P on hands/soles of feet & employment

[Marcee]

When you have psoriasis on hands and feet should you apply for a disability. Been going thru this 6months, cracks, etc. painful,
hands as well. Job being held currently, but no sign of improvement in condition and I wonder if I will be able to work.
Painful to be on feet, hands split w/any type of pressure. I am beginning to wonder when this is going to subside, I hear it can be arrested, tho it may resurface. Thank you to anyone for a response.
marcee

[MacMcMac]

If it's really that bad I would think you'd want to consider disability. I feel real bad for you, that must be awful. I had it on my feet one summer, they just cracked and bled all the time. Never want to go through that again! Maybe your human resources department can help?

[fgsskala]

Marcee,

I currently have it on my hands and feet pretty bad. Got to the point I could not do my work. My doctor wrote a note stating that I could not use my hands because of the pain and stiffness cased by placque. Becuse I used a keyboard all day it became impossible for me to function in my job at any acceptable level.

Presented the note to HR and went on STD right away. After that expired I went on LTD which was approved by the Insurance Co.. As part of being on LTD, the Insurance Co. states that you must apply for SSDI, which I did. Was approved for SSDI on my initial application.

Talk it over with your doctor and explain to him how it is affecting your work and that you are considering going on disability. Get his feedback and see if he agrees, because he will have to be involved in the process of filling out forms to asssit you in getting your disability.

The best advice I can give you is to get an attorney for the SSDI application. As a matter of fact the Insurance Co. recommended that I get one. The attorney will explain the process and do most of the paperwork for your application. I have been collecting both SSDI and LTD ever since.

As you probably know, the hands and feet are very difficult to clear, but be persistent in treating them and everything will hopefully turn out OK for you.

[MikeK]

Hi Marcee,

I don't think that we've met, so let me take this opportunity to welcome you to the Board! :cool: I'm sorry to hear that you're going through such a rough time. :(

I just came from the disability section of Social Security's website (http://www.ssa.gov/disability/) I did some searching and eventually found a handbook for medical professional's. It listed psoriasis as a qualifying reason for benefits when:
8.05 Psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, dyshidrosis. With extensive lesions including involvement of the hands or feet which impose a marked limitation of function and which are not responding to prescribed treatment. The good news is that several people who post here are on disability due to psoriasis. The bad news is that I've read here that getting benefits can be a long and frustrating process. Please don't let that discourage you. Fgsskala gave you some great advice and the NPF has an advocacy service that can also help you with the process. (Here's a link to their description of the service: http://www.psoriasis.org/resources/advocacy/) Here's the NPF's contact information:

National Psoriasis Foundation
6600 SW 92nd Ave., Suite 300
Portland, OR 97223-7195
Phone: (503) 244-7404 OR (800) 723-9166
Fax: (503) 245-0626
E-mail: getinfo@psoriasis.org

Their hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time.

I have psoriasis on the backs of both hands. It can be VERY painful especially in the winter. I manage to keep it somewhat under control with a combination of Dovonex (M - F in the morning), Protopic (M - F in the evening) and Ultravate (twice a day on the weekends). I sometimes do my meds three times a day, by putting some Dovonex on in the afternoon. When things get really bad, I use Ultravate (instead of Protopic) before I go to bed on Wednesday nights. Since Ultravate is a very strong steroid, so I only do the Wednesday night thing when the p gets really bad and then only for two or three weeks at a time. I also moisturize constantly and avoid antibacterial soap. (Cetaphil liquid is a good choice)

I don't have psoriasis on my feet, but I several people here have reported that they've gotten some relief by using MG217. (It's available available over the counter, here's a link: www.mg217.com.)

Hope this helps. Good luck. Keep us posted and please don't be a stranger.

Mike

[winter]

I am glad to hear that it is possible to go on disability for Psoriasis. However, check very thoroughly for the length of time it takes to qualify. I wonder if you have tried any of the new biologic medicines. Also check your insurance status once you are no longer working. That was what kept me working plus the fact that at the time there was no recognition of psoriasis as a disability. I had to have the insurance at work. I often had to wear white gloves to protect my hands. I was using a computer, an calculator, a typewriter and answering the phone for about four or five others in addition to my own work. Fortunately I lasted until retirement and the past 2-1/2 years have been on methotrexate which has been doing a wonderful job of keeping P under control. Try every possibility. Good luck.

[nitegale]

Marcee, welcome to the boards!!! You will find some really nice and informative people who post here. I too have p on my hands. I have had it for nearly two years now. The palms and fingers are the worst and I have a few areas on my knuckles that are affected. I am an RN and must wash my hands often at work. The wet work really exacerbates the p. I had a really bad spell two weeks ago when my palms were all cracked and fissured and could not work. You can get disability for p especially when it affects the hands and feet if they are really that bad. In order to qualify you must have the condition for one year and it does not respond to treatment. I gave this a lot of thought and for me this was not an option. The cut in pay at this time in my life when I must put my kids through college would destroy me let alone the psychological affect not working would have on me. For now I must concentrate on keeping my hands at the very best they can be. With the help of many here I am doing just that. I can't believe how much better my hands look in just two weeks just by taking the atarax at night and moisturizing about every hour on the hour. I hope in some way I have helped you. Good Luck!

[YurOthaMotha]

My P is exclusive to my palms, thumbs and bottoms of both feet. Have never met anyone with this condition. I've had it for over 3 years now have tried every topical, tar, cortisone injections, soaks, PUVA, UVB, Amevive, etc.

I hate dermatologists. They don't care. After going to the psoriasis center 3 times a week for over 12 weeks [the amevive alone cost $1,900 per week], all my derm does is tell me what a tough case i am and he writes another prescription; which, of course, doesn't help at all.

So now I'm taking a break from doctors. I'm going to take all the knowledge I've gained and start applying the ointments/creams/ etc. that I've accumulated over the past year and see if I can maintain some type of comfort.

I'm soaking my feet in my new foot bath when it gets too painful to walk. Then I apply either salacydic acid and/or ultravate and wrap them in plastic over night. I constantly lube up my hands and wear cotton gloves. Can't tell you how many people comment on that. Especially since I cut out the four fingers.

Just to recap. I'm a 43 year old married woman [working part time] and have three kids, 16, 14, & 8. So you can imagine all the running around, cooking, cleaning, laundry, and housework that I do. Can't tell you how often I break down and cry because it's so painful to push a damn vaccuum and/or fold a load of laundry w/ my plaques sticking to the soft fabric. My family is helpful at times but they always have to be asked. And when I do ask, they make fun of me because it's usually due to my "psoriasis" when I can't tackle a job.

Anyway, I wish you all luck. From one whose been there . . . done that.

[WildBill62]

It started as a small white spot that wouldn't go away but never caused any problems and over the last ten years has progressed. Thankfully it is only on my hands and sometimes that is enough. It seems to isolate on the fingertips and with that comes the cracks in the skin. Sometimes it seems like it cracks from the inside out. Now the treatement. 5-Dermotologists, 2-Allergist, 1-Hi $ Specialist Clinic, countless MD's and all have the same belief; prescibe something different than the other doctor. I now have a treasure chest of very expensive prescription steriodal drugs all of which offer no relief. I have now sworn off of all the drugs and am back to using Aveeno with some relief. The only question I could ask of what I have not tried is Ultra Violet Light. Any luck with this type of P??? Thanks and good luck in your search for relief..
Bill