Psoriasis Treatment
Psoriasis has become one of our nation’s most swiftly growing and most insidious diseases, and (acute|serious|severe} cases are often dealt with using a blend of therapies that will invariably include a cancer drug labeled methotrexate.
Methotrexate was formed in the late 1940s as a cure for leukemia. While the effectiveness of the drug to battle the childhood cancer was nominal, doctors determined that methotrexate is effective in dealing with psoriasis. Of course, a chemotherapy drug is not the primary choice to combat psoriasis. Methotrexate is prescribed for patients who have acute psoriasis that does not recede with other treatments.
The drug can limit the spread of psoriasis and in particular the effects of the illness on the renal system. Treatment with methotrexate is meant to retard the excessive cell growth, resulting in remissions lasting nearly 18 months. Once the treatment is shown to be effective, it is suspended until the psoriasis comes back.
The first lesions of plaque psoriasis appear as red dots that can be almost impercievable. These eruptions slowly get bigger, producing a silvery white dermal scale that is easily shed. When peeled back, the scales may leave tiny bleeding points. The most universal regions to find the scaly lesions are on the scalp, elbows, knees and trunk, though they can be found anywhere on the skin. Patches spread over wide stretches of skin can cause intense itching, hypersensitivity, dry or cracking skin and inflammation. Body movement and suppleness may also be limited.
Methotrexate is usually prescribed in conjunction with other drugs or treatment modalities. For sixty years, doctors have commenced psoriasis treatments with the basic advice to get more sun. The UVA and UVB rays destroy the body’s T cells, slowing skin growth. Doctors use direct phototherapy in conjunction with topical ointments and methotrexate to combat the disease on all fronts. The use of many different modalities also reduces the treatment episodes and takes less of a toll on the body.
Methotrexate operates by repressing the immune system in a systemic way. Researchers suppose that some type of biochemical stimulus triggers the unusual cell growth in the epidermis. After the body’s immunity systems are slowed, doctors continually monitor the patient’s liver with toxicity tests. There is a threat of the collective doses resulting in toxic quantities during extensive use.
Clinicians are now able to prescribe smaller dosages to the elderly and small children, as research of methotrexate for psoriasis has determined that the liver processes the drug more slowly.
Online Psoriasis Remedy resources: http://www.eczemapsoriasisdermatitis.com/
