Category Archives: Psoriasis Treatments

psoriasis, Psoriasis Treatments

8 Weeks with Tremfya: It’s Working!

The high temperatures are still in the 80s here in the Sacramento area, and I can wear shorts! My lower legs began clearing from psoriasis a few weeks after starting Tremfya.

On Monday I hit the eight-week mark on Tremfya (guselkumab), Janssen’s new biologic indicated for plaque psoriasis. Over the weekend, it felt like the remaining psoriasis started melting away as lesions flattened, looked less red, and even disappeared. Some psoriasis persists, primarily on those stubborn spots on my trunk/back. But, hey, I’m not complaining.

I’m excited about the response, but remain cautiously optimistic. I thought with this kind of response I might be jumping up and down. But Lori and I agreed that we’d like to see continued progress as we’ve had our hopes dashed so many times in the past.

—————–

I’m excited about the response, but remain cautiously optimistic. I thought with this kind of response I might be jumping up and down.

—————–

Maybe I’m in shock that I can’t bring myself to believe a medication might effectively treat my psoriasis apart from cyclosporine. The journey with Tremfya is only the most recent leg in a lifelong journey to find that magic bullet of a treatment to relieve me of psoriasis lesions.

Continue reading →

Standard
psoriasis, Psoriasis Treatments

6 Weeks with Tremfya: Redefining Expectations

The sunsets here in Northern California’s Central Valley can light up the sky with a myriad of colors. I took this shot while exercising, reminding me how precious moments like these are to not waste–especially as the wait for Tremfya’s ultimate result continues.

When I started taking Tremfya (guselkumab), I carried an unstated goal and expectation: clear skin. I looked at the graphs and incredible data on the effectiveness of Tremfya and just figured I could enjoy life with less and less psoriasis over the course of sixteen weeks.

At six weeks, some forty-two days later, I’m readjusting my expectations.

I know I need to wait another couple of months to see the full effect of Tremfya on my over-active immune system. But so many other factors become involved in how my skin looks than if I take an injection every eight weeks or not. I just hoped that the new injection would strong arm all those other triggers to where they would give up their fight.

—————–

Follow my Tremfya journey:

Tremfya (Guselkumab) Week One

3 Weeks with Tremfya: The Waiting Game

5 Weeks with Tremfya: Biggest Fear?

8 Weeks with Tremfya: It’s Working!

10 Weeks with Tremfya: One Step Back

12 Weeks with Tremfya: The Third Injection

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

—————–

They are not giving up so far. The biggest factor appears to be tapering cyclosporine. I knew that psoriasis and eczema would inevitably rebound as in the past. While I enjoyed some relief from psoriasis after a few weeks on Tremfya, over the last couple weeks all kinds of rashes broke out on my scalp, trunk, legs—almost everywhere. The spots that went away a few weeks ago came back as itchy, red, and irritated sores.

Tremfya might still win out in the end, but the process is not the straight line to spotless skin I imagined or hoped.bNow that I’ve come back down to earth, what are my expectations for Tremfya? How do I define success if it’s not clear skin with no complications?

Lowering Expectations

As a graduate student, I carried high expectations for everything. I thought I only needed to say something once then (most) everyone would agree and understand. I figured that if I learned a lesson that I learned it for life with no relapse. I expected my work at church to be as easy as learning in school.

My mentor pulled me aside to gently tell me to lower my expectations for just about everything.  What?! That sounded so wrong to my idealistic brain. But my mentor passed on wisdom that applied to so many aspects of my life since, including psoriasis.

So, I’m lowering my expectations for Tremfya. I do hope this awesome new medication can beat the lowered expectations.  But if it can’t quite climb to the top of that mountain, I’ll take something less. I’ll take less than clear skin. I’ll accept if it needs something other than cyclosporine, such as phototherapy, or stronger topical treatments, to work more effectively at suppressing psoriasis.

Of course, I still hope it clears my skin in a couple months. But if it doesn’t by week seven or eight, I won’t fret about it not doing its job . . . at least not quite yet.

—————–

Of course, I still hope Tremfya clears my skin in a couple months. But if it doesn’t by week seven or eight, I won’t fret about it not doing its job . . . yet.

—————–

Raising Awareness

In the meantime, week 6 of Tremfya coincided with the second annual TeamNPF Walk in Sacramento. Last year we registered about 50 people and raised just over five thousand dollars. This year we hit 75 people and seven thousand five hundred raised!

fullsizeoutput_42e4

I’m amazed at how little people know about psoriasis, and the resources available to them. My motivation and encouragement comes from every time someone says that they never met others with psoriasis, or how difficult living with psoriasis can be.

My family came out early in the morning on a Saturday to join the walk and volunteer to lead the walk group. Their support and love means the world to me as I pour so much of my life into inspiring, empowering, and advocating for those impacted by psoriasis.

—————–

Verse of the Week: Isaiah 53:4-5

This verse from Isaiah once haunted me. The suffering servant brought healing to wounds. So why aren’t my wounds of psoriasis gone, I wondered. I came to accept that they are healed, but perhaps not in this lifetime or in the way I might expect.  Now the verse is comfort to me as I put my hope in a future redemption of this body–no matter what happens with Tremfya or any other medication.

