diagnosed one year ago.....ms and psoriasis

[junebug1997]

Hi everyone, I'm a 37 yo mom of three. So far things have not been too bad. I was put on Avonex..one shot once a week, but I haven't taken it in about 3 months, for different reasons. I feel fine, no major issues. I do however have psoriasis too, which has been horrible. I've tried everything from being on prednisone to otc creams and any home remedy I can find. Does anyone else have this issue? Is it because I stopped the Avonex? Any suggestions would be great

[Redwings]

Hi junebug:
No, it's very unlikely that your psoriasis was caused by you discontinuing Avonex. Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease. You already have MS, and people with one autoimmune condition frequently have another.

What's interesting in your case is that BG-12, an oral medication for MS, will soon be available in the US. BG-12 is a salt of fumaric acid and is very similar to a medication called Fumaderm (also made from fumaric acid salts), which is used in Europe to treat psoriasis. So it's possible that, if your doctor prescribes BG-12 for your MS, the same med might also help your psoriasis. Time will tell.