The Week I Got 5 Different Types of Psoriasis

Yes, you read the title right. I had 5 different types of psoriasis in one week. You can’t make this stuff up. I have had psoriasis for 56 years, so my psoriasis has manifested itself in more ways than you could ever imagine.

This disease can show up in different ways and at any given time. As we all know, it can affect the skin, nails, organs or joints. I have had plaque, guttate, inverse, erythrodermic and psoriatic arthritis all in one week.

How I developed 5 different types of psoriasis

A few years ago, I was 80% covered in psoriasis and considered the perfect candidate for a new medication study. Under their direction, I stopped the trial medication abruptly and quickly became erythrodermic and had to go to the hospital. I was on this medication for three months and lost control of my psoriasis throughout this study.

My body went haywire. My doctors were baffled and told me they didn’t know what to do for me. This is not something you want to hear from your doctors when you feel you are at death's door. I already had plaques psoriasis that covered over 80% of my body before the new drug was administered.

During this transition, I was diagnosed with inverse psoriasis. This is when plaques happen in the skin folds, like the armpits. I also developed guttate psoriasis which caused my whole body to be covered in spots. I really didn’t mind this one because it took all my plaques away, but then the sky opened up; I became erythrodermic. I felt like my whole body had been set on fire.

Preventing new psoriasis types

Was there something I could have done to prevent this from happening? The only thing I could have done was not agree with this study. In my situation, I couldn’t have done anything, but dermatologists recommend taking these precautions in any psoriasis situation.

• Use sunscreen
• Stay healthy
• Keep up with the treatment
• Don’t stop a medication before speaking to your doctor

There’s no way to tell if you will ever get a second or third type of psoriasis. Different things can happen to you that you have no control over. Severe psoriasis, strep throat or stopping a medication too quickly are always risks even under a doctor’s care.

What to do when your develop a new type of psoriasis

If you find yourself at risk, get medical treatment at once from a board-certified dermatologist. There are many people who have this disease. I don’t think I’ve met any that had more than three different types of psoriasis in a week. I hope I never do; I wouldn’t want anyone to go through what I did.

I have talked to doctors who also have never heard of this. This sure makes me feel alone, but it’s also something I can educate others about. I know there are others out there who have been through this.

Finding purpose with psoriasis

This is why I like writing. Telling my story has brought me purpose. I hope this story touches someone because we are a small population living alone with this and no one gets it.

We can’t help that we have this disease, but we can educate ourselves and find support from people who understand. Remember we are all in this together.