PUVA v UVB - what worked for you?

[Heather1957]

I've no doubt that this has been asked before but there is so much info I thought I'd start a new thread, sorry if this upsets anyone.

I have just come back from seeing the specialist at the hospital with regard my Psoriasis.

I was referred way back in January when my skin was really bad but luckily after 2 weeks in Florida in June it is not quite as bad at the moment as it was but has started to spread again.

The only treatment that has ever worked for me is PUVA and I am aware of the reluctance of specialists to give too many treatments of this due to possible skin cancers.

The specialist today has recommended that I have a course of UVB, which is would be better for me as the drugs made me feel very sick.

Has anyone experienced UVB and how effective was it for you?

I KNOW PUVA works for me and the doctor did tell me that if the UVB doesn't work then he'll give me the PUVA treatment.

I had my first PUVA treatment over 30 years ago so I can understand the doctors concerned.

Apparently my local hospital has only had the UVB equipment since 2007 which is just when I last had PUVA treatment.


I wondered what others experience has been with UVB?

[Starburst]

I have had UVB twice the first time ended in 2007 after about 10 weeks and I was clear for about 6 months then it gradually started coming back. My second time finished in March but I was only clear for about 2 months before it started coming back.

[Nicknackwack]

Hi Heather and welcome to PHO from me 

I've had UVB TLO-1 twice. The first time was fine. I achieved clearance and a short remission and I suffered no side effects however the second time I failed, partly because my plaque p was extensive and partly because UVB simply was'nt strong enough.

I've had PUVA about 5 times and respond well because it penetrates much deeper. More recently I've had PUVA in conjunction with Vitamin D3 which has shown to speed up the treatment and if you are interested just click on the link. You can read all about it here should you have to return to PUVA if your UVB fails You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

I've also had Bath PUVA (BPUVA). Personally I found it impracticable and time consuming and reverted to standard PUVA mid treatment.

I think UVB is effective especially for guttate, inverse p but not necessarily for severe plaque p. Remission tends to be short term but side effects are certainly less than PUVA long term. It's a good fall back treatment imo !

Hope that helps 

[Panch]

Tried PUVA for several months with no improvement. Then came UVB -NB which helped as a supplement to MTX for years. I have a full body UVB unit at home. As I am on stelara now don't use it much. Who knows, if and when stelara stops working for me, I may have to go back and use it.

[Jackie]

Hi Heather

UVB didn't work for me at all, after 15 sessions I was swapped to PUVA which did the trick wonderfully.

I had the 5-MOP Psoralen (rather than 8-MOP) which is less likely to cause nausea.

Good luck 

[Heather1957]

Thanks again for the replies.

Although I have patched that cover both my buttocks  and the size of dinner plates on the top of my legs, they are all currently quite flat with very few scales (I sound like a fish!) so I am hoping that the UVB may be effective on this.

Before I went on holiday I was plastered (whole body) and it was all thick scales and I believe PUVA would have worked best on this kind of psoriasis.

Definately mixed results.

[Scruff]

I finished a session of UVB TLO-1 last month, and found it really worked for me, even though I never got above 1 minute in the booth! I've had a bit of a flare since I stopped, but that's coincided with a very stressful time at work!

[Emms]

Hiya
I have had uvb three times and last time i didn't get full clearance and the p was back very quickly

but i have started bath puva and yes it is time consuming but i have had 5 treatments so far and most of my p is gone and it is working on my legs too but i realize its too soon for me to compare but on uvb my skin never reacted this well

i don't think i have suffered any side effects all though since i started treatment i have felt really tired  esp on treatment days but that might be because i have to do it in my lunch break and come to work an hour early to make up the time as it takes two hours with traveling there and back as well 

[amox]

I've had 30 treatments of UVB, and it's worked quite well for me, it's faded my upper body, stomach and back. It's faded on my legs but not quite as well, these are very stubborn.
I got up to about 3.5 minutes.
It's a bit annoying having to go 3 times a week, but to be honest i'd do anything to get rid of this.

Hope it goes well for you.

[yasmine]

Hi Emms, I had tiredness too on days when I did PUVA. This is because PUVA decreases your serum folic acid by destroying it in your skin. I found out that taking folic acid eliminates the tiredness. I would take the folic acid as part of a vitamin B complex.

I have switched to NBUVB now, having bought a home lamp. It is not as effective, and remission time is very short (2-3 weeks!). in the past, with 1 course of PUVA per year, I managed to stay relatively clear for the rest of the year before i had to do it again.