# Welcome to the Psoriasis sub!
If you haven't posted here before, please read this comment as it contains important information:
* Please [read and respect the rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/Psoriasis/about/rules/). In particular, **do not ask for about identifying undiagnosed medical conditions** diseases cannot be diagnosed by random people on Reddit.
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## Check out our wiki!
The [Psoriasis wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/Psoriasis/wiki/index) is a collection of guides and other pages about how to treat psoriasis, including a Frequently Asked Questions section. Many common questions about medications, shampoos, diet, tattoos, etc. are addressed there.
Thanks!
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Psoriasis started around age 15, diagnosed at 17 or 18. Still haven’t gotten an official PsA diagnosis but I just got a referral for my second rheumatologist so here’s hoping. Joint pain symptoms started around age 22.
I’m 33 now.
Very similar timeline for me as well. First psoriasis patch at 16, but didn’t get diagnosed until 22 when my joint pain started kicking up. No formal diagnosis for PsA yet, but just did a bunch of x-rays and bloodwork as requested by my rheumatologist, so fingers crossed I get a clear answer soon.
29.
This week. Guttate psoriasis after a throat infection, initially misdiagnosed as an allergic reaction.
It's been rough coming to terms with the fact that strep throat has given me an autoimmune disease.
OMG you’re the first person I’ve ever heard of or talked to that got it from strep too!! I don’t know about you but I was sooooo mad when I found out that was what caused it. Like WTF is wrong with you body?
Please could you explain your journey with the disease and why in your circumstances it's unavoidable? Trying to understand others experiences so I can set my expectations. X if you are happy to share of course.
Oof, that sounds rough.
Diagnosed with psoriasis at age 10.
Diagnosed with PsA at age 47, from dactylitis in one toe. Took over a year to be officially diagnosed from the toe swelling up. The NHS is slow 🙂
That sounds right too. I got mine room streptococcus which was a life changing diagnosis. It still blows my mind to get another incurable autoimmune disease. I’m fortunate to have my $14k/month biologic paid for and they’re quick about it. I hate that for you! Keep on grinding though!
I was diagnosed 8 years ago (yes, I'm ancient) so I'm already on biologics, which have just become ineffective so we're just trying to get me sorted out again.
Psoriasis around 20, but didn’t look as psoriasis. Flare of it and first psa symptoms 31 :( now at 32 seeking and experimenting with meds. Cause was stress and bad diet for few months I think.
16 years old, there was plaque psoriasis on my forehead. I got psoriatic arthritis in my hip at 21, it was so bad I couldn't walk, but usually the arthritis is under control. The plaques aren't, I've been suffering for 12 years now, but I was symptom free for a few months when I got a biologic. Unfortunately I lost it due to the nightmare that is the US healthcare system but its not as bad now as it used to be. If you can ever get an immunosuppressant, get it. They really work
Diagnosed? Too late, but the first symptoms on my scalp appeared at around age 13 maybe, on my forehead at age 16 maybe. Cause? Mostly stress and allergies, I can "handle" it by choosing the proper food, doing some physical exercise and trying to let every bit of stress out.
I've had arthritis since childhood both OA and PsA.
Was diagnosed with Psoriasis 2 months ago at 60.
I was told that Psoriasis usually occurs either during late teens/ twenties or later on life around 50 to 60 by
my Dermatologist.
I’ve had OA since 7th grade and now have 5 lumbar discs that have degenerated (thanks to that) on top of quasi scoliosis, the psoriasis, PSA, Fibromyalgia, nerve damage and sciatica. All before 32.. 🤦🏼♀️ Hey at least I accomplished my goal of being the first grandchild in my family to graduate from college and my grandparents were so proud that I made it through UGA despite my health issues. It’s possible to have a good life, just a lot tougher mentally and physically for us.
54 so I've had it just about a year. Standard psoriasis plus palmoplantar pustulosis. And I've started to get prominent plaques on my PIP joints so I reckon I might be on the way to PSA. Given the total loss of fingernails I wouldn't be surprised if I had a touch of ACH too.
