new to psoriasis - I think

Hi HHF, yep, I have psoriasis & appeared much later after the crohns dx. I started out with it being on the soles of my feet & hands. The itching was unbelievable & insane, I itched 24 hours a day including in my sleep. The soles of my feet were raw from me scratching them & had cracked open in many places, same with my hands. The first dermatologist referred me to a dr saying he was the guru of psoriasis treatment. By the time I got to see the new guy, I had it on my face, ears, legs, scalp, along with thick silvery plaques on both elbows. He rx'd Taclonex an ointment that works well. For the face he rx'd a different ointment because Taclonex cannot be used on the face. One thing that was very odd with me, is it hit the left side of my body much worse than the right. Never got an explanation for that one, lol. I had 4 different types of psoriasis going on at one time.

Here is a couple of suggestions, start taking pics of the spots now so you can show the dr. Why is it taking that long to see a dermatologist, that's an awful long wait. Rather than using the hydrocortisone, I would go to a drug store & look at the OTC psoriasis products that are now available. This is why I am suggesting taking pics of the areas.

I have since switched to buying an online product for my feet & hands that helped more than anything including the rx stuff. It all depends on the type & the affected area.

Take care.

Hi Habs
Even though I have not been diagnosed with Chron's I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. I agree with StrayDog to take pictures. Also, the left side of my body is more affected than the right. The first dr. I went to wouldn't even look at them and when he did he said I could not afford Humira. So I went back to my PCP and asked for another referral. I have tried every cream, ointment and of course the dreaded prednisone. Methotrexate was the next step, then otezla and now Humira. Steroids create more problems when you are on them for a while so there is that. The first Doctor I saw was correct. I could not afford Humira but my second dr. submitted paperwork that got them (Abbvie) to pay for it.
Humira has quite the litany of side effects, and in the beginning, I was literally catching every cold, flu and illness. this is my 7th month and I still break out with flares which I am in the middle of right now. Also, the "pen injection" is painful to administer. I also have a site reaction every place I stick which has something to do with the stuff it's mixed with.
I hope you find relief. I am still searching and have pretty much tried eliminating all the food items (which I'm sure you have had to do), kept a journal, etc.
It sounds like I am a negative nelly here but I am thankful I am alive and for many other things. It just itches so much lol.
Oh and sometimes I soak in dead sea salt which I bought on Amazon. Twenty minutes of relief. Well worth it.
Marina