Meet Anne, aged 45, who has lived with psoriasis since she was eight years old.
Anne experienced the first rash on her arm when she was eight years old and, as it did not disappear by itself, she was taken to see a doctor who gave her the diagnosis “psoriasis”. To treat the psoriasis,
the doctor gave her a prescription for a topical steroid cream.
Anne experienced the first rash on her arm when she was eight years old and, as it did not disappear
by itself, she was taken to see a doctor who gave her the diagnosis “psoriasis”. To treat the psoriasis,
the doctor gave her a prescription for a topical steroid cream.
“I know that for the rest of my life I will have to treat my psoriasis to keep it under control. It is part of my life and I no longer remember a life without psoriasis. At times I do envy people who do not have psoriasis.”
Anne has tried many different types of treatment for her psoriasis, ranging from topicals, UVB-light
therapy and tablets to alternative medicines as well as different types of baths, for example in the
Dead Sea and red baths (potassium permanganate is added to the bath coloring the water red). Anne
decided to seek alternative treatments after several years with steroid cream treatment due to the
side effects, including the skin becoming thinner and feeling both tighter and excessively dry.
Many of the different treatment options that Anne has tried worked initially but the psoriasis symptoms
rapidly returned. From when Anne first experienced the psoriasis symptoms in the form of a rash on her arm until today, where the psoriasis covers 70-80% of her body, rashes have occurred more frequently.
The psoriasis has a very negative effect on Anne’s life, especially during the winter when the itching and
stinging are very painful. After 36 years of trying out different treatment options and long periods with no effect, Anne was finally offered biological treatment. The doctors had for many years been hesitant to prescribe biological treatment, mainly due to the high associated cost associated with biological treatment. The treatment has removed the majority of Anne’s psoriasis, but large spots still remain on her legs. Anne finds it challenging to inject herself every second week and is worried about the side effects and that the treatment is not appropriate for long-term use.
It is Anne’s hope that more new treatment options, such as oral treatments, will become available and can help remove her psoriasis completely.
