Tonsilectomy help psoriasis??

[Carlismommy]

My daughter is 9 and this winter she has been battleing her psoriasis. We think the outbreaks are caused from her having strep throat often. Her tonsils are very large and the Dr. has suggested having her tonsils removed. So, on March 10th, they are coming out. We hope and pray that it helps her in many ways. Our main reason is so that her psoriasis clears up and also so that she stops getting strep throat so often. Anyone ever have thier child's tonsils removed and see a change?? I would love to hear anyones oppinions...thank you......Jami

[chaimFL]

Hey Jami!

There is a lot of data to support having the tonsil removed, but unfortunately there are no guarentees.

You daughter seems to have all the qualifying symptoms of a successful tonsillectomy with chronic strep, psoriasis flares, and enlarged tonsils.

Here is some supporting data that should make you feel good about your decision:

Streptococcal throat infections and exacerbation of chronic plaque psoriasis: a prospective study.

Gudjonsson JE, Thorarinsson AM, Sigurgeirsson B, Kristinsson KG, Valdimarsson H.

Departments of Immunology, Dermatology and Microbiology, Landspitali University Hospital, Hringbraut, Reykjavik, Iceland.

BACKGROUND: Guttate psoriasis has a well-known association with streptococcal throat infections but the effects of these infections in patients with chronic psoriasis remains to be evaluated in a prospective study. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether streptococcal throat infections are more common in and can cause exacerbation in patients with chronic psoriasis. METHODS: Two hundred and eight patients with chronic plaque psoriasis and 116 unrelated age-matched household controls were followed for 1 year. At recruitment all patients were examined, their disease severity scored and throat swabs taken. Patients and corresponding controls were then re-examined and tested for streptococcal colonization whenever they reported sore throat or exacerbation of their psoriasis during the study period. RESULTS: The psoriasis patients reported sore throat significantly more often than controls (61 of 208 vs. three of 116, P < 0.0001), and beta-haemolytic streptococci of Lancefield groups A, C and G (M protein-positive streptococci) were more often cultured from the patients than the controls (19 of 208 vs. one of 116, P = 0.003). A significant exacerbation of psoriasis (P = 0.004) was observed only if streptococci were isolated and the patients were assessed 4 days or later after the onset of sore throat. No difference was observed between groups A, C or G streptococci in this respect. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms anecdotal and retrospective reports that streptococcal throat infections can cause exacerbation of chronic plaque psoriasis. It is concluded that psoriasis patients should be encouraged to report sore throat to their physician and that early treatment of streptococcal throat infections might be beneficial in psoriasis. A controlled trial for assessing potential benefits of tonsillectomy in patients with severe psoriasis should also be considered.

Treatment of psoriasis in children: is there a role for antibiotic therapy and tonsillectomy?

Wilson JK, Al-Suwaidan SN, Krowchuk D, Feldman SR.

Department of Dermatology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157, USA.

Numerous studies implicate subclinical or recurrent streptococcal infection as a trigger or maintenance factor in the pathogenesis of psoriasis in children. The purpose of this article is to review the efficacy of antibiotic therapy and tonsillectomy as treatments for childhood psoriasis. Clinical trials assessing the efficacy of antibiotics or tonsillectomy as treatments for childhood psoriasis were identified with a search of the medical literature and the results were compared. Only one controlled clinical trial was identified and it did not find a significant effect of antibiotic treatment on psoriasis. In other studies, the percentage of psoriasis patients who experienced disease clearance with antibiotic therapy ranged from 0% to 55%, with no patients experiencing disease worsening during treatment. No controlled trials of tonsillectomy for psoriasis were identified. The percentage of patients who experienced disease clearance after tonsillectomy in uncontrolled trials ranged from 32% to 53% and a similar percentage reported significant improvement in their psoriasis, with a maximum of 7% noting worsening of the disease after the operation. The available evidence does not demonstrate the efficacy of either antibiotic therapy or tonsillectomy in the treatment of childhood psoriasis. Because these treatments are relatively benign compared to other treatments for severe psoriasis, the use of antibiotic therapy or tonsillectomy may still be worth considering, especially for those patients with recurrent streptococcal infections that seem to trigger or maintain their skin disease.

