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Taking Steps Toward a Natural Recovery from Psoriasis

Friday, October 30th, 2009

Psoriasis is a highly unpredictable condition, so much so that it is an elusive target for even the strongest modern medications.  The malleable nature of this disease has led many to develop their personal health to fight it off rather than experiment with any other potentially harmful drugs. Natural remedies also tend to be much less expensive than prescription drugs.

Some non-strenuous exercises such as yoga, walking and general stretching can help to loosen up the joints, get the blood flowing, strengthen the immune system and promote mental health, all of which are useful for fighting off every kind of psoriasis.

Supplements such as vitamins A, C and D as well as fish oil and folic acid are also known psoriasis killers.  In the case of vitamin and mineral supplements, however, keeping a balance is more important than loading up upon one thing or another.  Some supplements can have adverse effects when combined with other medications, so proceed with caution (and consult your doctor of course).

Baths treated with either minerals/salts or a small amount of bleach has been shown to bring about significant improvements in plaque psoriasis.  Bleach, it is believed, kills bacteria and infection, thus reducing the chances of psoriasis outbreaks (which are instigated by any kind of infection or irritation).

The most famous mineral bath in the world is probably the Dead Sea, where psoriatics come from around the world to soak up the super-salty water and therapeutic mud.  If you get the chance to visit the Dead Sea, you probably should also soak up some of those gentler sun-rays, as this has also proven to help battle off psoriasis.  Both UVA and UVB rays have been attributed to significant improvements for people with psoriasis, especially when combined wither other treatments.

Changing your diet can help you recover fully from psoriasis as well.  Generally, it is better to consume less red meat, pork, caffeine and alcohol.  On the other hand, it is better to eat more fruit, veggies and anything that isn’t process or loaded with preservatives.

Posted in Psoriasis | 2 Responses »

Is Calcitriol a Better Psoriasis Treatment than Calcipotriol?

Sunday, October 18th, 2009

The mechanism by which calcitriol improves psoriasis is similar to Calcipotriol.  Calcitriol (a.k.a. 1,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol) is the active form of vitamin D, which regulates calcium absorption in the body.

Calcitrol suppresses the psoriatic symptoms by limiting skin cell proliferation.  More specifically, it prevents the excessive production of keratinocytes (95% of the skin is made of keratinocytes) by inhibiting DNA synthesis (the process by which cells reproduce).  Calcitriol also keeps T-cell reproduction under control (T-cell proliferation is believed to cause the swelling and scaling that characterize psoriasis).  Calcitriol interacts with these cells by binding their vitamin D receptors, which then regulates their ability to reproduce.

Recent studies (such as this one) have demonstrated that calcitriol suppresses psoriasis to a similar degree as calcipotriol, though with less skin irritation, in particular to more sensitive areas such as the face.  This would be good news for any patient who needs to administer this topical medication for years at a time.  Psoriasis is (officially) incurable, so there some people may need to take psoriasis medications for the duration of their lives.

People with a history of calcium-related health issues (hypercalciuria, hypercalcemia or kidney stones) should not take calcitriol as this drug increases the body’s ability to retain calcium.   For this reason calcitriol is also used to treat hypocalcemia and osteoporosis.

Posted in Psoriasis | 1 Response »

What is Taclonex?

Saturday, October 10th, 2009

Taclonex is a vitamin D / topical steroid hybrid that was created with the intention of improving the efficacy and response time of to Dovonex.  It was approved by the FDA in 2008 for use with psoriasis and is available by prescription only.

Patients using Taclonex typically see an improvement in their plaque psoriasis within one week.  It is not recommended that this drug be used for more than 4 consecutive weeks.

Taclonex relieves the two main issues that characterize plaque psoriasis — inflammation and scaly skin.  Separately, these are the two effects that topical steroids and synthetic vitamin D solutions have on psoriasis.

Taclonex has many of the same side-effects as topical steroids (skin irritation and thinning) and vitamin D (too much calcium in the body sensitivity to sunlight).  There are a variety of other less common, more severe side effects that can occur with people who have allergic reactions or who are have pre-existing conditions.  Be sure to tell your doctor about any supplements or other drugs you may be taking if the possibility of taking Taclonex arises.

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What is Dovonex (Calcipotriene)?

Saturday, October 10th, 2009

Dovonex (a.k.a. calcipotriene or calcipotriol) is a topical psoriasis treatment used to control the excessive skin cell production (plaque psoriasis).  It a vitamin D derivative that is available by prescription only.   It is also known as calcipotriol, or calcipotriene.

The exact mechanism by which Dovonex controls skin cell production is not known, though it is thought to have a regulatory effect on T-cell activity.  T-cells are a part of the immune system that bring about excessive skin cell growth in response to psoriasis.

Typical dosage for Dovonex is twice daily to affected areas of the skin.

It was discovered that the corticosteroids helped to speed up the effects of Dovonex, so these two are sometimes prescribed simultaneously.  Mixing steroids with synthetic vitamin D brought about a new drug that was approved by the FDA in 2008 called “Taclonex.”

Dovonex has also been mixed with other topical treatments such as anthralin, Tazorac and coal tar to make it more effective.

Anyone on Dovonex should be careful about staying in the sun since it has been shown to increase the skin’s sensitivity to UV rays, in particular by speeding up the rate at which skin cancer develops.  Other side effects include excessive calcium absorption, irritation and a worsening of psoriasis symptoms.  Pregnant women are strongly advised against using this drug.  On rare occasions Dovonex has also been known to cause mood swings, a stretching / thinning of the skin, pair follicle pustules, dizziness and abdominal pain.

Posted in Psoriasis | 1 Response »

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