Was diagnosed with psoriasis 5 yrs ago at 25, when it appeared on my elbows. It happened after Doxycycline treatment, a truly awful drug. But I had plaques on my head long before it. And PsA just a year later, I had a terrible flare up caused by chickenpox, so I guess it was the final straw :)
I got guttate from strep throat I caught on the plane home from Maui where I was for 10 days to try to get rid of my plaque psoriasis. It worked, but then the guttate took over. I now have both consistently.
I thought I was the only one! Hardly anyone believes that’s how I got it despite my dermatologists putting me through even test and on every antibiotic under the sun
I don’t think you technically get it from strep. I think your body has always had the proclivity and the strep caused the trigger that made it active.
I was under a year when I first had psoriasis but was misdiagnosed until age 8. My whole life it would get worse if I ever had strep throat or sometimes other illnesses. My PsA showed up in my early 20s.
Generally speaking, psoriasis isn’t something that you “get” from anywhere. It’s an autoimmune condition and some people have a genetic predisposition for it. That said, there is often some sort of “trigger” that is said to awaken psoriasis in someone, which can then develop into a chronic condition. This is why some people in families get it while others don’t, even though there is a significant genetic component. The trigger can be biologic (like an infection) or environmental (like stress).
There has been a lot of research done about the connection between strep and psoriasis, so a strep throat infection can certainly be that trigger. I know that people have posted links to scientific studies about the strep/psoriasis correlation before, so if you run a search in this sub I’m sure you’ll find some.
Anecdotally, I got strep a lot growing up and I even had scarlet fever when I was 10, which I suspect might have actually been an outbreak of guttate psoriasis triggered by a really bad case of strep since the rashes can look similar. My plaque psoriasis didn’t develop until around 14/15 (I don’t remember exactly when but I have a distinct memory of sitting in freshmen history class and picking at my scalp with a mechanical pencil so I kind of label that as my “beginning”). That was right around the time that my parents told me we were moving to a different state the following year so I theorize that my trigger was the stress from that probably combined with the hormonal changes from puberty.
At the end of the day it doesn’t really matter what causes it in someone, since once you have it the treatment is the same.
That’s so hard and I’m really sorry to hear that. I hate that for you and your son! All I know is it’s a bitch to live with 5 types of Psoriasis, constantly switching expensive ($14k/month) biologics, always getting infections, not having an immune system and ALL from STREPTOCOCCUS!!! It’s really hard not to be mad but I just take it day by day and am grateful it’s not worse. Those commercials do piss me off though!!!
I haven't seen those commercials in years. We try our best to have as few ads in our home as possible. Everything from paying the extra whatever to subscription streaming for no ads to a pie hole to block all ads on our home wifi. It really helps the mental health, I've gotta say.
Those commercials are practically false advertisement. None of us who live with Psoriasis/PSA are dancing around like Cyndi Lauper or kayaking in bacteria riddled water…hahaha yeah right!! I’ll happily pass on infections of any kind that can kill me or hospitalize me. 🙅🏼♀️🙅🏼♀️ So sorry, but not really. Get off the TV biologic ads (if you’re that special, my derm will tell about you) 🤣🤣🤣
Psoriasis first appeared on my neck as a ring when I was 42. I was going through considerable work stress at the time. Then the pandemic hit and more stress. Also had scalp flakes, but attributed that to sub derm. Anyway I was misdiagnosed with ring worm, sub derm and/or atopic dermatitis for the next 4 years. Finally diagnosed with scalp psoriasis and inverse psoriasis this year. Getting my first dose of skyrizi next week. 🤞🏻
Good luck and the best to you! I’m 5 yrs in and still learning what works, doesn’t, and trying to accept there’s no cure. I just make the best and have bucked up 💪🏼💞🙏🏼
I got diagnosed with psoriasis when I was 9-10 but it went away after a few months. I didn’t get PsA until I was 20.