[Efficacy of tonsillectomy on psoriasis and tonsil histology]

[Article in Japanese]

Takahara M, Bandoh N, Imada M, Hayashi T, Nonaka S, Harabuchi Y.

Department of Otolarygology, Asahikawa Medical Collage, Asahikawa.

Treatment outcomes of tonsillectomy were studied in 7 Japanese patients with psoriasis--3 males and 4 females aged 9 to 46 years (median: 23 years)--followed up 2 to 9 years after tonsillectomy. All skin lesions disappeared in 3 patients, 80% of those in 2, and no change in the remaining 2 during follow-up. Of 5 in whom skin lesions improved, 4 were females and had a history of tonsillitis making skin lesions worse. In quantitative immunohistologic analysis on tonsillar tissues by CD20 and anti-ssDNA antibodies, areas of T cell-nodules were significantly expanded, but those of the B-lymphoid follicles were smaller, and the number of apoptotic cells increased in tonsils from patients with psoriasis and PPP compared to those with recurrent tonsillitis. The area of T cell-nodules and the number of apoptosis cells were significantly larger in tonsils from 4 patients with complete recovery after tonsillectomy compared to the remaining 9 without complete recovery. This suggests that histologic evaluation may be helpful in estimating the effectiveness of tonsillectomy.

A role for tonsillectomy in the treatment of psoriasis?

McMillin BD, Maddern BR, Graham WR.

Division of Otolaryngology, Nemours Children's Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla. 32207, USA. dmcmillin@nemours.org

Our objective was to determine whether tonsillectomy is beneficial in the treatment of recurrent childhood guttate psoriasis that is associated with recurrent streptococcal pharyngitis and tonsillitis. We retrospectively reviewed the cases of two children who were referred to our facility for treatment of repeated exacerbations of psoriasis and recurrent streptococcal pharyngotonsillitis. Both patients experienced a significant improvement in their psoriasis after undergoing adenotonsillectomy, and both were completely free of psoriatic outbreaks after 16 months of follow-up. We conclude that tonsillectomy appears to be of benefit in the treatment of children with recurrent guttate psoriasis and recurrent streptococcal pharyngotonsillitis, and we hope that further investigation will be undertaken.

[MikeK]

Hi Jami,

I don't think that we've met, so let me take this opportunity to welcome you to the Board! Nice to meet you. Ronnie became a former poster because her daughter Mikey's psoriasis cleared after her tonsils were removed. She discusses their experience in this thread: http://www.psoriasis.org/forum/showt...hlight=Tonsils.

I hope this helps.

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

Mike

[littleangel]

hmm this thread makes me think.
my ENT doc told me i should get them out but i was too scared so they're still in.
maybe it would help me too?

[chaimFL]

Ali,

It certainly could, but not neccessarily. I'm under the impression that the results are best for people who suffer from strep induced guttate especially if they have enlarged tonsils.

Surgery in general becomes more taxing the older we get. As a kid the recovery time tends to be shorter than for an adult, even a young adult. However, I do think the method of taking out the tonsils has changed in somewhat recent years so the pain and recovery is not as bad from what I hear, but still no walk in the park.

[littleangel]

i do have inflammed tonsils and chronic strep AND guttate
i've just been too afraid to get them removed because of the recovery
[not being able to eat for a week! i can't handle that]
but i guess it is something i should seriously consider *sigh*
thanks chaim!

[Carlismommy]

Hi Jami,

I don't think that we've met, so let me take this opportunity to welcome you to the Board! Nice to meet you. Ronnie became a former poster because her daughter Mikey's psoriasis cleared after her tonsils were removed. She discusses their experience in this thread: http://www.psoriasis.org/forum/showt...hlight=Tonsils.

