Psoriasis and Depression

On By Todd BelloIn Uncategorized3 Comments

Depression is the number one comorbidity of psoriasis. Psoriasis is a chronic condition that affects the well-being and quality of life of patients. The disease is associated with an increased risk of depression and suicidality, which may not be fully understood by the general population. It is crucial to understand the effect this disease has on mental health and determine risk factors that may help identify patients who are susceptible to depression and suicidality. Risk factors discussed in this article include age, gender, and severity of disease in psoriasis patients. Of these, age and severity of disease are significant with a clear association of increased depression and suicidality found in patients who are younger or have more severe disease. Although there is evidence that psoriasis treatments can improve both disease and associated depression symptoms, there are high rates of undertreatment. By identifying high-risk psoriasis patients, dermatologists can aim for optimal treatment of the disease and thus help alleviate the associated psychiatric burden.

I need to confess how I feel. I openly admit I battle mild depression almost everyday. I often wonder what my life would be like without having this insidious disease.

I’ve struggled with psoriasis for 32 years. It’s been a difficult journey and I’m doing the best I can. I had such high hopes and expectations for life before I was diagnosed. It was a pivotal moment when my body became covered with psoriasis. Suddenly I was fighting to get healthy.

The best advice I can give others is never give up on yourself. Your worth all the time it takes to gain control. I’ve been very fortunate over the years. I developed life hacks that has made life with psoriasis less consuming. I’ve been clear now for about 20 years. My doctors help me maintain control with designer medications. Science has made it all possible.

If you’re feeling depressed please see a professional. I’ll have you know the same molecules that cause those annoying spots on your skin and joint pain, also causes depression. So by treating psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis you’re also helping depression. The help is there if you need it. Find a doctor that is willing to work with you and other doctors to get the results you deserve.

We got this!

#psoriasis

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Dating with Psoriasis

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February 13, 2022 5 min read

Love and psoriasis often seem at odds with each other. If you have, or know someone with psoriasis, you may also understand that it is not only chronic but disfiguring and highly stigmatised by society. It is therefore unsurprising that many struggle to love themselves and build romantic relationships.

This Valentine’s Day, we share the heart-warming story of Todd Bello, founder of Overcoming Psoriasis and his partner of 2 years, Kim. Having met online, they discuss how Todd’s psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis affects their relationship, and how a problem-solving attitude, compassion and empathy help them work through life’s challenges as a team.

Self-love and psoriasis

  1. Todd, you’ve had psoriasis for most of your life. Has or does it affect how you see yourself?

Todd: Absolutely. Psoriasis has impacted my self-esteem and played into every aspect of my life. This included my relationships… I was always self-conscious.

  1. How do you feel about yourself now?

Todd: Now because of the medications and the steps I am taking to keep my psoriasis at bay, I feel pretty confident in myself. I do still feel self-conscious when it flares, but I’m thankful that it’s under control. Psoriasis is a chronic disease so we’re never going to be 100% without fear of a flare.

  1. Chronic skin conditions like psoriasis can really knock people’s confidence. Do you think people with psoriasis are worthy of love?

Todd: Everyone’s worthy of love, right? You have to love yourself in order to find love in a relationship. Put yourself first, get that quality care, and try and get the psoriasis under control so you can get onto finding the love of your life.

Romantic relationships and psoriasis

  1. How did you two meet?
Kim: We met on the dating site Match about 2 years ago, and we spoke on the phone for at least a month (maybe two) before we went on our first date.
Todd:We met in Captiva and have been together ever since. Every day since then, inseparable.
Kim: We’re together all day long!
Todd: I knew it was going to work because she lost her keys on the first date. I felt really bad and I played it back in my head as to where she could have left these keys. I remembered she had left them on a bench we were sitting on by the water. So, we walked back, but they weren’t there. We ended up finding them on a desk in a rental facility close by, called the right people, and got the keys about 2 hours later. That was our first date! After we ate at the Mucky Duck.
Kim: I don’t remember eating… obviously I was a little nervous. Going on dates for me was traumatic. I was probably more nervous about going on a date than he was with his psoriasis.
  1. Kim, what do you think about Todd’s psoriasis?
Kim: I didn’t know a whole lot about psoriasis when we first met. Todd told me early on that he had it, so I did some research online. I guess it doesn’t necessarily make a difference to me that he has psoriasis. I have seen him struggle, but it was worse when we first met than it is now. I’ve seen pictures of his skin at its worst… and it was unbelievable. I’m just so happy that he found treatments and products that work and am so proud that he helps others who are going through the same thing. It’s scary because I know the psoriasis could come back anytime but I feel like if it does, we will take the next step with treatment. I love him, so I’m just hoping he never has to go back to where he started.
Todd: I can understand the stress levels that it might cause somebody in a relationship… worrying about the psoriasis coming back. I’m not fearful that it will return to the level that it was. As a couple we eat right (anything anti-inflammatory), so we’re in tune with what keeps the psoriasis at bay.
Kim: Everyone has challenges of some sort… one thing or another. You just have to problem solve.
Todd: A lot of empathy and compassion goes a long way.
  1. Do you think your psoriasis has affected your relationship?
Todd: For me it has.
Kim: I don’t really feel like it has. He spends a lot of time managing the psoriasis. I’ve learned a lot more about since we’ve been together. But I don’t really think it has affected our relationship. I guess in the beginning when you were having more problems…
Todd: Yeah, with the psoriatic arthritis.
Kim: You’d be in pain and not want to go walking. We did have to cut some things short.
Todd: But it has gotten a lot better with the treatment and products I’m using.

