Author Archives: Howard H Chang

psoriasis, Skln Care

5 Psoriasis and Eczema Winter Skin Care Tips

I published this blog for The Itch to Best Psoriasis on Everyday Health in January this year. This reprint has a few update modifications. Great reminders for myself as I ward off rashes and try to control the dryness that heating causes in the winter cold. 

Every winter, I sense the need to adjust how I care for my skin. Freezing cold night temperatures give way to cold, shortened days. My wife likes to turn up the heater, as do my workplace and the stores I frequent. I enjoy a hot shower too. But I know that my psoriasis and eczema don’t necessarily take well to dry, heated air and long, hot showers.

It could be the stress of the holidays, it might be because my medications have lost their effectiveness, or it could just be winter. Whatever the cause, I’m needing to take extra measures to make sure my skin is well managed and cared for.

When I visited my dermatologist, Dr. Emanual Maverakis of the University of California, Davis Health System last year, I wondered what winter skincare tips he and his resident Dr. Tatyana Petukhova might have for those of us living with psoriasis and eczema.

My years of experience have helped me develop ways to manage any inevitable winter flare-ups. Here are my five recommendations with a few of my doctors’ thoughts peppered in.

1. Be Sure to Moisturize and Humidify

Without a doubt, this tip to moisturize is the one my dermatologists recommended first. Dr. Maverakis noted that  using heaters in the winter dries out the skin, so more moisturizing is needed. That’s my experience as well.

I took a couple of climatology classes in college. One professor used the analogy of two different-sized buckets to explain relative humidity. If you have a small bucket, and it’s 80 percent full of water, then you would say it’s quite full.  But if you put that same amount of water in a big bucket, it might only be 20 percent full.

Cold air is like the small bucket, and hot air is like the large bucket. When cold air is heated up, as it often is indoors in the winter, the relative humidity drops. Unless water is added back into the air, such as with a humidifier, the dry air will dry out your skin.

Dry skin will easily become itchy and irritated. In the winter, it seems to dry out even faster than usual.

I’ve noticed my skin is like a hygrometer, a device that measures humidity. I can tell when my skin is dry and needs more moisturizer. Plus, dry skin will easily become itchy and irritated. In the winter, it seems to dry out even faster than usual.

When moisturizing, I start with a layer of a lotion with ceramides (mainly for eczema) to add moisture, then lock in the moisture with a thicker, petroleum-based cream. If I am moisturizing after a bath or shower, I moisturize within a couple of minutes of getting out to trap the moisture in my skin. It took me some time experimenting with different moisturizers, and talking with my doctors, before I settled on a regimen that works for me.

Finding the Right Moisturizer for Psoriasis & Eczema

Having a humidifier in the living room, bedroom, and the office helps too — especially during those cold and dry times. Dr. Petukhova also recommended using humidifiers, noting the need to “clean them regularly” and use a humidity level “that feels comfortable.”

2. Avoid Long Hot Baths or Showers

Simply put, hot water dries out your skin, and that’s generally not good for psoriasis or eczema. My dermatologists noted this tip as second important after moisturizing. But I confess I like to bathe in hot water in the winter. When it’s cold outside, or even cool, doesn’t everyone enjoy a hot shower or bath? After seeing Dr. Maverakis, I turned back the temperature of my shower and cut down the time.

I also will take 10- to 15-minute soothing baths. I sprinkle an over-the-counter oatmeal bath packet into the water as the bath is being drawn, then I add some moisturizing oil. When I get out of the tub, I put on extra layers of moisturizer. This system seems to be working well so far, but it’s hard to give up the hot water.

Continue reading →

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psoriasis, Psoriasis Treatments

14 Weeks with Tremfya: What’s Next?

20 Weeks with Tremfya: Read the Instructions! (4th Injection)

24 Weeks with Tremfya: A Pattern Emerges

I found this photo online that reflects how I feel–looking up for answers into the gray building and sky, not knowing what’s the next move.

For much of the last year I looked forward to taking Tremfya (guselkumab) to treat my severe chronic psoriasis. My dermatologist suggested I hold off on the new IL-17A inhibitors until it was FDA approved.

I continued with a combination of topical steroids, Enbrel (etanercept), and Neoral (cyclosporine). That regimen worked fairly well for some years. But it seemed Enbrel lost effectiveness over the years, and cyclosporine’s long-term side effects started to develop. A little over 14 weeks ago I finally started Tremfya.

Now almost three months into the new treatment I am asking a question I hoped not to need to ask: what’s next?

Skin Condition Update

I won’t make any final or definitive evaluation of Tremfya’s effectiveness quite yet. Week 16 is when the study trials report efficacy anyhow. Charts show the medication continuing to work for weeks after, even though the curve flattens. I can say that overall psoriasis is under better control than with Enbrel and higher dose cyclosporine. Continue reading →

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psoriasis, Psoriasis Treatments

Hitting My “Treat to Target” Goals After 6 Months?