I hope this helps.

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

Mike

Thanks for the welcome and you are right, we have not met. I am very new to the board and so far am enjoying all of you. The knowledge and information people have been sending me is just wonderful. I appreciate you all and always look forward to hearing from you. We are very ready for Carli's tonsilectomy-as is she. She is tired of being sick all the time and tired of her psoriasis flaring up. Bless her heart, she has been a trooper. I will for sure keep you all posted on how she does....Thanks again for the welcome....
Thanks for the thread on Ronnies daughter.... Jami

[Bubbbles2002]

Hello!

I had my tonsils removed a few years ago, I was 17. I didnt hear anything about it being able to help P. I didnt see any change in my P, but I hope your daughter sure does!!! Best of luck to you!

LittleAngel-Getting ur tonsils out does hurt, im not going to lie, but it gets better I promise You can eat, but nothing really hard. My suggestion is drink lots of water, I found that it made my healing time very quick because I wasnt drinking hardly anything that first week and it didnt get better then I told myself I was going to get through this and I forced myself to keep drinking and it got better real quick after that!!! Also I would certainly suggest getting ur tonsils out because it helps u not get so many infections in the throat such as strep and that can help with P flares.

Have a good day!


Ashley

[Carlismommy]

hmm this thread makes me think.
my ENT doc told me i should get them out but i was too scared so they're still in.
maybe it would help me too?

You may want to reconsider getting them out. DO you suffer from strep throat or tonsilitis? I had mine out when I was 21(I am now 36) and I have not had a sore throat since then. I get a scratchy throat from my allergies but that is it. It hurt when they took them out but it really wasn't that bad. Good luck and let me know what you decide....Jami

[TheFiveO]

Hey!! This is my first post on this so id just like to take this opportunity to say hi to everyone!

My proper name is Greg and im from ireland, and ive had p since i was 19yrs old, im 24 now. I have p on my legs and elbows and sometimes i get it on my scalp?

Last week, i went sick from work with tonsillitis and its the fourth time ive had tonsillitus since October, i went to a throat ears nose doctor and he recommended that i get the tonsils removed so im booked in for the scalpel next wednesday!

Heard the treatment is sore but anxious to get them out so as i wont lose out on more work days!

I read the previous posts and they seem to date back a while, just looking to see if anyone noticed improvement in their p since they had tonsils removed, i have plaque p and it seems from other forums and sites that it generally is associated with guttate, any info would ge great!!

Greg!

[lifesabeach]

hey first post here too. i had mine remove eon ago, too young to remember. but my p, as they call it here, is here to stay

lifes a beach eh?!

[bearsmom]

Hi, this is my first post - been a lurker. I have a 9 year old daughter as well with psoriasis. Hers started last fall in her scalp and suddenly in late January she broke out with full body guttate. It was literally head to toe, only parts of her face were spared. She also had her flares coincide with testing positive for strep and would start getting better with antibiotic treatment but within 2 weeks she's start flaring again and test positive once again.

We did this 4 times between January and June. Our derm referred us to an ENT to get her tonsils removed, they were huge and were considered chronic. She had them removed on June 6th. She recovered from the surgery easily.

We're still treating topically but not as often and she is looking a lot better, especially in her legs which were not responding to anything else before. I'm also getting her in the sun often because the derm said that would help the guttate as well. I do not know if this will cure her, but has already had a dramatic affect so I am hopeful. I have no regrets on having the tonsillectomy. I wish you and your daughter the best.

[DEBAK]

hmm. I never went more that 2 to 3 weeks without a re occurance of strep throat back when I was 16, had tonsils out at 17 and developed severe palmar/plantar P and psoriatic arthritis at age 50. I wonder if just the history of so much strep has had any impact on my development of P. I wonder if my grank kids should have their tonsils out as a precaution so to speak. ???