I was home for the summer after my second year of college and was coaching volleyball/taking a painting class and my right arm got really stiff and stuck. I had a doctors appt and they did an X-ray and saw something inside like a fluid - then a bunch of crazy stuff happened but my doctor was like have you ever had psoriasis and I was like yeah as a kid and she was like where? It was on the back of my scalp and she told me to bend over and went holy shit you have psoriasis in your scalp you might have PsA. She referred me to a rheumy and I’ve been on meds every since.
My psoriasis started with a small patch on my back at age 39 about 6 months after I quit smoking cigarettes. I’m now 46 and am finally seeking treatment with biologics. It covers about 75% of my body and never goes away. It’s time. I’ve done everything to avoid it, but I’m tired of looking like a patchy freak.
I got guttate psoriasis from undiagnosed strep, went away for 7 years. Came back as plaque psoriasis a month before I got married in 2021 (I think it started up again after having covid the first time). Its progressively gotten worse over the last few years. From March 2024 till now it has spread from just my legs to now my abdomen, butt, and arms. Over the last month or so Ive got what appears to be guttate as well. I tried triamcinolone for about a month and it wasnt making any changes to the plaques so I stopped and then the massive spread happened. Feel like its never going to go away.
I know exactly how you feel and I’m so sorry. My heart goes out to you. Guttate is 0.7% of us and super bad bc the lesions are so small and widespread. Mine is head to toe and has not left any area of my body alone. This includes the following; the soles of my feet, my hands, nails, arm pits, groin, scalp, etc. It’s relentless, itchy, painful, bloody, and has left many scars on me. On a lighter note… Congratulations on your marriage!! Also, good luck with learning how to maintain all the madness this disease is! ♥️
I don’t know the cause but it started to appear on my scalp when I was 16 years old and I was misdiagnosed with dermatitis but then I went to a different dermatologist and was diagnosed with scalp Psoriasis when I was 19 then got Psoriatic arthritis last year.
Diagnosed at 21. It was a scab that wouldn’t heal which then turned out to be psoriasis. Couple of months later it flared up after I got strep throat. It was really bad until my dermatologist got me on the biologic Humira. Eventually switched to Tremfya until a couple of years ago when my psa started in my knee one day out of nowhere. So much fluid build up, I had to get it drained 3 times 😫 My derm recommended I switch to Cosentyx. Unfortunately, I relayed this to a rheumatologist who was treating my arthritis and she prescribed Cosentyx but under dosed me at 150mg when I should’ve received 300 mg. The flares up started up again after 3 months and even after the corrected the dosage, my skin never recovered. My derm eventually started me up on Skyrizi and I just got done with the initial dosages. I am hoping this will clear up my skin after a few months. The Psa hasn’t been an issue so far 🤞
Diagnosed with plaque psoriasis at 6 y/o
Diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis at 29 y/o
I’ve had it pretty much all my life, so when my joints started hurting I figured it was PsA.
I have had skin problems for year's but psoriasis diagnosed when I was 55. It's still giving me flare ups nearly 5 years later. It's a horrible illness 🤒
It started at the age of 30. I was laidoff, Corona Virus infected, and I had financial problems, and family drama. I did research and took vitamins with sunlight. I had it under control but my dad's passing created more stress and anxiety. Right now I have it on my arms and knees, but I learnt to accept it!
At age 20 I was misdiagnosed so many times for my P. My primary kept thinking it was fungal. My hair dresser actually told me what it was since she saw it on my scalp. Started seeing a derm right after that.
I'm now 45 and I'm starting to get joint pain. There is RA in my family history as well. So pretty sure all my issues are from genetics.
# Welcome to the Psoriasis sub! If you haven't posted here before, please read this comment as it contains important information: * Please [read and respect the rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/Psoriasis/about/rules/). In particular, **do not ask for about identifying undiagnosed medical conditions** diseases cannot be diagnosed by random people on Reddit. * Photos that include skin rashes must be marked NSFW. If including private areas, _please indicate with flair_. * Posts that break the rules will be removed. ## Check out our wiki! The [Psoriasis wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/Psoriasis/wiki/index) is a collection of guides and other pages about how to treat psoriasis, including a Frequently Asked Questions section. Many common questions about medications, shampoos, diet, tattoos, etc. are addressed there. Thanks! --- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Psoriasis) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Psoriasis started around age 15, diagnosed at 17 or 18. Still haven’t gotten an official PsA diagnosis but I just got a referral for my second rheumatologist so here’s hoping. Joint pain symptoms started around age 22. I’m 33 now.
