Wish to use Facebook? By signing up you accept our Terms and Conditions If you forgot your password you can have it reset by sending your Email. You password has been reset and sent to your Email We will not post or share anything to your Facebook profile. Driving Discovery, Creating Community This year, we’re celebrating 50 years of driving efforts to cure psoriatic disease and improve the lives of those affected. But we can’t do it without you! Learn how you can help our advocacy team shape the laws and policies that affect people with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis – in your state and across the country. Help us raise funding to promote research into better treatments and a cure by joining Team NPF, where you can walk, run, cycle, play bingo or even create your own DIY event. Contact our Patient Navigation Center for free, personalized support for living a healthier life with psoriatic disease. And keep the National Psoriasis Foundation going strong by making a donation today!
Together, we will find a cure. Treat your total self Is your treatment getting denied? Tips for better sleep with psoriatic disease Psoriasis Doesn't Hold ' Bachelor' Contender BackPsoriasis is a skin condition that occurs in about 1 in 50 people, most often affecting the elbows, groin, knees, lower back and scalp. Treatment typically involves creams for your skin, but sometimes light therapy or an oral medication are prescribed. Although certain vitamins may have beneficial effects, you shouldn't take vitamin supplements without first consulting your doctor to make sure they would be safe for you. A study published in November 2002 in the journal Cutis found that using a topical solution containing a form of vitamin D called calcipotriene can be helpful for treating scalp psoriasis. Other forms of vitamin D-based topical treatments include those containing calcitriol and tacalcitol. These vitamin D-based treatments are thought to slow down the growth of skin cells.
Vitamin A-based topical treatments are also available, including tazarotene, but this treatment shouldn't be used during pregnancy or breast-feeding. Tazarotene may help slow down the shedding and growth of skin cells and help limit your psoriasis symptoms, especially when used in combination with light therapy and corticosteroids. In some cases, prescription forms of vitamins A and D are taken orally for psoriasis. These include the retinoid acitretin, which is a form of vitamin A. Although research is limited on the benefits, some people take vitamin D supplements with the aim of limiting the inflammation caused by psoriasis. The University of Maryland Medical Center doesn't recommend taking supplements of vitamins A or D for psoriasis, however, as they aren't in high enough amounts to be effective, and if used in combination with other vitamin-based treatments, they may result in toxicity symptoms. Both vitamins A and D are fat-soluble vitamins, so when taken in large doses they can build up to dangerous levels in your body.
Only use large amounts of vitamins A and D to treat your psoriasis if advised to do so by your doctor. Omega-3 fats, found in fish, soy, nuts, seeds and some vegetable oils, may help limit inflammation and other symptoms of psoriasis, but the evidence for this is still limited and conflicting. Avoid fish oil supplements if you take blood thinners, as they could increase your risk for bleeding. Eating fish at least twice a week will help you get enough omega-3 fats, especially if you choose fatty fish such as salmon, herring, tuna, mackerel and sardines. Vegetarian diets and reduced-calorie diets may help limit the symptoms of psoriasis, according to an article published in the British Journal of Dermatology in October 2005. People with psoriasis may also be more likely to be sensitive to gluten, so a gluten-free diet may be beneficial in some cases. Avoid simple sugars, diets high in saturated fat and alcohol if you have psoriasis, recommends the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Can You Use Castor Oil for Psoriasis on the Scalp? How to Remove Psoriasis Scales Diet for Scalp Psoriasis The Best Shampoos for Psoriasis Solutions for an Extremely Itchy, Flaky Scalp Vitamin Deficiency Psoriasis Symptoms Soothing Remedies for the Scalp Herbs & Teas for Psoriasis Psoriasis and Thinning Hair How to Clean Your Scalp Ayurvedic Remedies for Dandruff Foods That Make Psoriasis Worse Salt Bath for Psoriasis Treatment Good Foods to Eat When You Have Psoriasis The Best Dandruff Shampoos Leave-in Conditioner for Dry Scalp What Causes a Very Itchy Scalp Only After Shampooing Your Hair? How to Get Rid of White Spots on the Scalp Apple Cider Vinegar & Scalp PsoriasisPRESS RELEASE: Study Finds High-dose Intravenous Vitamin C Reduces Pain and Inflammation in Those with Rheumatoid Arthritis as Reported in a Recent Paper Published by Riordan Clinic Scientists Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a major inflammatory joint disease that causes cartilage destruction, bone erosions, and joint destruction.
In severe cases, it can also lead to rheumatoid nodules, vasculitis, heart disease, lung disease, anemia, and peripheral neuropathy. Oxidative stress is elevated in RA patients implying reactive oxygen species (ROS) are possible mediators of tissue damage. ROS trigger a cascade of events through nuclear factors’ activation, which up-regulates gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines that mediate the immune responses causing inflammation. Decreasing inflammation and oxidative stress may provide protection for regenerating cartilage within the joint. Control of inflammation in patients with RA is also the important goal when it comes to the reduction of cardiovascular risk in these patients. The Riordan Clinic has long been interested in the use of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) at millimolar concentrations (attainable via intravenous infusions) to treat illnesses associated with inflammation, including cancer, atherosclerosis, and viral infections. At high doses, vitamin C has been shown to reduce the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Ascorbic acid has other properties that suggest it may be useful in treating rheumatoid arthritis: it is an antioxidant that scavenges ROS and it supports collagen formation and enhances extracellular matrix protein synthesis. Interestingly, RA patients tend to be vitamin C deficient and require high supplementation doses required to maintain plasma ascorbic acid at acceptable levels. In addition, studies show below-normal ascorbic acid concentrations in synovial fluid of RA patients. Based on the properties of ascorbic acid to reduce oxidative stress, decrease production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and suppress the activation of pro-inflammatory nuclear factors, we analyzed the effect of intravenous millimolar concentration of ascorbic acid in RA treatment. The rheumatoid arthritis patients in this study were characterized by moderate to high levels of the inflammation marker CRP accompanying moderate to severe discomfort levels. The effect of intravenous vitamin C (IVC) treatment on subjects with RA demonstrated that IVC therapy with dosages of 7.5 g-50g can reduce inflammation and the pain levels.
The inflammation as measured by C-reactive protein levels was decreased on average by 44 %. The average CRP level before treatment was 9.4 ± 4.6 mg/L, while the average after IVC therapy was 6.4 ± 4.6 mg/L. Examining those subjects who showed a net CRP decrease, we found that the effect of treatment is IVC frequency dependent. Based on this pilot study, it is hypothesized that IVC therapy is a useful strategy in treating RA, and that more research into this possibility is warranted. This research, conducted by Riordan Clinic scientists Dr. Nina Mikirova, Dr. Joseph Casciari, Andrea Rogers and Paul Taylor, has recently been published in the Journal of Modern Research in Inflammation in an article entitled, “Effect of high-dose intravenous ascorbic acid on the level of inflammation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.” ) is a progressive nutrition-based medical clinic and a 501c3 nonprofit organization established in 1975 in Wichita Kansas. It is comprised of a CLIA Certified laboratory, Bio-Center Laboratory;