New here and looking for advice

[AmynSelora]

Let me give you alittle background on myself! My name is Amy and I am 27 yrs old from Tulsa, OK. My P started when I was 18 and slowly got worse as the yrs progressed. It now covers about 70 percent of my body. I have been on numerous meds and nothing seemed to help then I was prescribed methotrexate and it helped but I had too many side effects plus all the money for the blood tests! I came off the methotrexate and 6 mos later became pregnant, my angel is now 11wks old and my P is coming back full force! I desperately want to get on Enbrel but sadly I can not afford it. I would greatly appreciate any help from home methods to maybe programs that are out there to help assist with the cost of Enbrel! I look foward to hearing from everyone! Thanks!

[TheOne1313]

I dont know the program offhand but when the doctor was going to put me on Enbriel, he said they have a program where Enbriel will pay for some of the cost. In fact, the doctor told me that with my income at that time, enbriel was willing to pay for the entire thing for me. You might want to contact the people at enbriel or your dermatologist and check into it.

Many people have had great sucess with biologics (enbriel, humira, raptiva)......hopefully you can get into a program so that you can use these drugs as well.

[swogoddess]

Mike will come along and post all the links you need for assistance programs - there a quite a few - not just for the manufacturers of the differing drugs. There is an alternatives board here, too, that will probably be helpful for you if you are looking for non-prescription help. Lots of p sufferers seem to find relief with going "natural."

Good luck - and congrats on your little one!

[RichJ]

hi amy,
sorry i can't help much but welcome to the p family. you have met some of the wonderful people on here and will find alot of great info. welcome and nice to meet you and congrats on your new baby

have a good night all

richard

[jennmkirby]

Hi Amy! Congrats on the new baby! Please come visit over at the Complementary/Alternative forum... you'll find lots of great ideas for non-prescription relief. Watch for Mr. Mike too, I'm sure he'll give you some great advice about programs for getting Enbrel.

Jenn

[MikeK]

Hi Amy,

Welcome to the Board! :cool: Nice to meet you. Congratulatons on baby! How wonderful! :) I'm sorry to hear that your psoriasis is flaring. :( Unfortunately, that sometimes happens after a woman has a baby. (Sigh)

As you can see, you've come to a very special place. A lot of nice and helpful people post here. More important, it's great to FINALLY be able to ask questions, vent, exchange info, and maybe even share some laughs with people who truly undertand.

As John (TheOne1313), Melanie (swogoddess) and Jenn mentioned, there are assistance programs that are designed to help people who either don't have insurance or who are underinsured. Links and information about these programs are in a thread that was started by Leslie (Momtotwogirls). She took the time to post this information so that other people many benefit from it. I added the links and information about other programs that people have either told me about or that have been discussed here on the Board. With one exception, we don't know very much about most of these programs. (That being said, it still can't hurt to check them out.) I can tell you that two people who sometimes post here Miranda (LadyFrasier) and Jessica (stormechaser) both got assistance for some very expensive medications (Enbrel and Remicade) thanks to a program called www.needymeds.com. Their stories can be found both here: http://www.psoriasis.org/forum/showthread.php?t=3979 and in Leslie's thread. Several people who post here have mentioned that they got Enbrel for free through Enbrel's ENcourage Foundation. Information about the ENcourage Foundation can also be found in Leslie's thread. Finally, here's a link to Leslie's thread: http://www.psoriasis.org/forum/showthread.php?t=12378&highlight=Leslie.

