Why I Choose to Positively Speak About Medication Online

One of the reasons I got into patient advocacy was to help stop the flow of bad information. Some days, it feels futile. For every positive story about using medicine to treat psoriasis, it feels like there are three natural remedy posters waiting in the wings. And then there are the “buy my book” or “buy my product” people offering a cure.

Do your research on natural remedies

When online, I’m bombarded by sponsored natural cure posts online. Most of the people advertising have zero medical background what-so-ever. You’ll occasionally find a chiropractor in there, but why are they treating psoriasis or other autoimmune inflammatory conditions?

Don’t get me wrong, natural ingredients have their place in the psoriasis world. Just like specialized diets have their place in the reduction of inflammation realm. However, they are not the end all be all for most people. I say most because there are people with mild cases of psoriasis who can control their condition with diet and topical treatments alone.

Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition, people!

But...yes, there’s always a but. I have to wonder if these people realize that psoriasis is more than skin deep. It is an autoimmune-mediated condition. Your immune system looks at your skin and says, “Hey, you don’t belong here!” Then, it attacks with inflammation. The inflammation targets more than just the skin. It can affect organs such as your eyes and heart. Uncontrolled inflammation is bad.

Controlling inflammation helps reduce the risk of developing comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes, renal, and heart disease. Not to mention uncontrolled psoriasis inflammation can affect your joints. Psoriatic arthritis can become debilitating. It is serious.

Choosing between medication and natural remedies

I know I am preaching to the choir about comorbidities. However, these days, there's a lot of anger directed at “big pharma." At times, I have seen it drowning out rational discussion about why medication is needed versus natural remedies alone.

I also know that I can only speak from my own experience. But I hope it sheds light on the seriousness of why treating your psoriasis properly is so crucial.

My psoriasis diagnosis came decades after it first started. By this time, psoriatic arthritis was very present and much to my dismay very permanent. I would go back in time, in a heartbeat, for a do-over on this and get the proper medical treatment in time.

Sharing your medication experience online

When people in groups post questions about potential side effects of the medications I’ve been on over the years, I am honest if I had a side effect, but I also emphasize what I feel is an important point. My other side effects also included, “Getting my life back, skin clearance, and less joint pain.”

One of the things I’ve noticed is that a lot of people participating in social media forums are people struggling with their health. The experiences they share aren’t necessarily biased. It’s their experience, after all. However, people who are doing really well are off living their lives and not online dispensing experience. And then you have the vultures who want to profit off of the vulnerable.

So, if you’re doing well and have some free time, help someone out. Please visit some psoriasis and medication groups, or join our forum here on PlaquePsoriasis.com. By sharing your positive story, you could brighten someone's day, month, or maybe even their year.