 

Dating and psoriasis

  1. For people with psoriasis, dating can be challenging particularly with approaching people they are interested in and building trust in a relationship. In your opinion, how different is dating with psoriasis?
Todd: Well, I met Kim within the first week of going online, and then I had to convince her to go out with me. She said she was complicated, and so I said ‘you need somebody simple like me to ground you’.
Kim: I was like: ‘I kinda like how that sounds.’ I am complicated, I have a lot of things going on.
Todd: But we work through everything together. It has really been a harmonious relationship. I like the fact that she’s the same age because we like the same music, we are both the same sign, and have a lot in common… and her family’s really nice.
Kim: My family loves him. My brother said he’s the first normal guy I’ve been with!
Todd: I heard so much about Match, but I never really went on it. At our age we don’t go to bars, how else are you going to meet somebody? Having psoriasis can change how you date, but I felt that online dating filtered out a lot of the B.S.
  1. What would be your biggest piece of advice to someone with psoriasis who wants to find that special someone?
Todd: Good question. I would say don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. First and foremost, go to a dermatologist and get your psoriasis under control. In the meantime- go online, talk to people, get a date, and see how it goes.
Kim: I think it’s nice to really get to know someone before you date. I think that was the nice thing about meeting online… we were able to talk for a long time before we met… that was special. I was online for two years and had four dates, and he was online for a week and had two dates a day!
Todd: I had a lot. It was like an interview process. No joke! I was serious. I wanted to find love, a girl that I could spend the rest of my life with. She was married for 18 years and I for 30, so after a while you get to know what you’re looking for. Thank God it worked out… so far. I feel extremely blessed.
Psoriasis never got in our way. Thank God she’s not shallow. Psoriasis kind filters out the shallow people. But we are in a different time, where there are options for people with psoriasis. There is help out there! Before there were no remedies, and now I am at a level where I don’t even realise I have psoriasis, so it is very different.
Purchase one of Abundant Natural Health’s Perfect Pairs – Ocean Soothe Gel and Lotion or MAG I.C. Magnesium Bath Soak and Lotion this Valentine’s Day and receive 20% OFF. 

#psoriasis #psoriaticarthritis #overcominpsoriasis

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Taltz

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Ixekizumab (Taltz®)

In case you’re on the fence about taking Taltz, here is some case study statistics for you to read. Taltz has no black box warnings. They also approved the drug for children over six years of age. I was on Taltz and I found it extremely effective. At the time it was painful to inject. They now make it without the citrate as a preservative, so the medication is painless to take. Overall I rate this drug a 9 out of 10 only because I got 4 years of use rather than 5. The content below is cited by NCBI.

“Ixekizumab is a high-affinity, humanized IgG4 monoclonal antibody for IL-17A, inhibiting interaction with the IL-17 receptor. FDA indications for ixekizumab include plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis. The loading dose is 160 mg SC at week 0 and subsequent doses of 80 mg at weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12. Maintenance dosing is continued at 80 mg SC every 4 weeks. To maintain response to treatment, practitioners can consider increasing the dosing regimen to 80 mg SC every 2 weeks. It is the only biologic with data and FDA labeling specifically for genital plaque psoriasis. Also, ixekizumab is the only IL-17 agent that is FDA approved for treatment of plaque psoriasis down to the age of 6 years old. Ixekizumab was shown to be superior to placebo in the treatment of moderate‐to‐severe pediatric psoriasis, and the safety profile was generally consistent with that observed in adults.