[lyneloo]

I joined this website today for the specific reason of finding this thread or any thread dealing with the removal of the tonsils. My son is 16 - he had strep last year at this time, it wasn't diagnosed fast enough and by the time he received his antibiotics, his body was covered more then 80%. This poor boy had it from scalp to feet, in the groin area, in the ears and in the face. His case was so severe they were studying him!They put him through UVB almost right away, he went through 40 weeks of treatment and after two weeks of being done it creeped up again. He has been putting on this cream for a year now and the side effects are devastating. Very little else seems to be done to help him. Two weeks ago the doctor has started him on Soriatane and his moods are outrageous. He is enraged most of the waking day and depressed beyond belief. Constantly in tears, simply wanting to die. The psoriasis is now at it's peak.
I am very concerned and calling the derm tomorrow, I want him OFF this medication. I think the rage, plus the insomnia, the nausea, the headaches, the loss of appetite (he has lost 20lbs in the last 8 months) are simply to much. I have been saying for the last two months that the doctors need to stop treating the symptom and find the cause. I read online about tonsil removal but didn't find alot of info. I joined this site TODAY and low and behold, there are threads concerning this very issue. I am going to insist that this procedure be done on my son. I do not want his psychological suffering to continue. The boy is falling apart.
Reading about Soriatane in another thread and finding this one reassures me that I'm not crazy! ;0)

[sarah603]

Lyneloo, Just want to welcome you to the forum and offer some support. I'm a mom of 2 little guys (6 and 2) and your post brought me to tears. I can tell that you're ready to go to the ends of the earth for your son. He is blessed to have you.
This disease is unkind and I truly hope that you find something to help your child. It definitely sounds like his current medication is not a good fit. But you are a strong voice and your insistence will benefit him.
I don't know if he can tolerate fish oil or flaxseed, but I was pleasantly suprised to learn from my naturapath that omega-3's have a great impact on mood --- while it won't cure anything, the simple daily supplement might help your son with his mood while he's transitioning to a new treatment (plus omega 3 supports healthy immune function, skin, heart, etc). Do a quick search for Barney's formula on the forum to read more about potentially helpful supplments.

Best of luck to you and your son. Hang in there and know that you are not alone. Continue to be his champion --- and know that I will be keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.

Sarah

[lyneloo]

Hi Sarah, both my boys take omega 3 fish oils every day, and my oldest has been taking two BComplex every morning and he says it does help with stabilizing his mood. (I suggest this for all women out there with PMS as well lol) I am very much into eating healthy and giving the body what it needs. My son is also taking Oil of Oregano which has plenty of research to support the fact that it is more efficient then many anti biotics out there.

I thank you for your kind words. Sometimes I feel like a bit of a ***** but he's my son and who else will be his advocate but me? I have recently spoken to my family doctor and she is supportive and will research this surgery (in connection to guttate psoriasis) on her 'medical' website. We commoners don't have access to those..hahahaha. I have an appointment with the Derm on Jan 28th and will keep you updated.

[crazymomma]

I'm mother to an almost-15 year old boy. He has suffered from psoriasis for about a year and a half, about the time he was nearing puberty and ready to launch a growth spurt ;-) The diagnosis was made literally On the Way to a lakeside church camp at the beginning of summer. The dermatologist was active duty military and somehow we caught him on his very last day of service. He was in the parking garage, in civilian clothes, moments from driving away when the general practitioner paged him for a quick consult. He took one glance at my son, whose initial 'dandruff from Hell' had suddenly evolved into scaly lesions just about Everywhere, and said Psoriasis. He ticked off a list of meds, the g.p. wrote the scrips; we got a sackfull at the pharmacy. I cried all the way to camp, but my son has been amazingly calm about this most of the time. BTW: his paternal grandfather and an aunt both have psoriasis, but to my knowledge, not to this degree of difficulty.

When military hospitals lose their Derm head of staff, it's tough to get another in his/her place, and in the interim, they focus on their active duty members and refer all others to outside providers.

