Severe Psoriasis and Question About Omega 3's

by Mary
(Queensland)

i am covered from head to toe with a rash which started of like psoriasis but progressively has gotten worse and having trouble getting it to clear have just finished a very high program of prednisone under strict doctor supervision and still did not ease it is very embarrassing it is all over my body arms hands just everywhere and depressing me any suggestions?

i also have another question about fish oils and omega-3's. is tuna a good oily fish? i like the flavored tins of tuna and salmon.

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Our reply

Hi, I am so sorry for what you are going through with psoriasis. I don't know the specifics of your health and situation (and I'm not a doctor) but we have a whole section on Psoriasis that you may find helpful for finding some solutions that will work for your situation. There are also a number of alternative treatments that may be helpful for Psoriasis including TCM, also known as Traditional Chinese Medicine or Acupuncture.

In relation to your question about fish oils, yes, both tuna and salmon, fresh or canned, are a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids. There are concerns about mercury contamination in fish, especially tuna fish, and so your best choice would be salmon which is significantly lower in mercury, and also has high levels of Omega 3's.

For the least toxic salmon, choose line caught wild salmon rather than farmed. If you need to eat tuna, according to Oceana.org, choosing chunk light rather than albacore will reduce your mercury intake by a third. Also, choosing water packed tuna or salmon, rather than oil packed, will preserve the precious Omega 3 fatty acids.

Because you are dealing with psoriasis and your immune system is likely stressed, I recommend you not have tuna more than once a week, to avoid consuming more toxins. There is some very helpful information on the healthiest types of canned tuna and salmon to choose at World's Healthiest Foods.

For those who are researchers on this topic, here is a study on the Mercury Content in Canned Fish.

I hope this information can be helpful for you and hope you find a solution for your psoriasis.

To anyone that will listen.. Need Help With Psoriasis

by Jessica
(Republic, PA)

I am 25 yrs old and i have psoriasis very bad. It does not run in my family. There is noone in my family that has ever had it. I dont understand how i got it. First when i was 18 it started on my right elbow and i didnt think anything about it. Then when i had my second child in November of 09 it started to spread very badly. Now its everywhere. I talked to my dr about it and she prescribed me a cream and at first the cream started to take it away then it started to spread it even more. I told my dr that it spread after the cream and she said there wasn't anything else she could do for me. I have tried every remedy there could possibly be. I use lotion everyday after my shower and every night right before bed. And everyday i wake up i find it in a new place on my body. I dont know what to do? Please help me!!

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Our reply

Hi Jessica, thank you for your message. I am so sorry for the difficulty you are experiencing with psoriasis. I know how frustrating and embarrassing it is to have your skin breaking out like this!

Doctors can treat the symptoms of psoriasis, but they don't know exactly what causes it, which makes it much more difficult to treat.

Our site has a number of articles that you may find helpful, which also offer a number of possible solutions. I hope these can be helpful for you in finding a solution!

What Causes Psoriasis?

Psoriasis and Diet

Home Remedies for Psoriasis

Treatment for Scalp Psoriasis

Please let us know how these suggestions work for you, and anything else we can offer that would be helpful!