Otezla - A Success Story

I am 63 years old and have had psoriasis since I was 12 years old. It erupted after I had the flu and has been a part of my life in varying extents for over 50 years. Sun exposure works pretty good for me but as you get older you don't have the time and it is not always the best option.

I have tried every single thing that has every been created for psoriasis over the years with minimal success (except sunshine). You never know if your skin will look mostly normal OR if you will have a huge flare that covers you in plaques.

Trying Otezla for the first time

I have never wanted to try any of the systemic drugs due to the side effects. Plus, I have enjoyed great health (a great side effect of psoriasis) my whole life and wanted to keep that going. We moved last year and now live near a dermatology office that offers laser treatments. I made an appointment because I just knew that would work great for me. However, the doctor said I had too many plaques for this to be worthwhile. She gave me several options and the least objectionable to me was Otezla. Everything I read on it never made me expect it to work completely, but a 50-75% reduction would have made me up for joy.

I started the Otezla starter pack and was surprised that in 2-3 weeks I noticed my scalp psoriasis was better ... a lot better. Of course, we know that psoriasis comes and goes so I didn't read too much into it. About a month later, I noticed the spots on my back/stomach were improving ... another couple weeks and they were gone.

My plaques improved all over my body!

Had a checkup at 2 months and still had plaques on my legs although they looked lighter. I had gone from 10% coverage down to about 3%.

We are having trouble getting our insurance (Tri-Care) to cover the expense so I have to go in to get my Otezla from the doctors office. A couple of days before my appointment (4 months) I was showering and noticed that my hips and legs felt totally smooth. I actually looked at myself in a floor-length mirror and was shocked to see that I had NO lesions.

When I showed my doctor, she was also shocked and ecstatic! She admitted that most patients on Otezla do not completely clear. Not only did I get 100% clear, but I have also had NONE of the possible side effects.    Otezla has been a big WIN for me (so far ... you know how psoriasis is ... HAHA!).