Pictures of my 4yr olds Psoriasis

[Chasesmommy]

I thought maybe this would help mothers see they are not alone!

[GitOverIt]

You're breaking my heart.......

I can't take seeing kids get this damn disease!

please read how I got clear using Psorolin ointment!...it is safe for children and many of us are having excellant results....

and the price is very reasonable $20 for a jar


http://www.nutrition4skin.com/ayurvedic/index.htm

[Chasesmommy]

Thanks Gitoverit I will check that out...however after 2 months of treatment at UVA Childrens Hospital and Soriatane Oral he was 100% clear. Over the past few months he has had some reoccurance due to the weather and dryness they say. I am having a complete home humidifier installed this week, quite expensive but I will go to any length to keep his disease under control. No one in my family has this so it was a suprise, with many mis diagnosis. We also went through alot trying to find a dermatologist in our area willing to treat him. We travel 8hrs by car every couple months for blood tests and check ups. It is scary many people have thought I was crazy for using such strong drugs to treat him....but if they could have only seen how miserable he was maybe they would understand. I say to them walk a mile in my shoes and then see what u would do. We tried everything before deciding to go this route.....nothing (creams, diet, homopathic) helped. Anyways I just wanted people to see this is not some little skin disease I was dealing with...it really effected him physically and mentaly.

[MikeK]

Hi Chasesmommy,

They say that a picture paints a thousand words, so there's really not much that I can say, except to say that I really feel for both you and your son.

You mentioned:

however after 2 months of treatment at UVA Childrens Hospital and Soriatane Oral he was 100% clear. Over the past few months he has had some reoccurance due to the weather and dryness they say.

The spots in your son's picture look like a classic case of guttate psoriasis. (Guttate psoriasis is often described as looking as if someone took a paintbrush and spattered wet paint all over someone's body. ) Here's a link to the NPF's description of it: http://www.psoriasis.org/about/psoriasis/guttate.php.

More then a few people have posted here that either their psoriasis or their child's psoriasis was triggered by some sort of infection. Strep is the usual culprit, but any infection can trigger a psoriasis outbreak. To further complicate things, many of these same people have posted that they (or their child) were asymptomatic for the infection (i.e., they didn't have a sore throat or fever in the case of strep throat) and that the psoriasis outbreak was the only sign that they had the infection. To add insult to injury, they also report that the psoriasis won't respond to treatment until the underlying infection is taken care of. Based on their experiences, I wouldn't be at all surprised to hear that your son is asymptomatic for strep. You might want to seriously consider having your son tested for strep. Insist on a culture, because the so-called quick test is often unreliable. Some people have to undergo a blood test (called an ASO blood test) to confirm the presence of strep. Here's the links to some previous discussions of psoriasis and infections:

http://www.psoriasis.org/forum/showt...nce+strep+test;

http://www.psoriasis.org/forum/showt...entation+strep;

http://www.psoriasis.org/forum/showt...&highlight=uti;

http://www.psoriasis.org/forum/showthread.php?t=22508; and

http://www.psoriasis.org/forum/showt...&highlight=aso. (The ASO blood test is discussed in this thread.)

Finally, here's a link to the NPF's discussion of psoriasis triggers: http://www.psoriasis.org/about/living/triggers/.

I hope this helps.

Good luck. Keep us posted. Let me know if you have any other questions and I hope that your son's latest flare is over soon.

Mike

[Chasesmommy]

u are right Mike my son has guttate but he also has plaque on the rest of his body...I could not post pictures for some reason i could not get the pictures sized right to post. They have done a strep test but I think i will ask for a blood test intead of traditional swab type. this consumes me, this out break seems mild compared to what we delt with in the past. he had spots on his arms, and legs the size of silver dollars. i hate this for him so much but he is such a good kid he never questions why? it has just became part of his life. if people ask him about it..he says its just my psoriasis. the only time he cries about it is at night when he cant sleep from itching. what I do then is put lotion on him and wrap him up in a blanket so he can't itch and we talk about something else or i tell him a story to get his mind off of it untill he falls back asleep. Anyway thanks for listening have a good day!!!!

