Cyclosporine is an immunosuppressant that, in addition to treating psoriasis, is also used to prevent the rejection of transplanted organs.

Cyclosporine suppresses the development of psoriasis by hindering certain aspects of the immune system.  In particular, it throws a wrench in the process by which T-cells respond to perceived infection, thus helping to minimize inflammation and the proliferation of skin cells.

Interesting: Drinking grapefruit juice while taking an oral dose of cyclosporine amplifies the drug’s potency by preventing the digestion system from destroying as much of it.

As with most immunosuppressants, cyclosporine can be an effective treatment for severe psoriasis, but at the same time it can also cause some severe side effects.  Of note however is that test groups for this drug have, for the most part, demonstrated mild side effects.

Side-effects include fever, headaches, nausea, excessive hair growth and dizziness.  It has also caused some people to have respiratory issues, convulsions and high blood pressure.  There is also the risk of infection from other diseases as well as kidney and liver damage. 

Cyclosporine can send psoriasis into remission after a relatively short amount of time – about 16 weeks – at which point medication can be tapered off and replaced with something less harsh.  The risks associated with cyclosporine increase the longer a person takes it.

Of course cyclosporine is available by prescription only.  This gives the doctor a chance to discover any factors that might lead to extremely adverse reactions to the drug such as the presence of other medications or pre-existing health conditions.