'm bloody sick of these tablets, got any medical trials going on?' To my joy I was told there was.

Anti-TNFα Therapy - Anyone who's new to psoriasis (or old, unless you've looked it up) probably won't know what the cause of the inflammation is. Well, its simple. Its a cell signalling protein which which in people with psoriasis is malfunctioning... This is where the Anti-TNFα therapy comes in. I've been given Humira - an injection with TNFα antibodies in it which effectively kill the malfunctioning TNFα proteins. 1 injection every 2 weeks and no more tablets or greasy creams.

I've taken 2 injections now and its 5 weeks into the treatment. This is how i've gotten on...

After 5 days on it i'd stopped taking anti-inflammatories. For the first time in 5-6 years I've got out of bed in the morning without pain, well, relatively no pain. I'd noice after day 3 that the pain had lessened so after day 4 I just stop taking it... Woke up on day 5 and was amazed!

My skin, well let em tell you... I usually have cracked broken, red raw/purple skin which flakes off and is horrible... Since starting the the treatment my skin has completely changed, almost normal I'd say! Which after 15 years you sort of lose hope in ever seeing again!

So, go to your doctors, ask them if anti-TNFα therapy can help in your case. I got mine through my rhumatologist because it had developed into, what they were calling, ankylosing spondylitis or bamboo spine, It was so bad that I literally couldn't get out of bed some mornings, stiff from neck to knees.

It won't be a quick process, I had to exhaust all other avenues of treatment before they would OK this one but hey after 15 years what was another 6-12 months hey?

Let me know your experiences below, not seen much chat about Psoriasis or Arthritis on here.

Not many of us left? lol wink

I hope you've had your eyes opened a bit and that reading this helps in some way!

Some pics of my legs:






This is just with moisturiser Dermol 500. You know the stuff...

MC Bodge

21,551 posts

174 months

Thursday 30th July 2015
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I wasn't aware that psoriasis could be associated with arthritis.

FWIW, washing with unperfumed or coal tar soap and using standard aqueous moisturiser (like E45 or something like Epaderm) on affected areas seems to do the trick. I'm not sure what triggers it.

Losing my hair seemed to help too.

Edited by MC Bodge on Friday 31st July 07:26

h0b0

7,557 posts

195 months

Thursday 30th July 2015
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I am very sensitive to different soaps and body wash. Strangely, I am better with the ones that look like dish soap than the fancy ones with moisturizer.

h0b0

7,557 posts

195 months

Friday 31st July 2015
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Humira has been very heavily advertised in the U.S. For months. So much so that I questioned the number of people with applicable conditions to pay for the marketing budget.

DocJock

8,341 posts

239 months

Friday 31st July 2015
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My daughter uses Humiura to treat her Crohns Disease to good effect...

MC Bodge

21,551 posts

174 months

Friday 31st July 2015
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h0b0 said:
I am very sensitive to different soaps and body wash. Strangely, I am better with the ones that look like dish soap than the fancy ones with moisturizer.
I use bars of Simple/Pure/Coal Tar soap. It is also much cheaper than shower gel.

PeterTTT

69 posts

125 months

Friday 31st July 2015
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I have had psoriatic arthritis for over 25 years now and have been on Enbrel (etanercept) for last 10 years. I think Enbrel is similar to Humira (both anti tnf). Up until 10 years ago when i was first diagnosed with the arthritis I had tried all sorts of different drugs from the specialists but none really worked so gave up on them for about 10 years and got by. Howevere about 10 years ago the psoriatic arthritis got too painful.
I never really suffered with the skin psoriasis .. small patch on left leg and one on left ankle but found that the Enbrel pretty much cleared it up although when stressed it can "flare up" a bit.
My reaction to the Enbrel was pretty much instant .. I had really been struggling to get out of bed in the mornings and was walking with a limp. Within a day of taking the Enbrel I felt "normal". Obviously there is some long term damage to my joints from the prior years but since taking enbrel (1 weekly injection) in conjunction with methotrexate tablets its stopped any degradation of the joints. The only side effect I have experienced is that any skin cuts take longer to heal and any insect bites tend to be more "itchy" and again take longer to heal.
I am suprised your specialist did not recommend one of these anti tnf drugs before.
Glad you have had good results with the Humira and even if it starts to lose effectiveness (my specialist did say this can sometimes happen) then there are other types around to try.



lxm

114 posts

109 months

Tuesday 4th August 2015
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I'm 24 and have had psoriasis since I was 14, it is moderate and I have around 12-14% coverage.

I usually use vit D creams and ointments (silkis & dovonex) when its at its worst. I have had 5 sessions of light therapy since diagnosis (10 years ago) usually lasting 12 months each time, which gives me 12 months remission. I have now been told that I have 'used up' my energy allowance on the light therapy.

I am awaiting my current period of remission to end and I have been advised I will go onto mtx or some other vit A tablet. I would kill for a 'comprehensive' treatment which could treat my whole body systematically instead of having to apply cream all over. I am not too keen on trying mtx etc in regards to the side effects.

I was offered a trial also of a biologic injection, but had to decline as the timing wasn't right for me. I think that the drugs UK licence had expired and trialing it was part of the re-licencing process. I was advised that I wouldn't get an opportunity to use it otherwise as I didn't meet the NHS criteria in a non-trial setting.

Im glad it has worked for you!