- To determine if a person is a candidate for drug injections, the type of psoriasis must be diagnosed. Some of the most common types include Erythrodermic, which spreads over the body; Guttate, which exhibits small lesions; Inverse, which exhibits red patches around the breasts, genitals, or arm pits; Plaque, which includes both rash and scaling; and Pustular, which causes blisters and pus.
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Dermatologists consider the patient's physical and mental well being before prescribing a treatment. Physical aspects include the amount of skin affected; the patient's age and health status; medical history; and the type of psoriasis and where it is located. Mental aspects include the patient's state of mind and emotional state.
There are several injectible drugs used to treat psoriasis. Some of the most common are Amevive, Enbrel, Humira, Raptiva, and Triamcinolone. A trained medical professional will inject Amevive or Raptiva into the muscle tissue weekly for a three-month trial period. The skin will be reassessed before further drugs are prescribed. Enbrel and Humira, which are long-term in nature, can be self-injected at home. Enbrel injections may be needed more than once a week in certain cases. Humira injections are bi-weekly. Triamcinolone (steroid) injections may be given within the muscle, joint, vein or tissue. Meant more for a short-term fix, it is dispensed as per doctor's instructions. -
Like any drug, those listed here have side effects. These could include any of the following: appetite change, bloating, bruising, changes in tone or texture of the skin, excessive sweats, flu symptoms, injection site reaction, nausea, respiratory infection, stomach pain or pain in the side, thinning hair, and wounds that are slow in healing. For the most part, these tend to be short term in nature, but should still be reported at the next physician appointment.
However, there are serious side affects that require immediate attention. These include acne, blood disorders, blurred vision, cancer, chest pain, depression, elevated blood pressure, heart arrhythmia, infection, muscle pain or weakness, numbness of the extremities, nerve inflammation or disorder, rapid weight gain, shortness of breath, seizures, severe alterations in behavior, severe headache, and swelling of the face including the eye.
