tanning

Hi, just started tx, I have been tanning at a salon for sometime now, is it ok to tan on the meds? thanks PLN

[sunspot]

I don't know if a booth will harm you but a lot of tx'ers get sun sensitive and only come out at night.

[NYgirl]

LOL well tanning is one of the things you should NOT do.

Intron is on the list of meds on all of the walls saying don't tan if you take.....

Of course me...well I had to try it! I am a sun goddess and damn how much of a rash and skin problems that the riba gave me!

Well I was only in for a few minutes and realized THIS IS NOT RIGHT it DOESNT FEEL THIS WAY

And jumped out.  My skin was so badly burned in only a few minutes that it was almost purple.

Now I'm a complete sun goddess and I've NEVER had any problem ever at all in my life...but I was so glad I bailed on it and next time.............I'll listen.

[pln]

THANK-YOU, and for the quick responds I was on my way out the door to tan, I have a yearly membership and I can freeze it for 5 bucks, so on my way to freeze it, again thanks.PLN

[motheroffour]

My H who will be starting treatment in Sept. has very, very bad psoriasis (at times can be over 90% of his body).  Right now he's not flaring, but he tans every single day.  I've not heard anything about sun sensitivity? In what way does it impact, do you just burn easier or is it something different?  I have read that tx can cause psoriasis to flare so does anybody know what the tx is for servere psoriasis when youre on Peg/Riba?  H just finished a course of Enbrel to beat the psoriasis back so he's feeling great right now - most psoriasis sufferers love the sun because it does help most people's skin and I don't think Enbrel crosses the liver.  I'm probably more worried about a flare than my H because I've seen how physically disabling it can be to someone with a severe case.  If he flares on top of Hep C tx for the next year very ick - I'm hoping my H is a Superman.   By the way to add to the files of "hard to catch Hep C from a spouse",  my husband has been a bloody, pluppy mess at times for over 12 years and I never caught the hep despite being exposed to his blood over and over and over and over.

[NYgirl]

For some reason (maybe the dehydration of tx and the general malfunction of our liver with HepC) our skin just takes a real CLOBBERING with this thing.

I don't know anything about the psoriassis (can't even spell it) but I'd remind him to stay out of the sun as much as possible once he starts (don't nkow where you live).

In the winter...I could feel the sun on my face and was like "what is that fire?" when i realized it was just the sun warming my skin it flipped me out.

And I'm Italian/Irish and tan beautifully normally = I'm not fair skinned at all and it happened to me.  So I'd worry if I was fair skinned even more (and me with my CRAZY OBSESSIVE HEAD is wondering with the skin so exposed and raw and stuff if it could lead to skin cancer more eaSily_)

I hope that made sense it's 5:00pm and I'm trying to get out of here for the night so going too fast LOL

[jmjm530]

Don't want to scare you but I'd be remiss not to say Interferon treatment *invariably* flares pre-existing psoriasis. In my case I had very mild -- really unnoticeable psoriasis prior to treating. Maybe saw a doctor one day every year or two to pick up some creams that I only used maybe a couple of days every few months. About 14 weeks into treatment I developed guttate psoriasis covering half of my body. Then developed plantar pustular (sp)? psoriasis on hands and feet making it difficult to walk. I was treated with UVB Narrow band light for the guttate and I'm theorizing it caused a latent condition of Rosacea to flare which I still have 20 weeks post treatment. Needed X-Trac laser for the feet and hands and fortunately my insurance paid for it because it's very expensive and often not covered.

Unless your husband HAS to treat -- late stage 3 or stage 4 -- I strongly urge you to consider a watch and wait approach for the newer drugs. Minimially, I'd discuss everything I mentioned with a dermatologist familiar with the effects inteferon has on psoriasis and unfortunately many don't have a clue.

I was given the Enbrel option early-on in treatment and declined as it's also an immunosuppresive I didn't want to add more to the treatment mix. Looking back, maybe I should have taken it although I can only speculate what difference that would make. Hopefully, your husband's experience will be different from mine either through luck of the draw or because he's on Enbrel.

To be clear, the newer treatments are still in trial and if all goes well probably won't hit market for a few years. But if they work out as many hope, treatments may be significantly shorter (12 versus 24 weeks) and that could make a big difference with someone who has psoriasis even though the newer treatment initially will be with interferon.  My psoriasis didn't flare until week 14 of treatment but persisted until close to week 54.

All the best.

-- Jim

[Forseegood]

youre immunity is one of the elements that helps you with the "elements"....if youre doing something to surpress your immunity, or mess with it in any way, the sun probably isn't something that you should be lying around in...goes for tanning booths, etc...that's from everything I've ever read.....my mother is on arthritis steroids and they say for her not to seek out the sun and to wear sunblock if she has to go in it, many people on various meds have to do the same thing...

Aside from the fact that too much tanning will give you wrinkles, seen Clint Eastwood lately? Should of warn sun block while he played all that golf but he prob didn't know the harm...

There are some really nice moisturizers, etc..to give you a kind of golden glow after using them for awhile...and some much better indoor tanners that won't give you that Coppertone Orange look...

[jmjm530]

For those not familiar with psoriasis, the sun in *most* cases is your friend and savior. The risks of skin aging and uv exposure is more than compensated for by the relief of suffering. Mother and her husband obviously understand this. However, as stated, my UVB Narrow Band light therapy triggered another skin condition -- Rosacea. Was it UVB Narrow (as opposed to regular sunlight) or was it the treatment drugs or was it a combination? I'll never know but I'd be very reluctant to go in the sun again for psoriasis, and in fact right now that is impossible because of the rosacea. All I know is this -- I went into treatment with *minimal* skin problems, had *horrendous* skin problems during treatment and 20 weeks post treatment I have a persistent case of seb derm and rosacea that is significantly impacting my QOL and probably will cost me a minium of $5,000 during the next year to correct with a laser procedure that may not work and in fact is only temporary.

