Dovonex (Calcipotriene) for Plaque Psoriasis

What Members Say Top Tips Side Effects FAQs

Dovonex (calcipotriene) is a prescription medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat plaque psoriasis.

What Members Say

MHT logo These insights are based on 247 comments about Dovonex from MyPsoriasisTeam members. These are the experiences of a small number of people and are not meant to be medical advice.

Benefits:

Relief often starts with less itching, tenderness, soreness, or scaling.
Improvement can begin after a couple of weeks and continue with regular use.
The nonsteroidal formula appeals when steroid use is limited or unwanted.

Considerations:

Results are mixed, and complete clearing does not always happen.
Skin burning, stinging, itching, redness or discoloration, dryness, or irritation can occur.
Daily application can feel messy, greasy, or hard to manage on the scalp.

How Dovonex Works and How It’s Taken

Dovonex contains calcipotriene. It is a type of synthetic vitamin D3 medicine. It helps change how skin cells grow and develop. The exact way it works is not fully known. In plaque psoriasis, this may help slow the buildup of skin cells and reduce scaling.

Doctors prescribe Dovonex to treat plaque psoriasis of the scalp and body.

Dovonex comes as an ointment and a cream. Dovonex is for external use only. Do not use it on the face, and avoid contact with the eyes.

Typical Dosing for Plaque Psoriasis

The recommended dose for plaque psoriasis is:

Apply a thin layer of Dovonex ointment to the affected skin once or twice daily. Rub it in gently and completely.
Apply a thin layer of Dovonex cream to the affected skin twice daily. Rub it in gently and completely.

Wash your hands after applying Dovonex. Use it exactly as directed by your healthcare provider.

This information is based on prescribing information, but your healthcare provider may tailor your treatment plan. Always follow their guidance.

Top Advice From Members on Dovonex

MHT logo These insights are based on 247 comments about Dovonex from MyPsoriasisTeam members.

Members who use Dovonex often say it can help with itching, tenderness, and scaling, but that results may take time and may not be complete. Many also mention the importance of using it as prescribed, watching for irritation, and checking in with a dermatologist if it is not helping enough.

1

Be patient because improvement may take time.
“Calcipotriene, which is also called Dovonex, is a vitamin D derivative. It’s nonsteroidal, so that’s good. I’ve used it, you just have to be patient to let it work. No instant results, but keep applying daily, it is worth using.”
2

Tell your doctor if it burns, stings, or irritates your skin.
“My doctor prescribed Dovonex cream for my psoriasis. It stings every time I apply it. Scalp is sore and feels burnt.”
3

Be prepared for scalp treatment to feel messy.
“I actually use the Dovonex ointment on my scalp and it does help. You just have to be prepared to wreck some bedding or clothing because it’s so greasy, and of course, wash your hair every day after you’ve slept with ointment on all night.”

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Dovonex Side Effects

In clinical trials of Dovonex for plaque psoriasis in adults, the most common side effects occurred in about 10 percent to 15 percent of people. Side effects can differ between Dovonex ointment and Dovonex cream. These include:

Burning or stinging on the skin
Itching
Skin irritation
Rash
Dermatitis

Serious Side Effects and Warnings

Dovonex can cause serious side effects that may require immediate medical attention. These include:

Contact dermatitis — This can include allergic contact dermatitis, which is a skin reaction that can cause redness or discoloration, swelling, itching, or rash where you apply the medication.
Hypercalcemia — High calcium levels in the blood can happen with topical calcipotriene.

Get medical help right away if you think you are having a serious reaction.

What To Know Before Taking Dovonex

Tell your doctor if you have any allergies to calcipotriene or any ingredients in Dovonex ointment or Dovonex cream.

Do not use Dovonex if you have hypercalcemia (high calcium levels) in your blood, signs of vitamin D toxicity, or history of hypersensitivity or an allergy to any of its ingredients.

Tell your doctor about all medicines you take, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

When using Dovonex on exposed skin, avoid too much natural or artificial sunlight. This includes tanning booths and sun lamps.

If you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding while taking Dovonex, talk with your doctor about the risks and benefits. Dovonex should be used during pregnancy only when the possible benefit is greater than the possible risk to the baby.

Community FAQs

These answers are fact-checked by our editorial staff.

How effective are Dovonex ointment and cream for psoriasis?

Improvement with Dovonex ointment and Dovonex cream usually begins after about two weeks of treatment.

In studies of Dovonex ointment, after eight weeks, 56.7 percent of people using it once daily and 70 percent using it twice daily had at least marked improvement. Complete clearing occurred in 6.4 percent and 11.3 percent of people, respectively. However, these results came from different studies. Twice-daily use has not been shown to work better than once-daily use.

In studies of Dovonex cream, about 50 percent of people had at least marked improvement after eight weeks. About 4 percent had complete clearing.

How long do Dovonex ointment and cream take to work for psoriasis?

In studies of Dovonex ointment and Dovonex cream, improvement usually began after about two weeks of treatment. Benefits continued through eight weeks of treatment.

Can Dovonex ointment and cream cause burning or skin irritation when used for psoriasis?

Yes. In controlled studies, burning, itching, and skin irritation occurred in about 10 percent to 15 percent of people using Dovonex ointment.

With Dovonex cream, skin irritation occurred in about 10 percent to 15 percent of people. After the cream was approved, reports also included skin burning, pain where it was applied, dry skin, peeling, and redness.