I wrote this article for the National Psoriasis Foundation as an update to my Treat to Target experience earlier this year. The editor decided to take excerpts from below as a postscript and republish as An ongoing experiment with Treat to Target.  See the postscript below for a brief week 13 with Tremfya update.

Here is the full article:

Psoriasis treatment for me is a series of starts and stops, and then restarts. In the past, I focused on finding something that effectively calms down the inflammation in my body so I can at least function at my job. When a treatment stopped working, or a new treatment proved unhelpful, I moved on to the next one. I find treatment rarely follows a dependable straight-line path for the foreseeable future.

Earlier this year my approach to treatment changed after I read about the National Psoriasis Foundation’s Medical Board’s “Treat 2 Target” treatment strategy. They established the goal of 1 percent or less psoriasis on the body within three months of treatment. An alternate acceptable goal is to maintain 75 percent improvement of psoriasis skin involvement in three months. These treatment goals inspired me to not accept “good enough” and strive for better results.

Of course, treatment decisions are individual and meant to be worked out with medical providers. Knowing I needed to consider change to more effective medications, I talked to my dermatologist about setting goals at my first appointment of 2017.

When I wrote about my first Treat to Target experience earlier this year, I hoped to reach the treatment targets I set with my dermatologist, Dr. Maverakis within the three or six-month time frame. Unfortunately, circumstances did not work out as I wished. 

Hitting Targets Can Take Time

Many variables came into play as I strived for at least 75 percent psoriasis improvement. First, I ultimately decided not to do the treatment my dermatologist first prescribed for me. He wanted me to try Goeckerman therapy, a combination of coal tar and phototherapy. At first I went along, but over time I became less enthusiastic about the time consuming and messy nature of the treatment. Several poor experiences with phototherapy in the past proved difficult to overcome as well.

The next option we considered, the innovative biologic Tremfya (guselkumab), would not gain FDA approval until summer at the earliest. In the meantime, I asked if I could try a newer systemic medication. While my dermatologist agreed to prescribe it for me, my health insurance provider ultimately denied covering it. Eventually the drug manufacturer agreed to provide it for free after I applied to their patient assistance program. In the end, receiving the medication took almost six weeks.

The next twelve weeks became a roller coaster ride with the new systemic medication. I managed the ups and downs of challenging side effects and waited day after day to see improvement. My dermatologist and I decided to stop it due to lack of response. In fact, my psoriasis seemed worse.

Hitting those targets took much more effort and time than I expected. But setting the goals kept me focused on reaching them however many setbacks I faced.

Months into my Treat to Target experience I felt disappointed and at a loss what to do next. Hitting those targets took much more effort and time than I expected. But setting the goals kept me focused on reaching them however many setbacks I faced.

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Follow my Tremfya journey!

Tremfya (Guselkumab) Week One

3 Weeks with Tremfya: The Waiting Game

5 Weeks with Tremfya: Biggest Fear?

6 Weeks with Tremfya: Redefining Expectations

8 Weeks with Tremfya: It’s Working!

10 Weeks with Tremfya: One Step Back

12 Weeks with Tremfya: The Third Injection

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New Treatment, Renewed Hope

Around the time my dermatologist and I decided to stop the systemic medication, the FDA approved Tremfya. Dr. M. asked me to come to the clinic the next day at lunch time so he could see me without an appointment. A few weeks later I became the first patient to use the new biologic medication in the University of California, Davis Health System.

Once again, I feel hopeful that I can reach the treatment targets Dr. Maverakis and I set earlier in the year.  A few weeks into treatment psoriasis lesions on my arms and legs started to slowly fade, becoming flatter and less scaly. Although I experienced new outbreak in the next couple weeks, those lesions began to disappear soon after. I’m optimistic that clear skin is possible in a couple more months.

Once again, I feel hopeful that I can reach the treatment targets Dr. Maverakis and I set earlier in the year.

The path to clearer skin, however, might take a turn for the worse at the end of the year. I’m losing my dermatologist as his medical group will no longer participate in my health insurance provider’s network. I want my new healthcare providers to continue the goals and treatment I started this year, but I have no guarantees that they will.

I’m not too worried, though, about what comes next. My experience with Treat to Target so far tells me that obstacles and challenges to reach treatment goals come in many different forms and ways. Keeping the goals in mind, while adopting a flexible attitude, gives me the courage and persistence to overcome them one by one.

Postscript: At week 13 on Tremfya I’m seeing a bit more psoriasis breaking out all over, but especially on my trunk and stomach. I am remain optimistic that in the next few weeeks the injection I took last week will start working!

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psoriasis, Psoriasis Treatments

12 Weeks with Tremfya: The Third Injection

I took my third dose of Tremfya on late Sunday night. Each box contains one dose.

The last two weeks I waited impatiently for this past Monday. I recently shared how my psoriasis began breaking out before week ten with Tremfya (guselkumab). My dermatologist warned me that sometime before the next injection I might experience a flare as the medicine worked itself out of my body.

