erythrodermic honey

[rsutton]

Hello all,

My sweety has erythrodermic psoriasis and I've heard that Olux can cause hardening of the skin and other possible problems. He was using it for a while and the doctor told him to stop even though he was completely clear after having it over 100% of his body. Has anyone else heard of this nasty side effect or been told to not use it or to quit using it?
Also, what is the best moisturizer OTC? We've tried Vaseline, but it's hard for him to be so greasy all of the time and it's difficult to apply all over the body. I have heard that oatmeal baths work too, does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks, Renee:confused:

[MikeK]

Hi Renee,

Welcome! You've come to the right place. A lot of very nice people post here. Everyone's always ready to offer a suggestion to help another sufferer. I have plaque psoriasis so what works for me may not work for your husband. I've never used Olux so I don't know anything about it. Taking oatmeal baths help relieve the itch and promotes shedding of the scale. Aveeno makes an OTC oatmeal bath and here's a link to a thread that has a recipe for a homemade oatmeal bath.

http://www.psoriasis.org/forum/showthread.php?threadid=3003

I use several different otc moisturizers. I like to rotate between: Cetaphil, Aveeno and Eucerin (the kind that comes in a pump bottle).

Hope this helps.

Mike

[rsutton]

Thanks for the tips Mike. I wonder though, I've heard that lotion with alcohol in it is very bad for psoriasis. There's a website that talks about it actually drying the skin out more than it normally would. I don't know how true this is but the source was credible. James (hubby) never uses lotion because he says, "My skins gonna crack in five minutes anyhow." We just bought a 2oz. jar of MG217 (?) at Walgreen's. I read a testimonial and thought it couldn't hurt to try. Other than that, he'll go through a jar of vaseline a week. Pretty greasy, but if he's comfortable then I'm happy. If Daddy ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. :D

[MikeK]

Hi Renee,

I think that it depends on the combination of ingredients in the lotion. I haven't had any problems with any of the lotions that I recommended. (The Cetaphil was recommened by my derm. She gave me samples.) I have had problems with other lotions so I know exactly where James is coming from. Also, everyone's body (and psoriasis) reacts differently to just about everything, so buy the smallest size that you can find whenever you try anything new.

I used to use MG217. It's kind of messy. It has coal tar in it and stains big time, but it does help. I stopped using it because it has salicylic acid in it. I use a prescription ointment called Dovonex and I read on the NPF's website that Dovonex should not be used with products containing salicylic acid, because the acid breaks down the active ingredient in Dovonex. (Here's a link the the section of the NPF's website that discusses Dovonex. The discussion about salicylic acid is near the bottom of the page.) http://www.psoriasis.org/treatment/psoriasis/calcipotriene.php)

Here's a link to the NPF's discussion of salicyic acid.

http://www.psoriasis.org/treatment/psoriasis/salicylic_acid.php

Here's a couple of other things that James my find helpful. Use only "free and clear" detergents, dryer sheets and fabric softeners. The dies and fragrances in other products can actually irritate the psoriasis. Also, my derm strongly suggests that I avoid antibacterial soaps for that reason.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Mike

[rsutton]

Thank you so much Mike. Your information was very helpful. What a nice welcome I've received so far!