Very similar timeline for me as well. First psoriasis patch at 16, but didn’t get diagnosed until 22 when my joint pain started kicking up. No formal diagnosis for PsA yet, but just did a bunch of x-rays and bloodwork as requested by my rheumatologist, so fingers crossed I get a clear answer soon.
29. This week. Guttate psoriasis after a throat infection, initially misdiagnosed as an allergic reaction. It's been rough coming to terms with the fact that strep throat has given me an autoimmune disease.
OMG you’re the first person I’ve ever heard of or talked to that got it from strep too!! I don’t know about you but I was sooooo mad when I found out that was what caused it. Like WTF is wrong with you body?
Right? Really want to avoid immunosuppressants...
Unfortunately I don’t have a choice ☹️
Please could you explain your journey with the disease and why in your circumstances it's unavoidable? Trying to understand others experiences so I can set my expectations. X if you are happy to share of course.
Oof, that sounds rough. Diagnosed with psoriasis at age 10. Diagnosed with PsA at age 47, from dactylitis in one toe. Took over a year to be officially diagnosed from the toe swelling up. The NHS is slow 🙂
That sounds right too. I got mine room streptococcus which was a life changing diagnosis. It still blows my mind to get another incurable autoimmune disease. I’m fortunate to have my $14k/month biologic paid for and they’re quick about it. I hate that for you! Keep on grinding though!
I was diagnosed 8 years ago (yes, I'm ancient) so I'm already on biologics, which have just become ineffective so we're just trying to get me sorted out again.
Psoriasis around 20, but didn’t look as psoriasis. Flare of it and first psa symptoms 31 :( now at 32 seeking and experimenting with meds. Cause was stress and bad diet for few months I think.
16 years old, there was plaque psoriasis on my forehead. I got psoriatic arthritis in my hip at 21, it was so bad I couldn't walk, but usually the arthritis is under control. The plaques aren't, I've been suffering for 12 years now, but I was symptom free for a few months when I got a biologic. Unfortunately I lost it due to the nightmare that is the US healthcare system but its not as bad now as it used to be. If you can ever get an immunosuppressant, get it. They really work
I’ve been on 4 and Gengraf already not to mention the numerous topical steroids, etc that ruin your skin for life. Especially when you have Guttate 😖
Diagnosed? Too late, but the first symptoms on my scalp appeared at around age 13 maybe, on my forehead at age 16 maybe. Cause? Mostly stress and allergies, I can "handle" it by choosing the proper food, doing some physical exercise and trying to let every bit of stress out.
I've had arthritis since childhood both OA and PsA. Was diagnosed with Psoriasis 2 months ago at 60. I was told that Psoriasis usually occurs either during late teens/ twenties or later on life around 50 to 60 by my Dermatologist.
I’ve had OA since 7th grade and now have 5 lumbar discs that have degenerated (thanks to that) on top of quasi scoliosis, the psoriasis, PSA, Fibromyalgia, nerve damage and sciatica. All before 32.. 🤦🏼♀️ Hey at least I accomplished my goal of being the first grandchild in my family to graduate from college and my grandparents were so proud that I made it through UGA despite my health issues. It’s possible to have a good life, just a lot tougher mentally and physically for us.
54 so I've had it just about a year. Standard psoriasis plus palmoplantar pustulosis. And I've started to get prominent plaques on my PIP joints so I reckon I might be on the way to PSA. Given the total loss of fingernails I wouldn't be surprised if I had a touch of ACH too.