Tapering cyclosporine down to a small dose three times a week further increased the odds I would flare. When Monday came I hoped the Tremfya (guselkumab) injection would reverse the reignited psoriasis inflammation. But first I would enjoy, and endure, a long weekend of exciting work.

A Busy Weekend Ends with a Tremfya Injection

This past weekend’s stressful events no doubt contributed to worsening skin conditions. On Friday, Lori and I drove out to Sacramento in the afternoon for a wedding rehearsal. As the officiating minister, I arrived at the church early to get organized. Unfortunately, the bride encountered traffic delays. I can start a wedding rehearsal with almost anyone missing, except the bride or groom. The rehearsal finally started about an hour late.

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Tapering cyclosporine down to a small dose three times a week further increased the odds I would flare. When Monday came I hoped the Tremfya (guselkumab) injection would reverse the reignited inflammation.

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Lori and I did enjoy a wonderful Chinese style banquet dinner after rehearsal, although the later ending to the evening left me exhausted.

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The bride’s father gives away his daughter to an eagerly awaiting groom. The Saturday wedding ceremony in a Sacramento area church became the centerpiece of an exciting, but long, weekend.

On Saturday, I officiated the almost one-hour ceremony. My ceremonies tend to run shorter, but Chinese translation added about twenty minutes to the overall lenght. The longer ceremony added to the stress of the day. An evening reception fourty-five minutes  away left us far from home. That night I worked on the Sunday message until two in the morning.

On about four plus hours of sleep I stumbled onto the stage at church to speak. At first, I could not form sentences properly. Thankfully, my coffee kicked in so I could work through my points. Later in the morning I baptized two students in our new sanctuary baptistery.

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Baptism at Davis Chinese Christian Church. I baptized two students on Sunday in the late morning service after speaking in the early morning service.

 

After a lunch meeting I looked forward to a long nap and evening watching sports. Unfortunately, one of our youth at church landed in the hospital. Lori and I drove back out to Sacramento to visit.

Around midnight I decided to inject the third dose of Tremfya. With the first two injections I felt some dizziness and fatigue, so I decided to take it before bed this time. I let it warm up for about 15 minutes then stared at it for a few more. Something that costs upwards of ten thousand dollars needs to be treated with care and appreciation.

The injection went in quickly and painlessly. I did feel that a bit of dizziness as expected, but slept it off.

[As a reminder, the first dose of Tremfya is on week 0, with a loading dose following on week 4. The next dose is on week 12, with subsequent doses injected every eight weeks.]

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Follow my Tremfya journey!

Tremfya (Guselkumab) Week One

3 Weeks with Tremfya: The Waiting Game

5 Weeks with Tremfya: Biggest Fear?

6 Weeks with Tremfya: Redefining Expectations

8 Weeks with Tremfya: It’s Working!

10 Weeks with Tremfya: One Step Back

14 Weeks with Tremfya: What’s Next?

16 Weeks with Tremfya: The Verdict?

20 Weeks with Tremfya: Read the Instructions! (4th Injection)

24 Weeks with Tremfya: A Pattern Emerges

28 Weeks with Tremfya: Still Working? (Injection #5)

38 Weeks with Tremfya: The Question/Answer Edition

42 Weeks with Tremfya: Coping with a Skin Flare

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Saying Goodbye to My Dermatologist

The Friday before I said goodbye to my dermatologist.

My new provider network approved this last clinic visit to U.C. Davis Health before the calendar turned over to 2018. I first enjoyed the visit with the dermatology resident, Kevin. I was impressed he remembered me from a local National Psoriasis Foundation event. I appreciated how he refilled ALL my prescriptions and gave me the maximum number of refills for good measure.

When Dr. Maverakis finally came in I perked up. Our collaboration grew over the past four years to where we could catch-up, discuss my advocacy and his research, and jump right into my treatments during a typical clinic visit. We talked as if I would see him again. When I reminded him it would be my last visit he said, “I know.”

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I sadly shook Dr. Maverakis’s hand, knowing that I would no doubt talk to him again, but just not at the dermatology clinic.

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We decided that I would continue taking one pill of cyclosporine three times a week. If my psoriasis improved enough after the third Tremfya injection I could stop. If not, I could take that pulse dose of cyclosporine for a couple weeks. Other options to add to Tremfya in combination therapy included phototherapy or wet wrapping periodically.

I sadly shook Dr. Maverakis’s hand, knowing that I would no doubt talk to him again, but just not at dermatology clinic.

Verse of the Week

Romans 5:3-5 The Outcome of Suffering

When I spent six weeks at the psoriasis daycare clinic the summer after high school graduation, many verses helped me endure. This passage from Romans became a seminal passage for my understanding how God could allow me to have severe psoriasis.

Over the years the Apostle Paul’s thoughts rang truer and truer as I sensed God desiring to build up my character and strength through challenges such as psoriasis. Clinging to a secure hope helped me through those lowest of valleys.

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

 

 

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