Psoriasis, a chronic skin disease which is characterized by red, scaly patches on the skin is usually accompanied by skin irritation and swelling. There is no found cure for this skin disease. However, there are several treatments used for this illness. One of them is Oral (or Systemic) Medication.
This type of medication affects the whole body and not just the skin. Systemic treatments can be taken by mouth (oral) or by injection. These types of drugs are mainly reserved for psoriasis patients that have severe cases because they have significant side effects.
Some approved medications for psoriasis available as of the moment are:
- Cyclosporine
- Methotrexate
- Retinoids
First-line treatment
Initially, people afflicted with psoriasis are given the medicine that has the lowest strength. Succeeding phase of treatment is called the second-line treatment. A combination of both treatments can be utilized.
When to use Oral medication?
This type of treatment is used when the patient has become immune to topical treatments. Topical treatment means the utilization of creams, lotions, ointments, or liquid medications that are applied on the skin. This is also recommended when a faster way of treating the disease is needed.
Types of Oral medication
Oral retinoids are utilized in psoriasis outbreaks to manage the redness caused by the disease. It is also used to control the excessive reproduction of skin cells. Retinoids are artificial derivatives of vitamin A. These are used to treat psoriasis and other dermatologic diseases. Retinoids are effective in a lot of cases. However, it has a high risk of causing birth defects when taken by pregnant women.
Examples of oral retinoids are:
- Acitretin
- Isotretinoin
- Psoralens
Immunosuppressives and antimetabolites are prescribed as oral doses or injections. These medications manage the pain caused by the disease as well as the inflammation and excessive reproduction of skin cells
Oral and systemic medications usually are linked with undesirable effects and that is why these types of medications are only reserved for cases that are difficult to treat or for patients with a severe case of psoriasis.
Systemic medications have both its advantages and disadvantages. Let us lay down the pros and cons.
Advantages:
- Effective for general, extensive or severe disease
- Easy to administer
Disadvantages:
- Risk of infections, possible toxicity to blood cells, and probable increased risk of lymphoma (biological immune-modulators)
- Lowered renal function, hypertension, and increased risk for lymphoma and skin cancer (cyclosporine)
- Enduring risk of liver damage, birth defects, nausea, fatigue, insomnia (methotrexate)
- Hyperlipidemia, mucocutaneous side effects, hair loss, risk of birth defects, possible organ toxicity limits duration of therapy, psychiatric changes (retinoids)
- Not advised for patients who regularly take alcohol and with liver or renal damage
- Expensive
- Some drugs are limited in terms of availability
- Blood test monitoring is required regularly
As stated, there is no cure for psoriasis yet. And the cause of the disease is still unknown but most experts say that the illness is genetically-linked and is not contagious. Though there are no cures available, the disease is still manageable with the help of the above-mentioned medications so there is absolutely no reason for anyone to panic or fear whenever we see someone who possesses characteristics of a person afflicted with psoriasis.
