Questions in The Dermatology Forum
are being answered by Dr. A. Rockoff, a board certified dermatologist, affiliated
with Tufts University School of Medicine.
Subject: psoriasis treatment w prednisone Topic Area: Psoriasis
Forum: The Dermatology Forum
Question Posted By: jmi on Saturday, September 22, 2001
I HAVE BEEN SUFFERING FROM PSORIASIS FOR ABOUT 15 YEARS NOW.IT
STARTED ON MY SCALP 7 JUST SPREAD THROUGHOUT MY BODY OVER THE YEARS.I
GUESS MY REGRET WAS I DID'NT TREAT IT BEFORE IT SPREAD ALL OVER MY BODY.IM
28 NOW & I HAD IT ALMOST HALF OF MY LIFE,I'VE TRIED EVERYTHING FROM
TOPICAL OINTMENTS,HERBS,TAR& UVTHERAPY @ THE UCLA MED CENTER &
EVEN SOME VOODO MEDICINE.SOMETIMES THEY WORK BUT THEY SEEM TO COME BACK
AFTER A FEW MONTHS.BUT THEN WHEN I MOVED BACK TO THE PHILIPPINES 3 YEARS
AGO(AFTER LIVING IN LOS ANGELES,CA SINCE 1985)I DISCOVERED PREDNISONE.I
KNEW PRED.WERE STEROIDS I HAD SOME DOUBTS BECAUSE WHEN I WAS ABOUT 14
MY DERMA. USED TO INJECT ME WITH LIQUID STEROIDS.THE PROCESS MADE MY
FACE BLOATED & I DEVELOPED STRETCHMARKS ON MY BODY.THE REASON MY
DOCTOR SAID AT THAT TIME,WAS SO SEVERE THAT I HAD TO BE INJECTED W THE
STEROIDS.THAT TREATMENT DIDN'T WORK!IT JUST MADE IT WORSE COZ OF THE
STRETCHMARKS & THE PAIN OF THE INJECTIONS.WE COULDVE SUED THAT DOCTOR
FOR MEDICAL MALPRACTICE BUT WE DIDN'T.I HAVE BEEN ON PREDNISONE SINCE
OCT.1999.SO FAR THIS IS THE ONLY DRUG THAT HAS BEEN WORKIN FOR ME,I
MEAN I CAN WEAR T-SHIRTS,SHORTS-I CAN EVEN GO TO THE BEACHES HERE IN
THE PHILIPPINES & SWIM!BUT THIS PAST YEAR IM STARTIN TO FEEL THE
SIDE EFFECTS OF THE DRUG.WEIGHT GAIN,MUSCLE/BONE WEAKNESS,BLURRED VISION,HEADACHES
ARE THE ONES I EXPERIENCE SPECIALLY WHEN I TAPER THE DOSAGE.I USUALLY
TAKE IT WHEN MY CONDITION IS BAD)@60MG A DAY-I SPLIT IT IN THE AM&PM.FOR
7DAYS,THEN40MG FOR 7DAYS,THEN 20MG FOR 7DYS AND SO ON.I REALL WANT TO
STOP THE DRUG,BUT THIS IS THE ONLY THING THAT KEEPS ME SANE.
Answer Posted By: Derm-M.D.-ASR
on Sunday, September 23, 2001
Taking prednisone chronically as you are doing is a very,
very bad idea. The long-term potential consequences can be devastating,
much more than the ons you list yourself. Prednisone plays little or no
role in controlling psoriasis, even severe psoriasis. I strongly urge
you to see a competent dermatologit, who can supervise your gradually
eliminating this drug, and substituting instead topical treatments, oral
derivatives of vitamin A, ultraviolet treatments, or other suitable but
safer measures. For further information, I refer you to the website of
the National Psoriasis Foundation, www.psoriasis.org.