[Casey Paige]

Hey my name is casey and I am a 22yr old female.

I once suffered from guttate psoriasis and I know all too well the different emotions felt by the person suffering from this condition. I want to reach out and share my story with people and if I help just one person that would be fantastic...

I was 15 when I suffered from first step throat and within two weeks I had developed a red rash across my stomach, multiple dots, that seemed to be spreading at such an alarming rate than within a couple of days it had spread to almost 80% of my body!! I kept enduring strep throats and tonsilitus one ontop of another so my psoriasis would only flare up much worse with every episode. Little did I know that guttate would be apart of my life for the next 5 years.

Over the years I visited, GP's, psoriasis specialists, clinics and tried endless lotions and potions. Everything from special formulated cream imported from overseas, a strict acid free diet which I stuck to for almost a year, dead sea salts, rubbed myself in maluka honey, heat beds and off course the sun! Some of these things did give me temporary relief but as soon as the strep throat returned so too did my red bumps...at this stage I was so desperate and I felt myself slipping into a severe depression. I felt alone and very scared about the future.

I lost my job, refused to see my friends, hibenated in the summer months to avoid people stares and found that my life was basically sliping through my fingers!! I needed an answer and one fast.. I started searching the net for any new treatment seeing the professionals were not helping my quest.. I started looking on forums for solutions and came across a story about a girl my age who was in the same situation. She had a tonsilectomy and was completely clear of her psoriasis and had been for years. I thendid my own search of the net to see what else I could find on the procedure and to my suprise other people had the same results amazing results.

I had been visitng my GP for years about my tonsilitus and he never once recommended me see any ENT(ear nose and throat) specialist which should have been considered years earlier.

I spoke with my mother who was just as desperate as I was for a breakthrough, she would have done anything to clear me and to make me feel better!! We were so excited, we contacted the surgery and organised an urgent appointment!!

The morning came and we met with the specialist, we told him my history and explained our hopes for a answer to my psoriasis. Suprisingly he had heard of a few people who had their tonsils removed which therefore cleared there psoriasis. He told me that my tonsils were to be removed and that they were the worst he had seen in his 30 year profession also expressing his disappointment that they weren't removed earlier. I was also told that he couldn't promise me anything which is understandable but I couldn't control my emotions and broke down in his room. He scheduled the procedure for that coming weekend. He also gave me a week's worth of antibiodics to stop me developing an infection leading up to the surgery!

The morning came and I was taken to the hospital very anxious but very excited at the same time! It was a 45 minute procedure and everything went well. I was even allowed to go home the next day. The Dr also told me that I can no longer get a strep throat or tonsilitus again with no tonsils...so therefore no guttate...

My operation was in 2004 so I have been clear for almost 3 years and have never looked back!! I can now enjoy going to the beach and living a normal life again...

Please consider a tonsilectomy even if the doctor says that it's not necessary keep trying until you find one who will do the procedure. Book into seeing an and ENT specialist..I am living proof that this really has changed my life...I am writing this post to hopefully reach out to the people who are suffering just like I did. It's worth a try, you have nothing to loose and everything to gain!!

Please write to me if you have any questions I am more than happy to answer any concerns you may have

[GitOverIt]

I believe it! I had my tonsils out when I was about 5 or 6...they were so infected that I had one sore throat after another....I didn't get psoriasis until I got older...much older I think it was going through menopause that triggered my auto diseases....(I have 3 of them ...first came pernicious anemia, then hypothyroidism, then couple years later P) but look at all the years of freedom I had....so there is a possibility that would help your little guy....he looks to be about 3-4 in the pictures ( I can't look everytime I do I can't take it)...I think the doc's might want to wait til he is a little older....in the meantime....I hope you do try the psorolin...please! and then post some after pix cher has the web site...tell her I sent you...(Sally)

[GitOverIt]

P.S. I forgot to mention....I'm the one pushing the blood allergy test for trigger foods that might set off an itching frenzy.......my doctor suggested it when I complained about itching with the psoriasis...(that was when I still had P)

It came back 12 trigger foods!
I noticed after eating ....maybe 15 minutes or so....I would start itching....not always but sometimes!

turns out my biggest was dairy and soy
I use rice milk or coconut milk now if I have cereal....but I was never a milk drinker ...even when I was a kid....my mother did everything to get me to drink milk.....(maybe it was a God-send that I didn't! )

I think it is a good idea to have him tested! and I'm glad you aren't having the scratch tests...might give him a few more spots where they test!