Ixekizumab has very high efficacy as demonstrated through a PASI 75 achievement in 90% of patients by week 12. Efficacy data points to ixekizumab as being the fastest acting biologic. Head-to-head comparison showed a faster onset of action than guselkumab in the treatment of plaque psoriasis In head-to-head studies against adalimumab for treatment of psoriatic arthritis, both biologics were found to have similar symptom control and inhibition of joint destruction and bone erosion. Additionally, when both PASI 100 rates and psoriatic arthritis improvement results were combined, ixekizumab was superior to adalimumab.

Head-to-head comparison showed faster onset of action for ixekizumab vs guselkumab in the treatment of plaque psoriasis. The red box indicates the primary endpoint for the study. Notes:Reproduced from Blauvelt et. al. Ixekizumab vs. Guselkuamb: …

Ixekizumab is a well-tolerated biologic with minimal adverse events. It has no black box safety warnings and no evidence of increased tuberculosis risk. Of note, there is a higher rate of injection site pain and reaction, but during phase III studies 97% of patients with a reaction did not find it significant enough to discontinue the study. Injection site reaction was actually noted to improve over the course of treatment. There is also a concern of increased risk of IBD, however, the incidence of new-onset IBD is less than 1 out of 1000 patients on ixekizumab. Studies showed a slight increase in superficial fungal and yeast infections, although the candida rate in phase III studies is still less than 0.6% while on the once every 4 weeks dosing regimen versus 0.5% on placebo.”

Cosentyx

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Getting Cozy with Cosentyx. Here is the information about the drug according to NCBI.

Secukinumab (Cosentyx®)

Secukinumab is a fully human G1k monoclonal antibody, which selectively binds and inhibits IL-17A. It is currently FDA approved for plaque psoriasis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, and active non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis. Dosing of secukinumab for the treatment of psoriasis starts with a loading dose of 300 mg given SC at weeks 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4, followed by a maintenance dose of 300 mg SC every 4 weeks. In patients with lower body weight and minimal disease severity, 150 mg may be acceptable for maintenance dosing. For patients who may need higher doses, such as those with resistant disease and/or higher BMI, published data show a possible benefit of increasing dosing of secukinumab to 300mg SC every 2 weeks during maintenance. Higher dosing resulted in numerically superior efficacy, but due to size of the study, the difference was not statistically significant.

Secukinumab has excellent efficacy in the treatment of several disease domains. Dedicated studies for difficult to treat areas such as scalp, nail and palmoplantar psoriasis have been completed with data showing sustained efficacy for greater than 2 years for the latter two conditions. Secukinumab possesses higher efficacy versus several other subcutaneous biologic agents, showing superiority in head-to-head trials against both etanercept and ustekinumab. It also is the only biologic with a study showing efficacy for the treatment of axial psoriatic arthritis. Additionally, it has been recognized by the FDA for its efficacy in inhibiting psoriatic joint destruction, making it a better choice vs. an IL-23 or IL 12/23 agent for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis.
Clear skin responses (PASI 100) was greater among secukinumab treated patients compared to ustekinumab at every time point from week 4 out to week 16 in the CLARITY study.
Along with its exceptional clinical efficacy, it also has an extremely high recapture rate. After abrupt discontinuation of the drug and subsequent flare, restarting secukinumab led to 95% of patients achieving PASI 75 by week 12.

Secukinumab has the longest track record for safety in real-world usage out of all the IL-17 inhibitors and no black box safety warnings. It is one of the best tolerated biologic injectables in terms of injection site reactions and pain. While there is an already established association of increased re-activation and onset of tuberculosis risk in some biologics, particularly with TNF-alpha inhibitors, no study to date has found evidence of an increased tuberculosis risk in secukinumab.

There are very few adverse reactions of concern associated with secukinumab. Patients using secukinumab were found to have a mild increase in superficial fungal and yeast infections. Fungal rates in a phase III study for secukinumab, while increased over placebo, were less than 1%. Mucocutaneous candidiasis in the secukinumab treatment group was 1.2% vs. 0.3% placebo. Additionally, studies show an increased risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); however, the incidence of new-onset IBD is less than 1 out of 1000 patients on secukinumab.

Overcoming Psoriasis has several drug specific groups and pages. For a more intimate experience about this medication I suggest you join our group(s) on Facebook. The medication support group for this specific medication is called Cosentyx support group. Thank you in advance for being a member. We strive to get you the most accurate and latest information possible.