Here's a couple of over the counter suggestions that will hopefully give you some relief. (If you're nursing your baby, please check with your doctor first.)
Taking baths with a product like Aveeno Oatmeal Soak (http://www.aveeno.com/detailAction.do?id=3640). MG217 (www.mg217.com) makes a lotion, an ointment and a shampoo that are available in two formulas -- one with coal tar and one with salicylic acid. Coal tar has been used to treat psoriasis for many, many years and salicylic acid is one of the few doctor approved methods for removing scales. Coal tar products may not be available if you live in California. (You have to be careful when you use any product with salicylic acid. I burnt myself when I used the salicylic acid version of MG217 for too many days in a row.) Here in New Jersey, the coal tar version of both MG217 ointment and MG217 shampoo is available at just about every chain type drug stores. The shampoo is almost always located with the other dandruff shampoos. The ointment is sometimes with the other creams and lotions, and sometimes with the first aid stuff and sometimes in a special psoriasis section. Ask if you can't find it. Again, here in New Jersey MG217 lotion, and the salicylic acid version MG217 shampoo seems to be available by special order only. Walgreen's seems to be the only store around here that carries the salicylic acid version of MG217 ointment.
Dermarest (www.dermarest.com) makes a lotion and shampoo that has salicylic acid in it.
Psoriasin makes several products that you can also try. I've seen them at Walgreen's. Here's a link for some additional info: http://www.alva-amco.com/pages/psoriasin.php. And here's a link to a some previous discussions about Psoriasin products: http://www.psoriasis.org/forum/showthread.php?t=5210;
http://www.psoriasis.org/forum/showthread.php?t=9092&highlight=Psoriasin; http://www.psoriasis.org/forum/showthread.php?threadid=8642&highlight=Psoriasin.
You can also try taking a bath with Balnetar. Balnetar is an over the counter product that is available only by special order at most drug stores. As it's name implies, Balnetar is coal tar based. Because it is coal tar based, it stains everything and the stains can be hard to get out. Scub the tub immediately after use and use old towels and wear old clothes when you use it. Despite these problems, it can be a highly effective weapon in the war against psoriasis. I've never been able to find a website for Balnetar, so I'm going to give you a link to a site that sells it online. I've NEVER ordered anything from them, so I have no idea how reliable they are. I'm giving you the link because their description of Balnetar is a good one. Here's the link: http://www.dermadoctor.com/pages/branddetail72.asp?x=1&WID=%7B29749BC7%2D0B35%2D4715%2D88BC%2D8D2746DB41D 0%7D. Some people use Desitin (that's right the diaper rash cream.) to treat psoriasis in places like the groin and underarms. Here's a link to a previous discussion of about Desitin: http://www.psoriasis.org/forum/showthread.php?t=11047&highlight=Desitin and here's a link to the Desitin product that they were suggesting: http://www.desitin.com/en/?dsp=22&psp=20. For you scalp, you can use the MG217 or Dermarest shampoos that I previously mentioned. You can also use either Neutrogena/T-Gel (coal tar) or Neutrogena/T-Sal (salicylic acid). Both Neutrogena products come in several strengths. Here's a link for some additional information: http://www.neutrogena.com/ProductsLine_7_3.asp. A lot of people who post here use Paul Mitchell's tree tree oil shampoo and/or condtioner. It's very soothing. It's on the pricey side. Here's a link: http://www.paulmitchell.com/site/subpage.asp?section=2,10,32. I was told that Paul Mitchell products could only be found at beauty supply stores, but I was able to find both the shampoo and conditioner at a New York area chain type drug store. You can also try Bakers P&S Oil. You apply it to your scalp and leave it on -- covered by a shower cap -- for several hours. It can be very messy and it's very hard to get used to, but it can also be a very effective weapon in the war against scalp psoriasis. Baker P&S oil is another one of those over the counter products that has to be special ordered by the drug store. I've never been able find a website for Baker's P&S oil. Fortunately, the same website that sells Balnetar also sells Baker's P&S oil. Again, I know NOTHING about them, but their description of it is a good one. Here's the link: http://www.dermadoctor.com/product.asp?WID=%7B29749BC7%2D0B35%2D4715%2D88BC%2 D8D2746DB41D0%7D&productid=206.Finally, I find the dyes and fragrances in detergent and dryer sheets tend to irritate and dry out my psoiasis and make it even itcher then it already is. I've had similar problems with antibacterial and deoderant soaps. I haven't had any laundry related problems since I switched to "free and clear" laundry products. And, here's a link to a previous discussion about psoriasis and soap: http://www.psoriasis.org/forum/showthread.php?t=13629. I also find that it helps to keep things moist. Especially in the winter time. You rally can't overdo it when it comes to putting on moisturizer. I put on some moisturizer several times a day. (For example, I have psoriasis on my hands and I put on moisturizer everytime that I wash my hands.) Which moisturzer to use is a matter of trial and error and personal preference. I find that it helps to rotate brands. I also find that it helps to use only those moisturizers that are labled "fragrance free", "non-irritating" and/or "for sensitive skin".

I'm sorry that this turned into such a novel. You're probably suffering from information overload. :rolleyes: I hope that it helps in some small way. Good luck. Keep us posted. Let us know if you have any questions and please don't be a stranger.

Mike

[wildflowerAnn]

Amy, Congratulations on the birth of your new baby. Sorry to hear you are 70% covered with P. Ouch. It is very difficult to deal with the lack of sleep when a new baby is born, and I'm going to speculate that insufficient sleep can worsen psoriasis. Get all the rest you can and hope you find something that will clear your skin. Glad you joined the forum.
Ann

[AmynSelora]

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone that responded! Mike gave me alot of choices that I hadn't heard of. I am also going to start a diet program so that may help a bit! Thanks again!

[PJ Leary]

Hi Amy,

Congrats on the new addition to your family! I am a mother of four children who has had severe p all of my adult life. Every time I was pregnant, my p improved, and after delivery flared terribly. I think that for myself, the fluctuations in hormones was not helpful at all.

I think it sounds like you are an excellent candidate for biologic treatment, like enbrel. Here is a link to their online information. Amgen-Wyeth, the manufacturer, does have an excellent assistance program. You should consider applying.

http://www.enbrel.com/enliven/getting-started.jsp

Please let us know if you want or need more information on the subject. In the meantime, I'll see if I can find out who the local rep for their company is in your area.

Regards,