[MikeK]

The good news is the some people are helped by getting a tonsillectomy. The bad news is that it doesn't work for everyone. That being said, it's something that everyone (especially those people whose psoriasis is triggered by strep) should explore with their doctors. Here's a link to a previous discussion that that links you to several other discussions on the subject: http://www.psoriasis.org/forum/showt...ton#post180836.

I hope this helps.

Mike

[TJM718]

You have a beautiful son and I am sorry he is dealing with psoriasis at such a young age. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. And I hope you all find something that works soon.

[theskinyouarein]

"You have a beautiful son and I am sorry he is dealing with psoriasis at such a young age. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. And I hope you all find something that works soon."

I echo the sentiments from a previous post (above). I also have a young son with P and I believe that no one that has not walked in these shoes could possibly imagine the heartache. I am glad to hear that your son is connected with good doctors/care. Knowing that makes a big difference. We will continue to pray for a cure in our children's lifetime, for sure.

[twinieten]

Poor kid! He's got it bad! He's so young, though, he probably takes it all in stride. My son did. I was more bothered by it than he was. I hope he doesn't have to deal with this for very long, and he's one of the lucky ones who experiences complete remission for a lifetime.

[Chasesmommy]

Thanks for the information about strep and tonsilitas.....although Chase has had neither. I do feel however that he has had strep before even though tests came back negative. My problem is his pediatrician seems clueless about P, he did not realize that oral steroids were a NO NO with a child who has P. He argued with me that steroids are used to treat it, but Chase's dermatologist called him and set that straight. Oral steriods are a temperary fix but after doseage is finished it triggeres a severe outbreak. Well thanks to everyone and ur prayers, I was nervous about posting his pictures, but I feel safe at this site.

[GitOverIt]

I'm still thinking of your little guy!

I know you said you have tried ointments , creams, homeopathic etc...but have you considered DR. Heng? a dermatologist at UCLA
she gives free consultations and I bought her gel (before I had the consultation) and it worked wonders for me...it is expensive $98 for a tiny jar, but it is safe for children (and adults) it is made from curcumin (a spice) and aloe.....

her site:
http://psoriainfo.org/site/index.php?id=31,0,0,1,0,0

on the left are the different sites to go to for reading and finding out who she is.........plus the articles tell how the gel works.
I sent her an email describing in detail about where and what type and what I've done with psoriasis.....and received a prompt reply!

I never was pressured into buying the gel......
send his picture in the email....that will grab any mother's heart!

[ouchyk]

Anyways I just wanted people to see this is not some little skin disease I was dealing with...it really effected him physically and mentaly.

UVA is a great institution!

My brother's derm is there, well not in pedi...he switched derms after a few years of a heavy duty steriod that was NOT to be used everyday, yet no one told him at the old office...and now he has skin thinning and stretching due to this. His wife works at UVA so it took very little prompting to get him to go! I know that the brochures that he takes when he visits me helped too, he needed to be " educated " about his disease.

I'm thinking it might be a good idea to send an attachement of his picture to your representatives when it comes time for advocacy on Capital Hill Day.

http://www.psoriasis.org/advocacy/

Who could resist such an angelic face?

Happy Holiday's to you Chasesmommy your doing a wonderful job with him.


Karen

[Chasesmommy]

That sounds like a great idea forgive me I am a little ignorant when it comes to these things how would I find out who my representative is?

[GitOverIt]

http://www.house.gov/writerep/

[Chasesmommy]

Thanks I found it.....I think I will wait to write her until closer to the Capital Hill day date. Thanks again

[purplebutterfly]

What an adorable little boy!

I feel for you though. My son has type 1 diabetes and while he handles it amazingly well, it's definitely harder on mama some days.