#psoriasis #psoriaticarthritis

Fun times even with Psoriasis

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List five things you do for fun.

1. I go for a relaxing walk to enjoy the scenery outdoors. Probably the best thing you can do for yourself and your health. Helps get everything flowing and reduces stress. Keeps you limber and fit. Good time to collect yourself and prepare for the next day. This low impact exercise strengthens the back muscles around the spine which helps those of us with spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis.

2. I like to go for a long bike rides and discover trails in hopes to see some wildlife. Once in awhile we will see mule deer and coyotes. There are plenty of rabbits and lizards in this area. I haven’t seen any rattlesnakes, mountain lions, or longhorn sheep. I have seen Bald Eagles and Road Runners. We also have lots of Quail. This is “God’s Country” for sure. Biking is one of the best low impact exercises you can do. Just be careful not to get hurt. I wouldn’t recommend it if your balance isn’t so good. Another way I control my autoimmune disease. Plus it’s a whole lot of fun especially if you ride with your family and friends.

3. I love going out on our side by side and seeing the inactive volcanoes and the beautiful blue water of the areas water reservoirs. I never knew how comfortable these UTV’s are when your out riding on the trails. They look intimidating but the shocks on this bad boy cushion most of the bumps. It’s not great exercise, but it will help produce adrenaline which is kinda the same outcome when you ride a roller coaster. Just no long lines before you get on. For me it’s a must do in anyone’s lifetime. A thrill seekers dream.

4. We love taking long drive’s especially when we travel to Wyoming and visit Jackson Hole. So many elk wondering about. We took advantage of the warm weather and managed to do some white water rafting. What a wonderful experience. We also were lucky to see a heard of Bison which I learned is the correct terminology for them in the USA. Jackson hole is a great ski resort. Vacationers hot spot.

5. It’s always fun to travel and see family around the holidays. It’s hectic flying these days, but it’s worth it when we get there and enjoy all the home cook meals. Traveling to a warm destination in the winter is always fun too. I prefer the warm weather, it’s better for my joints and skin. Plus the sun provides you with the much needed vitamin D. Most psoriasis patients are deficient in vitamin d. Safe travels! I hope this was an enjoyable read for you. Overcoming Psoriasis is possible when you learn how to tackle it on a daily basis.

#psoriasis #psoriaticarthritis #overcomingpsoriasis

Celebrities Living With Psoriasis, From Jonathan Van Ness to Cyndi Lauper

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Psoriasis, a chronic autoimmune disease that causes red, scaly skin, affects 7.5 million Americans. Here are celebrities who live with the skin condition. Living with psoriasis—the chronic autoimmune disease that causes scaly, red, and inflamed skin—isn’t easy, but it helps to know that there are plenty of people out there, celebs included, who are dealing with the same frustrations and struggles.
— Read on www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/celebrities-living-psoriasis-jonathan-van-151200611.html

VTAMA by Dermavant Review

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VTAMA (tapinarof) is a non-steroid prescription cream by Dermavant. FDA approved for psoriasis in May of 2022. Also seeking approval for Atopic Dermatitis in the near future. Tapinarof works by supporting the skin barrier proteins on the surface of the skin. Tapinarof increases the antioxidant activity while decreasing the oxidative stress levels in your skin. The active ingredient in VTAMA helps fix the imbalance in your immune system by supporting the Aryl hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR).

Most of us with Psoriasis would agree when the doctor prescribes another topical prescription we would roll our eyes. Because we know it’s not going to work, and if it does work after prolong use it makes matters worse. Well I’m here to tell you from my experience this prescription medication VTAMA, has been delightful. It has always been my mission as an advocate to inform others about successful treatment options. This treatment is a 10 plus in my view. From my rating perspective it covers all the bases. It’s super safe and very effective. I only applied a little amount each day for about eight days and my spots disappeared. And they stayed that way after I stopped treatment. It’s been almost two months. You read that right. Now I’ve had psoriasis for over 30 years and no product has ever produce these results that fast with lasting results. And absolutely no side effects. It behooves you to ask your doctor about this wonderful new product made available to you by Dermavant.

Now you might be thinking I’m being sponsored by the company to say this, I’m Not! This has been my personal experience. I’m committed to our community and I will continue until there’s a cure. Psoriasis stole a large part of my peace, and this is my way of winning it back. Hope my experience helps you. #psoriasis

Non-Steroidal cream super effective for World Psoriasis Day 2022

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The challenges of psoriasis just got much easier. Psoriasis is a relentless disease affecting 125 million people globally. Treatments developed over the recent years have been extremely successful. However acquiring them requires a lot of work.

