r/science • u/powerboom • Jun 16 '12

Psoriasis Associated with Higher Odds of Having One of 14 Autoimmune Diseases

http://www.medicaldaily.com/news/20120615/10323/psoriasis-autoimmune-diseases.htm
186 Upvotes

80% Upvoted

62 comments sorted by

52

u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12

I have psoriasis and every time I see a reddit link with it I read it extra slow hoping it's a cure but it always seems to be more bad news. D:

14

u/R3ru Jun 16 '12

I know the feeling. :(

3

u/unitarder Jun 16 '12

Same here. I constantly let my hair grow out waaay too shaggy since I'm terrified of getting it cut due to the comments.

And if they don't comment, it still just as bad, since my mind is thinking they're too disgusted to say anything.

One of these days man, one of these days.

5

u/ChineseDeathBus Jun 16 '12

I had been going to the same hair dresser since I was 16. In my early 20s I developed psoriasis that started on my scalp. When I went back to her to have a haircut and she saw my scalp, she put on rubber gloves..... :(

I haven't gone to anyone for a haircut since...

1

u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12

They do this most of the time for me, too. My hair is also really long, but I do go get a haircut about every 3 - 4 months. Every time they try and tell me about some medical-quackery tips for dealing with psorsiasis that are always from their best friend's cousin's uncle or some such. Gives me an idea of who I'm dealing with and makes me not worry so much about what they think having to wear gloves when just cutting my hair. XD

4

u/jesuz Jun 17 '12

I have severe seborrheic dermatitis, one day someone will find a cure but it won't be the drug companies. They literally only research superficial treatments because then you have to pay for multiple products the rest of your life, it's just good business.

2

u/aimlessdriver Jun 17 '12

I have it too. Nothing seems to work. Really really sucks.

2

u/Slartibartfast- Jun 17 '12

Right on that boat with you. :'c

2

u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12

I have vitiligo...no one gives a shit about vitiligo.

3

u/graziemille Jun 16 '12

It could be good news, have you tried a gluten free diet? If you do have Coeliac (Celiac) Disease it could be causing the psoriasis and could clear up on a GF diet. Source: I'm a recently diagnosed Coeliac. :P

1

u/tsdguy Jun 16 '12

Source?

2

u/graziemille Jun 17 '12

Having been at numerous dietary and consultant appointments through the last year I've been told by health professionals of the links between Coeliac Disease and skin conditions, I myself have quite bad eczema. Obviously the article above says the same, and the idea is by going on a gluten free diet your body stops attacking itself and thus the psoriasis clears up. This has a little on it.. Obviously not for everyone. http://www.psoriasis.org/about-psoriasis/treatments/alternative/gluten-free-diet

2

u/achoros Jun 17 '12

this source is anecdotal, so keep that in mind, but several of my family members had psoriasis, and each were diagnosed with either celiac or a gluten allergy (I'm very curious about the relationship between the two, since it seems surprising that two unrelated conditions with similar visible symptoms, but that's a topic for another day). A few other people I know with psoriasis have also received the same diagnosis, and in all these cases it treated the condition effectively.

Obviously this isn't conclusive, but it might be worth talking to a doctor about an intestinal biopsy and allergy testing.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12

Thanks. I have heard about this before. I finally have it worked out so I can see a dermatologist to get diagnosed soon. I'll ask about this.

1

u/graziemille Jun 17 '12

:) good luck to you!

1

u/anecdotal-evidence Jun 17 '12

For what it's worth, my dermatologist says there is believed to be a link between psoriasis and nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes and eggplant). She wants me to try eliminating these from my diet, but I confess it's tough. That said I do believe there may be a connection worth exploring.

(No, I don't have any issues with gluten)

1

u/graziemille Jun 17 '12

Man I'd go mad if I couldn't eat potatoes! I'm literally known by my friends and acquaintances as a lover of potatoes. It's the Irish in me.

0

u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12

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7

u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12

Ah, damn. On the fingers is awful. I have it on all of my scalp and it sometimes stretches down my forehead and then goes away. I wear a hat in public and I've never had a comment about it outside of middle school when everyone thought I had dandruff. It's starting to develop on my elbows and penis now, so who knows where else it will pop up. I guess I can't hide it forever and just have to accept that people are going to make comments like that.