Some kids have Sports or Music or Dance after school; my son has UVB light box time. We've progressed from 3 times weekly to twice. It's always one step forward, two steps back; it flares, clears, flares, clears...ya'll know how that goes.

Psoriasis is not his only 'issue'; my son has Asperger's Syndrome. He is 'high-functioning', but that sort of puts him between two worlds. He is way too intelligent and functional to fit well with the SpEd kids, although he needs the services of that department, but he lacks the drive and focus to function well in regular classrooms. If I had a million dollars I'd put him in a special school for Aspies and bring him home for weekends.

I suspect the reason he can be somewhat calm about the Psoriasis is related to the meds he takes for Attention Deficit (not hyperactivity). He takes Strattera, which as I understand it is an antidepressant that has a sort of 'side benefit' of helping people focus. As the doctors said, you gotta look at he entire set of problems and sort of 'take aim' at the most serious ones, the ones that impact the entire household. Stimulants didn't work for him...several were tried. He was so frustrated he was physically combative; not at school, thank God!, but at home. He'd throw and break things; I was bitten and struck. I would never initiate a tussel with him, but when he would do such things, I'd have to sit on his feet and restrain his arms, until he would get tired, cry, and then oddly enough, he would fall asleep and nearly forget the entire episode. My arms would ache for days from the struggle. (I'd always thought that I'd get my son 'squared away' first, and then I would make time to see a doc about an anti-depressant for myself...but in retrospect, maybe I got that backwards ;-)

Now he's reaching toward 6 feet tall, well over 200 pounds, and has size 14 feet. I'm glad the Strattera has helped, and as science is learning, the teen brain continues to grow, so there's some real growth, maturity-wise. I worry, because his grades are poor. Nonetheless, he enjoys school, and he likes his classes. Aspie kids sort of keep to themselves by nature, to some degree. We are lucky that he has attended the same school since Kindergarten, in a small town, so he has an abundance of people who care about him, even if he's not in the Popular Crowd.

I'm having trouble getting him to apply Topical meds consistently, because attending to that is a 'drag'. I am willing to help him with areas he can't reach, like his back, and he knows that. His procrastinating Aspie/Teenager ways can stretch things that should be Quick into hour upon hour...24 hours in a day isn't enough for anybody, but it's all we get.

For 3 appointments in a row, the Physician's Assistant for the (civilian) Dermatology Clinic has endeavored to convince me that Systemic meds is the next logical step, as "topicals have failed." I don't see it that way; to me, it feel like we have jumped from one product to the next to the next, we have a Boxful, and they are not being applied consistently enough to be judged inadequate.

When I say that I do not want the boy's liver overtaxed by yet another medication, I'm told that they want to make it 'easier' for him, because the teen years are so difficult socially, etc., as if I didn't know that...and "stress in the home also exacerbates psoriasis".
I always drive home feeling like I have been pegged as the Cause of Stress in the Home.

Treating a juvenile in a Systemic way isn't something I feel qualified to judge, but I am darn well going to seek other opinions before going that route.
The older I get, it seems like so much of prescribing things to people is based upon 'educated guesses' and as a parent, I feel called upon to make just as many as a doctor does, or more. It's a partnership that does not allow a parent to just smile and say 'Yes, Doctor' without delving deeper into the issues. The internet has been a BIG blessing in this regard.