*hugs* to you both

[Chasesmommy]

Thanks Purple butterfly for your response...u r right it is harder on moms. Not a day goes by that I don't think and worry about him. It seems so unfair, to be so young and dealing with this. There are times I have to remind myself that it could be worse, I should count my blessings that he does not have a more serious disease. This is however something that we deal with everyday and sometimes I get angry and just want one night of not dealing with the lotions and pills. I feel guilty when I get upset with him for running from me when he sees me coming with the medications. Having psoriasis is something that has become part of his life, he likes the oatmeal baths and now there are oatmeal bubble baths that he loves. Anyway I could go on and on so I better wrap this up. I hope ur son does well I cant imagine what u have went through, it would be so hard to deal with diabetes at a young age. Children seem to take things much better than adults....all we can do it love them and be there for them. Thanks again!

[purplebutterfly]

Well, fortunately he's 11, and we've been coping with it for a bit now, actually, he thinks he's very badass cause he can take shots without wincing LOL

[psoriasismom]

Chases Mom,

I am so grateful to you for posting the pictures. It is very encouraging to know that there are others out there dealing with the same struggles. My daughter Hannah is 5 and she also has it covering her body as well. She has the guttate form and NOTHING is working. It is very discouraging as a parent to see your child suffer. I would give anything to trade places with her. I am currently at a loss right now because her spots that were starting to disappear have come back full force and multiplied. I am scared to continue down the steroid route, but not sure where to turn next. I have been experimenting with different oils and lotions, but nothing so far. Her scalp is the worst. I would say about 75% of her scalp is covered. Her arms, legs, stomach, back, ear, eyelids and cheek are also all affected. She starts swimming lessons next week and she is nervous about what people will say. My heart goes out to you and your struggles.

Psoriasis Mom

[alli]

Hey Psoriasismom,
You might think about contacting the NPF about getting a copy of a booklet that they put out for children. It's called The Adventures of G. Wow and it's about a girl with psoriasis who likes to swim. It might be a bit advanced for the five year old mind, but I doubt it could hurt and it might be a way to explain to the other children that her condition is not contagious.
My heart goes out to the mothers who have to deal with this.
Alli

[MikeK]

Hi Paula,

I am so grateful to you for posting the pictures. It is very encouraging to know that there are others out there dealing with the same struggles. My daughter Hannah is 5 and she also has it covering her body as well. She has the guttate form and NOTHING is working. It is very discouraging as a parent to see your child suffer. I would give anything to trade places with her. I am currently at a loss right now because her spots that were starting to disappear have come back full force and multiplied.

I'm so very sorry to hear that Hannah's psoriasis is a) getting worse and b) not responding to treatment. Based on your description, I strongly suspect that there is something else going on. More then a few people have posted here that either their psoriasis or their child's psoriasis was triggered by some sort of infection. (Strep is the usual culprit, but just about any infection can trigger a psoriasis outbreak.) To further complicate things, many of these same people have also reported that the psoriasis outbreak was often the only sign that they had infection because they (or their child) was asymptomatic for the infection. (I.E., No sore throat or infection in the case of strep throat.) To add insult to injury the psoriasis won't respond to treatment until the underlying infection is taken care of. That's why it's important that you get Hannah tested for strep. Insist on a culture, because the so-called "quick test" is often unreliable. Some people have to get a blood test (called an ASO blood test) to confirm that they have strep. Here's the links to some previous discussions about psoriasis and strep:

http://www.psoriasis.org/forum/showt...nce+strep+test; (The ASO test is mentioned in this thread.)

http://www.psoriasis.org/forum/showt...entation+strep;

http://www.psoriasis.org/forum/showt...&highlight=uti; and

http://www.psoriasis.org/forum/showt...&highlight=aso. (The ASO thread is mentioned in this thread.)

Some people find that having a tonsillectomy helps clear their psoriasis. A tonsillectomy is not without risk, but it's something that you might want to consider if you can't get your daughter's psoriasis under control. Here's a link to some previous discussions about tonsillectomies: http://www.psoriasis.org/forum/showthread.php?t=15710. My response in that thread will take you to several more threads on the subject.

