Question:
Hi all, I have recently found your newsgroup and have been reading the messages with great interest. I have been a PA victim for the past 18 years (I’m now 39). Like many of you I have gone through most of the medical system and have used most if not all creams/ointments/mixtures and also many of the drugs such as Methotrexate, Hydroxiurea (not sure if I spelled that one right) Neotigason. I have done the years of blood tests, fastinf lipid tests, liver biopsies etc. I have not yet used PUVA. I am currently using Neotigason and Dovonex without much success at the moment unfortunately. I have a bad habit of quickly building up an immunity to drugs 
I have had 5 spells in a specialist Skin hospital over here in the last 8 years in the following manner. 1st visit, clear in 1 week, 2nd visit (1 year later) clear in 2 weeks, 3rd visit (1 year later) clear in 3 weeks, 4th visit (18months later) clear in 5 weeks and my last visit about 2 years ago took 6 weeks to clear me. I have now decided that unless there is some dramatic breakthrough, I’m not returning to hospital. Enough of my history. I’m very interested in two of the topics being discussed. One is this product called EXOREX the second being SKIN CAP. I have never heard of either of these and I have enquired from several Pharmacists with no success to date. I would much appreciate any genuine information on either or both products plus genuine confirmation from users that it worked/didn’t work for them. I’m only too well aware that what might work for you, mightn’t for me so don’t be afraid to comment. Secondly, my palms and finger tips are in a desparate state at the moment with layers of skin missing (it’s even sore typing). I was wondering if anyone out there had any ideas as to any product that might help for P of the hands. PS. I noticed that in several mssages there were suggestions/debates as to whether a product in "cream" form or "ointment" form was better. For what it’s worth, one of the nurses that treated me on all 5 occasions I was inside, and who had 30 years plus experience in treating skin problems had a saying and it’s something like this :- "if it’s dry, wet it and if it’s wet, dry it". By that she meant if the area being treated consisted of dry matter only then use the ointment but if it consisted of moistened matter (such as causd by scratching the area) then use the cream form of the product. Sorry for my message being a bit long but as I say this is my first and I promise in future to be brief 
))) Thanks for providing me with a forum for airing my views on PA. _|/_ (o o) Michael Murphy, Dungarvan, Waterford, Ireland. fidomail : 2:263/900.3 –
Response:
Read with interest your long post about your P. I also have it on the palms of the hands and on my feet . It is very painful in both. I sent for skincap and used for about two weeks, with no results!! I also got Exorex and after an apparent recovery , have my feet peeling the outer dermis now. It might work for some people , but apparently not for me . Hope this is useful in any way! A. Ceide
Response:
> Read with interest your long post about your P. I also have it on the > palms of the hands and on my feet . It is very painful in both. > I sent for skincap and used for about two weeks, with no results!! > I also got Exorex and after an apparent recovery , have my feet peeling > the outer dermis now. It might work for some people , but apparently not > for me . > Hope this is useful in any way! > A. Ceide
I have the same type of P, with some on my scalp as well. Last autumn I had a bad cold and was sure that my P would flare up after a week or two, it normally does. This time I was told by a friend, who is into aromatherapy, to try to rub some tea-tree-oil under my feet to help the cold clear off. Tea-tree oil is supposed to be anti-bacterial, anti-viral (s?) and anti-fungal, and help against any infections, rubbing it under the feet should be the next best to a massage. I used some pure oil, a drop under each foot every evening for a week or so, the cold got better (with our without the oil?) and I did not think much about it first. Then after another week I noticed that my P did not flare up, it actually got much better!. And since that I’ve had a very long periode without any new outbreaks. A month a go I had a cold again, I tried the same prosedure, and it helped this time to. I can’t prove that it is the oil, but I’ve started to wonder… Aina Nilsen
Response:
snip Hi, Aina! Nice to have you back! It feels a bit funny to write in English to a fellow norse, but I will do that anyway, using Norwegian would not be fair to others on the group… I tried a lotion containing tea tree oil. I got a bottle from a person that had heard it was suppose to be good for P. I applied a bit on my arm. Only a few minutes later my had trouble breathing… I suppose that I am allergic to the stuff, I had to use asthma spray to breath normally again, and of course I scrubbed the stuff off. Never tried it since. I am only mentioning this because others that also have allergies should try it with caution the first time in order to test it… What you are telling is interesting though… Look forward to hear what experiences others have… Have a nice weekend! Aase Marit :))))
Response:
> For what it’s worth, one of the >nurses that treated me on all 5 occasions I was inside, and who >had 30 years plus experience in treating skin problems had a >saying and it’s something like this :- "if it’s dry, wet it and >if it’s wet, dry it".
That advice is the first part of a medical school joke about dermatology. Everything you need to know about dermatology: If it is dry, wet it, if it wet, dry it, and if you don’t know what the hell it is put steroid ointment on it.
Response:
>> For what it’s worth, one of the >nurses that treated me on all 5 occasions I was inside, and who >had 30 years plus experience in treating skin problems had a >saying and it’s something like this :- "if it’s dry, wet it and >if it’s wet, dry it". >That advice is the first part of a medical school joke about >dermatology. Everything you need to know about dermatology: If it is >dry, wet it, if it wet, dry it, and if you don’t know what the hell it >is put steroid ointment on it.
The other quotable quote about dermatology is: Dermatology is the best speciality. The patient never dies …. and never gets well! I think there is a lot of truth in that, especially when it comes to PSO.
Response:
>That advice is the first part of a medical school joke about >dermatology. Everything you need to know about dermatology: If it is >dry, wet it, if it wet, dry it, and if you don’t know what the hell it >is put steroid ointment on it.
Wish that sounded more like a joke and less like the derms I’ve seen. J.
Response:
Heehee! Just wanted to introduce myself and say hi. I guess I don’t have to tell you that I’ll be writing a lot in here when I’m manic, and will just read when depressed, unless I’m really* depressed . . . well, you understand. I know you do. That’s what’s wonderful. I’m manic-depressive, sometimes both at once, usually on the depressed side. I occasionally go off my meds so I can think and get things accomplished, but then I become angry, mildly paranoid, and downright anti-social. Oh, and did I mention, incredibly creative? ;) When I take my meds, I’m in a fog between naps. I lost my job nearly two years ago because of the illness itself, drug reactions, and other conditions of a more "physical" nature. The house went last summer, and the bankruptcy was just over a year ago. I have an 18 year old daughter who has similar problems, but hasn’t come to terms with them yet, and am engaged to a great guy who also runs a little to the anti-social side. We’re great together, we just don’t like being around other people much. We have computers in two separate rooms, and have worked out the "I love you but leave me alone" stuff quite nicely. Well, that’s a start. You haven’t heard the last of me! <grin> Thanks for being here, everyone!
Response:
> Heehee! Just wanted to introduce myself and say hi. I guess I don’t > have to tell you that I’ll be writing a lot in here when I’m manic, > and will just read when depressed, unless I’m really* depressed . . . > well, you understand. I know you do. That’s what’s wonderful.
Carol, A *very* belated welcome to the family. 
I’m just now catching up on two weeks of newsgroup reading. – barry
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