Shantilly

Had a gentleman come in today, covered from head to toe with psoriasis. His dermatologist told him a tanning bed would be a waste of time. Of course he wants him to come to his office x number of times a week, tells him to go outside in summer and tan. The man is fed up. I no you cant give out info in the states. I packed him with everything I had, to take to his family doctor. While doing research at home tonight, I found this, thought it might help others.




http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...=pubmed_docsum


Commercial tanning bed treatment is an effective psoriasis treatment: results from an uncontrolled clinical trial.

• Fleischer AB Jr,
• Clark AR,
• Rapp SR,
• Reboussin DM,
• Feldman SR.

Department of Dermatology, Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S.A.
Phototherapy is highly effective in the therapy of psoriasis, but patient access to phototherapeutic facilities is not universal. Commercial tanning facilities are universal, but their efficacy in psoriasis treatment is unestablished. Our purpose was to conduct a study to assess the effect of a commercial tanning unit outfitted with nonprescription lamps on psoriasis. We conducted a 6-wk open study of 20 adult patients with stable psoriasis vulgaris. Clinical response was defined as a decrease in the Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) or the Self-Administered PASI (SAPASI) by > or = 10%. There were 16 men and 4 women who participated with a mean (+/-SD) age of 43.0 +/- 14.8 y. Initial and final health-related quality of life information collected included the following instruments: the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), the Psoriasis-Related Stressor Scale (PRSS), and the Psoriasis Disability Scale (PDS). Side effects of tanning therapy were closely monitored. Fifteen subjects completed the entire 6-wk trial, and exit data on all subjects were used for analysis. The mean number of tanning sessions was 19 +/- 7.6 with a median of 19 and range of 3 to 29. Analysis of all 20 enrolled subjects found that 16 (80%) showed clinical response as measured by PASI, whereas 17 (85%) showed SAPASI response. Initial and final PASI scores decreased (p = 0.0001) from 7.96 +/- 1.77 to 5.04 +/- 2.5, and SAPASI scores also decreased (p = 0.02) from 11.8 +/- 4.4 to 7.9 +/- 7.7. When controlled for age and sex, a dose-response relationship was demonstrated with the PASI and SAPASI (p < 0.02). Decreases in the mean BSI and PRSS scales were demonstrated (p < 0.02), confirming the clinical significance of the reductions in disease severity scores. Episodes of mild burning occurred in 7 of 20 (35%) participants. Three subjects reported itching after one or two tanning sessions. This study showed that a tested commercial nonprescription tanning unit improved both psoriasis severity and health-related quality of life. Commercial tanning bed treatments may be a useful approach in patients unable to obtain office-based ultraviolet treatments.
PMID: 9242503 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

BooBop

Yes, I get many every 'winter' here cause they can't get uv outside.

Derms, what big $$$ for a 2 min session in their Medical uv. Give them a good dose of uvb in your tanning beds and they will be just fine. Another thing you can tell them,.... "Its just like a big heating pad for those cold bones and achy joints"

Come, Relax and Feel Better ;)

James Johnston

I knew that back in 89 or 90. When I divorced, first thing out of the house was the tanning bed. (no sh*t) I t helps psoriasis! I have had Psoriasis for a long time. Winter is the worst time!!!

Shantilly

So next ? would be... although i have had many tan for mild psoriasis, this man was COVERED! His stomach was one huge scab. I told him everyday for 2-3 minutes in the standup. contacting disty now to find out exact uvb output of lamp. He cant even stand for more than 3 minutes. I greatly discounted price for him. What kind of exposure should /would help? Any experience here?

oh yeah... im so taking before and after pics of him.

James Johnston

There was a post just a day or to ago. I think Trick440 posted about lotion and lamps for psoriasis. He gave me the names of some lotion that he thought would help. My daughter had it bad and it helped. Someone posted that high uvb lamps is best. I really didn`t know anything except the bets helpes last 15..16 years.

Shantilly

thanks jj, i will do a search

eileen

I've always read uvb is on the surface therefore better for psoriasis.... we put them in our elixir 40/3 bed with higher uvb output

Shantilly

thanks eileen, trying to get uvb output on our lamps from disty. I no uvb is higher in 160 watt. I dont think he could go laydown, he is a big man. Does it make a difference, ya think, lying on the acrylic, I would think it would aggravate it, the sweat?

eileen

if it's uncomfortable he could lie on a large bath towel on the bottom and turn over halfway thru his session time. we have about 3 clients that have had pretty bad cases come in to tan.

BooBop

I don't know what lamps you are using BUT, the uvb output is NOT higher in my 160s, it is lower.

My base lamps 100 watters are 6.5% and the 160s are like 3.0% of B