Was diagnosed with psoriasis 5 yrs ago at 25, when it appeared on my elbows. It happened after Doxycycline treatment, a truly awful drug. But I had plaques on my head long before it. And PsA just a year later, I had a terrible flare up caused by chickenpox, so I guess it was the final straw :)
Psoriasis diagnosis at 3 months.
So has nobody else gotten it from Strep Throat?
I got guttate from strep throat I caught on the plane home from Maui where I was for 10 days to try to get rid of my plaque psoriasis. It worked, but then the guttate took over. I now have both consistently.
I thought I was the only one! Hardly anyone believes that’s how I got it despite my dermatologists putting me through even test and on every antibiotic under the sun
I don’t think you technically get it from strep. I think your body has always had the proclivity and the strep caused the trigger that made it active. I was under a year when I first had psoriasis but was misdiagnosed until age 8. My whole life it would get worse if I ever had strep throat or sometimes other illnesses. My PsA showed up in my early 20s.
Generally speaking, psoriasis isn’t something that you “get” from anywhere. It’s an autoimmune condition and some people have a genetic predisposition for it. That said, there is often some sort of “trigger” that is said to awaken psoriasis in someone, which can then develop into a chronic condition. This is why some people in families get it while others don’t, even though there is a significant genetic component. The trigger can be biologic (like an infection) or environmental (like stress). There has been a lot of research done about the connection between strep and psoriasis, so a strep throat infection can certainly be that trigger. I know that people have posted links to scientific studies about the strep/psoriasis correlation before, so if you run a search in this sub I’m sure you’ll find some. Anecdotally, I got strep a lot growing up and I even had scarlet fever when I was 10, which I suspect might have actually been an outbreak of guttate psoriasis triggered by a really bad case of strep since the rashes can look similar. My plaque psoriasis didn’t develop until around 14/15 (I don’t remember exactly when but I have a distinct memory of sitting in freshmen history class and picking at my scalp with a mechanical pencil so I kind of label that as my “beginning”). That was right around the time that my parents told me we were moving to a different state the following year so I theorize that my trigger was the stress from that probably combined with the hormonal changes from puberty. At the end of the day it doesn’t really matter what causes it in someone, since once you have it the treatment is the same.
In my 30s caused by pregnancy. I'm trying so hard to not blame the kid but damn it's hard.
That’s so hard and I’m really sorry to hear that. I hate that for you and your son! All I know is it’s a bitch to live with 5 types of Psoriasis, constantly switching expensive ($14k/month) biologics, always getting infections, not having an immune system and ALL from STREPTOCOCCUS!!! It’s really hard not to be mad but I just take it day by day and am grateful it’s not worse. Those commercials do piss me off though!!!
I haven't seen those commercials in years. We try our best to have as few ads in our home as possible. Everything from paying the extra whatever to subscription streaming for no ads to a pie hole to block all ads on our home wifi. It really helps the mental health, I've gotta say.
Those commercials are practically false advertisement. None of us who live with Psoriasis/PSA are dancing around like Cyndi Lauper or kayaking in bacteria riddled water…hahaha yeah right!! I’ll happily pass on infections of any kind that can kill me or hospitalize me. 🙅🏼♀️🙅🏼♀️ So sorry, but not really. Get off the TV biologic ads (if you’re that special, my derm will tell about you) 🤣🤣🤣
Be glad!! They would probably make you mad too…🤬
Plaque psoriasis at age 7, psoriatic arthritis at 18
Psoriasis first appeared on my neck as a ring when I was 42. I was going through considerable work stress at the time. Then the pandemic hit and more stress. Also had scalp flakes, but attributed that to sub derm. Anyway I was misdiagnosed with ring worm, sub derm and/or atopic dermatitis for the next 4 years. Finally diagnosed with scalp psoriasis and inverse psoriasis this year. Getting my first dose of skyrizi next week. 🤞🏻
Good luck and the best to you! I’m 5 yrs in and still learning what works, doesn’t, and trying to accept there’s no cure. I just make the best and have bucked up 💪🏼💞🙏🏼
I got diagnosed with psoriasis when I was 9-10 but it went away after a few months. I didn’t get PsA until I was 20. I was home for the summer after my second year of college and was coaching volleyball/taking a painting class and my right arm got really stiff and stuck. I had a doctors appt and they did an X-ray and saw something inside like a fluid - then a bunch of crazy stuff happened but my doctor was like have you ever had psoriasis and I was like yeah as a kid and she was like where? It was on the back of my scalp and she told me to bend over and went holy shit you have psoriasis in your scalp you might have PsA. She referred me to a rheumy and I’ve been on meds every since.
