Surgery & Psoriasis

[WildcatGirl71 81]

For those who have already had wls and have psoriasis, has the psoriasis gotten better or worse? I’ve heard that drastically changing your diet can help psoriatic outbreaks and I’m curious if that could be an additional perk to my upcoming VGS. Thanks!

[shedo82773 1,236]

I have Psoriasis since I was around 13YO. It is awful the way people treat us!! I can say this and I'm not sure if it is all due to my WLS but it has helped so much. I usually have a huge breakout after Summer is over. I do think that is from being outside when I go for my walk, the sun works. Then there is the side that I can't handle much heat due to having a 3rd-degree sunburn when I was around 8YO. I am over 4 years out and I had a big breakout. I went to the Dermatologist hoping to get some of the new medication. She wouldn't give me the one that is a shot due to NOW GET THIS!! She told me that it might cause weight loss and that I didn't need to lose any more weight. WOW!! I am so used to being told that I am too fat. LOL Then she wouldn't give any meds before I went thru this bunch of bloodwork. LOL Thank goodness it got better. She did give me a cream for it. I really believe that mine gets worse with how high my stress is. Kind of hard to not stress when you have OCD going on. LOL Every month when I pay bills I get a few more Patches. LOl I hope you get the relief you need. How bad is yours? I am classified as Moderate. But back quite a few years I had it everywhere. The DR wanted me to drive 17 miles 5 days a week for ultraviolet treatments. NOT!!! It is a horrible thing. I'm sure you have been there done that before. As I said above fingers crossed heck legs too that you get relief also. Take care and keep us posted on your journey.

[WildcatGirl71 81]

I have Psoriasis since I was around 13YO. It is awful the way people treat us!! I can say this and I'm not sure if it is all due to my WLS but it has helped so much. I usually have a huge breakout after Summer is over. I do think that is from being outside when I go for my walk, the sun works. Then there is the side that I can't handle much heat due to having a 3rd-degree sunburn when I was around 8YO. I am over 4 years out and I had a big breakout. I went to the Dermatologist hoping to get some of the new medication. She wouldn't give me the one that is a shot due to NOW GET THIS!! She told me that it might cause weight loss and that I didn't need to lose any more weight. WOW!! I am so used to being told that I am too fat. LOL Then she wouldn't give any meds before I went thru this bunch of bloodwork. LOL Thank goodness it got better. She did give me a cream for it. I really believe that mine gets worse with how high my stress is. Kind of hard to not stress when you have OCD going on. LOL Every month when I pay bills I get a few more Patches. LOl I hope you get the relief you need. How bad is yours? I am classified as Moderate. But back quite a few years I had it everywhere. The DR wanted me to drive 17 miles 5 days a week for ultraviolet treatments. NOT!!! It is a horrible thing. I'm sure you have been there done that before. As I said above fingers crossed heck legs too that you get relief also. Take care and keep us posted on your journey.

Thank you for replying! I’m glad to hear yours has somewhat improved. I would love to hear “you can’t have medicine because you can’t afford to lose any more weight”. Those words have never been uttered to me before. Lol
Mine is considered moderate to severe. I have it on my scalp, INSIDE my ears (which is horrible), around my eye (which is even worse) and a few other patches and places. Stress is definitely my trigger too. You feel like a walking freak show which causes more stress and then more flares. Horrible cycle.
I live in the Pacific Northwest so unless it’s the 4-5 months of summer, there’s no sun here. It does help though, when it’s out. My complexion is so fair that too much exposure is just as bad as no sun. Lol I wanted to try a tanning bed but that would open another can of worms for skin issues.
I’ve tried the light therapy (it actually burned my scalp so I couldn’t do it), every cream or ointment you can imagine (none of which can be used around the eye), and now my Derm is recommending Humira. I haven’t started it because quite frankly the side effects scare the crap out of me. So I’m pretty much screwed. I use an oil on my scalp that seems to add temporary relief but is a pain because I have to sleep in a shower cap. Crinkle crinkle sounds all night with every move. Lol By the way, did you know that if you color your hair, you can add about 7-8 pink Sweet N Low packets to the hair color and it won’t burn your scalp? My hair stylist does this for me and it really works! When my scalp is flared, I put it in my conditioner too. Don’t know why it works, but it does. So I just take what I can get.
Which surgery did you have and how long ago?

[shedo82773 1,236]

I had an RNY on July 2, 2013. I got to my goal weight in 6 months. Here are my stats: HW 249 SW 235 LW 117 CW 125 to 129#'s. I did have a few problems with Strictures (like scar tissue) and I had 5 Endoscopes with 4 dilations. Which started 3 months after my surgery which was Nov of 2013, Dec 2013, Jan 2014, July 2014 with my last one in Jan 2015. It has been good since. It was a bummer but it also was a quick fix. Thank you for the info about Sweet N Low. How funny, makes you wonder how really bad it is for us. LOL I do have it in my hair too. Try T-Gel Shampoo. You can put some of the suds in your ears and even let it run down by your eye (of course keep it closed) Where in the Northwest do you live? I am also from the Pacific Northwest also. So I know about the sun. LOL We have liquid Sunshine. Right. What part of the Northwest do you live? I live in Roseburg, Oregon. How funny. I am also fair skinned. I burn really quickly. Then I am deathly sick it just wipes me out. I also have a small patch on m forehead but it is getting better using the cream she gave me. Let me say this every kind of meds they have gave me those thick gooey junk that gets everywhere is the WORST. Wouldn't it be cool if we live close. Ok I will talk at you later. Have a good evening.

