What Is Plaque Psoriasis?

Get real talk about psoriasis from dermatologist Dr. Weinberg and Cyndi Lauper

Plaque psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that starts under the skin and is characterized by thick, red, scaly skin plaques. It’s not a rash, and it’s not contagious. And while it’s not curable, it can be controlled with the proper treatment.

What causes psoriasis?

While the specific causes are not fully known, it’s believed that there are multiple proteins in your immune system, including IL-17A, that may play a role in inflammation. When there are too many of these proteins, they cause an inflammatory response that contributes to an overgrowth of skin cells. This results in thick, red, scaly plaques that can appear all over the skin. The skin plaques can also be painful and itchy.

What’s the difference between moderate and severe plaque psoriasis?

The severity of plaque psoriasis may be measured by total coverage, the locations of the plaques, and how it affects you.

MODERATE: 3% to 10% of the body has psoriasis.

SEVERE: More than 10% of the body has psoriasis.

What are the symptoms?

Plaque psoriasis symptoms you can see and feel:

Red patches of skin

Dry, cracked skin that can bleed

Pitted or thickened nails

Itching

Psoriasis-related pain

Burning

“Living with psoriasis is like being in jail. You’re not free at all. The stares, the looks. I had it all over my body.”

Individual results may vary. Gary was compensated for his time.

Gary Actual Patient

“The psoriasis itch is not a surface itch. It feels deep, like you cannot get to it. It doesn’t matter how hard you scratch.”

Individual results may vary. LauraLee was compensated for her time.

LauraLee Actual Patient

Why do symptoms flare?

There are many reasons why your psoriasis symptoms could flare. These can differ from person to person. Some triggers include certain infections, skin trauma or injury, stress, alcohol, smoking, cold or dry weather, starting some medications, stopping medication, or even the natural course of the disease.

It’s a good idea to keep track of your symptoms, triggers, and flares to help you manage them in the future. Talk to your doctor about how best to keep track of your symptoms.

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Indications

COSENTYX^® (secukinumab) is a prescription medicine used to treat adults:

with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis that involves large areas or many areas of the body, and who may benefit from taking injections or pills (systemic therapy) or phototherapy (treatment using ultraviolet or UV light, alone or with systemic therapy)
with active psoriatic arthritis
with active ankylosing spondylitis

Important Safety Information

Do not use COSENTYX if you have had a severe allergic reaction to secukinumab or any of the other ingredients in COSENTYX. See the Medication Guide for a complete list of ingredients.

COSENTYX is a medicine that affects your immune system. COSENTYX may increase your risk of having serious side effects such as:

Infections

COSENTYX may lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections and may increase your risk of infections.

Your doctor should check you for tuberculosis (TB) before starting treatment with COSENTYX.
If your doctor feels that you are at risk for TB, you may be treated with medicine for TB before you begin treatment with COSENTYX and during treatment with COSENTYX.
Your doctor should watch you closely for signs and symptoms of TB during treatment with COSENTYX. Do not take COSENTYX if you have an active TB infection.

Before starting COSENTYX, tell your doctor if you:

are being treated for an infection
have an infection that does not go away or that keeps coming back
have TB or have been in close contact with someone with TB
think you have an infection or have symptoms of an infection, such as: fevers, sweats, or chills; muscle aches; cough; shortness of breath; blood in your phlegm; weight loss; warm, red, or painful skin or sores on your body; diarrhea or stomach pain; burning when you urinate or urinate more often than normal

After starting COSENTYX, call your doctor right away if you have any signs of infection listed above. Do not use COSENTYX if you have any signs of infection unless you are instructed to by your doctor.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

New cases of inflammatory bowel disease or “flare-ups” can happen with COSENTYX, and can sometimes be serious. If you have inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease), tell your doctor if you have worsening disease symptoms during treatment with COSENTYX or develop new symptoms of stomach pain or diarrhea.

Serious Allergic Reactions

Serious allergic reactions can occur. Get emergency medical help right away if you get any of the following symptoms: feeling faint; swelling of your face, eyelids, lips, mouth, tongue, or throat; trouble breathing or throat tightness; chest tightness; or skin rash. If you have a severe allergic reaction, do not give another injection of COSENTYX.

Before starting COSENTYX, tell your doctor if you:

have any of the conditions or symptoms listed above for infections
have inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis)
are allergic to latex. The needle caps contain latex.
have recently received or are scheduled to receive an immunization (vaccine). People who take COSENTYX should not receive live vaccines.
have any other medical conditions
are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if COSENTYX can harm your unborn baby. You and your doctor should decide if you will use COSENTYX.
are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if COSENTYX passes into your breast milk.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of your medicines to show your doctor and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.

How should I use COSENTYX?

See the detailed Instructions for Use that comes with your COSENTYX for information on how to prepare and inject a dose of COSENTYX, and how to properly throw away (dispose of) used COSENTYX Sensoready® pens and prefilled syringes.

Use COSENTYX exactly as prescribed by your doctor.
If your doctor decides that you or a caregiver may give your injections of COSENTYX at home, you should receive training on the right way to prepare and inject COSENTYX. Do not try to inject COSENTYX yourself, until you or your caregiver has been shown how to inject COSENTYX by your doctor or nurse.

The most common side effects of COSENTYX include: cold symptoms, diarrhea, and upper respiratory infections. These are not all of the possible side effects of COSENTYX. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see full Prescribing Information, including Medication Guide.

WHAT IS PLAQUE PSORIASIS?