just had my mum on the phone, crying her eyes out with her psoriasis. She’s asked me to order some Manuka honey online for her.

Been looking around, but do I buy her the honey for her to spread on her toast or find a cream with it.

I presume the ‘factor’ means the better quality?

AFAIK you want to use the “medical grade” stuff. If it’s been pasteurised (which I think a lot of honey is to keep the EU happy) the beneficial proteins in it will be broken down by the heat.
Most pharmacies will sell it I think.

Hang on, web research suggests that the Grade reflects how active the honey is grade 16+ being the best. <9 is not much use. Anything which displays a New Zealand Mauka Honey logo isn’t pasteurised either.

HTH

Any of these any good? https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=manuka+honey+dressings&tbm=shop

Forget the Manuka honey and get down to the GP for referral

in the meantime, try anti histamines over the counter (clarityn/benadryl)

I’ve often found that a course of antibiotics can help calm it down (eg. when its weeping, because you’ve scratched and scratched and got it infected),

old fashioned baths in psoriderm or polytar (coal tar smelling stuff) help calm it down a lot.

if she’s suffering that much then there must be some higher stage treatment to try – what treatment has she got at the moment?

I’ve suffered up and down for 24 years now, Since it flared again really bad two years ago (covering about 30% of my body) I’ve been through everything from Dovobet & Dovonex, to phototherapy, Methotrexate (which I had to stop due to liver reactions) and now I’m on a trial biological treatment, which has been a revelation, down to a couple of herald patches in the course of a month, really taken the ‘fire’ out of it)

I’d recommend Polytar and Neutragena T-gel shampoo if on the scalp.

I got some Polytar from Thailand off eBay and it’s obliterated the psoriasis from the back of my head. Use it once a week, and the T-gel once a week, otherwise just H&S.

If it’s not on scalp then I’d recommend seeing a GP.

When I was younger, I knew a lad with it – bad, really bad.

Through the years he tried so many different treatments and none worked.

Then one day he went for UV/light treatment.

No lies, it was gone within 2 weeks. It was incredible; never returned either.

We’re all different etc, but thought I’d mention.

thanks for the help folks. She’s got it on her head and her hands. She’s had phot treatment but she’s had her legs amputated so getting into the subbed machine is a no no as it’s not big enough for a wheel chair.

I use capasal on my head – works a treat and on the plus side I never have to pay for shampoo cause I get it on prescription lol

There’s definitely more treatments out there than just the phototherapy – decent consultant WILL find something that works for her – is she currently under care of a dermatologist or just GP?

Is she using anything at all at the moment?

I suffered for ages without treating it before actually turning round to the GP and saying that I needed help.

My wife has had it for nearly 50 years. Light treatment and various chemicals have got rid of it but invariably comes back. The light treatments and chemicals cause their own problems and she is just about at the end of the line before the risks of these treatments become too high.
Ninfan, tell us more about the bacterial treatment.

Plop pants – There’s a couple of different biologic treatments, I’ve been put on one called ustekinumab – http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/TA180 – which is expensive, but as I say, they only put me on it as the only option because my PASI score was very high, and when they tried Methotrexate was affecting my liver, I have to inject every 12 weeks, and as you get to the end of the period you can feel it wearing off, that deep itch that you can’t scratch, however much you try. It has side effects though, eg. knocks immune system for six, so vulnerable to upper respiratory infections, had a couple that have taken forever to clear.