Cyclosporine For Psoriasis

Cyclosporine For Psoriasis

Psoriasis Systemic Drug Treatments

Oral medications are usually reserved for those who have severe forms of psoriasis (more than 20 percent of the body covered). Powerful drugs are prescribed for those who complain to their doctor about a significantly reduced quality of life, for example when serious psoriasis of the palms or soles of the feet prevents a person from living a normal life.

They are also given to those with psoriatic arthritis, and these make up about 10 to 15 percent of patients who have been diagnosed as having psoriasis. These are powerful synthetic agents that reduce the dramatically accelerated cellular reproduction of the skin found in psoriasis. These drugs are prescribed either as pills, or as a subcutaneous injection into the muscle, and they are commonly used in combination with either the topical therapies or UV treatment, especially when a psoriasis patient does not respond to a single type of treatment.

The most common forms of systemic treatments for psoriasis are methotrexate, cyclosporine and retinoids. While these drugs can provide considerable benefits in clearing chronic psoriasis, this action comes at a huge cost of producing both acute as well as chronic side effects. I have had many psoriasis patients over the years see me who wanted to come off these medications due to the side effects. The side effects occurred either shortly after starting therapy (acute side effects) or appeared only after prolonged usage (chronic side effects).

Some patients believe that if they stay on a drug for several years and then developed side effects, that these are not linked to the drug, but are in fact “another disease” that needs treating with yet another drug. And so the pharmaceutical merry-go-round continues. When you take any of these powerful drugs, you need regular check-ups with your doctor, including blood tests, blood pressure, etc.

Cyclosporine

Cyclosporine is usually prescribed in other treatments like topical therapies (creams and ointments), UV light (phototherapy) and other oral systemic treatments like methotrexate and retinoids fail. This drug works by inhibiting the activation of T-lymphocytes, white blood cells that are responsible for making the body hypersensitive and found in large amounts in the skin of those with psoriasis.

Just like methotrexate, this drug has strong side effects, but in this case it is the kidneys and blood pressure that are adversely affected.

Drugs that interact with cyclosporine include NSAIDS (aspirin, paracetamol, ibuprofen, etc.), trimethoprim, immunosuppressive drugs (tacrolimus, melphalan), oral contraceptives, warfarin, St. John’s Wort, grapefruit and grapefruit juice.

Reasons not to take cyclosporine include:

Poor or decreased kidney function High blood pressure Take any drugs that interact with cyclosporine (doctor should know) If you have any active infection If you have HIV or AIDS If you are pregnant or are nursing If you can’t have regular blood tests for any reason

Common side effects of cyclosporine include abnormal kidney functioning, high blood pressure, tremors, headaches, numbness/tingling, excessive hair growth, enlargement of gums in mouth, nausea, abdominal pains, diarrhea, muscle pains, vomiting, joint pains, increased cholesterol levels, higher risk of cancer.

Of particular concern is the higher risk of lymphoma and skin cancers, especially in those who have taken UV (phototherapy) prior to cyclosporine.

Side Effects Of Conventional Psoriasis Drug Treatments

Side Effects Of Conventional Psoriasis Drug Treatments

Around a third of psoriasis patients surveyed who have mild psoriasis said that they relied on topical (skin) treatments alone, because they had discovered that these kind of treatments had the fewest side effects, or that their psoriasis wasn’t severe enough to take a drug regularly, or that their doctor wasn’t interested in prescribing any further treatment. One third of the 5,604 psoriasis patients surveyed regularly use light therapy (phototherapy). The most preferred form of light therapy for patients is UV-B therapy.

Article of interest:

The most frequently used oral systemic drug used up until 2011 in America was Methotrexate (sold under brand names Rheumatrex and Trexall). Almost 23 percent of psoriasis patients reported using a drug called Acitretin ( a retinoid or synthetic Vitamin A drug sold under the name of Soriatane).

Drugs called biological agents (like immune-suppressive drugs) have become a lot more popular for psoriasis patients since 2003, but other therapies are still favored. Several years ago, almost a quarter of those with moderate to severe psoriasis were using a drug called Entanercept (Embrel), but this has reduced in recent years to less than ten percent. The two main reasons so many have stopped taking these kinds of drugs is because they were not that effective, or created strong side-effects like increasing risk of infections.

This comes as no surprise to me, if you give a drug aimed at immune suppression, then the consequences naturally are that you will become sick more often. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to work that one out! Whilst it is very important to ensure that patients with psoriasis and especially severe cases of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis receive proper and effective treatment, it is also important that this treatment does not come at a cost of side effects so great that decrease the quality of life.

 

Psoriasis Patients Are Unhappy With Conventional Treatment

Psoriasis Patients Are Unhappy With Conventional Treatment

Did you know that half of all psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis patients are currently dissatisfied with their conventional medical treatments? Here are the results of this 2013 study1, published in the prestigious JAMA Dermatology journal:

“While various treatment modalities are available for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, widespread treatment dissatisfaction exists”.

This most recent study discovered that many psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis patients living in America in particular, are unhappy with their current treatments, and dissatisfaction with the results and unwanted side effects being the two biggest reasons why a large number of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis patients go untreated or abandon conventional treatment, according to this 2013 study that spanned research based on patients interviewed between 2003 and 2011.

Based on data from 5,604 psoriasis patients collected by the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF), more than 52 percent of patients with psoriasis said that they were not happy with their conventional treatments, and 46 percent of psoriatic arthritis patients also commenting that they too were not happy with their outcomes from treatments. This is most significant, because psoriasis is considered the most prevalent of all the autoimmune diseases affecting more the 7.5 million American patients alone.

Maybe it’s time you considered an effective natural psoriasis treatment program? You may like to take a look at The Psoriasis Program.

Liver Detoxification And Psoriasis Drug Treatments

Here’s A Good Tip – Liver Cleansing After Drug Treatment

Here are a few good tips for clearing any stubborn drug residues from your liver after you have received a pharmaceutical drug from your doctor. I routinely see many patients who have never felt quite well since taking a drug. How do you know if your liver is suffering?

Here are the telltale signs that your liver needs a tune-up:

Some of these drugs include Etanercept, Inflixamab, Adalimumab, and Ustekinumab.

Fogginess in the head, feeling spaced out. Recurring headaches or a dull feeling in the head. Feeling sick all over, queasiness, and nausea or not right in the digestion. Poor or a listless appetite, could feel like being hung-over. Poor tolerance to alcohol, fatty foods, chips or spicy foods. Fatigued, tired, lack of stamina, prefer to stay in bed. Hard to get up in the morning, unmotivated, anxiety and easily angered. Drugs don’t work anymore in spite of high dosages.

Try this approach: follow a liver friendly diet, eat freshly grated beetroot and carrot combined, fresh garlic, partially steamed broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, radish, Chinese vegetables such as Bok choy, artichoke hearts, capers, olives, fresh lettuce. Drink roasted dandelion root coffee. Take a mixture like Swedish Bitters three times daily before meals and in particular take aged Kyolic Garlic as a dietary supplement at least three times daily. Be sure to drink NO alcohol for at least a month or two during liver treatment.

Still feeling unwell after a drug treatment? Then be sure to follow the 3-stage detoxification program I have outlined in the booklet entitled – Psoriasis, Internal Cleansing And Detox. This is one of 13 booklets that make up my 600+ page Psoriasis Program.
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