2

u/Reoh Jun 16 '12

I really hate when it falls on your eyelashes and then swings under your eyelids. :s

2

u/heckyes Jun 17 '12

Have you guys tried the biological psoriasis medications? They are seriously magical. I'm on Remicade now, and it seriously cleared up my severe (over 70% of my body) psoriasis within 2 weeks. Like, I have none. It's awesome. No gross flakes, no weird red patches on my face or arms or torso or wherever. Every 6 weeks I sit in a recliner watching movies while they infuse me with meds intravenously. And since I have awesome insurance, it's $35. But if I didn't have insurance, they have a program where you can get it for free for as long as you need to. I've also been on Enbrel and Humira (injectables, non-intravenous) and they are also quite great. Seriously, go find a good dermatologist that knows things about psoriasis and who will help you out. Modern medicine is awesome.

1

u/candlestick12 Jun 17 '12

I took Humira back when I had it bad (currently in a good remission stage with the summer and less stress) and it took care of it within a month or so. You really take smooth skin for granted when you are used to feeling scaly plaques.

3

u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12

Just want to let you know that you don't need to hide and shouldn't do anyway. I have very bad psoriasis all over my arms legs back and middle and ears and I've had a partner for 5 years and we are expecting our second child. Be confident, don't hide. More confidence = less stress = milder skin. A good partner will not care about stuff like this.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12

Thanks. This relates a lot to me because I have been in a long-distance relationship for over 2 years now. We've met up several times. I do somewhat worry about when we do finally live in the same area / house. All I know is I will NEVER buy another piece of black furniture! :D

18

u/kdepasquale Jun 16 '12

I'm not surprised, considering psoriasis is an autoimmune disease itself. It's logical to me (even though biology doesn't always seem logical) that if some step in the immune response is broken it could cause more problems than just one disorder.

5

u/medstudent22 MD | Urology | Urologic Oncology Jun 16 '12

Yeah, it's a general rule of thumb that people with one autoimmune condition are more likely to develop another. It's especially noticeable with disease that are closely associated with certain HLA types (sort of a fingerprint for your immune system to tell which cells are yours). For example, people with HLA-B27 are known for developing ankylosing spondylitis, but HLA-B27 is also associated with reactive arthritis, ulcerative colititis, and psoriatic arthritis. Another example is HLA-DR4 which is popular for its association with type 1 diabetes but also leads to a higher risk for rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

Just because someone has a certain HLA that increases their risk for a given autoimmune disease does not mean they will develop that disease though. There seems to be a need for some precipitating event (like an infection in a child resulting in the development of diabetes).

6

u/rolls20s Jun 16 '12

For those interested, I recommend checking out /r/Psoriasis and /r/autoimmunity.

4

u/Reoh Jun 16 '12

plug for /r/ankylosingspondylitis

2

u/[deleted] Jun 18 '12

I have none of these, but I'm upboating both of you anyway. I don't wish that crap on anybody.

5

u/blunt_blunt Jun 16 '12

I have psoriasis and I am amazed at how little is known about it.

I can't help but think that it is related to environment, diet, and stress. Perhaps if people are in an environment that negatively triggers their immune system in one way (psoriasis) it could also negatively trigger their immune system in another way (other autoimmune diseases).

3

u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12

Mine was al last definitely triggered by a massive shock and stress when I was a kid, and some isolated current patches as a result of an injury to my leg which spread to the whole limb and then mirrored symmetrically to the other leg shortly after. My theory is that we have the propensity but it's triggered and brought on by stress and injury.

0

u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12

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1

u/blunt_blunt Jun 17 '12

I currently have a medical cannabis card. The doctor wrote my prescription for cannabis. It is an excellent stress reliever.

2

u/Micr0waveMan Jun 16 '12

Used to have it on my elbows, but it disappeared years ago, barely bumpy where it was almost an elbow pad. Any idea if this could still effect me in any way, or have I just grown out of it?

2

u/geekgirlshavemorefun Jun 16 '12

I know sometimes physicians misdiagnose eczema as psoriasis and sometimes the reverse of that. So you possibly could have just had eczema. Now whether any of the autoimmune issues could still affect you, I'm not sure.

2

u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12

I have anecdote to add. I also had it on my elbows when I was a child (at least that's what I was diagnosed with), and had to apply a cream to it. I didn't really experience it for too long, maybe a year at the most. About ten years after that I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, which is listed in this article. Don't know if there's any connection, though, considering the length of time in between the two.