[WildcatGirl71 81]

I had an RNY on July 2, 2013. I got to my goal weight in 6 months. Here are my stats: HW 249 SW 235 LW 117 CW 125 to 129#'s. I did have a few problems with Strictures (like scar tissue) and I had 5 Endoscopes with 4 dilations. Which started 3 months after my surgery which was Nov of 2013, Dec 2013, Jan 2014, July 2014 with my last one in Jan 2015. It has been good since. It was a bummer but it also was a quick fix. Thank you for the info about Sweet N Low. How funny, makes you wonder how really bad it is for us. LOL I do have it in my hair too. Try T-Gel Shampoo. You can put some of the suds in your ears and even let it run down by your eye (of course keep it closed) Where in the Northwest do you live? I am also from the Pacific Northwest also. So I know about the sun. LOL We have Liquid Sunshine. Right. What part of the Northwest do you live? I live in Roseburg, Oregon. How funny. I am also fair skinned. I burn really quickly. Then I am deathly sick it just wipes me out. I also have a small patch on m forehead but it is getting better using the cream she gave me. Let me say this every kind of meds they have gave me those thick gooey junk that gets everywhere is the WORST. Wouldn't it be cool if we live close. Ok I will talk at you later. Have a good evening.

Wow that is awful about the strictures. Glad they were easy fixes and you haven’t had any other issues. You’re weight loss is amazing.
I live in Orting, Washington. It’s only about a 3hr drive to Portland from my house. My husband and I were just in Cannon Beach Oregon this weekend for our anniversary. It’s so beautiful there.
So cool that our stats are pretty close. I’m starting off about 7-8lbs heavier but your current weight is my “fantasy” goal weight. I’m praying the sleeve will help me get there. This week I start getting very serious about my nutrition. I’ve slacked off because I knew we were having our anniversary weekend but I have to buckle down and get through the holidays. I’m hoping to have surgery by the end of March. I have all the insurance restrictions to deal with in the meantime.
I’ve thought about how terrible sweet n low must be for us if it can be used for that. Lol
I’ve tried the T-Gel before and it doesn’t really do much for me anymore. I use Argan Oil shampoo and conditioner (no parabens or sulfates that can aggravate psoriasis). I also use Dermarest from Walgreens. It kinda helps too. It’s a frustrating condition.
Omg it would be great to live close to someone understands what this is all about! But we do have the good ole internet and we really aren’t terribly far away. Lots of liquid sunshine now with scattered flurries up this way.
I’m Julie, by the way. It’s great chatting with you and is really nice to know I’m not completely alone in this.

[shedo82773 1,236]

19 hours ago, WildcatGirl71 said:

Wow that is awful about the strictures. Glad they were easy fixes and you haven’t had any other issues. You’re weight loss is amazing.
I live in Orting, Washington. It’s only about a 3hr drive to Portland from my house. My husband and I were just in Cannon Beach Oregon this weekend for our anniversary. It’s so beautiful there.
So cool that our stats are pretty close. I’m starting off about 7-8lbs heavier but your current weight is my “fantasy” goal weight. I’m praying the sleeve will help me get there. This week I start getting very serious about my nutrition. I’ve slacked off because I knew we were having our anniversary weekend but I have to buckle down and get through the holidays. I’m hoping to have surgery by the end of March. I have all the insurance restrictions to deal with in the meantime.
I’ve thought about how terrible sweet n low must be for us if it can be used for that. Lol
I’ve tried the T-Gel before and it doesn’t really do much for me anymore. I use Argan Oil Shampoo and conditioner (no parabens or sulfates that can aggravate psoriasis). I also use Dermarest from Walgreens. It kinda helps too. It’s a frustrating condition.
Omg it would be great to live close to someone understands what this is all about! But we do have the good ole internet and we really aren’t terribly far away. Lots of liquid sunshine now with scattered flurries up this way.
I’m Julie, by the way. It’s great chatting with you and is really nice to know I’m not completely alone in this.

Well Hi Julie, my name is Sherrie. It is so great to find people that are in the same space. With our WLS. Of course you can always ask me anything that comes up. Do you have to do the 2- week Preop? I did and also 4 weeks Postop. That's the pits about the Tgel. I have always had good results. I think if it gets too bad this winter I will get some of the new junk, it comes in a shot. Right now my psoriasis is looking pretty good. I dearly hate those sticky slippery junk that gets everywhere. I also like chatting with you. Ok I will see you later and take care.

[WildcatGirl71 81]

Hi Sherrie- nice to meet you! I still have 5 more months of nutritional counseling and then I go back to my dr for my pre-op details. I’ve read on here that some have to liquid diet for a couple weeks and others only have a few days. Not sure what my dr will require yet. I’ve got fatty liver so I’m sure I’ll get the 2-week version. Lol
I don’t like the ointment/cream meds either. They are the worst! The derm I saw before this last one prescribed an ointment for me to use on my scalp. Ointment on my scalp 3-4 times a day - really? Like I could get it through my hair. I tried one day (thankfully on a weekend), and ended up with a big gooey mess all over my head. It was awful. Thank you for offering your wls wisdom. I really appreciate it!
Have a great day!