[Forseegood]

didn't know the thing about psoiasis, sorry if I spoke out of turn...a lot of tanning isn't good for most people for a variety of reasons, though I sure don't remember to put my sunblock on when I should at all times...

[rearfang]

I simply found I could not handle the sun at all during treatment. Even if I didn't get burned (used a ton of sunscreen), it always felt like it was burning me. This summer, no problems with it.

[dyce]

Pin - my self , the sun tears me up since starting tx. I wear white clothes covering most of the skin when outside. Stay cool.

  Jim, wow I didn't realize ya had psoriasis that bad. I got a very mild case of it on the scalp since txing but it hasn't gotten too bad. The scalp seems to get a lot oiler than usual, is this the case for you? Hope this clears up for ya!

[jmjm530]

If you have it on the scalp it may be seb derm or sebopsoriasis which is a combination of psoriasis and seb derm. My psoriasis 90% cleared up by week 48 of treatment but some other skin conditions still persist. Glad it isn't too bad for you, but pln's husband is potentially starting treatment with an altogether different psoriasis baseline than us. He already has had psoriasis covering 90% of his body and has just finished a course of very strong immunosuppresant injections called Enbrel. My guess is that he would have to go back on Enbrel should he do treatment and even then no guarantees. Other than Enbrel, some of the other systemic drugs for psoriasis can get quite liver toxic.

[dyce]

It's a shame to say I can't remember but my mom has psoriasis pretty bad ,the drugs she is on for it. It does raise her liver enzyemes at times and she's being monitored by a gynacologist for it. What **** we have to go thru in life at times.

[cuteus]

run things by your doctor also, not just the internet.  I think you said you are in a trial, and they need to document and monitor you closely.

[jmjm530]

It's a catch 22 with psoriasis where the cure (sun) isn't so good but better than the disease. Problem, however, with treatment is that her husband may not be able to tolerate the sun once he starts peginterferon and riba. In my case, they tried to get around this by treating me with uvb narrow band which *supposedly* is safer. I have real doubts about that now. On the other hand, her husband may be luck and be able to tolerate the sun. All I can do is communicate what happened to me and believe me, the derms at the hospital I light treated with take no responsiblity for anything and still tout the treatment to all comers. Big surprise.

[motheroffour]

Thanks Jim and everyone.  Unfortunately my husband is 3/4 with 3 inflamation (inflammation) so he really doesn't have a choice.  Theoretically the Enbrel doesn't pass the liver, but with almost 30 years of undiagnosed Hep C and his liver enzymes didn't go up until mid-Enbrel treatment we think his liver took a pounding the past couple years maybe with all the meds trying to get the psoriasis under control.  Fortunately he never took methotraxate which is known to be toxic to the liver.  He sees a rheumatologist for the psoriasis, they know he's starting tx for the Hep C and they are like "come on in" if the psoriasis flares. The Enbrel knocked it waaaay back and he's only got about 4 spots on his body.  He's hasn't looked as fit and healthy as he looks right now since our late 20s.   Funny how stuff is.  Hep C has been eating away at him since before we married and has nary a symptom and the psoriasis, which Jim knows all too well, can be brutally physically painful and emotionally traumatic and affected our family life when he was flaring, yet the Hep C could kill my husband.  Sometimes I wonder if the undiagnosed years of the Hep C triggered the psoriasis..hummm I'll have to do some internet research and see if there is any studies.  He'll get through this, I'm probably more upset than he is, but it's not going to be a very fun year I suspect. I do appreciate all the postings and info that is here.  My H thinks I'm crazy for worrying, crazy for reading, he has no idea that I would do just about anything for him.  Life's not fair sometimes, like many here he never did anything in his life to bring all this upon him.  Fortunately we'll just get stronger as individuals and as an old married couple from all of this.

[Sunshine Girl]

I have been on methotrexate for 2 years for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.  Arthritis getting worse, doctor tested me to see if I could handle Enbrel...guess what?  We found I was reactive to hepatitis C, but my liver enzymes are normal (and have been for the past two years that I was on methotrexate.
Enbrel officials can not tell me if there are contraindications for taking it when you are reactive to hep C.  They said they do not have a record of a problem, only with Enbrel and hep B.  However, they said not to interpret that as being safe to take Enbrel...only that a problem has not been documented if one has arose.
What do ya'll think?  My doctor doesn't seem to worry, but then again, he's a dermatologist.  Can't find a specialist in my area that will accept my insurance (Blue cross/Blue shield).
Anyone have any advice?
Thanks!  RH

[dointime]

On week 14 of SOC I got a nasty rash which required heavy corticosteroid cream to damp it down again.  I am fair skinned.  I still don't know whether it will go completely or flare up again.  I think it was because I seriously underestimated the effect of sunlight or even just bright light on my skin.  The worst affected areas were my neck and arms which were only exposed for a short time on a cloudy day.  Previous to tx I never had any trouble with the sun.   So the dark curtains have gone up.  From now on I am a woman of the shadows, a creature of the night.  No more light for me till end tx.

dointime.  

[painterlady13]

Last summer someone on this board (can't remember who)  said they went to the tanning bed since they couldn't be out in the sun, she ended up with big purple splotches on her.  I would wait till a few months after treatment before trying to tan at the salon.