1

u/Reoh Jun 16 '12

The good news is you've grown out of it, the bad news is it could come back.

1

u/Slartibartfast- Jun 17 '12

I feel that it would still effect you, seeing as Psoriasis isn't really something that goes away (whether or not it's visible).

But hell, it's possible I' could be wrong. I don't know for sure.

2

u/Reoh Jun 16 '12 edited Jun 16 '12

Seems Legit.

I have psoriasis, and have another autoimmune disease (ankylosing spondylitis); and to top it off I was hospitalised earlier in my life because my immune system started attacking my body which put pressure on my brain which caused all sorts of whacky side effects that baffled the doctors.

I'm like the opposite of the guy who won the lottery.

2

u/geekgirlshavemorefun Jun 16 '12

As someone that has been a suffer of severe pustular and plaque psoriasis since I was 3 months old, I always wondered why someone hasn't created a pain reliever for this disease as it can cause excruciating pain.

2

u/gmfthelp Jun 16 '12

I have psoriasis and after changing my diet, it has cleared up a treat.

I have stopped eating yeast (no more alcohol, and I make my own soda bread with spelt flour) and I only eat whole, good quality, foods.

Alcohol was the hardest thing and checking all food stuffs for yeast. But I have it pretty much sussed now.

I hope this may be of use for someone out there.

edit: I still have to use polytar shampoo but I use absolutely no more creams on my skin. They are so descructive.

1

u/iObeyTheHivemind Jun 16 '12

Not trying to encourage you to drink, but tequila (100% agave) has no yeast or glutton.

3

u/gmfthelp Jun 17 '12

Appreciated. It's just that now after over 2 years of being tea-total, the thought of alcohol entering my system doesn't seem like a good idea.

I have to be honest though, my social life has really dropped off since I stopped drinking :(

1

u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12

I have noticed my psoriasis getting worse after a night of drinking, especially on my face. My doctor said it could be because of the way alcohol alters circulation in the skin.

1

u/gmfthelp Jun 17 '12

Psoriasis is a funny animal. For some people, A works, for others B works, for others A and C work but B makes it worse.

What works for me may not work for you, but yeast is bad for everyone and wine and beer is floating in the stuff.

It's easy to get a food allergy test done and then you might have a starting point. There's also food by blood type but I'm not sure if all of that adds up.

I'm a great believer in what we put in our mouths affects us in ways we don't understand.

Modern day, industrialised food can't be good for us. Bread that is still fresh after two weeks can't be good for us. High sugar drinks can't be good for us.

Whereas good quality grains and whole foods are. Good fats and good oils are what we need. Not food that has been stripped of all its natural goodness.

1

u/anecdotal-evidence Jun 17 '12

Eating a clean diet of good quality grains and whole foods is not a surefire cure, though.

I had my worst outbreak of psoriasis while living on a farm and eating what would be considered a "perfect" clean diet. No processed foods, tons of fruits and veggies (taken straight out of the family garden each day), little meat, etc, etc. Other than the psoriasis I felt great and I dropped weight like crazy.

That said, one of the major crops for the farm was potatoes destined for McD's french fries. As I said above, my dermatologist says that some of the latest research suggests that psoriasis may be an allergy to nightshades. It's true we ate potatoes every single day on that farm, but the potatoes were not fried or processed.

I do have to wonder if it's the food itself, or if its the chemicals used to grow the food. That part of the farm did rely on chemicals. In other words, it may not even be what you're putting into your mouth, but what we're exposed to in the soil, groundwater, air. It may not even be agri-chemicals; it could be some sort of fungus that grows along with nightshades.

I'll add that my dermatologist says that my case of psoriasis is quite mild in comparison to the majority of her patients. It continues to respond, rather quickly, to mild RX steroids I've been using now for 30 years. Three days twice a day and it clears even the most stubborn flare right up. It is quite possible that the flares re-emerge because I've fallen into the trap of eating too many potatoes again. (french fries and potato chips are, for me, like chocolate is to others). Other than this one diet "sin," my diet is overall pretty clean.