I'm not sure my son is ready to join the message boards on his own. He has an 'innocence' that is hard to describe, and real optimism. It's something precious. I can discuss Anything with him, including what I learn here and elsewhere. He is suddenly becoming more open to ideas of some of the non-medical things he can do to support his health: taking a multivitamin, trying new foods, (a Very Big Deal w/Asperger's; I know one young man who, to this day, subsists mainly on peanut butter sandwiches), helping to choose and compare Soaps and OTC moisturizers for general use...and agreeing to leave alone the products that belong to the rest of the family.

as for the latter, he used to make 'formulas' by combining his sister's favorite shampoo with my expensive tea tree shampoo, added to his father's Pert Plus. He has, until very recently, enjoyed taking a disposable razor to a softened bar of soap and sculpting it or reducing it to ribbons. Expensive Goats Milk Soap? Sorry, Mom. We found Pear's brand at the Dollar Store tonight. At least I know that ought to rinse off completely without leaving a massive ring in the tub.
I have also become very good at giving a fast 'crew cut' w/electric hair trimmers, to maximize the UVB.

sorry to have gone On and On; suffice to say that I look forward to Learning More and when I see things like the posts about Glycerin or this thread about Tonsilectomy, my heart dares to hope that one day we will cobble together enough measures to make things better. It scares me to think of my boy being a man and dealing with so many things on his own, because everybody has a breaking point. If I'd joined the board sooner, this post might've been broken down into smaller more manageable bits.

Thank You for being here, on behalf of my whole family.

[Michellinator]

Hello all! I am new to this site. After speaking with a friend of mine last night we were talking about my psoriasis. I am a 32 year old woman with a 10 month old son. When I was pregnant with my son my psoriasis cleared up totally! What an enjoyable 9 months of no medication every single night. Before I was pregnant the only spot I had the psoriasis was on my scalp. Now it is all over my entire body. The only spot it isn't at the moment is my face. My sex life is deeply affected as is my self-esteem. My husband loves me just the way I am, but it is me. I am the one that has the difficulty looking at myself. My derm. is a total b*tch. She has zero bedside manner and even if I told her that my P is getting worse she will say she has patients with worse and that I should not complain. I can never win with her. The last time I was at my derm. I told her that it was getting worse. She asked me if I had recently had strep throat and I said "about 2 years ago" and she said "well that is why it is happening". So...........should I be looking at getting my tonsils out? I would be willing to go the ends of the earth to get rid of this and it doesn't look like all of the ointments and oils my derm. is giving me seem to working.
What should I do?

[Mikel]

I have been struggling with recurring strep infections for over a year & I was getting it every month. Almost all antibiotics are ineffective now. The ENT was unable to determine the root cause but refused to take out the tonsils since the infection was always on the Pharyngal bands.

He refered me to a doctor for infectious deseases and this new doc ran all bacterial, viral tests including HIV, Hepatitis etc but all negative.

Then he gave me a few vaccines including the 2008 influenza strain & a Pneumonia vaccine. He also asked me not to take any medication when I get the infection & to come over & see him as he would like to isolate the strain.

Ironically, for the first time in over 14 months; I have gone without antibiotics & an infection for 6 weks straight.

The point I'm trying to make is that removing the tonsils may be good but it may not be the only option.

[crazymomma]

[QUOTE=Mikel;415749]I have been struggling with recurring strep infections for over a year & I was getting it every month. Almost all antibiotics are ineffective now. The ENT was unable to determine the root cause but refused to take out the tonsils since the infection was always on the Pharyngal bands.

He refered me to a doctor for infectious deseases and this new doc ran all bacterial, viral tests including HIV, Hepatitis etc but all negative.

Then he gave me a few vaccines including the 2008 influenza strain & a Pneumonia vaccine. He also asked me not to take any medication when I get the infection & to come over & see him as he would like to isolate the strain.

Ironically, for the first time in over 14 months; I have gone without antibiotics & an infection for 6 weks straight.