A new drug just recently became available. It’s a prescription non-steroidal cream. I’ve tried it on a stubborn spot. It’s completely gone after only a few applications. I can’t believe my eyes. And here’s the best part, it’s totally safe and effective to use almost anywhere on the body. Ask your doctor about this new innovative medication. I think you will be surprised.

twitter.com/VTAMAcream/status/1584555171723591681

#psoriasis #WPD2022 #Dermavant

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Psoriasis

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Living in the shadows of life. Avoiding social situations and activities. Staying out of relationships. Never wearing dark clothes. Deep depression and low self esteem. Changing careers or even choosing unemployment all because we fear what others will think. It’s all very hard to understand if your not actually living with the disease.

Maybe you’re newly diagnosed or you’ve had this disease for years, some of those situations might be your reality. I’ve experienced all those feelings and more. Years ago I literally had to “hang up my hat”.

Former Fireman/EMT Lieutenant Hook & Ladder. Fireman of the year 1995

The good news now is that this situation can be avoided. Due to the fact that we have so many treatments available. I can only speak from my experience. Still to this day, there isn’t a cure for psoriasis. But there are new and FDA approved prescription medications that are safe and effective. I know from what I read in the many support groups I’ve started that people are very concerned with side effects. I’m well aware of these concerns. I educate myself about each medication before I consider using it in order to control my disease. Most of you are aware that these drugs have to go through vigorous clinical trials and be evaluated before they are approved for use to the general public. I’m hoping my testimony helps you decide to seek help from your dermatologist or rheumatologist.

I was diagnosed with psoriasis when I was 28, over 30 years ago. My psoriasis was relentless, it took over my entire body. I felt helpless and it got to the point I felt worthless. I was at the lowest point of my life. Nobody could say or do anything to make me feel better. My psoriasis consumed me. I had a family to support and things got so bad it turned out they had to support me. Not something I would wish on anybody.

Then by some miracle I got a phone call about a clinical trial. I asked what it was all about and they explained. I didn’t know what to think or to say. I really didn’t have a choice, my disease took over my life. I was miserable. So much pain and embarrassment. I elected to volunteer for one of the first trials using an immune suppressant drug.

Just because I had my back against the wall didn’t mean I didn’t do my homework. I’ve read that this form of treatment was very promising. I sign the paperwork and started the medication. For the first time in years after many failed treatments my psoriasis was under control. I was extremely excited. I thought for sure this was the answer. But before I could celebrate a year later they withdrew the medication due to serious consequences for four patients in the trial. I rebounded from head to toe. I was hospitalized.

But I wanted that control back. I knew it was achievable and so did the scientists. They never gave up, they knew they were onto something. And they were right. Thanks to science we now have several immune suppressant biological medications that work extremely well. The safety profiles are stellar and their efficacy are exceptional. What’s great about these medications is that they target a specific pathway of the disease leaving the immune system intact. The medication blocks that pathway preventing the progression of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

Unfortunately for me these drugs came a little late to the game as far as my careers were concerned, but I’m not complaining cause I’m practically 100% better. If I was newly diagnosed I wouldn’t hesitate to seek professional help. But don’t take my word for it, join one of the many support groups I’ve started and listen to others that have chosen this path.

Severe Plaque psoriasis of my back on the left from several years ago. The image on the right is a current photo of me using prescription medications.

I just wanted to add that I also apply topicals both prescribed and over the counter. I am also somewhat active with fitness and I educated myself about nutrition. Essentially I believe you can achieve these results too. Psoriasis is a serious autoimmune disease and needs to be addressed. If left untreated it can cause irreversible damage. We are at greater risk for several life threatening diseases. I’m encouraging you to come out of the shadows and live your life to the fullest.

#psoriasis #psoriaticdisease #overcomingpsoriasis #psoriaticarthritis #overcomingpsoriasis #dermatologist #skin

Celebrating 10 years of Overcoming Psoriasis

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Tony Crimmins, psoriasis patient and CEO of Abundant Natural Health, hosted this interview. We discussed my support group Overcoming Psoriasis. I would like to thank all the members who made our group a huge success. Much work went into this group over the years. I believe our success has to do with the willingness of the members to share their experiences. We can all learn something from each other. It’s a blessing for me to be part of this. Thank you all once again. Because of you I’m Overcoming Psoriasis!