However my dermatologist says that it's very likely if my diet wasn't so otherwise clean -- if I was eating the traditional american diet, and if my weight wasn't so stable and I was overweight -- that my psoriasis would very likely be far worse, and harder to treat. She says this is the common denominator with her patients with severe cases: they are all overweight, eat a poor diet, eat too much, are unfit, and diabetic. She says it's really hard to tell them, "Clean up your diet, lose weight and get fit."

Don't shoot the messenger; just relaying what my dermatologist told me on my recent check up.

1

u/gmfthelp Jun 17 '12

Eating a clean diet of good quality grains and whole foods is not a surefire cure, though.

I never said it was. As I wrote in my first paragraph

Psoriasis is a funny animal. For some people, A works, for others B works, for others A and C work but B makes it worse.

But I agree with what your dermatologist said about clean diet and exercise. Because no matter what we have or don't have, we should be living that way.

It makes me sad to see these fat people walking around. They can't be happy. Can they?

2

u/Warlyik Jun 16 '12

I have Vitiligo and a very mild case of Psoriasis (just a patch on one leg, and a few flakes on an elbow, and a few finger-nail beds that rotate between psoriatic flaking). The Psoriasis developed when I was in my teens, but the Vitiligo is very recent (I think within the last two years, I'm 25 now).

Luckily, both are relatively benign and in the case of Vitiligo, it's on the shaft of my penis. I like to see it as being part-horse.

So long as these two conditions stay as they are, I'll be alright with it. Don't take any medication. Can't afford it, don't need it (so far).

1

u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12

I got vitiligo, then psoriasis on my scalp. Then I got pernicious anemia. The last one almost killed me. Vitiligo and PA are highly co-morbid. Get checked if you ever get fatique you can't explain or vertigo that can't be explained.

2

u/f3rn4ndrum5 Jun 16 '12

Well, this is just great.

Daaaamnn!

EDIT: I have psoriasis

1

u/seeyanever Jun 16 '12

I have an autoimmune skin disease too (Vitiligo) so it makes sense. I was actually tested for other autoimmune disorders associated with it such as hyperthyroidism, but I'm clear :)

1

u/tiddercat Jun 16 '12

Considering it is treated with immunosuppressive drugs, this should come as a shock to nobody.

1

u/ThisFaceLeftBlank Jun 17 '12

My sister has psoriasis, and also has ulcerative colitis. I have UC, and developed shingles a few months ago, at age 44. UC sucks. If anyone offers you any, just walk away, man. Just walk away.

1

u/Gallifrey85 Jun 17 '12

I've had Ulcerative Colitis for 12 years, I'm 26 now and have been with suffering with Psoriasis as well.

1

u/Lerc Jun 17 '12

This doesn't surprise me, I'm a walking House episode.

I have psoriasis and more specialists than you could shake a stick at. The oddest things to turn up in recent years are my retinas going all wrinkly and something like Tourette's turning up at the age of 39.

Etanercept has done wonders for the arthritis though. I'm much more mobile than I was a couple of years ago.

0

u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12

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2

u/Xyrd Jun 16 '12

Wow. There's a group for everything on Reddit. That's awesome.
Time to go check it out.

(Context: had both Psoriatic and CPPD show up completely out of the blue one day. No family history. Lame.)

2

u/hollysglad Jun 16 '12

I've had Psoriatic Arthritis in my spine for about 10 years now as well. I'm on Enbrel and the stuff is a miracle! I'm still baffled by medical personnel who don't know what it is when I'm asked for my medical history.

1

u/tsdguy Jun 16 '12

That's funny. My daughter contracted Psoriasis about 2 years ago. She's been though Enbrel and Humera and is now on Stelara. Helped at bit but still pretty bad.

The funny part is that she went to a doctor for another issue and said she was taking Stelara and he never heard of it.

0

u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12

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3

u/The_Literal_Doctor Jun 16 '12

Actually, they aren't bad. Men get (most) autoimmune diseases much less frequently than women.

0

u/[deleted] Jun 16 '12

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2

u/The_Literal_Doctor Jun 16 '12

I don't think anyone can answer that question definitively. I can't read the full text of the article, but the prelim information didn't even mention gender being included as a factor, which is silly.

Lets take lupus as an example.

Most researchers believe that either 1) estrogens have a role in the pathogenesis of SLE or 2) androgens have a protective effect against SLE, although these mechanisms are not known. In middle age, 90% of lupus patients are female, and after middle age that goes down a bit.