The point I'm trying to make is that removing the tonsils may be good but it may not be the only option.[/QUOTE

I made my teen get the 2008 influenza virus. It does seem to reduce the number of illnesses during the winter, and I highly recommend. Some years the vaccines seem more spot-on effective than others, but I see no reason to dismiss them as useless if a single season isn't problem-free (as my needle-phobic friends are wont to do ;-)

[alicemaier]

[QUOTE My sex life is deeply affected as is my self-esteem. My husband loves me just the way I am, but it is me. I am the one that has the difficulty looking at myself. My derm. is a total b*tch. She has zero bedside manner and even if I told her that my P is getting worse she will say she has patients with worse and that I should not complain. I can never win with her. The last time I was at my derm. I told her that it was getting worse. She asked me if I had recently had strep throat and I said "about 2 years ago" and she said "well that is why it is happening". QUOTE]

i know what you mean. My derm is also like this. he doesnt listen when i say its getting worse....and he blames everything on past strep infections, totally disreagarding lifestyle choices [ diet, stress, meds, etc] that could be contributing. His solutions??? topicals an dimmune suppressants that do **** all.....and when they do only supress the condition, so its double worse when i come off. I too have been wondering about getting my tonsil out. but will that stop the bacteria??? i mean. If you are going to contract it, you are going to contract it. Does it really matter wether its your tonsils or some other part of your throat that is infected???
I have friends who dont have tonsil that still get sever throat infections. and others [ my mother inlcuded] whose bodies actually tried to regrow their tonsils. a] if our bodies want tonsils that badly maybe they chould not come out and b] if its going to stop the strep bacteria invading why get rid of them anyway???
With all the studies that have improved P results with tonsilectomies......perhaps the people just didnt come into contact with the trep bacteria again???? most sucess storied seem to conme from kids[ not reallly all that much into saliva sharing] and older adults [ who are more likely to be in monogamous relationships]. teenagers [ whose lifestyles often involve high levels of saliva sharing activites.....lets face it] do not seem to ahve much sucess.
sorry for the rant. anyone got stufff to say to my ideas??? Id gladly get my tonsils rippped out by hand if I thought it would help my P.....but i have doubts

[OncePrettyAngela]

Hi there...

I had my tonsils removed at 23 after chronic bouts with tonsilitis and getting constant colds since about the age of 20. I haven't had strep throat since sometime under the age of 10--so before puberty.

I got P starting with the scalp at age 26. It spread to a few spots on my legs at 27. Now at 28, its all over my legs and scalp.

The tonsilectomy instantly helped with my amount of energy and generally feeling well. I rarely get colds. However, now that I have P, I always have swollen glands and get earaches/infections semi-frequently.

P has a mind of its own. It may or may not help the P. But at least your daughter will stop getting her chronic strep.

Maybe a tonsilectomy helps clear children..but not adults?

[A Brugge]

I kept getting tonsillitis and ear infections as a kid into my teens, some took more than a month to get over. My GP at the time never felt i should have them out and I always questioned this. I guess I look at myself today all the P I've had, drugs I've tried and dealing with PsA might have been less or avoided and think if only. Sad thing is I have scarred tonsils that never get infected now and because they won't get infected anymore no doc will get them removed even with thew foul build up of gunk in the scarred pits that gives me sometimes radioactive like bad breath.

[Brian H]

First, a note about tonsils. It has recently been discovered that tonsils and appendix are the body's own storehouses of pro-bacteria, used to refresh and reinforce supplies of the "good bacteria" that combat and crowd out the bad guys, and perform numerous other symbiotic functions. They become a problem when they get invaded by bad guys who can't be expelled.

So don't be in too much hurry to whack 'em out.

Glycerin can be made very handy for wide-area application by adding enough water to allow it to be sprayed. Add half or 1X as much water as glycerin. Apply as often as desired, at least once a day. Continue even after the psoriasis subsides, for a while, to make sure the new skin layers are fully established.

Even for full-body coverage, you'll have a hard time using $10 or $20 worth in a year topically. It works equally well in animal models taken orally. Try 1oz/day (6 tsp.) in juice, straight, or on food. It is an approved food additive, 60% sweetness rating.

[Brian H]

P.S.
For sore throats or tonsils, gargle and swish and swallow glycerin. It is a contact antibacterial (dehydrates them) and has the side-benefit of eliminating bad breath instantly.
VERY soothing and helpful anti-inflammatory.