Hi,
One of my distant relative has come from India to visit us in basel. She had Psoriasis since few yrs. But after coming here, it has aggravated and we don't know how we can help her. Any idea if Swiss has better medicines to deal with Psoriasis? Also if we see a doctor (Dermatologist), how much are the consultation charges as insurance will not cover this (pre-existing problem)?

Any suggesstion/s will be appreciated.

Have a look at this thread. It will give you an idea of costs.

If it is aggravated it is probably a food intolerance.
Check into the change in diet.

This might sound lame, but a workmate of mine had really bad Psoriasis on his elbows/arms and tried some of my Dream Cream (from LUSH) and it really helped it! It stopped the itching and it looked much better after a couple of days of use, now he swears by it to keep it under control. It is pretty inexpensive, and I would say worth a try.

Oh buy the way, there is no such thing as pre-existing conditions in Switzerland. You can be in the hospital for a condition, sign up for insurance, and they have to pay your bills. This is absolutely true, I did it... we were covered one month only but the hospitalization was longer so I started on the Swiss insurance, the first of the next month, and they began picking the bills up straight away without even discharging from the hospital.

For travel insurance, it should still cover the worsening of a condition, because you are asked about all your conditions when you are given your premium.

You will probably pay for the medical visit anyway because your deductable each year has you pay the first so many dollars, usually in the 500 to 1500 CHF range. How much you selected has a big impact on your premiums, much lower for the higher deductables.

I'm not sure what the rules are here for non-residents consulting a dermatologist, i.e. whether it is permitted, or if the doctor may charge a higher than usual consultation fee.

A dermatogist will be able to prescribe what is best for your relative, having regard to the level of severity of her symptoms and what medication she has used in the past. I know that Daivobet ointment is an extremely effective medication, which I believe is also available in India. A small tube costs about CHF 50.

Otherwise, as TOPO has posted, the increase in symptoms could be due to a change in her diet, and also change in environment/weather.

My GF has aggravated psoriasis on her feet and intermittent psoriasis on her elbow and leg. Nothing helps, there is no cure for psoriasis as it is a genetic condition. Dermatologists will prescribe a plethora or ointments and remedies, some of which will do more harm than good.

They prescribe a particularly nasty cortisone ointment that seems to eat flesh. I think when it comes to psoriasis, dermatologists are full of ****. They appear to have as much of an idea as anyone.

What does help for my GF is her diet. It has been a slow process of trial and error. She swears there are certain foods that make it worse, hard cheese, tomatoes for example.

She even tried an ayurvedic charlatan, his little pellets of herbal crap only made it worse.

It comes and goes, sometimes completely, stress can bring it back too. At one stage I wanted to send her to Turkey as there is an apparent treatment that involves flesh eating sucker fish. Naturally she would rather put up with the psoriasis.

It terrible, I sympathise.

Hey u can try Dr. Ursula Kallin, sihlcity-dermatologists. But dont know about the charges. Pls visit and check there.

I know what you mean. My cousin has had psoriasis for for the past 10 years or so (well, she claims she's had it since she can remember). The symptoms come and go. She goes through periods where the psoriasis is, in her words, "everywhere", and she feels a bit self-conscious about what she has to wear, always trying to make sure that it is covered up.

She recently moved from Australia to the UK, and just the change in environment, change in diet, less sun, etc., aggravated the symptoms.

She's probably tried every cream on the market, and has even undergone light therapy. At one time when the psoriaris was causing her much grief, she even considered flying to some country that was advertising the benefits of swimming in its salt water.

None of the treatments actually make the psoriasis disappear completely, but they at least keep it under control. The reason I mentioned Daivobet is because it has been a miracle cream for her. Different people probably react differently, but I think when you find something that works (albeit temporarily), it can be a real booster to one's self-esteem.

The rule is that the non-residents pay like everybodyelse; if they can't then if they are staying with a friend or relative that person pays.

Marton

Thanks everyone for all your replies.

Today we had gone to see a dermatologist in Universitatspital. Doctor has given few medicines. Hope these will bring the situation under control.
Also the doc mentioned some of the marks on the face are due to sun allergy. This is the first time my relative is experiencing sun allergy ...so no idea what this means. Is it very common to suffer from sun allergy in Switzerland? How can it be prevented?

Thanks again! :-)

Sun Block could help. Possibly

Ultimately, psoriasis is a chronic problem and therefore needs to be treated as one - the treatment should not be local/focal but holistic with long-term profound effects at the level of the problem, not the syptom. Homeopathy is very helpful but you need to follow a course, a one-off will not change so much - still would not be wasted though.

Dear,
Yes, it is a chronic problem, what is really important if smb has the psoriasis-
avoid any kind of stress, physical disability, social discomfort and psychological disorders (it is easier to suggest than follow, of course).
B.

Happiness counts.

On a general note - I was watching one of those health programmes on TV just now and there was a lady who found that the treatment offered by the Aeskulap-Klinik in Brunnen helped her after having unsuccessfully tried with "normal" medicine. I'm not sure what and if anything is covered by insurance but might be of interest to someone.

Hi Danneve

I am biased but you may also want to consider some natural alternatives to "conventional medicine" I run a natural health website in the US but won't plug it here, you can always PM me for further information if you need it. Here's a small excerpt on 2 forms of solutions to Psoriasis:

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Aromatherapy: The following essential oils are recommended: bergamot (to help heal skin plaques), lavender (to reduce excessive itching), melissa (for irritated skin), jasmine (for dry sensitive skin), geranium (for dry irritating skin), and sandalwood mysore (for dehydrated, inflamed, and sensitive skin).

Diet: Screen for and eliminate all foods to which you are allergic or sensitive. Eat a varied diet of organic, whole foods, rotating foods as much as possible. Eliminate wheat and wheat products for 1-3 months. Consume seafood high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as wild salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, and each day, on a rotating basis, take one tablespoon of olive or flaxseed oil, and be sure to drink plenty of pure, filtered water. Organic beef, venison, poultry, garlic, onions, parsley, organic plain yogurt, and sauerkraut are also recommended. (tougher to do I'm sure for your guest)

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Best of luck

Lee

oops....Just saw this thread is 2 years old...Doh!

Sorry...hope your friend is better now!!

In the winterthur once every 2 weeks at the solarium helps. Also a good diet with fresh vegetables and whole grains.

Thanks for the tips on the diet. I wanted to use the official "thanks" tag, but I have yet to understand why it disappeared after I finally got to use it once...

I have say that for me something did work: Omega-3 supplements. Now I have to face the harsh truth that maybe I need to give up tomatoes (they are like M&Ms for me). Wheat not an issue since I eat that on an extremely rare basis.

it does stink big time, that's all i have to say...