You mentioned:

I am scared to continue down the steroid route, but not sure where to turn next. I have been experimenting with different oils and lotions, but nothing so far. Her scalp is the worst. I would say about 75% of her scalp is covered. Her arms, legs, stomach, back, ear, eyelids and cheek are also all affected.

Light treatments can be a safe and effective weapon in the war against psoriasis. Light treatments can be a pain (some people have been burned by them) because your son would have to go three times a week (for several months) for treatment. Not everyone responds to them (and you may run into insurance issues -- the NPF has an insurance advocacy service that will try to help with any insurance issues that may arise) but light treatments are something that you might want to consider. (Here's a link to the NPF's discussion about light treatments: http://www.psoriasis.org/treatment/p.../phototherapy/.)

She starts swimming lessons next week and she is nervous about what people will say.

A mother who used to post her used to use the NPF's School Action Pack to educate her daughter's class about psoriasis. Even though it's geared for the classroom, I bet it could be used in just about any setting (such as a swim class) to educate children about psoriasis. Here's a link to some threads (from way back in 2003) where she discusses it:

http://www.psoriasis.org/forum/showt...kers#post38567;

http://www.psoriasis.org/forum/showt...pack#post30950.

One caution about swimming. First, it's important that every child know how to swim. Second, the chlorine in the swimming pool will do one of two things. It may help clear Hannah's psoriasis or it might irritate Hannah's psoriasis. I can't go near a swimming pool because the chlorine actually makes my psoriasis get worse. Hopefully that won't be the case with Hannah. Have her take a shower or bath as soon as she comes home from the pool. Put tons of moisturizer on her as soon as she comes out of the tub. Hopefully, she'll be one of those people whose psoriasis isn't bothered by chlorine.

I hope this helps.

Good luck. Keep us posted and I hope that Hannah feels better soon.

Mike

[GitOverIt]

Hello PsoriasisMom.....I don't know if you have read any of my posts or not but I am clear from, what I credit, several things....I will list them numerically so you can read them easily....

1. a blood allergy test: for foods......your regular Dr. can give it...I would call around to see if or who gives it in your area...NOT the scratch test...that might break her out wherever the scratch test is given. If she shows allergy to say dairy...that would include cheese, milk, cottage cheese etc...sugar is not good for anyone...cut back if you can....(hey I'm allergic to broccoli...can you imagine?)

2. I had an online email consultation with Dr. Heng (free by the way) and she said psoriasis is triggered by one of several things and maybe more than one of these she listed...
"The trigger for psoriasis is an injurious stimulus, which may be a wound, sunburn, allergic reaction, or infection...( bacterial, fungal or viral) she goes on and says "if the disease is in the scalp, the cause is Pityosporum ovale, a lipophillic yeast, which feeds on the oils produced by the scalp...." I had scalp P for 6/7 years and tried every shampoo and treatment out there! nothing worked...I'm clear now!
http://psoriainfo.org/site/index.php?id=31,0,0,1,0,0

You might like to check her sight out and get a consultation (why not it doesn't cost anymore than writing up a brief summary of any info to help her, and how old etc..... your daughter is)....she will work with your Dr. also.

She is a research scientist in psoriasis, a dermatologist at UCLA...her credentials are on the web site.....
Dr Heng developed a gel called PsoriaGold that is really amazing but she doesn't push it....It cleared my arms up within days after an outbreak of guttate from having poison ivy......

3.I used her gel til the jar was gone but it is very tiny jar and didn't last long enough so I found something else that is safe (a heck of a lot safer than steroids) called Psorolin and Annie, another member, has found an herb that cleared up her face and elbows from P....here is a site that will be selling both ointments...(PsoriaGold is not one of them only Dr Heng sells that one)

This one sells Psorolin

http://www.nutrition4skin.com/ayurvedic/index.htm

and soon will sell this one annie talks about

http://www.psoriasis.org/forum/showthread.php?t=22596

I hope beyond hope that your daughter Hannah and chasesmommy's son gets some relief soon...what I have suggested is very safe.....There are natural ways to get rid of psoriasis...you don't read about them because they are natural....but safe for kids....and the gels and ointments are as safe as using some of the creams and ointments OTC...(which if you ever read the ingredients you'll see a list that is not pronounceable)