Surely he took up our pain
    and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
    stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
    and by his wounds we are healed.

Standard
psoriasis, Psoriasis Treatments

5 Weeks with Tremfya: Biggest Fear?

I visited my dermatologist, Dr. M., at the UC Davis Health Dermatology clinic in Sacramento. This visit came about 4.5 weeks after starting Tremfya.

I’m a dreamer. Psoriasis treatments, however, dash my hopes more times I care to remember. After five weeks on the new biologic medication Tremfya (guselkumab) do I dare to dream that it just might clear my skin of nasty psoriasis lesions?

On Friday, after my second dose of Tremfya, I visited my dermatologist for the first time since starting the new treatment.

My Biggest Fear

I looked forward to the dermatologists’ assessment of my skin condition, hoping they would say it’s starting to work. First, the resident entered for the initial consult. He looked friendly and willing to listen to my travails. He had no choice anyhow.

—————–

Ten years later I have the same fear: Tremfya will clear my psoriasis, while eczema takes its place.

—————–

I told him my biggest fear is how clearing my psoriasis could lead to worsening eczema. That’s what happened when I took Humira (adalimumab) some years ago. Here was my assessment back in 2008:

My psoriasis is doing reasonably well. The sores on my palms, scalp and feet have worsened but not to the point of great discomfort. Those nasty, stubborn sores on my flanks and back have even become less red and inflamed. My legs and arms have more psoriasis overall, but the plaques do not flake much and the color is pink not red.

The rash is still the squeaky wheel that gets most of the attention. I focus on it so much that I do not notice how well the psoriasis is doing. For the unbearable itch of the rash I still try to take an antihistamine every night. While it does help me get to sleep, I still have my difficult itchy nights wondering when it will go away.

Ten years later I have the same fear: Tremfya will clear my psoriasis, while eczema takes its place. I told the dermatology resident about the rashes on my scalp and upper back, spreading to my legs and arms. Eczema did emerge on my skin, but why? I can’t blame Tremfya yet since I periodically endure eczema flares in general. I hope this one is not from taking its place.

—————–

Follow my Tremfya journey:

Tremfya (Guselkumab) Week One

3 Weeks with Tremfya: The Waiting Game

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

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

—————–

After I shared my fear, the resident explained why clearing psoriasis or eczema tends to exacerbate the other. I’m not a cellular immunologist, so he needed to explain the process as simply as possible. A T-cell needs a pathway to go, and if it’s blocked going one way, it will go the other way, causing one kind of inflammation or another. I thought of a channel of water hitting a diverter directing the stream left or right. With a laser like focused treatment like Tremfya, however, it’s possible I would have less inflammation with eczema.

Less eczema would be wonderful.

Psoriasis Assessment

Dr. M came in a few minutes later. I excitedly showed him my arms, lower legs, and other areas that show improvement. He did say the psoriasis improved, but it’s still too early to assess Tremfya’s assessment. He reminded me that charts show peak efficacy around 12-14 weeks. I have a long way to go with Tremfya, while needing to taper off cyclosporine and manage the eczema outbreak.

FullSizeRender

Taken 9/21/17 after 4 weeks on Tremfya. Definite improvement from before, but a ways to go yet.

FullSizeRender

Taken 7/18/17 entering my 3rd month on Otezla. Yikes.

Rashes on my upper back convinced him to prescribe wet-wrap therapy (using wet clothing over low to medium strength topical steroid) while waiting on Tremfya. The next day I took the afternoon off for a four-hour scalp treatment and a three-hour session in wet pajamas. At least I could work on my Sunday message for church while passing the time.

—————–

Dr. M did say the psoriasis improved, but it’s still too early to assess Tremfya’s effectiveness.

—————–

Next Visit in Six Weeks

I made an appointment six weeks later hoping I wouldn’t need to contact him beforehand. By then we could add treatments such as phototherapy, pulse cyclosporine doses, and more wet wraps as needed. I might even get a new home phototherapy unit!

I left feeling a bit less fearful knowing a plan’s in place if my eczema breaks out. I’m feeling ever more hopeful that Tremfya will clear the psoriasis. I’m looking forward to what the next few weeks bring.

 

—————–

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 

(2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

 

Standard
psoriasis, Psoriasis Treatments

The Waiting is the Hardest Part: A Reflection on Psoriasis Treatments

About five years ago I wrote about starting a new treatment, Stelara, in The Itch to Beat Psoriasis. I wrote about waiting in a similar fashion last week, also after three weeks of treatment–this time on Tremfya (guselkumab). Yesterday I took my second Tremfya injection, ever hopeful for a good outcome.

I especially recall the story about the July 4th fireworks blowing up after some people waiting for hours. I waited 6 months for Stelara to calm my psoriasis, but to no avail. We both did not get what we waited for. The article helps remind me there are no guarantees with treatments, and that waiting can be a valuable learning process–however painful.

Here is a lightly edited version of that article. Continue reading →

Standard