Emily finds a natural solution to her psoriasis

Emily Fisher, 25, a Marketing Manager, lives with her partner John Staples, 32, an Electrician in Sutton.

Emily says:

"I was devastated in November 2003 when I suddenly developed a horrible and painful skin condition which I later discovered was Psoriasis. It ruined my life so much that I became depressed, I resigned from my job, became a social hermit and almost ended my relationship with John, my long -term partner."

"I have never suffered with any skin complaints and Psoriasis doesn’t really run in the family. However my father has always complained of dry, rough skin patches but my mother always put it down to stress. None of us ever realised it might have been psoriasis. But my symptoms were much worse than my fathers and came on very suddenly."

"The first symptom I noticed was what I thought was just a patch of rough skin on the inside of my elbow but I didn’t think anything of it. I thought maybe I’d had a small local reaction to a new moisturiser or something."

"A few days later I then noticed a similar patch on my other elbow and within two weeks I had patches of hardened scaly and slightly inflamed skin all over my body."

"I immediately went to see my GP and initially I was diagnosed with Scabies, a contagious skin infection which I was told causes intense itching – even though my skin didn’t really seem to itch much."

"In order to avoid the potential spread of infection – Scabies is caused by a mite – I was treated, along with my partner. I also had to de-mite my whole house."

"But everything we did was in vain as the scales were still there and getting worse and on my return visit to my doctor, he finally diagnosed Psoriasis."

"Over the next few months I was given a cocktail of steroid creams to try, all of which were more or less ineffective. I know that steroids can be potentially damaging to the skin but I was absolutely desperate."

"I was covered from head to toe in droplet-like patches of Psoriasis and was so self-conscious of how awful I looked, I tried to not leave the house whenever possible for fear of people staring at me. At work I started covering up from head to toe, people must have wondered what was going on."

"When I returned again to my doctor a few weeks later he could see that the steroid creams hadn’t helped and so he referred me to a dermatologist."

"He also had to write me off sick from work with depression because I felt so awful. I was distraught that something was happening to my body and I had no control over it."

"After two months of being off sick, I finally resigned from my job. My Psoriasis had not got any better and I simply couldn’t bear to drag myself to work any more feeling the way I did."

"Helpless and angry that I was lumbered with a condition which showed no signs of going away, I would often snap at my partner John for no reason. I know I was becoming a monster to live with but thankfully John was very understanding."

"Whenever I said I felt ugly, he would reassure me that I wasn’t and that he loved me and that together we’d find a cure for my skin."

"It was also John who encouraged me to see a private dermatologist. I would have had to wait ages on the NHS but he insisted I saw someone quickly, no matter what the cost was."

"The dermatologist was very good. The moment he saw me he diagnosed Guttate Psoriasis, which is the type of Psoriasis which causes the droplet-like effect."

"He also explained that it had probably been triggered by a throat infection I’d had but that it would likely that I had a genetic predisposition to it."

"Under the guidance of the dermatologist I tried other creams, some of which worked for a while, but never for long. My Psoriasis would always flare up again within a few weeks of dying down and would usually be worse than before."

"I also tried UVB Light Treatment on the NHS, which did make a tremendous difference, but again only for a short while. Due to the risks associated with this type of exposure (namely the risk of skin caner), it was never going to be a permanent solution. You are only allowed 80 sessions in a lifetime and I went through 40 in 13 weeks. I felt utterly desperate."

"So when a friend of mine who lives in London posted me up an advert she’d cut out in the Evening Standard asking for people to take part in a nationwide trial of a new Psoriasis cream called Oregon Grape Root Extract, I immediately contacted the company running the trial."

"They sent me through some helpful research on the main ingredient in the product and it seemed to be a completely natural cream, so I felt suitably satisfied that it was not going to do me any harm. Whether it did any good was another matter and I must admit at first I was very sceptical."

"When the cream arrived I was pleasantly surprised to find it came in a spray as well as a cream. The spray was for my scalp, which was also covered in the small droplet scales. I’d never been given anything I could use on my scalp before."

"The creams I had used previously had been very thick and greasy and didn’t feel very nice on my skin. However the Oregon Grape Root cream is light and the spray is really easy to use and does not feel greasy on the hair or scalp."

"The cream had an instant soothing effect on my skin and it didn’t stick to my clothes. I continued using the spray and cream for a further four weeks, after which I noticed the real difference. My Psoriasis began to shrink before my eyes! After about six weeks of using the spray and cream combination, my Psoriasis had all but cleared up completely, both on my scalp and on my body. I honestly could not believe what was happening. I had no idea it would be so effective."

"Almost eight weeks after starting to use the Oregon Grape Root treatments I am wearing skirts and dresses again for the first time in almost two years. As a result I’ve regained my confidence and I’m in a new job. The treatment literally saved me."

"Needless to say I will continue with the Oregon Grape Root and would recommend it to anybody with Psoriasis. I have in fact already recommended it to several people I know with the condition and will continue to do so."