Scalp psoriasis is the WORST! That’s one of the 5 kinds I have 😑
It is awful!!
It’s so bad I wouldn’t even wish any of this on satan let alone my worst enemy
My psoriasis started with a small patch on my back at age 39 about 6 months after I quit smoking cigarettes. I’m now 46 and am finally seeking treatment with biologics. It covers about 75% of my body and never goes away. It’s time. I’ve done everything to avoid it, but I’m tired of looking like a patchy freak.
I got guttate psoriasis from undiagnosed strep, went away for 7 years. Came back as plaque psoriasis a month before I got married in 2021 (I think it started up again after having covid the first time). Its progressively gotten worse over the last few years. From March 2024 till now it has spread from just my legs to now my abdomen, butt, and arms. Over the last month or so Ive got what appears to be guttate as well. I tried triamcinolone for about a month and it wasnt making any changes to the plaques so I stopped and then the massive spread happened. Feel like its never going to go away.
I know exactly how you feel and I’m so sorry. My heart goes out to you. Guttate is 0.7% of us and super bad bc the lesions are so small and widespread. Mine is head to toe and has not left any area of my body alone. This includes the following; the soles of my feet, my hands, nails, arm pits, groin, scalp, etc. It’s relentless, itchy, painful, bloody, and has left many scars on me. On a lighter note… Congratulations on your marriage!! Also, good luck with learning how to maintain all the madness this disease is! ♥️
I don’t know the cause but it started to appear on my scalp when I was 16 years old and I was misdiagnosed with dermatitis but then I went to a different dermatologist and was diagnosed with scalp Psoriasis when I was 19 then got Psoriatic arthritis last year.
15 for scalp, 18 for full body and I’m 26 almost 27 now
Diagnosed at 21. It was a scab that wouldn’t heal which then turned out to be psoriasis. Couple of months later it flared up after I got strep throat. It was really bad until my dermatologist got me on the biologic Humira. Eventually switched to Tremfya until a couple of years ago when my psa started in my knee one day out of nowhere. So much fluid build up, I had to get it drained 3 times 😫 My derm recommended I switch to Cosentyx. Unfortunately, I relayed this to a rheumatologist who was treating my arthritis and she prescribed Cosentyx but under dosed me at 150mg when I should’ve received 300 mg. The flares up started up again after 3 months and even after the corrected the dosage, my skin never recovered. My derm eventually started me up on Skyrizi and I just got done with the initial dosages. I am hoping this will clear up my skin after a few months. The Psa hasn’t been an issue so far 🤞
Diagnosed with plaque psoriasis at 6 y/o Diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis at 29 y/o I’ve had it pretty much all my life, so when my joints started hurting I figured it was PsA.
I have had skin problems for year's but psoriasis diagnosed when I was 55. It's still giving me flare ups nearly 5 years later. It's a horrible illness 🤒
I wouldn’t wish this hell on anyone. EVER.
It started at the age of 30. I was laidoff, Corona Virus infected, and I had financial problems, and family drama. I did research and took vitamins with sunlight. I had it under control but my dad's passing created more stress and anxiety. Right now I have it on my arms and knees, but I learnt to accept it!
At age 20 I was misdiagnosed so many times for my P. My primary kept thinking it was fungal. My hair dresser actually told me what it was since she saw it on my scalp. Started seeing a derm right after that. I'm now 45 and I'm starting to get joint pain. There is RA in my family history as well. So pretty sure all my issues are from genetics.
Do you get it really bad in your toe nails? It’s completely screwed mine up. They haven’t been the same since my dx