IS IT TIME TO REVISIT YOUR TREATMENT PLAN WITH YOUR DOCTOR?

Illustration of a psoriasis patient thinking about new treatment options

It’s not unusual for psoriasis patients to try a number of different treatments. If your treatment isn’t meeting your expectations, there are concrete actions you can take to get closer to the results you want.

How Many Psoriasis Treatment Options Are There?

There are several treatment options available to treat psoriasis:

Illustration of a Cadeceus symbolizing psoriasis topicals

Topicals

Illustration of pill symbolizing oral psoriasis treatments

Oral Systemics

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Light Therapy

Illustration of DNA symbolizing biologic psoriasis treatments

Biologics

Since each treatment works differently and it takes time to see results, you’re not alone if you feel unsure whether it’s time to consider something different. Want to learn more about treatment options? Head to Psoriasis Treatments.

Illustration of psoriasis patient tracking symptoms and treatment

Do the Write Thing: Psoriasis Tracking

When it comes to determining if your psoriasis treatment is working, an ideal way to go forward is to understand where you’ve been. The key? A treatment diary or psoriasis symptom tracker. You should keep a regular record of:

Your symptoms and if they improve or worsen
Your treatment experience, including any side effects
Other health issues you’re experiencing in addition to psoriasis
How your symptoms affect you physically and emotionally

Choose the method that works for you—create your own records in a notebook, log the information in your phone, or download an app to help you keep track.

A symptom tracker can be a useful reference for you and your dermatologist when assessing whether a treatment is working for you.

Listen to Your Symptoms

It’s important to share all your symptoms with your dermatologist. You may be experiencing other health conditions alongside your psoriasis, known as comorbidities. While psoriasis doesn’t cause these comorbidities, and comorbidities don’t cause psoriasis, it’s possible to experience one or more together.

Three common comorbidities linked to psoriasis include:

Psoriatic arthritis or joint pain
Metabolic syndrome (obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes)
Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis)

Illustration of clipboard and health conditions

Remember to share any other health issues you’re having with your doctor and your larger care team. Learn more about comorbidities.

Scalp Psoriasis Tips You Can Use

Learn how to help manage a common area for psoriasis.

Get Scalp Psoriasis Tips

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Be Goal Oriented

When it feels like you’re stuck, think about your treatment goals. If one or more aren’t being met, sharing that with your dermatologist can help them determine whether it’s time to try a different treatment. Get more tips on creating clear goals.

Words Into Action: Using Goals to Explore Treatment Options

Curious what other treatments are out there? To get the conversation started, try voicing your thoughts as a goal your dermatologist can understand.

I’ve been on my current treatment for [ time ], but I’m still experiencing [ symptom ]. I’d like to have [ result ] by [ date ]. How can we get there?