If you’re living with psoriasis, you may have tried lots of types of treatments, including topicals, oral medications, and injected medications. But how do you know when it’s time to try something new? Dr. Adel Haque, a board-certified dermatologist, and Justina Ray, a mom of two and a teacher who lives with psoriasis, met to talk about this important question.

Choosing From Lots of Options

“You could go and try a different treatment every week for probably 25 weeks straight and still not go through all the treatments,” Dr. Haque said. “We really are in a great age to treat your disease,” he told Justina.

In the course of her time living with psoriasis, Justina has tried topical, oral, and biologic medications for her condition.

Dr. Haque explained that people like Justina who’ve tried many types of treatments have the opportunity to share feedback with their dermatologist. “You can help direct this a lot. I really love it when my patients come to me and tell me, ‘Hey, I’m doing great on this therapy’ or ‘I could really use some more help on this therapy.’ And I think that’s really where you guide your treatment.”

Sharing Your Symptoms

Along with telling your dermatologist about which treatments have or haven’t worked, it’s also important to share all your symptoms with your healthcare team. Sometimes symptoms you might not think are related to psoriasis, such as joint pain or stiffness that affects mobility, could be related to your condition. These symptoms could be a sign that it’s time to reevaluate your treatment.

Questions To Ask Your Dermatologist

It’s helpful to know what to expect before you start a new medication. Dr. Haque said, “A lot of my patients come to me and they say, ‘No. 1, how long will I be on this medication? No. 2, what’s it going to do to me? What are the other side effects of it? No. 3, is it going to interact with my other medications?’”

With the medications available today, Dr. Haque said people with psoriasis can have high expectations. “Psoriasis is one of those things that today, I can probably get you as close to clear as possible. Maybe 15 years ago if you asked me, I would say, ‘Hey, 50, 60, 70 percent better is pretty good.’ But today, almost a hundred percent better is pretty dang good.”

Find Your Team

MyPsoriasisTeam is the social network for people with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis and those who care for them.

Have you switched psoriasis treatments? How did you know it was time? Start the conversation by leaving a comment below or posting on your Activities page.